Buffalo Sabres get bigger on the blueline, selecting Radim Mrtka ninth in the NHL Draft

Buffalo Sabres get bigger on the blueline, selecting Radim Mrtka ninth in the NHL Draft

kevin Abs goes defense with the ninth pick of the first round radim Murka let’s talk about the newest Buffalo Saber coming up on Locked on Sabres [Music] you’re Locked on Sabres your daily podcast on the Buffalo Sabres part of the Locked On podcast network your team every day what is up everybody and welcome in to this edition of the Locked on Sabers podcast and thanks for making us your first listen every day we are free and available wherever you get your podcast you can check us out on YouTube be sure to like and subscribe the show there and you can also hit us up on our text club and get some breaking news alerts as well joins subtext.com/lockedonsvers today’s episode is presented by Game Time download the Game Time app create an account and use code locked on NHL for $20 off your first purchase it is kind of a post-draft show the only reason I say that it the kind of part is because I’m actually recording this live during the NHL draft it is pick number 17 at the time of uh at record here islanders picking with the current selection but uh this draft is going real slow so I figure let’s get it out there let’s talk about Radim Mertka the newest Buffalo Saber who they picked at number nine overall in the first round a lot to get to on the Sabres organizationally now on defense kind of the the what this means to pick a player like this it’s not the most stunning pick in the world but I do think it caught a few people off guard especially the ESPN panel i don’t think it should have caught them as offguard as it did but I got a comment about what they had to say as well so lot to get to today on this post-draft edition post first round edition of the Lockdown Sabres podcast redeem Murka is the Saber selection this is a player that we had circled for the Buffalo Sabres i threw it into our text club about 20 minutes before the Saber selection saying I think they’re going to go Murka think that’s going to be their pick at number nine overall to me it just sounded like a lot of the features that the Sabres have been going for this off season and of course this player is not one you’re expecting to be on the team this year so it’s more building for the future in the light of how you’re building the team to win right now and that’s what you’re getting out of this newest prospect for the Buffalo Sabres so before we get into him just want to say quickly about the how this draft is going as I continue to watch it here um and by the way of course we will add in content if the Sabres are to do anything else but I doubt they’re trading back into the first round but you never know uh very strange draft decentralized draft it’s the first time they’re doing this and I have to believe it will be the last time that they are doing this it’s almost I’m kind of enjoying it though like me and some of my buddies are watching this draft and we’re sharing memes back and forth and we’re just kind of laughing and enjoying the cringiness of it how awkward it is this draft house concept where after the player is selected and after he goes on stage with Gary Bman he walks through this little corridor into this little hut with a screen on it where that player talks to the GM and members of the team’s organization and there are these awkward little conversations the worst one was with Utah at number four where the they couldn’t the the team members I don’t think couldn’t be heard by the player or the interviewer and the interviewer just stood there and didn’t really make it any better it just there’s a lot of strange things going on in this NHL draft the energy is weird i am actually surprised at the amount that I don’t like it i thought that I would like it that it would feel more like the NFL draft and you don’t have to have these teams that are going up on stage and this long thank you to the Florida Panthers or or or uh congratulations to the Florida Panthers and a thank you to LA and the arena just two three minute speeches before making your selection i thought we’d do well to get rid of that but this as an alternative not a fan and it’s taking forever i have no idea why it’s taking this long but like right now at time of recording it is 9:30 p.m the draft started 2 and a half hours ago and we just passed the halfway point they’re going to have to pick up the pace right or else this draft is going to let me do the math it’s going to go to midnight and maybe that’s maybe that’s planned i don’t know but that just feels like a fiveh hour draft five hour first round draft just seems incredible to me but anyways enough about that let’s get to the Saber selection kevin Adams taking Radim Murka a defenseman from Czecha playing last year with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL that was after he began last season with TR neck trneck of the Czech first division he played 10 games there at the beginning of the season and did not really do much at all reading about what Murka’s story was like last season he was not getting much ice time at his Czech club and he used that as an avenue to get to North America and to get to the Seattle Thunderbirds where he could play big big minutes his first game for the Seattle Thunderbirds he played 28 minutes a night he had only had one morning skate with the team since landing from overseas could not even understand anybody no one could understand him because he did not yet speak the language and despite the fact that didn’t speak the language he just showed up he played 28 minutes in his first game for Seattle and by all accounts was the best player on the ice he is big he has got some good skating skill he has got some raw ability this player at 6’6 218 pounds one of the biggest players in this draft and might go down as the biggest player that is selected in the first round right shot defenseman he is a late birthday early birthday excuse me so uh no late birthday June 9th so he’s one of the younger players in the first round just turned 18 earlier this month murka is a lot of things but what you’re going to see immediately is the size this is a big player and I think what you might mistake Mertka for is a big mean punishing defenseman and while I don’t think he gets pushed around easily especially the junior level right now I don’t think that’s what got him drafted at number nine so reading from a couple of different draft analysts one from Elite Prospects draft guide while talking about Murka that he is not necessarily the most aggressive player but he’s an active and aware defender scans for threats ties them up rotates well though he lands the occasional big hit his physical impact comes through his ability to absorb contact win retrievalss and deny space with possession Murka’s no slouch either he makes tricky passes off the wall and retrievalss joins the rush and manages space well at the top of the zone that’s what I saw watching some shift breakdowns of Murka in the last couple of days and more so since the Savers have picked him in the last couple of hours here um he can move he could jump up in the rush and I was actually very impressed by his puck moving skills his ability to pass and I think what you are seeing for him or why he get this why he gets selected number nine overall and why it wasn’t a reach like again the ESPN broadcast calling it a bit of a reach was surprising to me because where did he rank he was ranked number nine in TSN’s draft guide with Craig Button bob McKenzie ranked him number 11 consolidated ranking number 12 McKeen’s hockey number nine um Mallaloy hockey number eight i mean nobody really had him ranked any higher than four lower than 14th um everybody had him right around this range and the reason for that more than just the size I think is the potential for him to be a top pair defenseman with a super skilled partner that is what I see him as the perfect type of partner for a Rasmus Dalene a Brent Seabbrook to Duncan Keith perhaps one comparison there’s been a couple of good breakdowns of him as a player and who he kind of reminds people of um hockey prospecting Byron Bader said that he is very and called him a dead ringer modelwise to Douggee Hamilton who was selected ninth overall in 2011 hamilton also very tall defenseman um again not the most physically imposing player Hamilton he is also 6’6 he also went ninth overall in that draft and he’s not a guy who’s put up crazy points he had 174 point season otherwise he never had more than 50 he’s always been between 40 and 50 he has a good shot because of his size and he has scored double- digit goals um eight times but Hamilton and while he doesn’t get pushed around and he can throw his body he’s not the most physically imposing defenseman ever but there is skill there and that is I think when I saw that comparison I thought that’s a really good one that that is what Murka looks like um at least in his junior tape with the Seattle Thunderbirds to me when I think of Murka he’s the perfect defender defensive partner for a supercharged skilled linemate because stay-at-home defending the size part of it could do the dirty work while also having the talent to match his partner so that if you’re trying to maintain an offensive zone time that if the puck comes to you it just it doesn’t just die on your stick you’re not just going to chip the puck into the corner and lose possession you’re going to be able to move around a little bit you’re gonna be able to read the ice and that gives your partner more opportunities to make plays himself so I think that he’s the perfect number two defenseman if if he hits his ceiling and that’s a big if you look at some of the models on you know NHL probability and star probability i mean you’re talking about like a 70 to 80% chance that this player is going to be an NHLer and you know maybe like a 25% chance that he’s going to be a star in the league but you know it’s not a slam dunk you would think he’ll make the league he’s a top 10 pick he should he’s big enough where he’ll get a chance and there should be enough skill there where he’s going to be an important player in the NHL but again draft can be a little bit of a crapshoot and we’ll have to see how he develops in the coming years but again this is a big defenseman a right shot defenseman and I want to get to how he fits into the Sabres organizational depth chart and their organizational timeline because I think both of those questions are a little interesting for this player that’s coming up here on a draft edition of the Lockdown Sabres podcast today’s episode of Lockdown Sabres is presented by Game Time have you ever decided at the last minute to head to a ball game with friends or family me i’m thinking about doing that coming up in a couple of days just drive up to Toronto maybe it’s game day and you suddenly realize you want to be in the stands it’s exactly when game time comes in it’s the easiest way to grab last minute tickets without the stress with the money you save on tickets you can 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pick they go to the ESPN panel you got John Buchross you got Megan Chica you got Emily Kaplan and you got Kevin Weekes and they were in a highlight package i believe Emily Kaplan was the one that was speaking who was critical of the draft pick saying and really the genesis of that criticism was the Sabres are all set on the blue line you got Owen Power you got Rasmus Stallene you’ve got all these guys at the NHL level you don’t need to draft another defenseman and to me I think that is a way oversimplified way of looking at it and I think if you look at it in a deeper level you get to no this was a need for the Buffalo Sabres it is a long-term need because they are not they might be topheavy at that position no doubt the Buffalo Sabres have two of their most talented players on the blue line Rasmus Stallin and Owen Power and those two are locked up long term you’d hope none of them neither of them going anywhere for a long time that’s a strength of your hockey team those two guys at the pinnacle of your blue line they are not all set behind that bo Bum who we’ll talk about in a minute has not yet been traded but we still fully expect that he’s going to be traded michael Kessler i like the player and I’m optimistic about his potential coming over from Utah but that’s not a slam dunk that he’s going to be great for them or a second pair power defender partner i think he will but let’s see it he’s not yet played more than 17 minutes a night in a given season he’s only played two years in the NHL and the Sabres are betting on a jump from him that has not yet happened that’s not all set that’s a good idea but that’s not all set matias Samuelson should have been bought out by now and that’s not going to happen but hopefully he will be traded sometime soon and he’s not somebody you can rely upon at this current time jacob Bernard Docker that’s a seventh defenseman and that’s the end conor Clifton last year of his contract i I would buy him out too probably and that’s the end of it so I got two sure things in the NHL and everything else assuming they trade Byum is kind of flimsy right then you get down to the prospect level on the blue line and there’s really nothing going on i mean Ryan Johnson is I you should write him off as being a impact player at the NHL level maybe maybe he develops into a guy that could be a seventh defenseman for you but uh he’s about to be 24 years old in a month like he better get rolling on even that seventh defenseman status if he ever wants to be a full-time NHLer so can’t count on Johnson to be an impact player um and he’s again 24 now nikita Novakov like that is that is a name that is interesting to me and maybe there is a possibility that he is going to be an NHL player i think he’s got that potential but he’s a little older too 21 years old he’ll be 22 when they get to training camp and I’ve got a couple of years of sample in Rochester that look pretty good but not so overwhelmingly good that like oh we got to rush this guy up here think he’s got a chance but that’s about it a chance and past that other than Novacov maybe you get lucky with somebody somewhere along the way maxim Streakback was a second round pick of the Sabres last year maybe it’s him but other than Novakov I don’t see a player at the NH in the in the organizational depth chart that I would project to make the NHL and even with Novakov as I said it’s very I mean I’m giving him a lot of credit if I even call it 5050 I think so right away Radi Murka shoots to the top of the list as the number one prospect in the Buffalo Sabres organization and I don’t think it’s particularly close they if if Castle Ring doesn’t turn into what you hope as a second pair guy or you know or and you trade Byum or Samuelson continues to play for them and continues to play poorly or uh Jacob Bernard Docker just continues to be a seventh guy like if any it’s really all about Kessle Ring right like the big if if Kessle Ring doesn’t turn into something you’re going to need some help you’re going to need help to be on the way this could be that and even if Kessle Ring works out you’d probably like to have a long-term future Dalene partner in your organization if Castle Ring could be your power partner and that is the potential that you are getting out of this trade or out of this draft selection with Radi MKA so I like where he fits now the timeline is the one thing here that is not my favorite i like the player i do like the puck possession skills i like the passing ability um the size i think the only drawback is it sounds like he’s going to be a little bit of time a project if you will let him grow into his body we’ve had the conversation a lot this year about Owen Power and his man strength right because that’s the term Lindy Ruff used um in the middle of the season that you can work in the weight room all you want when you’re at that age but there’s a certain level of maturity growing into your body that you need before you could take that giant step um Power has all these other abilities that allow him to make an impact anyway because he’s such a good such a good elite passer and sees the game really well like there’s there’s another level of ability there for power that allows him to be a good player without yet growing into his body i don’t know if that’s going to be true of Murka i think MKA is going to be somebody you’re going to want him to get stronger before he ever arrives at the NHL level you’re going to want his skating to improve a little bit and I think there his shot can improve a little bit let him cook down in juniors play this year with Seattle get him to Rochester eventually i think you’re probably talking about a three-year plan to get him to Buffalo and that’s not always true of everybody i mean Zack Benson is the other extreme that’s a one-year plan and that’s not that’s not common is Rosanne taking four years and maybe fifth is not is not normal that’s not usually the plan it’s usually two three years of de two years of development or one and then you make it and there have been some guys where I thought okay that’s Helenius i think he could make the team out of camp i kind of hope he doesn’t because I would like to see this team go older but that was someone where like okay one year and he makes the team wouldn’t have surprised me benson we heard that about before he made the team you know without any years of development this is a player where I would think it’s going to take two full seasons of development and then he competes for a roster spot the year after that and maybe even that’s given him a little credit maybe it takes three years of development so I do think it’s going to take a little bit of time um it’s going to take some maturity with him playing at lower level levels of hockey and uh hopefully by the time he hopefully by the time he makes it to the NHL level Bras Stallene is still here and they’ve made the playoffs and everyone’s cool and there’s no trade coming because I do I I really am dreaming about a future where again the Sabres have figured it out a little bit maybe they got a new GM maybe they don’t but they’ve made the playoffs the drought is over dene is all good he’s here he’s a superstar maybe he’s winning a Norris and this kid shows up ready to go with the skill set that I think fits really well with Rasmus Dalene really hope that there’s a future um between those two some somewhere down the road whether it be three years four years maybe five i mean sometimes it takes guys that long all right when we come back uh still no Bo Byum trade talk about whether it’s possible Byum could stick around because I’ve seen some people throwing that theory out there and I’m not sure about it that when we come back today’s episode of Lockdown Sabers is presented by Monarch Money if you ever wish that managing your money felt easier with Monarch Money it can because whether you are growing your savings or you’re planning a big purchase 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select Radim MKA and the Sabres have not yet traded Bo Byum so the one disappointment of this draft and this seems to happen every year every year you know I you know we’re going to become the boy who cried wolf here i’m going have to remember this for next season we’re going to write it down that every year we’re going to get around draft time and everyone’s going to say “Trade the pick trade the pick trade the pick.” And pretty much every year they don’t trade the pick because teams don’t often trade picks for veteran players in this draft noah Dobson was traded today for the 17th and 18th picks back to back um but that’s it and that happened earlier in the day um you’re not seeing you’re not Sorry I just got distracted i’m trying not to be snarky i just saw I’m watching the draft again as we record and the general manager of the year award graphic came across and I just thought of a snarky comment but not going to make it i’m going to hold off today um Bo Byum why hasn’t he been traded well Dobson was the only one that was traded today otherwise you had to trade down pittsburgh went down to Philadelphia i don’t know what Philly was doing trading two first round picks for a kid to select in the teens i just I I don’t get that um tough one for Danny Brier there i would not be happy with that trade if I’m a Flyers fan um no Byum trade no trade at all fans are upset I’m sure that the ninth pick does not get dealt the theory has been thrown out there by a few people in the media the national insiders that are wondering about the market for Byum i think Freriedman mentioned this as a theory what if the Sabres don’t like the trade market for Bo Byum what if it’s too soft for them and they don’t like what they’re seeing should they hold on to him and try to get him to sign a contract you’re kind of in a similar position to JJ Purka uh a little less control over Byron for the long term is it worth hanging on to Bum and to me the offers would have to be pretty tough to not move him off your roster because Bum Bum I just don’t see as a need right now i don’t see him as a player that would really make a large impact for the Buffalo Sabres because of the three guys now in the top four where I don’t if Kessler indeed can be their number three defenseman i don’t think you need Byum anymore byum doesn’t play power play byum is your Dalene partner that’s where he plays at his best i don’t need that as much as I need my Owen power partner and I think you have a lot of sample size that show shows that Byum and Power do not work as a pair so sure if he was under contract and I didn’t have to worry about that and he wanted to be here and nobody was offering anything of substance yeah I keep him and I play him on my top pair with Dene and sure on paper Dalene Byum with Power and Kessle Ring looks like a really good top four i just think it’s an unnecessary surplus i don’t think you need Byum what do you need him for you don’t need him for power play you don’t need him for the defensive defensive game you don’t need him to play short-handed kill penalties like again he could make an impact he could score some goals but if I’m trying to fill out you know my needs Byum doesn’t really fit that now a big difference though to me between him and JJ Purka is I think Purka is a legitimately great hockey player legitimately good hockey player at least i give him that and Byum I think there’s a much bigger question about that if it was if if I was more sure Byum is really good he’s not a need they don’t need him but he’s really really good then I’d say the same thing I said about Beta which is you hold on to him you hold on to him you don’t let a value like that go but with Byum there’s so much more evidence that he’s not as good as his numbers show like the the the point numbers um and that he’s a Dene merchant and if that’s true then I think the sooner you’re able to trade him for something anything that could help you uh I think I would do that so I’m hoping they could still do well on this deal but and I’m not a fan of the idea of bringing him back it again would have to be if someone’s offering a late first round pick I don’t do it anything more than that you know I get a middle of the road NHL player and a first round pick i think I I think that’s about where I start saying yes um that’s where I’m at with Bob Bern my to me this best idea though is still to package him with a pick and then you tra and then you trade that way all right it’s late the draft is still ongoing sabres should be done for the night kevin Adams will speak a little bit later on we’ll talk about it this weekend um see what the Sabres do on day two of the NHL draft which will come tomorrow by the way very quickly because I got a couple texters asking uh Radi Murka there’s a picture that was going viral from Steven Ellis of Daily Face Off about or not about it’s a picture of MKA looking miserable at the podium and wearing the Buffalo Sabres hat and the Buffalo Sabres jersey and it was it was kind of like oh man we’re going to start this up already players don’t want to be here right like look how miserable looks like he’s he looks like his cat died at at the podium um now apparently that is just kind of his demeanor a little bit if if you’re also a Bills fan you might remember Stefan Gilmore who did not smile when the Bills picked him but he also never smiled in his career ever it’s just kind of his you know it’s kind of what how he conducts himself um and maybe that’s MKA a little bit but then Matt Bet tweeted a picture of him smiling on the Zoom call um wearing the Saber stuff and how excited he is so uh if you see the the viral picture of Murka looking miserable you don’t have to you can you can make your jokes the Sabres deserve all the snark in the world so if you want to make fun of them for it I feel like you you know that should be fair game but know at the same time that he’s not I don’t think he’s miserable he looks you know completely fine and happy in the Zoom call uh I think again it’s just kind of you know what have maybe his face a little bit and how he just kind of looks um that just you know some guys that some guys that’s the case you don’t want to read too much into it james Cook was one of those guys too james Cook when he got drafted by the Bills all right that’ll do it for us today here on the Locked Down Sabres podcast full draft coverage over on Locked on NHL our sister show uh who’s got you covered on every pick matthew Schaefer at number one what a really cool story at the beginning there and emotional when he started crying up on the stage his mom passed away from cancer and they really cool move by the Islanders who put the the um the cancer ribbon on the jersey so you know they’ll talk about Schaefer on the podcast and all the moves that got made during this NHL draft so check it out locked NHL wherever you get your podcast and we’ll talk to you after day two of the NHL draft to see what the Sabres do in rounds two and beyond the Lockdown Sabres podcast part of the Lockdown Podcast Network your team every day

The Buffalo Sabres select defenseman Radim Mrtka with the ninth pick of the NHL Draft. A big 6’6″ right shot defenseman is a perfectly defendable pick by Kevyn Adams and the Sabres front office, but was it a need for the team? Sneaky Joe argues that the Sabres actually were lacking on the blueline in their organizational pipeline, and Mrtka instantly becomes their best prospect defenseman.

What are Mrtka’s best attributes? What’s his background? And how long until Mrtka will likely be in the NHL? Plus, should we be worried Bo Byram hasn’t been traded yet?

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