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One of the National Hockey League’s big pushes this off-season was to refine the draft lottery process in preparation for the upcoming 2015 Draft. nfl jerseys china . The lottery weights were adjusted to “more appropriately reflect the current state of competitive balance in the league,” a thinly-veiled attempt to lessen the incentive to tank a full season in hopes of picking up the first overall pick. It’s difficult to not look at Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, and the Buffalo Sabres as impetus behind the change. McDavid, who has already racked up 34 points in 12 games this year in the OHL, is the consensus No. 1 pick, but Eichel is not far behind. McDavid is considered a generational talent, and outside of Sidney Crosby in recent seasons, no other draft eligible hockey player has produced at his current rate. American Jack Eichel, the consensus No. 2 pick, offers an impressive consolation prize for the team that misses out on McDavid. He has three goals and six assists in three games for Boston University, competing against much older players than McDavid. His hot start comes on the heels of an impressive 20-goal, 45-point run with U.S. Hockey’s National Under-18 Team. The two players create serious opportunity for the team that manages to finish dead last. Under the 2015 Draft lottery rules, the 30th-place team has a 20% chance at picking No. 1 and a 100% chance at getting no worse than the consolation prize. It’s the final year where the draft will utilize the lottery to identify the first overall pick – in 2016, the lottery will expand to determine the top three teams, further depressing the motivation to lose out. The Sabres appear to be a lock for the upcoming draft lottery. And despite other poor performances around the league, it’s growing increasingly difficult to see them finishing anywhere other than dead last – although Carolina is winless and two points behind Buffalo. Few will accuse them of outright tanking, but the organization has certainly done an excellent job of stripping away most of the talent at the NHL-level, using this year to develop a litany of younger players. The team might not be actively trying to lose, but the roster has been carefully assembled to the point where it’s going to be almost impossible for Ted Nolan’s lineup to sustain any kind of success, even over short periods of time. It’s a rebuild, by the harshest of designs. In the early goings, the Sabres have amassed four points in nine games – a shocking victory over San Jose, and a shootout win over Carolina. What’s amazing is that the 2-7-0 record is probably favorable to how they’ve played, which is historically bad. To show just how bad the Sabres have been in the early season, I compiled monthly Score-Adjusted Fenwick% -- or even-strength possession, adjusted for score effects -- for every team over the last eight years. Score-Adjusted Fenwick measures 5-on-5 unblocked shot attempts while the score is within a two-goal margin. It should be noted that Buffalo has two games remaining in the month of October – one in Toronto, one at home against Boston. Possession Lost Team - Month Score-Adjusted Fenwick% Buffalo Sabres - October 2014 34.5% Atlanta Thrashers - March 2008 38.7% Buffalo Sabres - October 2013 40.1% Columbus Blue Jackets - January 2012 40.3% Edmonton Oilers - January 2014 40.9% Minnesota Wild - March 2011 41.2% Edmonton Oilers - November 2010 41.5% Minnesota Wild - March 2010 41.7% Calgary Flames - February 2011 41.7% Atlanta Thrashers - January 2007 41.8% So, Buffalo’s possession rates – importantly adjusted for score effects, since they are almost always trailing in hockey games – through the stretch of October are as bad as we have ever seen. You simply cannot win hockey games getting territorially drilled at the rate which Buffalo experiences, and this is with the team getting decent goaltending (.921 save percentage) at 5-on-5. If Michal Neuvirth and Jhonas Enroth ever go through a poor stretch of hockey – and they will, at some point – wins are going to be almost impossible to come by. I don’t think Buffalo will be able to sustain this low of a percentage over a full season, simply because the historical data we have suggests it’s almost impossible to be this bad. But, it’s comparatively difficult to see Buffalo not becoming the worst possession team of the analytics era when next April rolls around. What’s going to be fascinating is whether Buffalo really has any lottery competitors three months from now, and how extreme they’ll take roster-stripping in order to preserve a hopeful 30th-place finish. There are going to be plenty of opportunities to move veteran players, especially guys on expiring deals. Chris Stewart, the team’s best possession player at 43.7%, has been the subject of trade rumors and will likely be one of many shuffled off to the highest bidder at the deadline. Some will say Buffalo’s version of tanking will be worth it the minute they grab one of McDavid or Eichel; others will point to failed rebuild strategies in places like Edmonton and argue that throwing away seasons for nothing more than a chance isn’t worth it. The one point both sides will find agreeable is that this year’s edition of the Sabres is headed for futility. cheap jerseys from china . - Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II says the NFL has told the team it will not be docked a pick in this years draft for coach Mike Tomlins foray onto the field against Baltimore last November. wholesale nfl jerseys . The rest of the team was already on the field stretching before batting practice while Puig was getting dressed in the clubhouse. He had been slated to start in right field for the afternoon game against the San Francisco Giants, who beat the Dodgers 8-4. www.cheapjerseysnflchinasupply.net/ .Y. -- The Montreal Canadiens have had few reasons to celebrate this season as they have been mired near the basement of the Eastern Conference.MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Brewers won their ninth in a row, with Kyle Lohse coming within one out of a complete game Sunday in a 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. At 10-2, the Brewers are off to their best start since going 13-0 to start the 1987 season. This is Milwaukees longest winning streak since a nine-game string last April. Lohse (2-1) gave up four hits and struck out nine in 8 2-3 innings. He fanned five straight in the seventh and eighth innings. Lohse retired 12 of his last 13 batters. He was pulled with two outs in the ninth after giving up a single to Andrew McCutchen. Will Smith struck out Pedro Alvarez on three pitches to record his first career save. Charlie Morton (0-1) pitched seven innings as the Pirates lost for the fourth time in five games. Overall, Milwaukees rotation has been outstanding to start the season. The starters have combined 1.80 ERA over the first 12 games, giving up just 22 earned runs. The Brewers backed Lohse with fine fielding. Shortstop Jean Segura made several tough plays and Logan Shafer robbed Alvarez of at least a double in the second inning when he hauled in a long drive just before crashing into the left field wall. Martin Maldonado got the first hit of the game aas he lined a double off the right field wall leading off the Milwaukee third. cheap nfl jerseys. Lohse sacrificed and Carlos Gomez hit a sacrifice fly. The Pirates tied the game in the fourth. Starling Marte led off with a single, moved to third on a perfect hit-and-run single by Jose Tabata and scored on McCutchens sacrifice fly, just beating the throw from Gomez in centre. Ryan Braun doubled in the Milwaukee fourth and scored on a single by Ramirez, giving him 11 RBIs this year. The Brewers broke open the game in the sixth, helped by an error. Ramirez walked and moved to third on Lyle Overbays double, just his second hit of the season. Morton struck out Scooter Gennett, but the ball was in the dirt. Catcher Tony Sanchezs throw to first was wide and went down the right field line, allowing Ramirez and Overbay to score and Gennett to reach third. NOTES: The Brewers will try for their 10th straight win Monday night when they host St. Louis. Matt Garza starts against the Cardinals Lance Lynn. ... The Pirates move on to Cincinnati, where Wandy Rodriguez will face Homer Bailey of the Reds. ... The Brewers and the Pirates will meet again in a four-game series in Pittsburgh starting Thursday. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
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