Two thumbs up. Way up.

I woke up my kids I was so excited when the Sabres surprised me, and a few other Sabres fans, by taking Mikhail Grigorenko at 12 on Friday night.

Sabres head scout Kevin Devine had talked about the Russian Factor at the top of the draft and that had people expecting the Sabres to pass on Grigorenko if he fell on draft night.

I was excited because betting on Grigorenko's talent is the type of gamble that a team like the Detroit Red Wings would take. Grigorenko was the most talented player on the board at 12. He fit a huge need that the team had. He could make the jump to the NHL next season.

There was no good argument against taking Grigorenko in that spot. That's why I was so psyched to see him don a Sabres jersey. The fact that he was happy to be a Sabre and a little ticked to be passed up by 11 other teams was icing on the cake.

The work ethic issues that caused him to drop seem to be late in showing up. Grigorenko has already moved into a Buffalo hotel to train with the team and to try and give himself the best chance possible to make the big club this season.

But, he's lazy and is going to be a bust. Uh huh.......

Then the Sabres gave Calgary their 2nd round pick back to jump up from 21 to 14 to take Zemgus Girgensons. It may have given Don Stevens a heart attack, but Girgensons may be the ultimate compliment to Grigorenko as a tough, physical, and still skilled center that is getting compared to guys like Ryan Callahan, Dustin Brown, Bobby Holik, and a whole host of other tough guys that Sabres fans would love to see play here.

And did I mention that the kid played a period and a half with a broken jaw that ultimately ended his playoff season in the USHL this year?

Girgensons has options with where he is to play next season. He could honor his commitment and go play at the University of Vermont in  Hockey East of the NCAA. He could sign a pro contract with the Sabres and then play either in Buffalo, Rochester, or he could go the major junior route where the Kelowna Rockets own his rights currently.

He is training in Vermont with some other Catamounts. So, it would appear that he is leaning towards the college route for next season. Personally, I'd rather that he goes to the CHL where he would play more games. But, I'd rather see him in Vermont than Rochester next season. The jump from the USHL to the AHL is a big one, even for a guy with "pro ready" frame like Girgensons.

The day two picks had a defenseman that Amerks head coach Ron Rolston knows well in Jake McCabe, a bunch more centers, and a Swedish goalie in Linus Ullmark that the Sabres hope will be their Pekka Rinne. Like most second day picks, we'll judge them in five to ten years.

But so far, I've got two thumbs up with how things went.