News, Notes and Thoughts From the 2011 Draft Weekend (David Leggio, Joel Armia, Robyn Regehr)



The Robyn Regehr acquisition was
big for the Buffalo Sabres, but
there was plenty to talk about
at this year's draft weekend.

Before we delve into a weekend that featured the un-Sabre-like trade for Calgary Flames defenseman Robyn Regehr, among other things, we'll go back to something which occured this off-season that will start paying dividends, maybe huge dividends, a few years down the road:  The Sabres Draft Combine.

"Starting today, there will be no financial mandates on the Buffalo Sabres hockey department. there is no salary cap in the NHL on scouting budgets and player development budgets. I plan on increasing...our scouting budgets." --New Sabres owner Terry Pegula at his Feb. 22nd press conference

Early in June, the Sabres held their first ever Draft Combine which lasted four days, something that wouldn't have been considered by the previous regime(s.)

A man of his word, Terry Pegula

It was something that the scouting staff had wanted to do, but the commitment was not there from ownership. Pegula, citing the New England Patriots, mentioned it to GM Darcy Regier who turned it over to Director of Amateur Scouting Kevin Devine.

Devine said that the combine was put together quickly and that there were 35 invitees. These invitees, unlike the NHL draft combine, consisted of some players outside the top-100, all of whom were also evaluated in on-ice workouts, something that's not done at the National Combine in Toronto.

Included in the wide range of players they brought in:  players that they were looking at with the 16th-overall pick, players they were looking at in the third-round, value picks for the latter rounds and local kids.

For an organization that once had the most drafted players that played in the NHL, and which boasts the last three Dudley "Red" Garrett Award Winners for AHL Rookie of the Year, this is a step that would further enhance an already impressive scouting department.

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Joel Armia was drafted 16th-overall by the Buffalo Sabres.

 

The pick was introduced by new owner Pegula and broke a trend. The Sabres had not drafted an overseas player since Jhonas Enroth was drafted 46th overall in the 2006 draft.

 

Buffalo Sabres 2011 #1 pick Joel Armia
 flanked directly by Kevin Devine on his right and
 Jon Christiano on his left with the rest of the
Sabres family.

With an admittedly bare-bones scouting department overseas, why would they pick Armia, who played in Finland's top proffessional league? They had a chance to get a first-hand look at him during the World Junior Championship held at HSBC Arena last winter.

 

Although he didn't do very much at the World's apparently he did enough for Devine to get in touch with a staffer's "friend of a friend" overseas. They received a video package of Armia and after watching that, the Sabres liked him enough to waste no time heading to the podium to select him with their first pick.

 

From the NHL's Director of European Scouting, Goran Stubb:  ""He's big and tall but surprisingly mobile for a player of his size," he said of Armia. "He has a heavy wrist shot that he gets off quickly and is always looking for the empty spots on the ice. He's a sniper with a good selection of shots. You might have to look for him during some shifts, but then, suddenly, he scores the winner."

 

Although Armia is a right-winger and the Sabres are thin at center prospects, Devine and company were thrilled that "THE guy" they wanted fell to them at 16. Devine mentioned his size, 6'3" and his hands and that Armia is a pure goal-scorer. In fact, his minmal English is dominated by two words:  "Score goals."

 

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The other Sabres' picks in the 2011 draft:

• #77--Speed-demon, Daniel Catenacci, center
• #107--Texan Colin Jacobs, center
• #132--West Seneca native, Alex "the big" Lepkowski, defense
• #167--Former Kootenay Ice and Brayden McNabb team mate, Nathan Lieuwen, a goalie
• #197--High school product, Brad Navin, center

Interesting to note that both Lepkowski and Navin were a part of the Sabres first-ever draft combine.

For full coverage of the draft and all of the Sabres prospects, visit good friend Kris Baker at:  http://www.sabresprospects.com/

~~~~~~~~~~

Last off-season, the very thought of the Buffalo Sabres taking on salary to get a player they coveted was unthinkable.

 

Yesterday, the Sabres took on $7M in salary to get a big, tough, physical, veteran, top-pairing d-man to play along side Tyler Myers (who,btw, listed Regehr as his favorite player.)

 

Although it took two days for Robyn Regehr to decide to waive his no-movement clause and accept the trade to Buffalo, the deal was consumated with the Sabres not only taking on his $4M salary, but that of NHL outcast and former Buffalo Sabre, Ales Kotalik who will make $3M next season.

 

Terry Pegula put his money where his mouth was and lifted financial constraints in pursuit of Stanley Cups (yes, plural, in his words.)

 

Sabres d-man Chris Butler, who was insisted upon by Calgary Flames GM Jay Feaster, was sent north along with diminutive center-prospect Paul Byron.

 

Butler handled it professionally, calmly and realistically which can be found in the audio here. I've always trumpeted him as a smart, shut-down-type with top-four or even top-two potential.  

 

Good luck, Chris.

~~~~~~~~~

 

Former Winnipeg Jet and Buffalo Sabre
Teppo Numminen should be back in the fold
"doing some work" for the Sabres next season.
He'll probably need those glasses
for his European Scouting Reports.

Butler mentioned Teppo Numminen first in his list of players he's played with and who, probably, had a big influence upon the young d-man and his game.

 

Oddly enough, it wasn't the first time Numminen's name was mentioned this past weekend. While talking about their Finnish first-round pick in Joel Armia, Regier mentioned  (:56 mark) "ironically I've had conversations with [Teppo] Numminen about doing some work with us next year."

This is major on a couple levels. First, the whole physically-unable-to-perfom problem that happened for the 2007/08 season when he had heart surgery seems to have been put to rest and Terry Pegula continues to mend the wounds that the previous regime(s) have caused.

Second, Numminen represents a trusted voice overseas as the team expands their scouting department.

Bravo!

~~~~~~~~~~

Also mentioned in that Regier piece was that Williamsville native David Leggio will return in goal for the Rochester Americans.

David Leggio's rise has been
a lesson in perseverence.
The Sabres like him anchoring
the goal in Rochester.

That's right, it was announced that the Buffalo Sabes AHL affiliate will once again be in Rochester, NY as Pegula spent $5M to bring the Amerks back into the fold.

Leggio, who was mentioned here, had a real solid year last season for the Portland Pirates and re-upped for a contract with the Buffalo organization that could reach the $525K-mark.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Regehr trade will be talked about for years to come as a definitive cut from the past on many levels. But one thing that should not be forgotten:  on Saturday, Day-2 of the NHL Draft, Terry Pegula, his wife Kim and Sabres Head Coach Lindy Ruff flew to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan to meet with the new Sabre with Regehr waiting at the airport for the trio to arrive.

Pegula was influential in getting the trade done, and the fact that Ruff is well respected in the league certainly didn't hurt matters either.

It's a family affair. Terry Pegula (L) has
involved his wife Kim in the Sabres operations.
She joined him and Lindy Ruff on an
"ambassador" mission to meet with newly
acquired Sabre Robyn Regehr and his wife Kristina.

The fact that Pegula wanted to personally welcome Regehr to the family and the fact that his wife Kim was brought along to ease any worries that Kristina Regehr, Robyn's wife, might have had with their move to Buffalo shows that the team is really focusing upon total commitment to the player and his needs.

When you add this to the return of "prodigal son," Rene Robert, the on-ice appearance of "The French Connection," the last home game/fan appreciation/alumni party, Rhett Warrener talking highly of Buffalo to Regehr months ago and the recent quote about Teppo Numminen, Pegula certainly is getting noticed by players in the NHL for all the right reasons.

~~~~~~~~~~

A couple of other quick notes before we move on.

Apparently Terry Pegula is a big fan of Tim Connolly. Connolly has been a fan and media whipping boy for the latter part of his career in Buffalo, yet performed admirably in his role vs. the Flyers in the playoffs before getting injured. Regier said that he has talked to Connolly's agent and will continue to do so.

Regier also said that the team would not be buying out Ales Kotalik. Not only that, he said the they wouldn't be buying out any player and that Kotalik "can play in the National Hockey League...and we expect him to come into camp and compete for a postion.

~~~~~~~~~~

The above two notes were taken from a post-draft article by WGR's Paul Hamilton.

At Day-1 of the draft, Hamilton stated on WGR that it felt good to be there. He walked into the Xcel Center in Minnesota with word that the Regehr trade was on the table and said that it was good to walk in and "have the Sabres relevant again."

And relevant they were.

All because of the influence of new owner Terry Pegula.

This from Darcy Regier (via the above link):  "It's the belief system that he brings. He's very focused on winning championships, not even winning one. He's not focused on 'let’s do our best', it's more than that and it's real. He's on a plane up to visit Robyn, he mentioned last night 'I think I'll go up and see him' and he's very focused on making this family oriented, relationship based and he believes that's what will drive our success. I have not been part of an ownership that has taken that much of an interest in the players and the relationships with them and the importance of it for him." 


An absolutely SOLID!!! start to the Pegula-era.