Buffalo Sabres 2015-16 Season Preview

Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com

 

 

There was anticipation when new owner Terry Pegula took over the Buffalo Sabres in 2011 with deep pockets and a commitment to winning. Likewise when he opened up his wallet that summer to bring in the best free agents available. Granted it was a thin market that year and things blew up in his face, but Pegula followed through with his declaration that he’d be taking off the financial chains and moving an organizational mandate from “just break even” to “the Buffalo Sabres’ reason for existence will be to win the Stanley Cup.”

 

The loose, three-year time-frame that Pegula put on making it to their ultimate goal took a bit of a Griswold detour featuring a comedy of errors lead to an extensive overhaul for the franchise. From team president on down, very few were spared. Three seasons and four drafts later this incarnation of the Buffalo Sabres, one that’s filled with high-draft picks and young veterans just beginning to enter their prime years, will hit the ice for the most anticipated season in years.

 

Sabres fans expectations have invariably pumped to the point of sheer frenzy in the past, and in every occasion the prize was out of reach. One need to go no further back than the first quarter of the 2015 NFL season to see a Buffalo Bills fan-base get stoked to the point of ponying up for a franchise record-breaking 65,000 season tickets only to have their team get embarrassed twice in front them.

 

When the Sabres hit the ice at First Niagara Center tomorrow night, fans will be in tizzy as two years of “suffering” are now in the past and the future begins now. It's the beginning of "the Next Chapter” in the book that is the history of the Buffalo Sabres, but it’s only the first paragraph of the first page. Win or lose, fans know (or should know) that there’s a new coaching staff and a revamped roster featuring 12 players 24 yrs. old or younger. New head coach Dan Bylsma will be guiding the youngest team in the league, according to nhlnumbers.com at an average age of 26.230 yrs old, and there will be growing pains.

 

Some pundits and experts chime in on the upcoming Sabres season

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Just a quick look at what some media members are saying about the Buffalo Sabres and their upcoming season:

Kevin Allen, USA Today:  Plenty of new arrivals for Buffalo with Allen calling GM Tim Murray "a man of great vision." Points out that uber prospect Jack Eichel is coming into a situation where he has a strong, young supporting cast to help in the transition. Allen calls Zemgus Girgensons " a born leader and gritty competitor," thinks Rasmus Ristolainen's ice-time will be in the low 20's and his point total "could rise from 20 to 40-plus," while also saying the youngster to watch is Sam Reinhart, whom he called "a prime prospect.

" Neither Rome nor the Sabres were built in a day," summarizes Allen. "The Sabres were 45 points out of a playoff spot last season. They can’t make that up in a season. Pick them as the NHL’s most improved team, but still seventh in the Atlantic."


Allan Muir, SI.com:  Muir writes that Murray, "threw out the traditional draft-and-hold approach and charted a more dramatic and risky path to contention." He also points out that the Sabres are strong down the middle and also feels an eye should be kept on Reinhart who he writes, "will have a sizeable learning curve, especially without the puck," and forward Evander Kane who's "ready to get his hockey life back."

"The defense is a work in progress and Murray gambled heavily on Robin Lehner as his new starting goalie," continued Muir. He feels that "the Sabres will be a better team in 2015-16 and certainly more entertaining. The playoffs are a whole lot closer than they were this time last season. Prediction--74 points, seventh in the Atlantic."


Jen Neale, Yahoo's Puck Daddy:  Neale covers Buffalo's "extreme makeover" aptly and in a very cool approach lists Eichel as first on her "five most fascinating players" section. She lists him in the 2-5 spots with a strike-through while adding (in order)--Lehner, Kane, Ryan O'Reilly and Tyler Ennis. Neale loves a possible 3-on-3 line of Kane, Eichel and Ennis writing of the three, "In the immortal words of Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson: SPEEEEEEEEED."

Attention is paid to head coach "Disco" Dan Bylsma as Neale points out that "he fits what the Sabres need in their transitional period. Bylsma is a players coach who can work with young players shouldering huge expectations." Prediction--"They’ll miss the playoffs but make significant strides towards turning things around."


Joe McDonald, ESPN.com:  "There's been a major culture change in upstate New York," writes McDonald. "How long will it be before the Sabres begin to see the results of the rebuild? It won't happen overnight, but there's a lot to be excited about in Buffalo." That excitement includes players like Eichel, Kane and O'Reilly while giving props to the Sabres for signing Cody Franson and acknowledging Bylsma and the "instant credibility" he brought to the organization.

A cool thing he also mentions is that the Sabres "are loaded with young talent and many of those players will participate in the World Cup of Hockey next year." But for this season, McDonald writes, "There's no way the Sabres will be as bad as they were last season, Buffalo should have a better season, but reaping the benefits of the rebuild will take more than one season. Prediction--eighth in the Atlantic Division.


The Hockey News:  "Between 1979 and 2009, 10 teams drafted in the top two in consecutive years," begins THN's season preview of the Buffalo Sabres. "Five of them reached the Stanley Cup final within eight seasons and three won the Cup. Buffalo, after bottoming out for two straight second-overall picks, hopes to join the list." The ascent begins, they write, with the forward group with Eichel, O'Reilly and Kane, but they also point out that "the D-corps remains a major weakness," saying Josh Gorges and Zach Bogosian "will be forced to play top-pair minutes but are better suited to supporting roles."

"The Sabres added about five wins of talent to the roster this season which is the most of any team, writes THN in their outlook. "It’s a huge injection of skill, but what it really shows is just how terrible Buffalo was last season. Take five wins off their current projection and you get a true-talent 69 point team. Most teams fall within the 80-to-100 point range, so a number below 70 is shockingly low. That’s the hill Buffalo has to climb to get out of the NHL’s basement and while this season is a good start, there’s a lot of mountain left for them."


TSN's Frank Servalli's "bold prediction" for the Sabres:  Eichel will beat out Edmonton wunderkind Connor McDavid for the Calder Trophy. "He will feed three-time 30-goal scorer Matt Moulson and push the Sabres go the brink of the playoffs." New players "will account for a 35-point turnaround, but the Sabres will fall short of the playoffs."

Building the 2015-16 Buffalo Sabres roster--The reserves

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The Buffalo Sabres entered camp this year with 60 players on their training camp roster. In just over two weeks and with seven preseason games they’ve whittled the roster down to 29 players after Jason Akeson was assigned to Rochester yesterday. A couple more moves will need to be made to get down to the final 23-man roster by 5pm Tuesday.

 

Four players presently on the roster—F, Cody McCormick, D, Zach Bogosian and Bobby Sanguinetti and G, Linus Ullmark--are all injured and will miss the start of the season with two being of the longer-term variety. McCormick has not been cleared due to a blood clot issue while Ullmark underwent double hip surgery in April and is slated to return to the ice some time next month. Sanguinetti hasn't been on the ice since the first day of training camp and Bogosian was listed as week-to-week late last week. Head coach Dan Bylsma said that "[Bogosian] is working out and doing off ice workouts and progressing well. We don't have a time table for him to return to get on the skates."

 

Of the two move the Sabres need to make, the easiest one will be waiving veteran center Cal O'Reilly. The older brother of Buffalo center Ryan O'Reilly, Cal played for the Utica Comets (VAN) of the AHL last year was brought in to fortify the Amerks roster for this season.

 

That leaves the reserve forward spot for another veteran, David Legwand.

 

 

Building the 2015-16 Buffalo Sabres roster--The fourth line

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The cool thing about the Buffalo Sabres adding top-six forwards in Evander Kane, Ryan O’Reilly and Jack Eichel is that not only does it immediately legitimize the Sabres top two lines, but it also pushes the other forwards down to a level more in line with their individual capabilities. And the depth Buffalo is beginning to develop is especially evident on the fourth line.

In the past few years the Sabres lacked true top-line talent and in turn were really thin at the lower levels of the depth chart to the point where the last two seasons, especially the last one, Buffalo relied upon borderline NHL’ers to play fourth-line minutes. Last night's 6-1 shellacking at the hands of the Minnesota Wild was a microcosm of the last two seasons.

While the Buffalo Sabres were dressing a lineup that featured as many as 10 players ticketed for Rochester of the AHL, the Wild were gearing up for the regular season and dressed most of their opening night roster in their final preseason game. "It was two teams at two different levels," said head coach Dan Bylsma after the game.

This huge discrepancy in talent trickled down to the Amerks as well. They opened up their preseason by getting walloped by the Binghamton Senators 8-2. The baby Sens had a team that was also fortified by having a parent club playing most of their opening night roster.

Tonight's home game against the Columbus Blue Jackets will be the Sabres last of the preseason and what hits the ice will constitute much of their opening night roster, injuries not withstanding.

Which brings us to the fourth line.

Building the 2015-16 Buffalo Sabres roster--G, Chad Johnson

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If the parade of goalies through Buffalo over the past two years wasn't record-breaking, it has to be pretty close. In the 2013-14 season the Sabres dressed an NHL-record 10 goalies for games including goalie coach Arturs Irbe and HARBORCENTER employee Ryan Vinz. Last year five goalies would make an appearance in net--Jhonas Enroth and Michal Neuvirth, who were both traded, Anders Lindback, who took on post trade deadline starting duties, plus prospects Andrey Makarov and Nathan Lieuwen.

The well-travelled Chad Johnson, who was acquired from the NY Islanders (along with a 2016 3rd round pick) for Neuvirth at the trade deadline, would have made it six, but he took a shot to the ankle prior to his scheduled March 6th start at Ottawa against the Senators. The "lower-body injury sidelined him for the rest of the season.

Johnson's all that's left of the 16 men in the crease for the Sabres over the last two grueling seasons (save for Vinz,) and he entered training camp as back-up to No. 1 goalie Robin Lehner who was acquired at the draft from Ottawa for the 21st overall pick. Lehner was sidelined in February after suffering a concussion in a game against the Carolina Hurricanes and, like Johnson, hadn't seen action until this preseason.

Lehner got the start (and the 4-0 shutout) last game vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs and with only two preseason games left on the schedule, Johnson will get the start tonight in Minnesota against the Wild.

Building the 2015-16 Buffalo Sabres roster--D, Mike Weber

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The top-five defensemen headed into the 2015-16 are pretty much a lock. Defensemen Rasmus Ristolainen, Zach Bogosian, Josh Gorges, Cody Franson and Mark Pysyk have all made their mark for the team in one way or another and all that's left to figure out is, who the No. 6 d-man will be.

In the mix is 32 yr. old, defensive defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo whom GM Tim Murray signed for depth. Edmond, OK native and puck-mover Matt Donovan was up with the NY Islanders last season but only played in 12 games and was signed by the Sabres after the Islanders opted not to qualify him. Buffalo rookie Jake McCabe is the fans choice but he still needs to iron out some inconsistencies in his two-way game and Rochester is as good a place as any to do that. Puck-mover Chad Ruhwedel who's shown a nice scoring touch in Rochester has yet to turn heads in Buffalo.

Eighteen year old Brendan Guhle, a 2015 second round pick (51st overall) has piqued the interest of many with his advanced skating, athleticism and acute hockey sense but, why rush the kid? Another year at Prince Albert (WHL) with the Raiders playing top minutes is a logical step. Of note: Murray has already signed him to his entry-level deal.

And then there's 27 yr. old Mike Weber. The Pittsburgh, PA native, who will be entering his eighth season with the club, is the longest-tenured Sabre.

Building the 2015-16 Buffalo Sabres roster--D, Mark Pysyk

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Of all the players mired in the muck that was the Buffalo Sabres last two seasons, defenseman Mark Pysyk was the one who got crapped on the most. But with that over and fading into memory, it's time for him to take his place in the Sabres top-six defense corps.

When it comes to Pysyk and how he'd been approaching his time in Rochester despite having more to offer than half the d-men that have paraded through Buffalo the last two years, I keep hearing the words of long-time Amerks broadcaster, Don Stevens. Said Stevens of Pysyk, "He's just glad to be playing the game of hockey, which is the kind of player you want. He wants to be playing. I think he's smart enough to know that he has a long career ahead of him and that he can settle in for the long haul."

The "long-haul" begins this season. Finally.

It's safe to say that almost every Sabres fan thought Pysyk would be in the lineup last season, but he was a caught up in a crude game that included numbers, waivers, a preseason injury and an organizational focus on the long-term. In addition there was drama surrounding 19 yr. old defenseman Nikita Zadorov that included a tug of war between the Zadorov camp, the Canadian Hockey League and the KHL which would also affect Pysyk's status with the club.

Building the 2015-16 Buffalo Sabres roster--RW, Brian Gionta

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Buffalo Sabres RW, Brian Gionta is a veteran of 13 NHL seasons. The former 3rd round pick (82nd overall,) who was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in 1998, won a Stanley Cup with the Devils in 2003, just his second season in the NHL. He also captained the most storied franchise in the league--the Montreal Canadiens--to a birth in the eastern conference finals the season before he came to Buffalo as a free agent in 2014. Gionta has the distinction of being the only full-fledged American-born team captain in the Canadiens 106-year history.

Gionta headlined a trio that included Matt Moulson and Josh Gorges coming to Buffalo that off season making the Sabres of the 2014 off season. With Buffalo intent upon fully bottoming out most had thought that the Sabres would have very little opportunity to land players of significance. But GM Tim Murray pulled a bit of a coup landing what turned out to be his three captains for the 2014-15 season. Although many had visions of the team improving greatly with those additions, the team once again sank to the bottom of the league. And for a player like Gionta who had known plenty of success throughout his NHL career, it was tough.

"Last year was one of the most frustrating years if not the most frustrating year of my professional career," said Gionta at training camp last week. "It was hard to get through." But being the true professional that he is, he spent the season controlling what he could control, his play. "At the same time you find things to grow off of and you find ways to improve yourself. You take that experience from last year and try to make it what it is."

"When teams are winning, things are easy," Gionta said to long-time Rochester Americans broadcaster Don Stevens while speaking at a youth camp this summer. "But when you're losing, you have to try and find answers and solutions and stay positive. You lose all the time, you don't want that feeling to set in and become the new normal. So that was the hardest thing, showing up at the rink and being positive each day and finding something to draw on to help the situation.''

Building the 2015-16 Buffalo Sabres roster--LW, Matt Moulson

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Nearly two years ago, on October 27, 2013 the Buffalo Sabres acquired LW Matt Moulson from the NY Islanders in the Thomas Vanek trade Also coming to Buffalo was what turned out to be a 2015 first round pick (No. 21 sent to Ottawa in the Robin Lehner trade on draft day) and a 2015 second round pick (Brendan Guhle, 51st-overall.) That was the last trade former GM Darcy Regier made before he was fired on November 13th.

Moulson was coming off a lockout-shortened season where he scored 15 goals in 47 games. In his three seasons prior he hit the 30-goal mark each season averaging nearly 32 goals while developing a strong chemistry with former first overall pick John Tavares (2009.) Ironically, Tavares was at Moulson's house when the unexpected trade went down.

It was a curious move by Isles GM Garth Snow as he traded a productive fan favorite in  Moulson for the star-power of Vanek. Expectations were that Vanek would explode with a bona fide #1 center for years to come. Once it was clear that Vanek wouldn't sign long-term, Snow shipped him off to Montreal at the 2015 trade deadline after just 47 games with the club (17 goals.)

As expected, Moulson was also traded at the deadline. He and Cody McCormick went to the playoff-bound Minnesota Wild for Torrey Mitchell, a 2014 second-round pick (No. 39 from Winnipeg, traded to Washington for No. 44, Eric Cornel, and No. 74, Brycen Martin) and a 2016 second rounder which was sent to the Montreal Canadiens for D, Josh Gorges.

After a short stint with the Wild and an equally short playoff-run, Moulson signed a 5yr./$25M contract with the Sabres on July 1, 2014.

Building the 2015-16 Buffalo Sabres roster--C, Sam Reinhart

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The consensus at the 2014 NHL Draft is that it was a three-horse race for No. 1 overall between defenseman Aaron Ekblad and centers Samson Reinhart and Samuel Bennett. Ekblad went to the team that won the draft lottery that year, the Florida Panthers, Reinhart was taken by the Buffalo Sabres who finished last in the league and Bennett ended up going fourth-overall to the Calgary Flames after the Edmonton Oilers opted to pursue center Leon Draisatl with the third-overall pick.

Selecting Reinhart with the second-overall pick was a no-brainer according to Sabres GM Tim Murray. "He was the first player on our list," said Murray at the draft. "He was [first] on our list at our organizational meeting in May. We've tweaked those lists a couple of times, but we didn't tweak [number] one."

What the Sabres and the rest of the scouting community saw in Reinhart, was neatly summarized by Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com. "He can slow it down and speed it up, and his ability to see open passing lanes is a skill that cannot be taught. Reinhart is also a highly proficient finisher who finds space down low to pop off quality wrist shots and bang home second chances. [His] knack for knowing where everyone is at all times could plug into any team’s future plans as a legitimate top line center prospect."

TSN's Craig Button was even more succinct saying "Reinhart beats up opponents with his mind."

Building the 2015-16 Buffalo Sabres roster--D, Cody Franson

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Let's get right to the point when it comes to new Buffalo Sabres defenseman, Cody Franson, he's really not interested in playing the left side on defense. He said so himself on Hockey Hotline, "I don't play the left side," he told the Hotline's Kevin Sylvester and Andrew Peters, "I actually struggle over there." 

Which makes it strange that Sabres GM Tim Murray would sign the veteran unrestricted free agent, and it’s a little bit stranger that he would do so for more than a one-year contract.

For all intents and purposes, Murray is finished with the forward ranks this off season, unless something comes along that blows him away. In a matter of six months he added forwards Evander Kane and Ryan O'Reilly through trades and drafted center Jack Eichel with the second-overall pick in June. Add those three to some of the players already on the team and it's a pretty strong, albeit young, nucleus with plenty of upside.

Unfortunately, in the process of bolstering the forwards Murray had to trade away defensemen. When Tyler Myers and Nikita Zadorov were traded in the Kane and O'Reilly trades, respectively, the depth chart flipped and by the time the 2015 Draft was in the books, Murray was in the market for a veteran defenseman, “I probably need a veteran UFA defenseman or I have to trade for one,” he said post-draft. “I’ve been talking to teams about a left-shot D.”

Building the 2015-16 Buffalo Sabres roster--D, Josh Gorges

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Defenseman Josh Gorges was one of three veteran players brought to Buffalo by Sabres GM Tim Murray at the beginning of free agency July 1, 2014. The trio of Gorges, Brian Gionta and Matt Moulson were headed to a team that had just finished in last place and the prospects for the upcoming season didn't look much brighter. Sure enough, the Sabres finished in last place once again.

Unlike Gionta and Moulson who signed free agent contracts with the Sabres, Gorges was traded for. Murray sent a 2016 second round pick (received from Minnesota in the 2014 trade of Moulson to the Wild) to the Montreal Canadiens for Gorges. It was a trade that surprised many, especially up in Toronto where backlash was fast and furious. The Maple Leafs had a trade offer on the table, but Gorges had a limited no-trade clause which included the Toronto as one of 15 teams he would not go to. Buffalo was originally on that list but Gorges reconsidered and the trade to the Sabres went through.

Boy did that ruffle some feathers at "the center of the hockey universe."

"[Gorges] made that decision of supposedly sound mind, or so we are informed," wrote Steve Simmons of the Toronto Star. "He selected living in Buffalo and playing for quite possibly the worst team in the NHL over living in Toronto and playing in the so-called centre of the hockey universe.

"He chose the armpit of America over one of the world’s great cities, current traffic and politics aside."

Building the 2015-16 Buffalo Sabres roster--RW, Jamie McGinn

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In case y'all missed it (or forgot,) Buffalo Sabres forward Jamie McGinn was a part of the franchise-altering events that took place on draft-day, 2015. With Jack Eichel, Ryan O'Reilly and Robin Lehner grabbing all of the headlines that day, McGinn (as well as David Legwand) were kind of lost in the shuffle, but it looks as if he'll play a significant role on the team at least for this season.

The depth-chart on the right side is missing one viable top-six candidate. Up-top at right wing is Tyler Ennis, who's just entering his prime. Ennis has had consistent production despite being moved around and in spite of the fact that the last two seasons he was on an historically bad Buffalo Sabres team. Behind him is a plethora of players more suited to a top-nine role but, because of a hole on the right side, might stretch into a top-six role.

Captain Brian Gionta, a natural right winger, could be slotted in here, but there's a better role for him and it's one of the reasons McGinn might be a better fit on a line featuring Eichel and Zemgus Girgensons.

Building the 2015-16 Buffalo Sabres roster--LW, Zemgus Girgensons

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Unless something weird happens, the Buffalo Sabres will be headed into the 2015-16 sesaon with four of their top-six forwards in place—Ryan O’Reilly, Evander Kane, Tyler Ennis and Jack Eichel. Were they end up to start the season is still up in the air, however. Kane will be at left wing on the top line and that’s about all we can count on right now.

 

Eichel is slated for second-line center duties as of now (which is something that might change) and there are a myriad of options to fill the wings with. Despite the fact that veteran Matt Moulson had played with, and excelled, on the top line with John Tavares when he was with the NY Islanders, Sabres forward Zemgus Girgensons may end up being a better fit for Eichel.

 

And there’s one overriding reason for this:  Speed.

 

As witnessed on two occasions during the Prospects Challenge, Eichel’s well-documented speed was on display during the tournament. During the opening goal of the tourney he blazed past the NJ Devils defense and fed a hard-charging Nicholas Baptiste, who was doing everything he could to get into the play, for a tap-in just :25 seconds into the game. In overtime versus the Boston Bruins a tired Eichel still was able to flip the nitrous switch and burn past the Bruins defense to score the winner. As much as I like Moulson, I find it very hard to believe he’d be able to keep up with Eichel.

 

Girgensons on the other hand, can.

 

Building the 2015-16 Buffalo Sabres roster--C, Jack Eichel

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In case you haven't heard of him, Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel was the second overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft and as of right now is more famous due forever being linked to 2015 first-overall draft pick, Connor McDavid, via one word--McEichel.

While Oilers fans ditched the "Eichel" part and promptly crowned Connor "McJesus" in Edmonton, Eichel strapped on his work boots, packed his lunch pail and headed to Buffalo to get settled in as a big piece of the future of the Buffalo Sabres. That's not to say that McDavid doesn't have a work ethic or is the type that will believe in the whole "McSavior" aura, as it's more of a perception thing from the outside world, but they're in very different situations. Both McDavid and Eichel are extremely talented hockey players who work hard at their craft, and although they're both considered franchise players, neck-in-neck in most pundits assessment, they come at if from different directions.

Building the 2015-16 Buffalo Sabres roster--G, Robin Lehner

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Buffalo Sarbes GM Tim Murray ws hellbent and intent upon fixing a goaltending situation that had been in a constant state of flux since he came to the Sabres. During the 2013-14 season Buffalo suited up an NHL-record nine goalies because of trades and injuries.  Ryan Miller, Jhonas Enroth, Ryan Vinz (a HARBORCENTER employee,) Jaroslav Halak, Michal Neuvirth, assistant coach Arturs Irbe, Connor Knapp, Matt Hackett, and Andrey Makarov all donned the Blue and Gold that year.

Last season was better although they still had five goalies play in at least one game for the team:  Enroth and Neuvirth started a combined 62 games for the Sabres before both were traded. Anders Lindback, who came over from Dallas in the Enroth trade started 15 games while Makarov (one game) and Hackett (four games) hit the NHL ice to round things out. The also had Chad "No, I'm not Ocho Cinco" Johnson, who was acquired in the Neuvirth to NY Islanders traded deadline deal. At the time of the deal Jonathan Willis of the Edmonton Journal called Johnson "a nightmare" on Long Island writing that the duo of Lindback and Johnson was "laughably bad" and that they "should give the team the push it needs to finish dead last."

Oddly enough, the only one left standing (other than Yinz who’s still with the Sabres, but got a wiki page out of his 15 minutes of fame) is Johnson who will be back up to Robin Lehner this season.

Building the 2015-16 Buffalo Sabres roster--D, Zach Bogosian

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With the third pick in the 2008 NHL Draft, the Atlanta Thrashers selected 6'2" 200 lb. defenseman Zach Bogosian who was coming off of an impressive second season playing for the Peterborough Petes of the OHL. Bogosian easily trumped his previous production and went on to lead the team in scoring during the 2007-08 season with 11 goals and 61 points. His 50 assists were 15th in the league and second amongst defensemen (Ryan Wilson, Sarnia Sting, 64.)

The Massena, NY native opted to pursue the Canadian Hockey League instead of going the college route after he had graduated from Cushing Academy in Massachusetts. While at Cushing he was a teammate of Ryan Bourque, son of Boston Bruins Hall of Famer, Ray Bourque, who was also a voluntary assistant for the team. “It was a great situation for me,” Bogosian said at the draft. “I got to see not only what he did on the ice three to four days a week, but watching him off the ice and seeing how he dealt with people was a good learning experience for me.”

What wasn't a great situation for Bogosian was heading to Atlanta to play for the Thrashers after his second Peterborough season.

Building the 2015-16 Buffalo Sabres roster--D, Rasmus Ristolainen

Free agent defenseman Cody Franson has signed a 2-yr. contract with the Buffalo Sabres. There will be a press conference at 11:30 today.

Sabres GM Tim Murray had been looking at signing a left-handed veteran to play top-four minutes and to take some pressure off of some of the youngins on the back-end, but what he got was a veteran righty who may be more of a powerplay specialist.

Originally drafted by the Nashville Predators in the 3rd round (79th overall,) Franson has spent the bulk of his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs where he's had the most production including six points (3+3) in seven 2013 playoff games. Nashville traded for him to bolster their defense corps, but Franson  faltered big-time.

I'm not sure why Murray was so intent upon signing Franson, but as AGM in Ottawa he had plenty of opportunity to watch him play with for Leafs so there's something he saw pre-Nashville that piqued his interest. Or perhaps he sees Franson as a stop-gap that can be moved at the 2017 trade deadline as a rental. But for this year it's a signing that almost guarantees prospect Jake McCabe spends one more year developing in Rochester while players like Mike Weber and Matt Donovan may be seeing a lot of time in the pressbox this season.

What the signing won't affect, however, is Rasmus Ristolainen's spot on the top-pairing.

Building the 2015-16 Buffalo Sabres roster--RW, Tyler Ennis

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Ya gotta give Buffalo Sabres forward Tyler Ennis a ton of credit. Despite the malaise surrounding him the past two seasons, he's managed to eek out consistent, solid production during a despondent time in Sabres history. And with that in the rear-view mirror, he heads into the new season with plenty of optimism. "It seemed like a really long two years, but in the grand scheme of things [the rebuild] could be pretty quick ," Ennis told Derek Van Diest of nhl.com this summer. "[Those two years] might not be as long as you think, but those 160 games felt like 10 years."

It's an era us Sabres fans are ready to put behind as well, but it's something we won't forget either.

The Sabres used the 26th pick (acquired from San Jose in the Brian Campbell trade) in the 2008 NHL Draft to land Ennis who was coming off a 43-goal, 91-point season for the Medicine Hat Tigers of the rugged Western Hockey league. The 5'9" 164 lb. Ennis finished second in goals and fourth overall in scoring that season. He would return to Medicine Hat in 2008-09 and finish with 43 goals in 65 games good for sixth in the league. Of note, the Sabres Evander Kane scored 48 goals in 61 games that season for the Vancouver Giants. Ennis also added 19 points (8+11) in 11 playoff games.

Building the 2015-16 Buffalo Sabres roster--Evander Kane

Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com

Before the track suit issue, before the accusations of walking out on his tab, and even before “money phone” in Las Vegas, hockey fans were drooling over Evander Kane. The fourth-overall pick in 2009 of the Atlanta Thrashers, chimed in a 6'2" 190 lbs. with exceptional skating ability and a quick release who could handle himself in the most physical of situations. He also had some moxie to game and his demeanor, which back in his early NHL days was considered a positive--the mark of a sniper with supreme confidence in himself.

 

Back in 2010, Kane was coming off of a solid rookie season with 26 points (14+12) in 66 games and in the last game jaws dropped throughout the hockey world as he knocked out noted pest, Matt Cooke with a right-cross that woulda made Evander Holyfield (for whom he's named) proud. Down went Cooke. Up went Kane's confidence and reputation.

Kane would raise his level of play to the point where he posted a career-high 30 goals and 27 assists in 74 games 2011-12, the first season played in Winnipeg after the Le Thrash relocated. After that season there wasn't a fan in the NHL wouldn't take a 20 yr. old burgeoning power forward with a KO and 30-goal season under his belt.

Yet, it's his unflattering off-ice reputation for being "petulant, immature and lack[ing in] good judgment," as told by TSN's Bob McKenzie.