What Buffalo's lineup might look like in 2021 w/extra goalie + taxi squad

The National Hockey League is really trying to get things rolling on January 13 and their tentative agreement with the NHL Players Association is a big step in that direction. Yesterday it was announced that plans are in the works for a 56-game season with training camps set to open January 3 for the 24 teams that made the 2020 NHL Playoffs. The seven teams that missed out would open camps on December 31 giving them very little but still very necessary time to shake off nine months of cobwebs. 

That means the Buffalo Sabres can hit the ice on New Year's Eve.

Some other notes via TSN's Frank Seravalli:

--there will be no exhibition games

--the season is tentatively set to end May 8 with the Stanley Cup being awarded the first week in July

--there are still some snags which includes ratification by the NHL Board of Governors and the NHLPA and what will happen with the five Canadian Provinces and any Covid-19 restrictions which will affect the "All-Canadian" division for this season

Also from Servalli, in addition to player escrow and salary deferrals agreed upon by the two sides:

--players may choose to opt out of the 2020-21 season

--no change to the rosters as they will be capped at 23 men with an $81.5 million salary cap

--a maximum of 29 players will be allowed to practice and travel with the club which includes the 23-man roster plus four to six members (number decided by the club) for the team's "taxi squad," which must include a goalie

--taxi squad players will be treated as if they were in the American Hockey League:  they will need to clear waivers to be "sent down" and they will be paid an AHL salary if on a two-way deal

As of now the four divisions remain as laid out pending Canadian decisions on pandemic travel and restrictions. For the Sabres that means a division featuring:  Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, NY Islanders, NY Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals. And, from Elliotte Friedman this morning on twitter, "playoffs will be top four in each division -- each division produces a champion for the Stanley Cup Semifinal."

That's a huge "ouch!" for the Sabres as they're trying to break a league-long, nine-year playoff drought in what might be the toughest of four divisions.

With that said, hockey's coming and Buffalo will be icing a team and this is what the roster and taxi squad might look like:

Taylor Hall - Jack Eichel - Sam Reinhart

Jeff Skinner - Eric Staal - Dylan Cozens

Victor Olofsson - Cody Eakin - Kyle Okposo

Zemgus Girgensons - Curtis Lazar - Tobias Rieder 

Rasmus Dahlin - Henri Jokiharju

Brandon Montour - Rasmus Ristolainen

Jake McCabe - Henri Jokiharju

Linus Ullmark

Carter Hutton

Those are the 20 givens with training camp and/or waivers-eligibility deciding the other three roster spots and the four to six man taxi squad.

We'll begin filling out the roster with Tage Thompson who is no longer waivers-exempt so he'll be on the 23-man roster and add in Rasmus Asplund who played one and a half seasons in Rochester plus 29 games for the Sabres last year. Asplund also played for Vasteras IK in Sweden's second-tier professional hockey league. Buffalo signed veteran defenseman Matt Irwin to a one-year deal.

The taxi squad will be interesting as the team will probably opt to keep young players in the NHL for proper development. If we start with the mandatory third goalie, the Sabres will probably assign 31 yr. old Dustin Tokarski to the taxi squad. The veteran goalie is on a two-year, two-way deal and should easily clear waivers. That would allow 25 yr. old Jonas Johansson another year in the minors to further develop.

Center Artuu Routsalainen was off to a roaring start for Ilves of Finland's top league, Liiga. The 2019 free agent signee has 27 points (16+11) in only 19 games and should be making a strong push for a roster spot during camp.

Andrew Oglevie is set to begin his third pro season after two partial seasons with the Rochester Americans. The 25 yr. old forward is on a two-way deal and produced 39 points (20+19) in 83 games for the Amerks over two seasons. He is waivers-exempt.

Defenseman Casey Nelson has been in the Sabres organization since he signed a free agent deal coming out of college in 2016. Nelson has played in 151 AHL games and 93 NHL games and is signed to a two-way deal. He will need to clear waivers again.

Buffalo could stop there as they fulfilled NHL requirements and leaving it as so gives them room to expand should a player or two have an impact at training camp.

Many saw 24 yr. old defenseman Will Borgen as set to make a strong push for a roster spot this season. The rugged 6'3" 196 lb. righty has made marked progress in Rochester for two seasons and with a strong camp he could displace Irwin on the roster. And even though Sabreland has counted out forward Casey  Mittlestadt, a good camp and/or a move to the wing could be his ticket to the NHL this season. Mittelstadt came to life in the second half of last season for the Amerks and was showing very good improvement before the season was halted. Having either or both of those two make the roster would be a huge plus for Buffalo.

One final possibility for either a spot on the roster or as a reserve is left wing C.J. Smith who's done yeoman's work since signing with the organization in 2017. Smith most of his time with the Amerks (57 goals and 129 points in 169 games) and didn't look too far out of place in 13 games for the Sabres (2 goals.) With left side in Buffalo is loaded up front, a one-way deal and a probable leadership role in Rochester, Smith may not be in the Sabres plans. However, a strong camp and the fact that he's not waivers exempt could put him in the conversation come January 13.

Impressions of, and questions concerning--LW, C.J. Smith

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 5-29-2019

C.J. Smith--Left Wing

DOB:  December 1, 1994 (age, 25)

Draft:  Undrafted college FA

How acquired:  Signed by Buffalo out of UMASS-Lowell (3-30-2017)

Last contract signed:  July 16, 2018, 1yr. $874,125

Final year of contract: 2018-19

2018-19 Stats:  11 games | 2 goals | 0 assists | 2 points | even | 10:39 ATOI

Buffalo Career Stats:  13 games | 2 goals | 1 assists | -1 | 10:47 ATOI

What we wrote preseason:  N/A

What we wrote mid-season:  N/A

Impressions on his play this year:  C.J. Smith did most of his work in the AHL with the Rochester Americans this season and built upon the foundation he laid out two years ago. In his second season with the Amerks, Smith was second on the team in goals (28,) assists (30) and points (58) while also leading the team with a +26 rating and it should also be pointed out that only six of his goals came on the powerplay. In 119 AHL games Smith has 102 points (45+57) and is a plus 30.

Smith was incredibly consistent in an all-situations role for Rochester last season and of all the prospects on the Amerks, he was the one that stood out with his speed, quickness and overall sense for the game. In his 62 games last seasons he never went more than two games without a point. The 5'11" 181 lb. Smith got the call from Buffalo last season and never really looked out of place. Although his ice-time was limited he did manage to score a couple goals on a team that was out of whack. 

It would seem as if Smith has all the qualities general manager Jason Botterill likes in a player and to their credit, the Sabres have not rushed his development. In the end Buffalo could have themselves a versatile player on a low-dollar contract that would be beneficial to the club in a number of ways.

Questions moving forward:  Will Smith slot into a bottom-six role in Buffalo? How much quality penalty kill time can they get out of him? Can he continue his development at the NHL-level? What might that development look like? Has he shown enough promise to land a two-year deal? 

Contract info via CapFriendly, stats via sabres.com and hockey reference.com.

Sabres in New Jersey tonight to face off against a s

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 3-25-2019


For one brief season, the New Jersey Devils were able to break out of the waning Martin Brodeur-era with a playoff appearance. The Devils were one of the darlings of the NHL last season as they rode an Adam Larsson for Taylor Hall trade with the Edmonton Oilers to the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference and their first playoff appearance five seasons.

Brodeur, of course, led New Jersey to three Stanley Cups during his 21 seasons with the Devils and almost tacked on a fourth one in 2012 before he, backup Johan Hedberg and New Jersey fell 4-2 to the Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup finals. As the luster was wearing off the first-ballot Hall of Famer's career, the Devils found themselves in a difficult period of transition while trying to find Brodeur's replacement. Eventually they traded a 2013 first round pick (9th-overall, Bo Horvat) to the Vancouver Canucks for goalie Corey Schneider. Although Schneider was no Brodeur by any means, third-year Devils head coach John Hynes used his up-tempo style to get the offense clicking enough last season and made the playoffs led by Hall's 93 points (39+54.) However they didn't have nearly enough in as they lost to the top seed in the East, the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-1 in the first round.

For as much grief as the Buffalo Sabres have gotten, and they deserve every bit of it, the Devils are at the bottom end of a group that's just above the dregs of the league since 2011-12 even with that playoff appearance. The Sabres are by far the worst team during that stretch with a measly .419 win-percentage while the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes and Oilers come in at .462 and .468, respectively. New Jersey is the only other team with a winning percentage below .500 as they come in at .496. The Devils, long known to rely upon Brodeur in net to win low-scoring games, haven't fared all that well in the goal-scoring department either during that span. Buffalo, of course, is at the bottom averaging 2.29 goals/game while New Jersey is next to last at 2.42, just a smidgeon below the Coyotes (2.43.)

Sabres need more than a Elie-waive/Smith recall to get into the wild card spot

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 2-4-2019


Okay. Let's get this out of the way. Winger C.J. Smith will not be Buffalo's savior. Smith, who was called up from Rochester today, will not single-handedly turn around a team that has lost 18 of their last 26 games (8-14-4) nor will he help the goaltending, which has been a sieve as of late (35 goals in their last eight games) nor will he help the d-corps get their collective head out of their butt.

However, what he can do is help the mid-six forward group.

Since head coach Phil Housley put all his scoring eggs of Jack Eichel, Jeff Skinner and Sam Reinhart into one basket, the team has struggled mightily with secondary scoring. While the top line was doing their thing and the bottom line theirs in a defensive vein, the middle six has contributed very little to the cause. It's a giant hole that emerged during the season and it's really not the fault of players or coaches.

Sabres in western Canada for a three-game road-trip, plus McEichel and CJ Smith

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 1-14-2019


A lot of times when a team is in a funk the overriding theme on a far-reaching road trip like this is that it will be a good bonding experience. Without any local distractions, it's just the team and their opponents and a lot of time to focus solely on the task at hand.

Buffalo begins a three-game, western Canada swing tonight with a visit to Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta to take on the Oilers. After that it's a stop in Calgary to face the Flames before they head to the Pacific coast to take on the Vancouver Canucks which will ultimately take them 2,700 miles from home and hopefully even further away from the struggles they've endured lately.

The Sabres have been brilliant versus the Pacific Division this season going 9-2-1 and haven't lost in regulation since the Anaheim Ducks walloped them 5-1 on October 18. For those following, it was after that game that Buffalo bench boss Phil Housley mixed up his forward lines. He moved Jeff Skinner back to Jack Eichel's left wing, which was where he started the season, and moved 35 yr. old Jason Pominville to that duo's right. Kyle Okposo remained on rookie Casey Mittelstadt's right wing while fourth-line center Evan Rodrigues was moved to up to the left on that line. The bottom-six featured Conor Sheary/Vladimir Sobotka/Sam Reinhart along with Zemgus Girgensons/Johan Larsson/Patrick Berglund.

C.J. Smith and Lawrence Pilut break through in Sabres win, plus other notes.

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 1-9-2019


Congratulations to rookies C.J. Smith and Lawrence Pilut on breaking through with their first NHL goals last night. Smith squeaked one past New Jersey Devils goalie Keith Kinkaid early in the second period to break a 1-1 tie while Pilut sent a seeing-eye wrister into the New Jersey net to finish off the scoring in Buffalo's 5-1 win.

Smith was denied on a golden opportunity early in the game as Kinkaid got his left pad down on a shot by Smith from just a few feet out before the Sabres forward dinked the rebound off the post from a very sharp angle with a wide open net. In the second period, however, Smith jumped on a turnover at the Devils blueline, wheeled to Kinkaid's left and sent a quick snap-shot that went between the goalie's body and blocker and dribbled towards the goal line. The puck seemingly crossed the line before New Jersey d-man Sami Vatanen fished it out, but the play went to a review where it was confirmed.



(via NHL.com)


The only player on the ice who was sure it was in was Smith, who had circled behind the net after taking the shot. "I saw it was in," said a beaming Smith to the gathered media post-game. "Nobody else knew it was in so I  kinda celebrated by myself."

Sabres face surging NY Islanders; recall winger C.J. Smith from Rochester

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 12-31-2018

It was just over a month ago that the Sabres were riding a 10-game winning streak while the rest of the Eastern conference was murky. The bid dogs like Tampa Bay, Washington and Toronto took their usual places up high in the conference with Buffalo being the surprise team sitting atop the entire league. Over in the Metropolitan division, the defending Stanley Cup champion Capitals were atop the division but only six points separated them and the sixth place Pittsburgh Penguins.

Fast forward to today and we find that the conference is beginning to shape up like most had predicted. The Lightning caught fire and are comfortably atop the Atlantic division followed by the Maple Leafs with the Sabres clinging to third place. Over in the Metro, Washington has a firm grip in the division with the Columbus Blue Jackets making some noise and, to really no one's surprise, the Penguins have worked their way up into the top three.

Close behind the Penguins, however, are the NY Islanders a team that's been on a tear lately. The Isles have been hanging around the middle of the division for some time while things worked themselves out and their recent of six wins in seven games has them right behind the Penguins just two points behind with one game in hand. The Islanders have 44 points on the season and sit just one point out of the second wild card spot behind the Montreal Canadiens. When Buffalo was atop the League, the Islanders were 10 points behind the Sabres where now that margin, thanks to Buffalo's 4-6-4 record since then, is down to four points.

An early look at the 2018-19 Rochester Americans with Don Stevens--Pt. 2

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 8-1-2018


This is the second part of an early look at the Rochester Americans with longtime Amerks broadcaster Don Stevens. (The first part can be found here.)



Over the last year, the Rochester Americans have added a lot quality players to their roster and have a lot of depth, something that hasn't been seen in years. Thanks to the work of Sabres GM Jason Botterill, his assistant GM Randy Sexton and some help from maturing draft picks and some savvy free agent signings, the Amerks said goodbye to three years in the bottom-five of the league with a playoff appearance.

Long time Amerks broadcaster Don Stevens talked about the depth Botterill and Sexton added to the club for the 2017-18 season. "The difference in depth between last year and the year before was tremendous," said Stevens, "and I think it's going to be even that much better this year.

"The depth is growing by leaps and bounds."

No more so than on defense. The Amerks have an extremely strong defense which is so deep that they could possibly make up "two strong AHL defense-corps," according Stevens. However he qualified that by sayin that the strong d-corps might be needed to help out the goaltending.

"Probably goaltending is the biggest suspect area right now," said Stevens who will be headed into his 33rd season as "The Voice of the Rochester Americans." And he didn't limit it to the Amerks either. "The [Sabres] organization had always been near the top, as far as goaltending is concerned where now they're not quite up to where they once were."

Since Ryan Miller was traded away in 2014 there have been a parade of goalies shuffling through Buffalo which includes rookies and journeymen and a season where they set an NHL record when dressing nine goaltenders. Former GM Tim Murray thought he had the answer in net when he traded for Robin Lehner but Botterill let him walk and they're going with a duo of 32 yr. old late-bloomer Carter Hutton (138 NHL games) and rookie Linus Ullmark who was drafted by Buffalo in the sixth round (163rd-overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft.

Ullmark was the team MVP the last two years and carried a heavy weight as he was bombarded with shots in both of his full seasons in Rochester. In 2016-17 Ullmark faced the most shots in the AHL (1678) and last season he was third with 1347 shots-against while finishing those two seasons with a combined 47-39-12 record with a .915 save percentage.

However, Botterill said at the Sabres' year-end presser that the 24 yr. old two-time AHL All-Star would be with the big club this coming season leaving a big void in net for an Amerks team that finished 18th in the league last year with 221 goals against.

Sexton and the Amerks were able to re-sign backup goaltender Adam Wilcox whom Stevens said was "outstanding" both on and off the ice for the Amerks. The 26 yr. old Wilcox will be entering his fourth full AHL season and will be sharing the net, perhaps as a backup again, with Scott Wedgewood, who was signed to a one-year, two way deal on July 1.

Wedgwood was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in 2010 (third round, 84th-overall) but has been well travelled since turning pro in 2012-13. The 25 yr. old Brampton, Ontario native played in Albany for the Devils, was traded to Arizona last October and played for the 'Yotes before being moved to the Los Angeles Kings in February. He finished out the 2017-18 campaign with their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign.

In all Wedgewood has played in 24 NHL games sporting a 7-10-5 record with a 3.05 GAA and .903 Sv% highlighted by a shutout streak of 159:34 in 2015-16 as a rookie. His AHL record is 53-37-10 (eight shutouts) with a 2.38 GAA and .908 Sv%.

Jonas Johansson (2014, 61st) has been less than spectacular and could end up being the starter in Cincinnati with the Cyclones of the ECHL.

Rochester used scoring by committee last season as they finished tied for ninth in the league with 234 goals. Defenseman Zach Redmond lead the team in points with 47 which was 53rd in the league while their top goal-scorer was Sahir Gill whose 18 tallies tied him for 71st in the league.

The team lost a big contributor in Colin Blackwell whose 17 goals and 45 points placed him second on the team in each category. Blackwell was signed away by the Nashville Predators and Stevens called it a "big loss" for the Amerks. The 25 yr. old Blackwell just completed his second full pro season and had a breakout campaign but maybe more importantly, "every time you needed something on the ice," said Stevens, "he was there."

However, the good news is that despite some losses, the Amerks do have some players moving up through the system. Coming over from Sweden in the forward ranks are rookies Victor Olofsson (2014, 181st) and Rasmus Asplund (2016,33rd.) Olofsson just completed a breakout season for Frolunda of the Swedish Hockey League scoring 26 goals while on his way to the Hakan Loob Trophy as the league's top scorer. The 23 yr. old winger has a wicked shot which he uncorked on the powerplay with regularity (league-leading 14 PP goals) which should make the AHL's fourth-best powerplay last season (21%) even better.

Asplund is that 200', all-around player that should help fill some of the void left when Blackwell signed with the Predators. The two-way center reads the game well, and has a high hockey IQ who has the speed to get up ice while adding offense to his game (28 points in 50 games last year.) Despite being somewhat small at 5'11" 176 lbs, Asplund is not afraid to go to the dirty areas of the ice and is solid on the dot.

Those two, along with fellow rookie Cliff Pu, (2016, 69th) will be joining a group of forwards lead by 32 yr. old captain Kevin Porter who finished fourth on the team in scoring last season with 42 points and was tied for second in goals with 17. Also amongst 17-goal club last season was rookie C.J. Smith.

Smith finished third on the Amerks with 44 points (17+27) and 10th in the league amongst rookies. The left-winger was signed out of UMass-Lowell in 2017 and displayed acute vision and abundant smarts to adapt to, and succeed at, the pro level last season. He's one of those players, said Stevens, "who seems to be in the right place at the right time."

The Amerks got swept out of the playoffs in their first post season appearance since 2014. Rochester went into the playoffs fairly strong but Stevens said that it was a case of "the whole team sort of leveling off" with a few players not stepping up when needed. "[They] were trying to step up I don't think [they] knew how to step up far enough," said Stevens of their playoffs struggles.

That leveling off included Ullmark, defenseman Brendan Guhle and winger Alexander Nylander.

Nylander's second pro season was defined by injuries as he missed the first month of the season with a lower body injury and had nagging injuries throughout most of the rest. After an incredibly slow start upon returning in November, Nylander went on a hot streak beginning in mid-February scoring 15 points (4+11) in 15 games. That, along with some pretty good play, eventually lead to a three-game callup to Buffalo in April.

Stevens called this upcoming season "huge" for Nylander and said he's got to come around. "When you think of Nylander he said, "the first thing I think about is that somehow he's got to stay healthy."

Nylander, along with four other players didn't skate at Sabres Development but he was there and looked physically bigger according to those at the rink. The former eighth-overall pick from 2016 has been very underwhelming in his first two pro seasaons for Rochester, but as Stevens pointed out, it's best to remember that he's only 20 yrs. old. "He's the same age at those coming out of Canadian Junior at that age.," Stevens reminded us.

Second year center Sean Malone also came on strong at seasons end and he could take control of a third-line center spot this season (or at least dominate in a fourth line role) with an outside shot at making the Sabres roster out of camp, should he have a good one. The West Seneca, NY native and 2013 sixth-round pick (159th) had a strong finish to the season in a bottom-six role for the Amerks and although he doesn't have the outright skill package he's got chutzpah and good size (6'0" 196 lbs) which he uses to impact on the game in that role. And, " he still has a lot of room to grow [in his game]," according to Stevens.

With training camp more than a month away it's still early in the process but when you look at the overall roster, save for goaltending, the Rochester Americans look to be well on their way to bigger an better things. The veteran core is solid and some of the young players from last year like Smith, Guhle and Malone looked poised to take the next step. Add in some young incoming talent like Olofsson, Asplund, and Pascal Aquin who had a strong development camp along with defensemen Lawrence Pilut and Brandon Hickey, and you have the makings of a team with an upgrade in overall talent and plenty of depth that should, hopefully, take them farther.

In talking with Stevens I got the impression that they overachieved somewhat last season but it got them into the playoffs for the first time in three years. Regardless of the fact that they got swept, those returning this season will have had that taste and should have a better understanding of what it takes to succeed both in the regular season and post season. "Maybe that's one of the things that happens when you haven't been to the playoffs for a while," said Stevens, "you don't know exactly what you need to do to step up."

With the added talent and depth and the experience they gained in the playoffs, that should change.

The Sabres top-5 prospects to watch after Dahlin and Mittelstadt

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 7-27-2018


Once Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin was selected first-overall in last month's NHL Entry Draft he immediately took his place at the top of the Sabres prospect pool. The teenager just completed a full season competing against men for Frolunda of the Swedish Hockey League and was impressive. After being drafted by Buffalo he hit development camp and showed why many feel he should be considered a franchise defenseman bordering on generational talent.

He's got that much going for him.

Dahlin displaced center Casey Mittelstadt as the Sabres top prospect. Mittelstadt spent last season playing for the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the Big-10. The Minnesota native was one-and-done in the NCAA finishing with 30 points (11+19) in 34 games for the Gophers but more importantly, Mittelstadt proved he could battle through tough defenses focused almost exclusively on him and produce against many players much older than him. It was with little surprise that he came to Buffalo after signing his entry-level deal and looked like he fit right in scoring a goal and adding four assists in six NHL games.

Those two represent great news for the future of the Buffalo Sabres. Even moreso when you add them to franchise center Jack Eichel and young workhorse defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.

The cool part about the prospect pool is that it doesn't stop at Dahlin and Mittelstadt. Buffalo is emerging from a period where the system was gutted as past draft failures and underachieving prospects left the entire organization with bottom-dwelling teams. That, however, is changing. A few players like Evan Rodrigues, Casey Nelson, Nicholas Baptiste, Justin Bailey and goalie Linus Ullmark have graduated but instead of a huge void in Rochester and the other developmental leagues, a wave of prospects and free agents drafted and acquired over the last few years (and maybe a bit beyond that) are ready to step up.

General manager Jason Botterill has done a fine job augmenting decent group of prospects ready to hit the pro ranks this season and it looks as if his two drafts (2017 ands 18) will continue to strengthen the prospect pool.

For this exercise the phrase "prospects to watch" is used because they may have the most impact at the AHL or possibly NHL-level this season. Talent is definitely a criteria but also the ability/probability of them reaching their potential this season and in the future. And we begin with:


1. D, Brendan Guhle

Prior to the drafting of Dahlin, Guhle was the Sabres top d-prospect. The 2015 second round pick (51st-overall) has surprised and excited the Sabres and their fan base since his first training camp three years ago. Until he got walloped by a clean Dion Phaneuf hit in the preseason, Guhle looked as if he was headed for the opening night roster. That hit set him back but when he did make his NHL debut as an emergency call up in December, 2016 for three games, he certainly looked the part.

The 6'3" 192 lb. Edmonton, Alberta native can really get up ice and although he wasn't drafted as a scorer has shown some serious touch. Both smart and athletic, Guhle was put on the slower developmental track last season by Botterill who is a firm believer in getting prospects as much development as possible.

Guhle played top-pairing minutes for the Amerks last season and was up for 18 games with the Sabres last season. Although he and the rest of his Rochester teammates faltered in the playoffs, everything he has to offer was on display at development camp as the  20 yr. old looked like a man amongst boys.

His waivers exempt status and the fact that Buffalo is overflowing on defense right now may mean he'll start the season in Rochester, which really isn't a bad thing for any party involved and you can bet your bottom dollar that if that's the case, he'll be the first defenseman called up and will retain that status throughout the season.

NHL Projection:  Top-four defenseman


2. F, Victor Olofsson

Simply put, Olofsson has proved to be a sniper. After plying his trade in his native Sweden since Buffalo drafted him with the 181st pick of the 2014 NHL Draft, the seventh rounder had a breakout season for Frolunda of the SHL. Olofsson lead the league with 27 goals in 50 games winning the Haaken Loob Trophy for the top goalscorer in the league.

The 5'10" 176 lb. winger found his niche while being deadly on the powerplay with a scorching one-timer. Because of that he's been labeled a powerplay specialist but he's a swift skater who has a knack for finding open ice. With the offensive skill there, Olofsson was said to have been working on his defensive game and a couple of things he'll also need to work on jumping the pond to North America is the smaller ice surface and a more rugged North American game.

If he can bring his defensive game to a respectable level and learn to avoid some of the North American aggression, especially as a smaller player, the Sabres could have found themselves a real seventh-round gem.

NHL Projection:  Top-nine winger/Powerplay Specialist


3. D, Lawrence Pilut

Pilut is a very intriguing free agent signing out of Sweden by Botterill and the Sabres as they landed the reigning SHL defenseman of the year.

The 5'11" 181 lb. Pilut had a breakout season for HV71 of the SHL as he lead all defensemen with 30 assists and 38 points on his way to the Borje Salming Trophy. When describing Pilut's game, we'll let HV 71 head coach Johan Lindbom tell it. "[Pilut] he wants to be involved in the play all the time," Lindbom told me over the phone back in May. "He's not the toughest, he's not the strongest in front of the net," said the coach, "but he reads the play really well.

" Larry (as the team called him) was very talented at a young age. Maybe a little too small from the beginning but he's a fighter. He takes his hockey very seriously. He practices very hard and that's what makes him successful."

Lindbom had Pilut working on his defense last season and we're pretty sure Amerks bench boss Chris Taylor will be doing the same in Rochester. But as we saw from the 3-on-3 tourney at development camp, Pilut has too much ability to be corralled. He'll definitely need to play defense in North America but look for him to be jumping into the play often once he gets his footing.

NHL Projection:  No. 4/5, offensive-minded defenseman


4. C, Rasmus Asplund

Asplund was the draft-eligible focal point of former GM Tim Murray when he mad a draft-day trade back in 2016. On the second day of the draft Murray pulled the trigger on a deal where the Sabres would move up from No. 38 to No. 33. There was no guarantee Asplund would be there but Murray was pretty sure to the point where the swap was insisted upon.

The 20 yr. old Asplund has been developing his strong two-way game in Sweden having spent almost four full seasons in the SHL. In 170 SHL games he tallied 62 points (20+42) and was a plus-17 for Farjestad BK. But stats aren't full where it's at with him.

Asplund plays an advanced two-way game where his high hockey IQ and hard working play were relied upon throughout the game. He has all the makings of a classic third-line/two-way center who's responsible all over the ice and can chip in on offense

NHL Projection:  Third-line center.


5. LW, CJ Smith

Smith is another good free agent signing for the Sabres. Buffalo signed him out of UMass-Lowell in 2017 and he just finished a very solid rookie campaign in Rochester scoring 44 points (17+27) in 57 games for the Amerks.

Although Smith doesn't have ideal size at 5'11" 185 lbs., he's got plenty of skill and chutzpah, is a solid two-way player, has a strong work ethic and plays the game fast with plenty of determination.

NHL Projection:  Top-nine winger


Honorable Mentions:

D, Brandon Hickey--a very intriguing trade with Phoenix this off season by Botterill brought in an excellent skating defenseman with size (6'2" 201 lbs.,) some physicality, leadership qualities and some offensive acumen.

LW, Alexander Nylander--if his desire ever rises to his skill-level, he's got top-six sniper written all over him. Key word 'if''.

C.J. Smith contract pushes Sabres pro contracts to 47. Only Reinhart left.

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 7-17-2018


The Buffalo Sabres announced yesterday afternoon announced the signing of restricted free agent forward C.J. Smith to a one-year, two-way deal. Smith's contract will pay him $874,125 at the NHL level and, according to CapFreindly, a $70,000 minor league salary. Buffalo GM Jason Botterill sent qualifying offers to six RFA's late last month and to this point five have signed at that qualifying offer with all of those contracts being one-year, two-way deals. In addition to Smith, Sean Malone, Nicholas Baptiste, Danny O'Regan and Justin Bailey are now under contract with Buffalo.

The only remaining RFA is 2014 second-overall pick Sam Reinhart who just finished his three-year entry-level deal after a one-year entry-level slide.

The 23 yr. old Smith just came off of a stellar campaign where he was named Rochester Americans rookie of the Year. His 17 goals and 44 points placed the UMass-Lowell product third on the Amerks in scoring and 10th amongst AHL rookies. Although somewhat small at 5'11" 185 lbs., the Des Moines, Iowa native plays an honest two-way game on the wing and isn't afraid to take on whatever comes at him on the ice. He's also been able to produce at every level and showed off his competitive edge at the pro prospect-level by scoring six points (2+4) in three 2017 Prospect Challenge games last year.

Reinhart's contract negotiations are much more difficult than the previous five in that he has three full seasons plus a nine-game audition with the Sabres under his belt. In 249 games the 22 yr. old Reinhart has 65 goals and 140 points but his Jekyll and Hyde 2017-18 season makes projections extremely difficult. The 6'1" 192 lb. forward who does his best work on the wing was virtually non-existent through the 2017 portion of the schedule scoring only 11 points (5+6) through the first 38 games before blowing up for 20 goals and 19 assists in 44 games beginning January 1.

Which Sam Reinhart will the Sabres be signing? For how long? And how much?

The Smith signing brings the total number of pro contracts in Buffalo to 47 with only Reinhart left to go. The Sabres roster right now has 21 players--12 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies--while the rest of the organization has 26 pro player contracts including Matt Moulson who's contract was buried in the minors last season and looks to be so this season.

With August coming, the dog days of summer are upon us and the hockey world, but Botterill will still have some work to do. After the expected signing of Reinhart, the Sabres will have 13 forwards with both Baptiste and Bailey out of waiver options and likely to be claimed if sent down. Defenseman Casey Nelson is in the same boat and it's assumed the Sabres will want to keep him bringing the total to eight d-men right now. Add in the two goalies and that would be 25 roster players, not including defenseman Brendan Guhle who's expected to be in the mix out of camp.

Something's got to give.

Until then, all eyes are on Reinhart and his contract at this point.

The off season is just a weekend away.

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-5-2018


It's a sure sing of spring lately. The Augusta, GA bloom fills the Masters with the joys of spring while the Buffalo Sabres are shining up their golf clubs for yet another early off season. It will be the seventh year in a row that the Sabres have missed the playoffs and it will be the third time in the last five years that Buffalo will finish dead last. Further ignominy lies in the fact, as someone pointed out, that the Sabres will be the first team ever to finish in 31st place as the Vegas Golden Knights entered the league this year.

Having said that, most here felt a sense of "Mission Accomplished" as Buffalo secured last place with a loss vs. the 30th place Ottawa Senators last night. With that loss the Sabres will have an 18.5% chance of winning the lottery and about a 50/50 chance of landing a pick in the top three. Buffalo, like every other team in the league, would have heart palpitations at the thought of landing the first overall pick and being able to draft a franchise defenseman in Rasmus Dahlin. Yet even if they drop to second or third, they'll still be able to land an impact player at a position of need as wingers Filip Zadina and Andrei Svechnikov.

At worst the Sabres will be drafting fourth overall meaning one of forward Brady Tkachuk or defenseman Adam Boqvist or Quntin Hughes will be there for the taking. So all is not lost.

However, what's been lost in this season, is a sense of winning and it has to be affecting the players. This is Jack Eichel's third season and the Sabres have regressed to where they were when they drafted him. Sam Reinhart and Ryan O'Reilly have been here three seasons, Zemgus Girgensons the last five. In his 31 Thoughts piece for Sportsnet.ca, writer Elliotte Friedman had plenty to say about Buffalo and wrote that he talked to some players with one of them saying, “Look at Rasmus Ristolainen. He’s a really good player. But he’s been here the longest. [Losing is] all he knows.”

Friedman also said he had a long chat with Sabres GM Jason Botterill concerning teams taking advantage of Eichel's on-ice frustrations, to which Botterill replied, “You just want see him have some success. We need to win games. It’s not just Jack’s team. We need to help him. Teammates need to help him. When he is challenged, he responds in a good way. You talk about changing culture. How do you do that? You can’t always just trade for it.

"That’s why it’s so important that Rochester made the playoffs. Those young players are going to understand what it is like to play meaningful games, what it takes to win them.”

The Rochester Americans were a major emphasis for Botterill and his AGM/Amerks GM, Randy Sexton. They basically rebuilt that team from scratch with only a handful of players from the previous season and got them to the playoffs. It's the first time in three seasons Rochester has made the AHL post season.

In building that team, Botterill brought in some veteran with proven track records in scoring and/or leadership. Keving Porter, Zach Redmond (whom Botterill traded for,) Seth Griffith, Sahir Gill and Kyle Criscuolo all have had individual and/or team success at the AHL-level and were brought in to carry much of the weight as the Sabres youngins get a feel for the way Botterill wants to see them play.

Porter is the Amerks' captain and was with Botterill when they were in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization.  "He's a player I'm very familiar with," said Botterill back on July 1 after signing Porter and a host of other players. "[He] was a strong leader for Wilkes-Barre over the past couple of years, but also was a player, especially two years ago, that (Penguins head coach) Mike Sullivan really trusted at the National Hockey League level."

Two years ago Sullivan took over as coach of the Penguins in mid-season and guided them to the first of two consecutive Stanley Cups.

The Sabres just called Porter up from Rochester on Tuesday but he did not dress for Buffalo's home finale', but the media caught up with him today at Key Bank Center. Porter was asked what it means to have a winning team AHL team coupled with a last place NHL team. "There's going to be four, five, six, seven guys from that team coming up here," Porter said in response. "If they're used to losing, it's going to continue up here. But if we can get down there and go on a long playoff run and hopefully win a Calder Cup, that experience for them is going to translate up here."

There will be changes for the Sabres this off season as Botterill fashions his team his way. He took over a Sabres club that seemed more geared towards a Western Conference style of player featuring big bodies and heavies. That didn't work out too well in Buffalo and we've seen first hand that there will need to be a lot of turnover for him to fashion a team based upon speed, quickness, and skill. "We’ll make some changes,” Botterill told Friedman, “because you can’t come back with the same group. We have talent, but we don’t have consistency."


*****

With the off season just around the corner, it looks as if goalie Robin Lehner may have played his last game in Buffalo as he stayed back while his Sabres teammates boarded a plane for Florida where they'll play the last two games of the season. Although it's not official, the pending restricted free agent has not had a great season by any stretch of the imagination and it seems as if Botterill and Co. might be ready to hand the team over to Linus Ullmark.

Lehner played some solid hockey for the Sabres, albeit, rather inconsistent, especially this season. The thing about the 26 yr. old, who was traded for by former GM Tim Murray, is that the team traded the 21st pick in the 2015 NHL Draft for him and there would always be that cloud hanging over him because of it. In many, if not most, fan's minds, trading a first round pick for a goalie is taboo. For the record, the player taken in that spot by the Senators was forward Colin White who has spent most of the past two seasons with the Senators AHL affiliate and has played in 21 games for the big club.

The bottom line with Lehner it just didn't work out in Buffalo. His first year with the Sabres he was injured right off the bat, was resectable upon his return, but finished the season injured. He was the designated No. 1 goalie last season playing in a career most 59 games while putting up solid numbers despite a losing record. Last off season he was an RFA and signed a one-year deal stating that he proved everything he needed to prove in 2016-17.

But this season was a mess for him as he watched his goal-against average go to 3.01 and his save percentage fall to .908. Granted, Lehner didn't get much help, but he just looked awkward on way too many occasions and gave up way too many softies. It might be safe to say that he didn't trust his teammates on defense nor did his teammates really trust him in net.

It would be surprising if Lehner re-signed with Buffalo.


*****

The Sabres have some really good prospects that are moving up the ranks. Center Casey Mittelstadt actually jumped the ranks going from college freshman to the NHL. Where the eighth-overall pick in 2017 lands next year is up in the air, but Botterill told Friedman that he likes Eichel, O'Reilly and Mittelstadt down the middle. I believe there are many in Sabreland, myself included, who like that trio of center.

Botterill also mentioned free agent signee C.J. Smith who leads the Amerks with 17 goals and West Seneca, NY native Sean Malone whom he thinks will “carve out a role here (in Buffalo,) the way he is going.” And, of note, was a quick mention of Victor Olofsson, a 2014 seventh round draft pick (181st) who led the Swedish Hockey League in goals with 27 this past year. Nothing has been heard concerning the signing of the 22 yr. old but Botterill told Friedman, “We’d like to give him a look, see if he can score here with our guys.”

Of those who've gained valuable NHL experience this season, Brendan Guhle and Casey Nelson looked to have carved out a spot on the roster next season as did winger Nicolas Baptiste and forward Evan Rodrigues.

That's seven new, full-time faces for Buffalo next season, not including Ullmark, and possibly another should they land in the top-three of this year's draft and select any of three NHL-ready players.