Published by hockeybuzz.com, 6-29-2017
From Edmonton to Buffalo moves altering the course of the Buffalo Sabres upcoming season, but the big move new GM Jason Botterill needs to make to really get things rolling probably won't happen this off season.
Defense, defense, defense.
The Sabres don't exactly have a top-five defense-corps in the league which leaves them looking to upgrade, especially filling a top-pairing need next to RHD, Rasmus Ristolainen. Botterill was able to fortify his lower pairings a bit with the signings of Victor Antipin, the trade for Nathan Beaulieu and the re-signing of Taylor Fedun. That trio adds plenty of depth from for new head coach Phil Housley to work with, but a top-four of Ristolainen, Beaulieu, Zach Bogosian and Jake McCabe isn't close to what he worked with in Nashville last season.
It will take time. And for those who are looking for a jolt this July 1, you can pretty much fuggedaboutit. The top two free agent d-men on the market are Kevin Shattenkirk and Karl Alzner both of whom will collect huge paychecks on long-term deals despite flaws in their games. Buffalo could be in the running if Botterill was willing to go above and beyond an expected overpayment for both, but despite plenty of room under the cap this year, it wouldn't seem as if it's in his blood to reach like that.
So the Sabres look to be headed into the off season, and possibly into training camp as well, with a defense corps as is. One possible addition, as mentioned here a couple of weeks ago, is that of soon to be free agent defenseman Will Butcher who's opting to go to free agency August 15 instead of signing with the team that drafted him. In a quick blurb I mentioned that having an opportunity in Buffalo to play under a coach like Housley who values puck-movers might pique his interest. Even if the Sabres were to land him, his impact, if any, wouldn't be felt for a few years as Butcher will probably need a couple years of seasoning for his development.
*****
Speaking of development, Botterill released player development coach Randy Cunneyworth two days ago.
After leaving the Rochester Americans in 2008 to pursue an NHL coaching career, Cunneyworth was brought back in 2015 as player development coach. He spent the 2015-16 season coaching in Rochester before going back to his previous position.
From 2015 to 2017 the Amerks were near the bottom of the league although the players that were brought up to Buffalo seemed to be well prepared for the NHL game. Unfortunately none were able to have an impact for the Sabres.
Botterill also released pro scout Jon Christiano. The Buffalo native had been with the Sabres since 1997 and spent three years as Director of Pro Scouting under GM Darcy Regier.
Also dismissed was amateur scout Kevin Prendergast who came on board in 2013.
Owner Terry Pegula and Botterill have slowly been purging the hockey department to start anew. Cunneyworth, Christiano and Prendergast join scouting director Rob Murphy, director of amateur scouting Greg Royce, pro scout Jim Kovachik and amateur scouts Keith Hendrickson and Brandon Jay as those on the outs since Pegula fired GM Tim Murray and head coach Dan Bylsma.
*****
The hockey world just got a major jolt yesterday when word got out that Edmonton Oilers phenom Connor McDavid is looking at a contract extension that will have a cap-hit over $13 million. McDavid is entering the final year of his entry-level deal and the Oilers aren't messing around.
And they shouldn't.
McDavid just finished his sophomore season as the only 100-point player in the league and captained his Oilers team to Game-7 of the Western Conference Finals. He also backed up the truck at the NHL Awards Show in Las Vegas last week. He took home the Art Ross Trophy (leading scorer,) Hart Trophy (league MVP,) and the Ted Lindsay Award as the leagues top player voted by his peers.
The shockwaves rattled rinks all the way to Buffalo as the Sabres and Jack Eichel are said to be talking about a contract extension. Eichel was taken second-overall behind McDavid in the 2015 NHL Draft and although he's had two real good seasons on a team that was in the 'build' stage of rebuild, his 113 points (48+65) in 142 games aren't on the same level as McDavid's 148 (46+102) in 127 games. However, there's still plenty of untapped upside for Eichel which is why his next contract could be in the $8-9 million/season range.
They're two different players with enormous talents who came into the leagued in two different situations. Both will forever be tied to the whole 2015 "McEichel" Draft and will be compared from a points, salary and impact perspective.
The Sabres are lucky to have Eichel and it might be in everyone's best interest to get him signed long-term. They could fool around with a three-year bridge contract that could possibly extend his stay in Buffalo to 11 years if they went max contract thereafter. Or they could just come together on an eight-year deal and save everyone the worry.
*****
Word on the street is that the Sabres are losing a goalie prospect but gaining a veteran backup in net.
To no one's surprise, Sabres prospect Cal Petersen (2013, 129th-overall) is not signing in Buffalo but instead will be headed to Los Angeles. Although nothing can be announced until Saturday, July 1, reports have Petersen and the Kings agreeing to a contract.
Petersen opted to forgo his senior season at Notre Dame to turn pro and the Sabres had nearly all of June to sign him but he elected to become a free agent.
The loss of Petersen effectively jumbled the goalie depth-chart as Buffalo was missing a piece. The two givens were that Robin Lehner is the Sabres starter and Jonas Johansson will be starting his first full North American pro season in Rochester. Linus Ullmark, whom Botterill effectively kept from Las Vegas in the expansion draft, could have been Lehner's backup had Petersen signed with Buffalo.
But our very own Buffalo 39 mentioned a couple days ago that the Sabres and former goalie Chad Johnson were in talks and word on the street is that Johnson will be back in Buffalo next season. Having him behind Lehner means that Ullmark goes back to Rochester as their starter for the second consecutive season.
Which is a good thing.
Goalies need reps and Ullmark will get a lot of them with the Amerks. The move also bodes well for Johansson who can get eased into the North American pro game.
Losing Petersen is a downer as he has legit No. 1 potential, but the Sabres will need to make lemonade.
*****
The Sabres, as mentioned above, could use a top-pairing defenseman but the could also use help on the wing in the top-six. And, as luck would have it, this isn't a particularly strong free agent class at LW.
The list at left wing is topped by veteran forward Patrick Marleau. However reports have him not wanting to leave San Jose and if he does, he wants to stay on the West Coast as to not disrupt his family.
After that the Sabres could, and should, have of some interest in Thomas Vanek.
Since being traded by Buffalo in October, 2013, Vanek has been wandering around the league. Vanek was traded by the NY Islanders to the Montreal Canadiens that same season then signed a two-year deal with the Minnesota Wild as a free agent. He signed a one-year, $2.6 million deal with the Detroit Red Wings last off season and was traded to Florida at the trade deadline March 1.
During this sojourn, word came out that Vanek's name appeared on a list in a Rochester, NY gambling sting and he apparently lost millions of dollars. With Pegula touting virtues like character and his Murray-firing presser, Vanek might not fit into what he wants moving forward. Yet you can't deny that Vanek still has the chops. Last season he scored 17 goals and added 31 assists in 68 games for Detroit and Florida. Those 48 points would have placed him third on the Sabres in scoring behind only Eichel and Ryan O'Reilly. He also lead the league in the shootout going a perfect 5 for 5.
Speaking of gambling, the Sabres could also look into signing former first-overall pick Nail Yakupov to a "show me" contract. Yakupov has been set adrift after four years with the Oilers and one season in St. Louis. It would be a low-risk/high-reward scenario for the Sabres but most feel that the upside just isn't there as there's a disconnect with him and the NHL game.
Finally, maybe we should keep an eye on winger Beau Bennett who was the 20th-overall pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2010 when Botterill was in the front office.
The 6'2" 207 lb. Bennett is listed as a right-winger but can play either side.
Of course if Buffalo's own Tyler Ennis could return to form, it would eliminate the need for a top-six left-winger. Ennis' last two seasons have been dismal as he's had injury problems and just could never get into the flow of things. The Edmonton, Alberta native has only eight goals and 16 assist while playing in only 84 games the last two seasons.
As of right now the Sabres have only one legit top-six left wing in Evander Kane. He'll be entering the final year of his contract with questions as to whether or not there will be an extension for him this off season. There's been speculation that the Sabres would be trading him, but Pierre LeBrun told the WGR afternoon guys yesterday that Botterill is listening but not actively shopping Kane.
Showing posts with label Cal Petersen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cal Petersen. Show all posts
Friday, June 30, 2017
Friday, June 2, 2017
A view from Waterloo. Seeing the situation through Cal Petersen's eyes.
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 6-1-2017
Yesterday Sabres goalie prospect Cal Petersen announced that he would be forgoing his senior season at Notre Dame to turn pro. Buffalo is now on the clock as they have 30 days to sign the highly touted Petersen before he becomes a free agent.
Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com/Sabres.com has been following the Petersen situation closely and has been telling us for months to look at the situation the 22 yr. old fifth-round pick has in front of him. This is the fourth June 1 that Petersen has had since being drafted in 2013 by the Buffalo Sabres and the Collective Bargaining Agreement allows him to forgo signing with the team that drafted him to become a free agent.
A situation like this is nothing new to Buffalo and their fans. Last year college standout and 2016 Hobey Baker winner Jimmy Vesey took the same route. The Nashville Predators drafted him 66th-overall in the 2012 NHL Draft and after openly stating that he would not sign with them, his rights were traded to the Buffalo Sabres for a third round pick. Vesey waited it out and on August 20 took his talents to "The Big Apple."
In the immortal words of Yankee great Yogi Berra, "it's deja vu all over again" for the Sabres.
Petersen is a top college talent and would be the top college free agent on the market. Although he hasn't "earned" this type of free agency, the CBA allows for it. Much to the dismay of many a Sabres fan, Baker has been saying all along that even though the Sabres have done everything right concerning Petersen, the allure of picking a franchise that might best suit his situation is something that would be very hard to pass up for a young player. And there's a city very close to Petersen's hometown of Waterloo, Iowa that presents a pretty good option for him--Chicago.
The Blackhawks are the closest thing to a dynasty we have in the salary cap era as they've won three Stanley Cups in five years. They have a top-notch organization with a GM in Stan Bowman who has managed to keep this team in Cup contention despite needing to move out valuable talent to remain cap compliant. The organizational structure is in place as well and despite a Rockford IceHogs AHL affiliate that's struggled in five of the last seven seasons, they continue to be a key feeder for the Hawks which allows the big club to remain annual contenders.
That's one of the main points in this situation, but also of importance is Petersen's path to the NHL and a possible starters role. The Hawks have Corey Crawford signed for three more seasons but nothing behind him. Three years would be a very good incubation period for a goalie as he learns the pro game.
Craig Rivet, co-host of MSG's "The Instigators," succinctly laid out what he believes young players are looking for in situations like Petersen's and Vesey's. "These kids want to be in a good environment, they want to be on a good team" Rivet said yesterday, "which makes them better, which will now expedite their movement to the NHL." Although Vesey started in the NHL, he openly stated that he's looking beyond his two entry-level contract years and wants to set himelf up for the next contract.
On the one hand, it's basic economics. Both Vesey and Petersen will be locked in at a capped rookie salary (plus bonuses if applicable) for their two-year entry level deals and the quicker they can come in and make an impression, the better their next contract will be. And the best way to make an impression is to have an organization that provides direction as well as talent.
Unfortunately for Buffalo, they have some talent, but it's not close to the level of the NY Rangers or the Blackhawks. They're also on their third general manager and will be hiring their fifth head coach since 2013. Rivet, a former player, pretty much summed the organization when he said this yesterday. "Does it scare you?" began Rivet. "As a player you look down in Rochester and it's kind of in shambles, there's no coach. Where's the direction?
"Yes we have new GM (in Jason Botterill) that is going to right the ship, but how long before that ship is going in the right direction? There's a lot of question marks."
Baker who was appearing on the show also brought up the goalie situation in Buffalo which has a direct impact on the situation as well. As mentioned, Chicago's Crawford is 32 yrs. old and is signed for three more years with no other goalie in the pipeline. Buffalo's starting goalie situation couldn't be more different with Robin Lehner and from a player's perspective, Baker believe, a prospect like Petersen "wouldn't want to be behind a 25 yr. old, No. 1 goalie who the NHL team spent a first round pick to get." Baker qualifies it by saying we're not sure what will happen with Lehner, who is an unrestricted free agent, but that's what Petersen was up against even before Botterill became GM.
With all that said, if given the choice, where would you rather start your NHL career?
As a Sabres fan I'm not planning on Petersen signing with the Sabres although I'll still hold out some hope. As Baker told me, "if he was going to sign in Buffalo it would have already happened." He rhetorically followed that up with, "When was the last time a college team announced a guy leaving without announcing that he signed a contract?"
Nor will I harbor any ill will towards Petersen should he sign elsewhere and in my opinion no Sabres fan should either. The CBA affords college players an out like this and choosing one's own NHL destination at that young age is a dream come true.
This isn't a knock at the Sabres organization either. They've done everything right with Petersen and God knows they've been trying to right the ship. Buffalo still has some very talented pieces to start anew with in players like Jack Eichel, Ryan O'Reilly and Rasmus Ristolainen, among others, but they have a long way to go to reach the level of a team like the Blackhawks.
Waterloo, Iowa is 300 miles from Chicago. It's 500 more miles to Buffalo with the gap between franchises even farther at this point in time.
If you're Cal Petersen, what makes more sense?
Yesterday Sabres goalie prospect Cal Petersen announced that he would be forgoing his senior season at Notre Dame to turn pro. Buffalo is now on the clock as they have 30 days to sign the highly touted Petersen before he becomes a free agent.
Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com/Sabres.com has been following the Petersen situation closely and has been telling us for months to look at the situation the 22 yr. old fifth-round pick has in front of him. This is the fourth June 1 that Petersen has had since being drafted in 2013 by the Buffalo Sabres and the Collective Bargaining Agreement allows him to forgo signing with the team that drafted him to become a free agent.
A situation like this is nothing new to Buffalo and their fans. Last year college standout and 2016 Hobey Baker winner Jimmy Vesey took the same route. The Nashville Predators drafted him 66th-overall in the 2012 NHL Draft and after openly stating that he would not sign with them, his rights were traded to the Buffalo Sabres for a third round pick. Vesey waited it out and on August 20 took his talents to "The Big Apple."
In the immortal words of Yankee great Yogi Berra, "it's deja vu all over again" for the Sabres.
Petersen is a top college talent and would be the top college free agent on the market. Although he hasn't "earned" this type of free agency, the CBA allows for it. Much to the dismay of many a Sabres fan, Baker has been saying all along that even though the Sabres have done everything right concerning Petersen, the allure of picking a franchise that might best suit his situation is something that would be very hard to pass up for a young player. And there's a city very close to Petersen's hometown of Waterloo, Iowa that presents a pretty good option for him--Chicago.
The Blackhawks are the closest thing to a dynasty we have in the salary cap era as they've won three Stanley Cups in five years. They have a top-notch organization with a GM in Stan Bowman who has managed to keep this team in Cup contention despite needing to move out valuable talent to remain cap compliant. The organizational structure is in place as well and despite a Rockford IceHogs AHL affiliate that's struggled in five of the last seven seasons, they continue to be a key feeder for the Hawks which allows the big club to remain annual contenders.
That's one of the main points in this situation, but also of importance is Petersen's path to the NHL and a possible starters role. The Hawks have Corey Crawford signed for three more seasons but nothing behind him. Three years would be a very good incubation period for a goalie as he learns the pro game.
Craig Rivet, co-host of MSG's "The Instigators," succinctly laid out what he believes young players are looking for in situations like Petersen's and Vesey's. "These kids want to be in a good environment, they want to be on a good team" Rivet said yesterday, "which makes them better, which will now expedite their movement to the NHL." Although Vesey started in the NHL, he openly stated that he's looking beyond his two entry-level contract years and wants to set himelf up for the next contract.
On the one hand, it's basic economics. Both Vesey and Petersen will be locked in at a capped rookie salary (plus bonuses if applicable) for their two-year entry level deals and the quicker they can come in and make an impression, the better their next contract will be. And the best way to make an impression is to have an organization that provides direction as well as talent.
Unfortunately for Buffalo, they have some talent, but it's not close to the level of the NY Rangers or the Blackhawks. They're also on their third general manager and will be hiring their fifth head coach since 2013. Rivet, a former player, pretty much summed the organization when he said this yesterday. "Does it scare you?" began Rivet. "As a player you look down in Rochester and it's kind of in shambles, there's no coach. Where's the direction?
"Yes we have new GM (in Jason Botterill) that is going to right the ship, but how long before that ship is going in the right direction? There's a lot of question marks."
Baker who was appearing on the show also brought up the goalie situation in Buffalo which has a direct impact on the situation as well. As mentioned, Chicago's Crawford is 32 yrs. old and is signed for three more years with no other goalie in the pipeline. Buffalo's starting goalie situation couldn't be more different with Robin Lehner and from a player's perspective, Baker believe, a prospect like Petersen "wouldn't want to be behind a 25 yr. old, No. 1 goalie who the NHL team spent a first round pick to get." Baker qualifies it by saying we're not sure what will happen with Lehner, who is an unrestricted free agent, but that's what Petersen was up against even before Botterill became GM.
With all that said, if given the choice, where would you rather start your NHL career?
As a Sabres fan I'm not planning on Petersen signing with the Sabres although I'll still hold out some hope. As Baker told me, "if he was going to sign in Buffalo it would have already happened." He rhetorically followed that up with, "When was the last time a college team announced a guy leaving without announcing that he signed a contract?"
Nor will I harbor any ill will towards Petersen should he sign elsewhere and in my opinion no Sabres fan should either. The CBA affords college players an out like this and choosing one's own NHL destination at that young age is a dream come true.
This isn't a knock at the Sabres organization either. They've done everything right with Petersen and God knows they've been trying to right the ship. Buffalo still has some very talented pieces to start anew with in players like Jack Eichel, Ryan O'Reilly and Rasmus Ristolainen, among others, but they have a long way to go to reach the level of a team like the Blackhawks.
Waterloo, Iowa is 300 miles from Chicago. It's 500 more miles to Buffalo with the gap between franchises even farther at this point in time.
If you're Cal Petersen, what makes more sense?
Saturday, April 8, 2017
The Cal Petersen situation.
Published by hockeybuzz.com 4-7-2017
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish exited the NCAA's Frozen Four late last night after the Denver Pioneers steamrolled them 6-1. Buffalo Sabres prospect Cal Petersen (2013, 129th-overall) was in net for the Irish, as he has been for 90 consecutive Notre Dame games, and got shelled. Truth be known, Petersen didn't have much of a chance vs. the Denver as the Pioneers overwhelmed the Irish for much of the game.
With that loss and the completion of his junior season, the intrigue concerning Petersen and his future now begins. After three strong seasons in net for Notre Dame and definitive growth shown along the way, the 6'3" 190 lb. Waterloo, Iowa native has done everything in his college career except bring home a national championship for the Irish so there's a good possibility he's ready to turn pro.
Buffalo holds Petersen's rights, but according to Kris Baker of sabresprospects/sabres.com, after consulting with those familiar with the NHL/NHLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement, June 1 is D-Day for Petersen. Here's his explanation via his appearance on WGR550's Shopp and the Bulldog yesterday.
"The CBA says that this is the fourth June 1st when he was drafted in 2013. It's about the year you were drafted in so 2017 would be four June ones. By the CBA, Section 8.6, if the Sabres don't have him locked up by June 1st, he's free to shop his services."
Here's the legalese Baker mentioned in Section 8.6:
(iv) If a Player drafted at age 18 or 19, who had received a Bona Fide Offer in accordance with Section 8.6(a)(ii) above, becomes a bona fide college student prior to the second June 1 following his selection in the Entry Draft and does not remain a bona fide college student through the graduation of his college class, his drafting Club shall retain exclusive rights for the negotiation of his services until the fourth June 1 following his selection in the Entry Draft.
Let's hope we come out on the good side of this one.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish exited the NCAA's Frozen Four late last night after the Denver Pioneers steamrolled them 6-1. Buffalo Sabres prospect Cal Petersen (2013, 129th-overall) was in net for the Irish, as he has been for 90 consecutive Notre Dame games, and got shelled. Truth be known, Petersen didn't have much of a chance vs. the Denver as the Pioneers overwhelmed the Irish for much of the game.
With that loss and the completion of his junior season, the intrigue concerning Petersen and his future now begins. After three strong seasons in net for Notre Dame and definitive growth shown along the way, the 6'3" 190 lb. Waterloo, Iowa native has done everything in his college career except bring home a national championship for the Irish so there's a good possibility he's ready to turn pro.
Buffalo holds Petersen's rights, but according to Kris Baker of sabresprospects/sabres.com, after consulting with those familiar with the NHL/NHLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement, June 1 is D-Day for Petersen. Here's his explanation via his appearance on WGR550's Shopp and the Bulldog yesterday.
"The CBA says that this is the fourth June 1st when he was drafted in 2013. It's about the year you were drafted in so 2017 would be four June ones. By the CBA, Section 8.6, if the Sabres don't have him locked up by June 1st, he's free to shop his services."
Here's the legalese Baker mentioned in Section 8.6:
(iv) If a Player drafted at age 18 or 19, who had received a Bona Fide Offer in accordance with Section 8.6(a)(ii) above, becomes a bona fide college student prior to the second June 1 following his selection in the Entry Draft and does not remain a bona fide college student through the graduation of his college class, his drafting Club shall retain exclusive rights for the negotiation of his services until the fourth June 1 following his selection in the Entry Draft.
Let's hope we come out on the good side of this one.
Thursday, June 2, 2016
Buffalo Sabres top-three prospects by position--Goaltenders
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
With the Buffalo Sabres firmly in build-mode as they look to distance themselves even further from the ignominy of the 2014 and 2015 basement seasons, the solid foundation they laid using a huge return for "the core" moved the team towards respectability as they finished last season 23rd in the league with a 12-win/27-point year-over-year improvement . It took a coaching overhaul, two consecutive second-overall picks and a number of big moves involving many parts, but GM Tim Murray--who was also a part of a huge transition for the club when he was hired just over two years ago--got the things moving rather quickly as he added young-vets to the roster to hasten the rebuild.
Unfortunately, those players don't grow on trees and in order to acquire said vets, a bevy of draft picks and prospects were sent the other way to consummate the deals and because of it the prospect pool taking pretty good hit. But opportunity knocked and Murray answered with open arms.
He still has holes to fill on the big club and he also had a Rochester affiliate that finished near the bottom of the league, a direct indication as to how much of a hit the prospect pool took, but the cavalry will be headed to Rochester over the next couple of seasons and the Sabres are slated to have 21 draft picks in the next two years.
Today we begin to look at the remnants of a prospect pool that was ranked No. 1 overall by Hockey'sFuture a little over a year ago. And we begin in net with the top three goaltending prospects.
With the Buffalo Sabres firmly in build-mode as they look to distance themselves even further from the ignominy of the 2014 and 2015 basement seasons, the solid foundation they laid using a huge return for "the core" moved the team towards respectability as they finished last season 23rd in the league with a 12-win/27-point year-over-year improvement . It took a coaching overhaul, two consecutive second-overall picks and a number of big moves involving many parts, but GM Tim Murray--who was also a part of a huge transition for the club when he was hired just over two years ago--got the things moving rather quickly as he added young-vets to the roster to hasten the rebuild.
Unfortunately, those players don't grow on trees and in order to acquire said vets, a bevy of draft picks and prospects were sent the other way to consummate the deals and because of it the prospect pool taking pretty good hit. But opportunity knocked and Murray answered with open arms.
He still has holes to fill on the big club and he also had a Rochester affiliate that finished near the bottom of the league, a direct indication as to how much of a hit the prospect pool took, but the cavalry will be headed to Rochester over the next couple of seasons and the Sabres are slated to have 21 draft picks in the next two years.
Today we begin to look at the remnants of a prospect pool that was ranked No. 1 overall by Hockey'sFuture a little over a year ago. And we begin in net with the top three goaltending prospects.
Monday, September 7, 2015
Evolution of a goaltender--Cal Petersen
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
How do you follow up an 87-save performance in a 5OT loss to begin a playoff series?
Get the win in the next one, then proceed to shut out the opposition, in this case the Massachusetts Minutemen, in the third game to take the three-game series.
Sabres goalie prospect Cal Petersen, like everyone at the Copley Center, home of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, was spent at the end of the opening game of their first round 2015 Hockey East tilt. The Irish and the Minutemen just had played the equivalent of 2 1/2 games in their NCAA D-1-record 151:42 minute slugfest. Although Notre Dame would be on the wrong end of a 4-3 game which eventually concluded at 1:24AM, they would win Game-2 less than 20 hrs. later with Petersen in the crease once again. His ability to shake off the loss and bounce back in the second game of a set was somewhat of a hallmark for him once he became entrenched in the starter's role as a freshman.
Petersen seemed to pass through a threshold back in a game back in February and with the Irish down 4-0 against Maine. Petersen was summoned to relieve sophomore goalie, Chad Katunar, with whom he'd been sharing the crease with. He started the third period, the team rallied and sent the game to overtime before salvaging a 4-4 tie. The next night Petersen stopped 33 of 34 Black Bears' shots and lead the Irish to a 5-1 victory. The following weekend he earned the split with eventual NCAA Champs, Providence, before facing off against another Hockey East powerhouse in Boston University. They skated to a 2-2 tie on Friday and Notre Dame won the Saturday game 3-2.
Boston College was up the following next and, once again, the Irish dropped the first game (2-0) but came back to win the second one 3-1. Then came the epic 87-save loss vs. Maine and a win the following night.
How do you follow up an 87-save performance in a 5OT loss to begin a playoff series?
Get the win in the next one, then proceed to shut out the opposition, in this case the Massachusetts Minutemen, in the third game to take the three-game series.
Sabres goalie prospect Cal Petersen, like everyone at the Copley Center, home of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, was spent at the end of the opening game of their first round 2015 Hockey East tilt. The Irish and the Minutemen just had played the equivalent of 2 1/2 games in their NCAA D-1-record 151:42 minute slugfest. Although Notre Dame would be on the wrong end of a 4-3 game which eventually concluded at 1:24AM, they would win Game-2 less than 20 hrs. later with Petersen in the crease once again. His ability to shake off the loss and bounce back in the second game of a set was somewhat of a hallmark for him once he became entrenched in the starter's role as a freshman.
Petersen seemed to pass through a threshold back in a game back in February and with the Irish down 4-0 against Maine. Petersen was summoned to relieve sophomore goalie, Chad Katunar, with whom he'd been sharing the crease with. He started the third period, the team rallied and sent the game to overtime before salvaging a 4-4 tie. The next night Petersen stopped 33 of 34 Black Bears' shots and lead the Irish to a 5-1 victory. The following weekend he earned the split with eventual NCAA Champs, Providence, before facing off against another Hockey East powerhouse in Boston University. They skated to a 2-2 tie on Friday and Notre Dame won the Saturday game 3-2.
Boston College was up the following next and, once again, the Irish dropped the first game (2-0) but came back to win the second one 3-1. Then came the epic 87-save loss vs. Maine and a win the following night.
Thursday, July 16, 2015
The 2015 Sabres Development Camp comes to a close
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
The 2015 Sabres Development Camp has come to a close and probably the most impressive aspect of the weeklong event was the amount of interest shown by hockey fans in Western New York. Thousands of Sabres fans came downtown on a daily basis to watch 46 prospects go through workout drills and on Friday a record 17,115 were in attendance to watch the annual Blue and Gold Scrimmage. "I've said all along it's an unbelievable hockey market, I called it the eighth Canadian hockey market," said Sabres GM Tim Murray at the press conference, "and I think we've surpassed a lot of Canadian markets when it comes to this type of thing."
Just the fact that there was a press conference after an off-season workout for the youngins--the intra-squad 3-on-3 tournament--was enough to bring a light-hearted chuckle of disbelief. "A press conference for a development camp in July," grinned Murray as he began the media session.
Welcome to Buffalo.
Even though Murray has been on the job for well over a year, this being his second development camp, the over-the-top interest in the camp still left him shaking his head. But it really shouldn't be a surprise. That passion for the sport has been engrained in the collective Buffalo hockey mindset from the beginning. As you walk in the First Niagara Center and look up there's history laid out in photos beginning with Semour Knox III who's passion for the game set the tone. Next to him is a photo of Punch Imlach, an iconic figure in the hockey world. And then there's the Sabres first draft pick ever, Hall of Famer Gil Perreault, So it began with those three.
The 2015 Sabres Development Camp has come to a close and probably the most impressive aspect of the weeklong event was the amount of interest shown by hockey fans in Western New York. Thousands of Sabres fans came downtown on a daily basis to watch 46 prospects go through workout drills and on Friday a record 17,115 were in attendance to watch the annual Blue and Gold Scrimmage. "I've said all along it's an unbelievable hockey market, I called it the eighth Canadian hockey market," said Sabres GM Tim Murray at the press conference, "and I think we've surpassed a lot of Canadian markets when it comes to this type of thing."
Just the fact that there was a press conference after an off-season workout for the youngins--the intra-squad 3-on-3 tournament--was enough to bring a light-hearted chuckle of disbelief. "A press conference for a development camp in July," grinned Murray as he began the media session.
Welcome to Buffalo.
Even though Murray has been on the job for well over a year, this being his second development camp, the over-the-top interest in the camp still left him shaking his head. But it really shouldn't be a surprise. That passion for the sport has been engrained in the collective Buffalo hockey mindset from the beginning. As you walk in the First Niagara Center and look up there's history laid out in photos beginning with Semour Knox III who's passion for the game set the tone. Next to him is a photo of Punch Imlach, an iconic figure in the hockey world. And then there's the Sabres first draft pick ever, Hall of Famer Gil Perreault, So it began with those three.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Ramp-up to the 2015 NHL Draft Pt. 1--Goaltending Prospects in the system
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Over the course of three drafts a franchise is given a total of 21 draft picks in seven rounds by the NHL and dependent upon where said franchise is on the food chain they will either have more or less picks. Those atop the chain gunning for the Stanley Cup will have fewer picks as they bolster their roster with specific players via trade-deadline rental players. The rental players will come from those teams at the bottom of the food chain in need of building blocks.
The Buffalo Sabres have been in rebuild-mode since 2012 and have made 36 selections over the course of the last three drafts. In 2012 they picked eight players, in 2013 they picked 11 and last season they left the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA with nine. In essence Buffalo was able to pack five years worth of picks into three drafts.
More impressive than that, and the main reason that many media outlets have Buffalo with the No. 1 pool of prospects, is that they had five first-round picks from 2012-14. To augment that, the team was able to add seven second-rounders to the pool. All totaled, from the first-overall pick in those drafts until the Sabres last pick in the second rounds, Buffalo brought in 12 of the top 145 prospects or about 8% of the prospect pool.
Over the course of three drafts a franchise is given a total of 21 draft picks in seven rounds by the NHL and dependent upon where said franchise is on the food chain they will either have more or less picks. Those atop the chain gunning for the Stanley Cup will have fewer picks as they bolster their roster with specific players via trade-deadline rental players. The rental players will come from those teams at the bottom of the food chain in need of building blocks.
The Buffalo Sabres have been in rebuild-mode since 2012 and have made 36 selections over the course of the last three drafts. In 2012 they picked eight players, in 2013 they picked 11 and last season they left the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA with nine. In essence Buffalo was able to pack five years worth of picks into three drafts.
More impressive than that, and the main reason that many media outlets have Buffalo with the No. 1 pool of prospects, is that they had five first-round picks from 2012-14. To augment that, the team was able to add seven second-rounders to the pool. All totaled, from the first-overall pick in those drafts until the Sabres last pick in the second rounds, Buffalo brought in 12 of the top 145 prospects or about 8% of the prospect pool.
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Grigorenko, Makarov sent down, Hackett recalled, plus more on goalies
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Before anyone loses their minds upon hearing that the Sabres have sent F, Mikhail Grigorenko to Rochester, note that he was called up on an emergency basis because F, Zac Dalpe was tending to family matters. With Dalpe back, Grigorenko jumps back on I-90 and heads east to Rochester (hopefully not flat as a pancake.)
The Amerks, surprisingly, have more than held their own since the NHL's March 2nd trade deadline when Buffalo GM Tim Murray moved three forwards from the roster. Forwards Chris Stewart, Torrey Mitchell and Brian Flynn were replaced in the lineup by call-ups Tim Schaller and Jerry D'Amigo who joined recent Amerks call-ups Johan Larsson and Zac Dalpe. Rochester is 1-0-0-1 since despite Varone, Schaller and Larsson spending one or more games in Buffalo. Also of note, when Dalpe was out, he was leading the Amerks in scoring with 16 goals.
Grigorenko was called up with Schaller and D'Amigo but was more of a security blanket if F, Tyler Ennis wasn't able to go at Tampa Bay on Tuesday. He was in the press box with Ennis ready to go, then was sent back down. But with Dalpe out at Ottawa last night, Grigorenko was able to say that the trip did more than just put another stamp on his passport.
More changes are coming for tonight and you can add that Chad Johnson, who was acquired in a trade deadline deal from the Islanders in the Michal Neuvirth trade, to the list. He is in a walking boot and possibly out for the season after taking a puck to his foot. In his stead, Andrey Makarov was recalled for the Ottawa game to back up Anders Lindack who was acquired from Dallas in the Jhonas Enroth trade back on February 11th.
Now Makarov was sent down and goalie Matt Hackett recalled (more on him in a bit) for tonight's game at Washington.
Before anyone loses their minds upon hearing that the Sabres have sent F, Mikhail Grigorenko to Rochester, note that he was called up on an emergency basis because F, Zac Dalpe was tending to family matters. With Dalpe back, Grigorenko jumps back on I-90 and heads east to Rochester (hopefully not flat as a pancake.)
The Amerks, surprisingly, have more than held their own since the NHL's March 2nd trade deadline when Buffalo GM Tim Murray moved three forwards from the roster. Forwards Chris Stewart, Torrey Mitchell and Brian Flynn were replaced in the lineup by call-ups Tim Schaller and Jerry D'Amigo who joined recent Amerks call-ups Johan Larsson and Zac Dalpe. Rochester is 1-0-0-1 since despite Varone, Schaller and Larsson spending one or more games in Buffalo. Also of note, when Dalpe was out, he was leading the Amerks in scoring with 16 goals.
Grigorenko was called up with Schaller and D'Amigo but was more of a security blanket if F, Tyler Ennis wasn't able to go at Tampa Bay on Tuesday. He was in the press box with Ennis ready to go, then was sent back down. But with Dalpe out at Ottawa last night, Grigorenko was able to say that the trip did more than just put another stamp on his passport.
More changes are coming for tonight and you can add that Chad Johnson, who was acquired in a trade deadline deal from the Islanders in the Michal Neuvirth trade, to the list. He is in a walking boot and possibly out for the season after taking a puck to his foot. In his stead, Andrey Makarov was recalled for the Ottawa game to back up Anders Lindack who was acquired from Dallas in the Jhonas Enroth trade back on February 11th.
Now Makarov was sent down and goalie Matt Hackett recalled (more on him in a bit) for tonight's game at Washington.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Should the Sabres draft a goaltender in 2014?
Absolutely.
Where in the draft should they take one?
That's a little tricky.
The Sabres' goalie pipeline is set up nicely right now. Although they don't have the luxury of a young prospect like St. Louis' Jake Allen (2008, #34 overall) that could step in and be a #1 in the very near future, Buffalo does have quality amidst the quantity while the ages and contact status' of the pipeline stretch to seven years. (Of note, Allen, the 2014 AHL Outstanding Goaltender and his Chicago Wolves travel to Rochester on Friday to face off against the Amerks in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs.)
Where in the draft should they take one?
That's a little tricky.
The Sabres' goalie pipeline is set up nicely right now. Although they don't have the luxury of a young prospect like St. Louis' Jake Allen (2008, #34 overall) that could step in and be a #1 in the very near future, Buffalo does have quality amidst the quantity while the ages and contact status' of the pipeline stretch to seven years. (Of note, Allen, the 2014 AHL Outstanding Goaltender and his Chicago Wolves travel to Rochester on Friday to face off against the Amerks in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs.)
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Six more picks for the Sabres in Rounds 3-7, and a quick overview
The Buffalo Sabres entered the 2013 with 10 draft picks. They left with 11 prospects.
In the first two rounds, they chose five players--two defensmen in the first round and three forwards in the second round. They followed that with a third-rounder, three fifth rounders a sixth and a seventh.
The rest of the picks:
Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com recaps the draft succintly and for more info on the picks, click here.
Bakes was also on WGR's Howard Simon Show recapping the draft. Most of the segment was dedicated to the upper picks but he did have the chance to touch upon some of lower picks.
Defenseman Anthony Florentino topped his list of most intriguing late round prospects.
Of Florentino, Baker said, "Very underated in this draft class. Can do a little bit of everything, doesn't have too many flaws to his game, a nice kid off the ice but a mean kid on it. "
"I gotta tell ya," Baker continued sequeing to his next most intriguing prospect, "this Cal Peterson kid he is old school."
Here's how Bakes described the goalie, "He's scrappy, he's a battler, he'll poke-check. He'll stop the puck, but sometimes he'll come out and want to stop the shooter. He's very aggressive."
Baker points out that Peterson will be going to Notre Dame. He's one of five players drafted this year that will be taking the college route: second round picks JT Compher (Michigan) and Connor Hurley, (Notre Dame); Florentino (Providence); Malone (Harvard.)
Nearly half of the Sabres draft haul this year will be headed to college and will have much longer to develop, up to four years, before they'll turn pro. Having five from one draft class really projects out well for the organization.
Via Bill Hoppe, Olean Times Herald, 'With so many picks and our contract situation, you don’t want to waste those picks because their contracts all come up at the same time,' amateur scouting director Kevin Devine explained Sunday on the Prudential Center floor after the Sabres finished picking. 'We wouldn’t be able to sign three or four of them. So that was a plan. We looked at the college route and Europeans for the new CBA, which now gives us four years for those guys over there.'
The odds for any player taken outside the top-five making it to the NHL, much less making an impact, aren't all that great. As you move down the draft it becomes slim to none.
But you never know what can happen with a particluar player. They obviously have enough skill to play, and something about them says there's a possibility. Having four years to allow for the player to develop is a nice cushion.
Having five picks like that, while also having six picks going the junior route where the projection is one to three years, really sets the team up nicely down the road.
The Sabres had themselves quite a haul at the 2013 NHL Draft.
In what's said to be the deepest draft in years they picked five players within the first 52 picks.
One (Rasmus Ristolainen) might be able to jump right to the NHL this season. Another (Nikital Zadorov) is only a year or two away.
They went with size and they went with character. And they looked to pick players with two-way game.
With 11 total picks the Sabres had the luxury of picking two hometown boys in Justin Bailey and Malone with the former being a legitimate power forward prospect.
After focusing upon centers last year they grabbed defense in the first round. Wingers were slightly predominant within positional balance: four wingers, three centers, three defensemen, one goalie.
A post-draft wrap with GM Darcy Regier and Assistant GM/Head Amateur Scout Kevin Devine can be seen here.
Every year, teams are very happy with their draft and this year is no different for the Sabres.
An overall grade here would be a B+. They did some great things, but the only area that they didn't seem to address was top-line scoring, which they wanted in the top-four but couldn't attain.
Other than that, it'll be three or four years before we get a full take on what Devine and his merry band of scouts accomplished at the 2013 draft.
For a list of (very positive) draft grades from various media outlets provided by sabres.com click here.
In the first two rounds, they chose five players--two defensmen in the first round and three forwards in the second round. They followed that with a third-rounder, three fifth rounders a sixth and a seventh.
The rest of the picks:
- 69th --Nicholas Baptiste, RW, 6'1" 201 lbs.
- 129th-Cal Peterson, G, 6'1" 175 lbs.
- 130th-Gustav Possler RW, 6' 0" 183 lbs.
- 143th-Anthony Florentino, RD 6'1" 227 lbs.
- 159th-Sean Malone, C 5'11" 183 lbs.
- 189th-Eric Locke, C 5'10, 183 lbs.
Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com recaps the draft succintly and for more info on the picks, click here.
Bakes was also on WGR's Howard Simon Show recapping the draft. Most of the segment was dedicated to the upper picks but he did have the chance to touch upon some of lower picks.
Defenseman Anthony Florentino topped his list of most intriguing late round prospects.
Of Florentino, Baker said, "Very underated in this draft class. Can do a little bit of everything, doesn't have too many flaws to his game, a nice kid off the ice but a mean kid on it. "
"I gotta tell ya," Baker continued sequeing to his next most intriguing prospect, "this Cal Peterson kid he is old school."
Here's how Bakes described the goalie, "He's scrappy, he's a battler, he'll poke-check. He'll stop the puck, but sometimes he'll come out and want to stop the shooter. He's very aggressive."
Baker points out that Peterson will be going to Notre Dame. He's one of five players drafted this year that will be taking the college route: second round picks JT Compher (Michigan) and Connor Hurley, (Notre Dame); Florentino (Providence); Malone (Harvard.)
Nearly half of the Sabres draft haul this year will be headed to college and will have much longer to develop, up to four years, before they'll turn pro. Having five from one draft class really projects out well for the organization.
Via Bill Hoppe, Olean Times Herald, 'With so many picks and our contract situation, you don’t want to waste those picks because their contracts all come up at the same time,' amateur scouting director Kevin Devine explained Sunday on the Prudential Center floor after the Sabres finished picking. 'We wouldn’t be able to sign three or four of them. So that was a plan. We looked at the college route and Europeans for the new CBA, which now gives us four years for those guys over there.'
The odds for any player taken outside the top-five making it to the NHL, much less making an impact, aren't all that great. As you move down the draft it becomes slim to none.
But you never know what can happen with a particluar player. They obviously have enough skill to play, and something about them says there's a possibility. Having four years to allow for the player to develop is a nice cushion.
Having five picks like that, while also having six picks going the junior route where the projection is one to three years, really sets the team up nicely down the road.
The Sabres had themselves quite a haul at the 2013 NHL Draft.
In what's said to be the deepest draft in years they picked five players within the first 52 picks.
One (Rasmus Ristolainen) might be able to jump right to the NHL this season. Another (Nikital Zadorov) is only a year or two away.
They went with size and they went with character. And they looked to pick players with two-way game.
With 11 total picks the Sabres had the luxury of picking two hometown boys in Justin Bailey and Malone with the former being a legitimate power forward prospect.
After focusing upon centers last year they grabbed defense in the first round. Wingers were slightly predominant within positional balance: four wingers, three centers, three defensemen, one goalie.
A post-draft wrap with GM Darcy Regier and Assistant GM/Head Amateur Scout Kevin Devine can be seen here.
Every year, teams are very happy with their draft and this year is no different for the Sabres.
An overall grade here would be a B+. They did some great things, but the only area that they didn't seem to address was top-line scoring, which they wanted in the top-four but couldn't attain.
Other than that, it'll be three or four years before we get a full take on what Devine and his merry band of scouts accomplished at the 2013 draft.
For a list of (very positive) draft grades from various media outlets provided by sabres.com click here.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)