Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-6-2017
Jack Eichel isn't too worried about beginning the season without a contract extension. The 20 yr. old face of the Buffalo Sabres franchise is in the final year of his three year entry-level deal and is coming off a season where he lead the team in scoring despite missing the first 21 games. Of course any thought of a hitch in negotiations with the player they suffered two years for sends some Sabres fans into a tizzy, like when it was reported that Eichel said he had "no problem playing the year out" on his current deal.
“If that happens, that happens,” he told the gathered media after yesterday's workout. "Obviously, I'm pretty adamant on staying a Sabre and staying in Buffalo, but it's not something I can really control here. I can just control my play. We know where we stand. We know where the Sabres stand."
Both sides seem to be on the same page when it comes to term as it's expected his next contract will be the league-max eight years. The two big contracts that were handed out over the summer in Edmonton no doubt are having an impact on the salary side of the equation. Oilers franchise center and captain Connor McDavid signed an 8yr./$100 million contract on July 5, with the $12.5 million AAV being the highest in NHL history. Edmonton Oiler forward Leon Draisaitl signed an 8yr./$68 million contract on August 15 with an AAV of $8.5 million. "There’s obviously a new market out there in terms of money paying for young kids," said Eichel. "It’s been set.
"Guys are making an impact on their team and getting rewarded for it. I don’t think the age should be too much of a reason not to get a good deal. If they’ve earned it, they’ve earned it.
With that in mind, most have Eichel's contract in the $10 million per season area but structure should also be taken into account. McDavid's contract starts at $15 million next season and finishes at $10 million the final year yet possibly more important is a structure that, according to CapFriendly, pays out $86 million of his total in bonuses meaning it's lockout-proof.
That's the realm of the of agents, however, and Eichel's keenly aware of that. “Like I told my agent, ‘This is something that you do and you focus on.” he said. “I’m pretty adamant on staying a Sabre and staying in Buffalo. It’s not something I can really control here. I can just control my play.
“I want to be here. I want to be in Buffalo. I want to bring some excitement to this town, and the contract thing will take care of itself. That’s why you hire agents.”
Eichel also said he likes the direction of the team. Both GM Tim Murray and coach Dan Bylsma were fired after a rather disappointing season last year and many players have mentioned a fresh start in 2017-18. "With the way things ended," said Eichel, "I think it's good for everybody to have a fresh start. Guys are able to comin in here with some new faces--a new general manager, a new coach--people who haven't made impressions on specific people in the locker room and that can be a good thing for some guys who obviously didn't have the best relationships the last few years."
Last season saw disconnects between the players and Bylsma and internal abrasion in the locker room. It caused the team to finish with a worse record than the previous season after most felt they'd take a step forward.
Defense was the looked upon as the root of the problem with a blueline that was considered to be one of the weakest in the league. Buffalo goalie Robin Lehner, who called out the players for not playing Bylsma's system at one point last season, came back to Buffalo after his off season workouts and defended his defensemen.
“I had no problems with the defensemen but the problem was we really didn't know how to play," he said. "It's not just the defensemen, that's a common misconception, it's how we play as a team." Lehner proceeded to say how he watched the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins play in the playoffs, "everyone plays as a five-man unit and its fast forward and fast back to the defensive zone and I think that's what Phil [Housley] wants. He doesn't want us to play slow, he wants to play fast and everyone attacks and everyone defends and we didn't do that last year.”
Defenseman Zach Bogosian who was the whipping boy for the d-corps woes last season came out and said that he was taken out of his game by Bylsma's approach. He is also looking forward to a fresh start. “I think the last two years (under Bylsma) for me has been frustrating and disappointing. Skating is definitely my strong point. Last year and the year before I felt like I was handcuffed back there. I don't think I got a chance to play my game in the way I know I can play and I'm just looking forward to a new start and play my game which is jumping up into the play.”
Eichel also had similar sentiments about last season and is also looking forward to the upcoming season with a new approach from coach Housley. "From talking to him, the style of play that he wants to instill in us is going to fit in pretty well to my game," he said. "Obviously, pushing the pace, playing with the puck, possessing it, playing fast, all that stuff bodes well for me, and I think it should be a good fit."
Without a doubt some of the best and most exciting Sabres games to watch last season was when they pushed the pace. In Eichel's first game back from injury on November 29, they got into a shinny with Ottawa forcing the Sens to take a number of penalties. Buffalo went 3/5 on the powerplay and came away with a 5-4 win. In December they fell behind 2-0 early in a game against the Los Angeles Kings and came back with four-goal flurry that propelled them to a 6-3 win. Buffalo fell behind in three consecutive games in January only to skate their way to three consecutive overtime victories.
Eichel is an electrifying force on the ice and it would seem as if Housley is going to release the hounds and let this team play to one of their strengths--skating. Last season Eichel lead the team in points despite missing the first 21 games of the season and most expect him to have a breakout season this year. He certainly seems to be confident that it will happen.
From his and his agent's perspective, if he has that breakout season it pushes him closer to the McDavid's salary-level. Perhaps that's part of the reason he has no problem going into this year without a contract extension.
*****
It would seem as if everybody's on the same page with Eichel. Sabres owner Terry Pegula said, "I can tell you this, We want Jack and Jack wants to be in Buffalo." The latter part has been confirmed by Eichel on a couple occasions starting with this quote from an article by Barry Scanlon of the Boston area Sentinel and Enterprise newspaper on August 19:
"I've made it clear that I want to be a Sabre. I want to be in Buffalo when we start winning. I want to reward the city. It's been two great years. I don't want to go anywhere else," Eichel was quoted as saying.
He reiterated that point the other day when he said, "I want to be here. I want to be in Buffalo. I want to bring some excitement to this town."
Dan Fetes of WROC in Rochester caught up with Sabres general manager Jason Botterill at a golf outing last month and Botterill said that "At the end of the day we certainly want to get Jack signed up for max amount and term possible, he has the same belief." The new GM also said that the negotiations "continue to be very positive."
Eichel seems to respect Botterill as well. "He's a real sharp guy. He knows his stuff, he knows what he's doing. I know we all trust him."
All the right words are being said and everybody seems to be on the same page. Hopefully this gets done soon.
http://www.wgr550.com/articles/news/eichel-looking-lead-and-mature
Thursday, September 7, 2017
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Building the 2017-18 Buffalo Sabres roster--C, Ryan O'Reilly
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-5-2017
Ryan O'Reilly
26 yrs. old
6'1" 210 lbs.
2009, 2nd round (33rd-overall, COL)
Acquired in a trade with Colorado, June 26, 2015
Career stats: 570 games | 131 goals | 230 assists | 351 points | -30
Those who watched O'Reilly's rise in Colorado to a top-six center found themselves enamored with his size, skill and two-way game. Although it had been only a handful of years since the Sabres had someone like that by the name of Chris Drury, it seemed like an eternity. And when Murray pulled off the deal to acquire him from the Avalanche, in concert with the drafting of Jack Eichel in 2015, visions of a Drury/Daniel Briere one-two punch down the middle had Sabres fans pretty excited.
And we're still excited.
Murray sent a huge package to the Avalanche in the deal for O'Reilly (and forward Jamie McGinn,) but he also received a player in O'Reilly that was just entering his prime and was considered one of the best two-way forwards in the game. Murray quickly signed O'Reilly to a seven-year contract extension that summer and once Eichel is signed long-term, the Sabres top-two center spots are locked in for years to come.
That was the idea. Although a hefty price was paid in both cases, O'Reilly with players, picks and prospects, and the fan base going through two years of "suffering" for the opportunity to draft Eichel second-overall, as we head into the 2017-18 season that duo will lead the team up-front.
O'Reilly's time in Buffalo got off to an inauspicious start when a July 2015 early morning incident at a Tim Horton's in Lucan, Ontario lead to charges against him. On the ice for that 2015-16 season, however, Sabres fans got to witness firsthand O'Reilly's game. He lead the team in scoring with 60 points (21+39) in 71 games and was on the ice in every situation while leading all Buffalo forwards in ice time. He had the fourth most faceoffs in the league and the third best faceoff percentage for those with 1700 draws or more. His after practice sessions became legendary, as they especially helped rookie Sam Reinhart adapt his skills to the pro game, and he was also named an NHL All-Star.
The only drawback to that first Sabres season was a 24-game goal drought that lasted from January 10 thru March 28. Even though he was goal-less, O'Reilly was still good for 18 assists during that span.
Last season he had no such drought and overall we saw a similar Ryan O'Reilly as he finished with 55 points (20+35) in 72 games while bringing his plus/minus down from a minus-16 to a minus-1, which was a team-best amongst regulars. Like the prior season, O'Reilly did miss over 10 games in 2016-17 but that was due to back spasms, which began with the World Cup of Hockey in September, and was due to an emergency appendectomy performed on Christmas Eve. With no World Cup and no appendix, hopefully we can see an 80-game season from him.
O'Reilly is the complete package who's all-around game will continue to see him garner the most minutes amongst the forward group. In 2015-16 he helped anchor the league's ninth-best penalty kill for Buffalo and last year he was a fixture for the Sabres on the league's top powerplay. Although he's not Eichel when it comes to a franchise-changing skill-level, O'Reilly has shown plenty of his own skill and when paired with his determination, we see the results as shown here:
(Thank you, Samboke)
He's the type of two-way player you want and need, one that can be relied upon no matter what the score or what the situation. Former coach Dan Bylsma relied so heavily upon O'Reilly last season to the point where he wore him down and neither the player or the team benefitted greatly from that. O'Reilly's best season came in 2013-14 with the Avalanche when he scored 64 points (28+36) in 80 games while skating an average of 19:49/game which was by far the most amongst Colorado's forwards. It would seem as if that could be the ideal for him.
Buffalo has a new coach in Phil Housley and new systems moving forward and if he can place some faith in other players, O'Reilly's load will be slightly diminished, his ice-time managed better and it should lead to better results, barring injury.
The only questions heading into the 2016-17 season is whether or not O'Reilly will take over the captaincy and what his reaction might be should Eichel wear the 'C'. Odds are that in either case we'll still see O'Reilly playing his 200' game, we'll still be near the top in scoring at the end of the season, and he'll still be running those post-practice sessions for those who wish to join him.
That's why Murray traded for him and that's why the Sabres are lucky to have him.
Building the 2017-18 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Evander Kane / C, Jack Eichel / RW, Sam Reinhart
/ C, Ryan O'Reilly /
D, Marco Scandella / D, Rasmus Ristolainen
G, Robin Lehner
Ryan O'Reilly
26 yrs. old
6'1" 210 lbs.
2009, 2nd round (33rd-overall, COL)
Acquired in a trade with Colorado, June 26, 2015
Career stats: 570 games | 131 goals | 230 assists | 351 points | -30
Those who watched O'Reilly's rise in Colorado to a top-six center found themselves enamored with his size, skill and two-way game. Although it had been only a handful of years since the Sabres had someone like that by the name of Chris Drury, it seemed like an eternity. And when Murray pulled off the deal to acquire him from the Avalanche, in concert with the drafting of Jack Eichel in 2015, visions of a Drury/Daniel Briere one-two punch down the middle had Sabres fans pretty excited.
And we're still excited.
Murray sent a huge package to the Avalanche in the deal for O'Reilly (and forward Jamie McGinn,) but he also received a player in O'Reilly that was just entering his prime and was considered one of the best two-way forwards in the game. Murray quickly signed O'Reilly to a seven-year contract extension that summer and once Eichel is signed long-term, the Sabres top-two center spots are locked in for years to come.
That was the idea. Although a hefty price was paid in both cases, O'Reilly with players, picks and prospects, and the fan base going through two years of "suffering" for the opportunity to draft Eichel second-overall, as we head into the 2017-18 season that duo will lead the team up-front.
O'Reilly's time in Buffalo got off to an inauspicious start when a July 2015 early morning incident at a Tim Horton's in Lucan, Ontario lead to charges against him. On the ice for that 2015-16 season, however, Sabres fans got to witness firsthand O'Reilly's game. He lead the team in scoring with 60 points (21+39) in 71 games and was on the ice in every situation while leading all Buffalo forwards in ice time. He had the fourth most faceoffs in the league and the third best faceoff percentage for those with 1700 draws or more. His after practice sessions became legendary, as they especially helped rookie Sam Reinhart adapt his skills to the pro game, and he was also named an NHL All-Star.
The only drawback to that first Sabres season was a 24-game goal drought that lasted from January 10 thru March 28. Even though he was goal-less, O'Reilly was still good for 18 assists during that span.
Last season he had no such drought and overall we saw a similar Ryan O'Reilly as he finished with 55 points (20+35) in 72 games while bringing his plus/minus down from a minus-16 to a minus-1, which was a team-best amongst regulars. Like the prior season, O'Reilly did miss over 10 games in 2016-17 but that was due to back spasms, which began with the World Cup of Hockey in September, and was due to an emergency appendectomy performed on Christmas Eve. With no World Cup and no appendix, hopefully we can see an 80-game season from him.
O'Reilly is the complete package who's all-around game will continue to see him garner the most minutes amongst the forward group. In 2015-16 he helped anchor the league's ninth-best penalty kill for Buffalo and last year he was a fixture for the Sabres on the league's top powerplay. Although he's not Eichel when it comes to a franchise-changing skill-level, O'Reilly has shown plenty of his own skill and when paired with his determination, we see the results as shown here:
(Thank you, Samboke)
He's the type of two-way player you want and need, one that can be relied upon no matter what the score or what the situation. Former coach Dan Bylsma relied so heavily upon O'Reilly last season to the point where he wore him down and neither the player or the team benefitted greatly from that. O'Reilly's best season came in 2013-14 with the Avalanche when he scored 64 points (28+36) in 80 games while skating an average of 19:49/game which was by far the most amongst Colorado's forwards. It would seem as if that could be the ideal for him.
Buffalo has a new coach in Phil Housley and new systems moving forward and if he can place some faith in other players, O'Reilly's load will be slightly diminished, his ice-time managed better and it should lead to better results, barring injury.
The only questions heading into the 2016-17 season is whether or not O'Reilly will take over the captaincy and what his reaction might be should Eichel wear the 'C'. Odds are that in either case we'll still see O'Reilly playing his 200' game, we'll still be near the top in scoring at the end of the season, and he'll still be running those post-practice sessions for those who wish to join him.
That's why Murray traded for him and that's why the Sabres are lucky to have him.
Building the 2017-18 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Evander Kane / C, Jack Eichel / RW, Sam Reinhart
/ C, Ryan O'Reilly /
D, Marco Scandella / D, Rasmus Ristolainen
G, Robin Lehner
Tuesday, September 5, 2017
Building the 2017-18 Buffalo Sabres roster--G, Robin Lehner
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-4-2017
It all began at the 2015 NHL Draft when the Buffalo Sabres sent the 21st overall pick to the Ottawa Senators for goalie Robin Lehner (and F, David Legwand.) Then GM Tim Murray made the trade in the hopes that the 23 yr. old Lehner would be the team's No. 1 goalie for years to come.
The trade was a gamble in that it's a rarity to trade a first-rounder for a goalie but it wasn't without precedent. In 2011 the Washington Capitals goalie Semyon Varlamov was traded to the Colorado Avalanche for a 2012 first round pick (and also a second rounder.) In 2013 the New Jersey Devils trade the ninth-overall pick to the Vancouver Canucks for goalie Cory Schneider. And at the same 2015 draft that saw Lehner moved, the San Jose' Sharks sent a 2016 first-rounder to Boston for goalie Martin Jones.
But it was also a gamble for the Sabres in that Lehner was still an unknown quantity who was coming off of a season shortened by a concussion. Although Murray knew Lehner when both were with the Ottawa Senators organization the 6'4" 239 lb. Swede, who backstopped Binghamton to the 2011 Calder Cup, was in a three-way battle for the starter's role in Ottawa. Prior to his concussion in February, 2015, Lehner had played in only 86 NHL games over the course of five seasons with the Senators.
With the deal done, Lehner entered the 2015-16 season as the undisputed No. 1 goalie in Buffalo. However, in the second period of his first Sabres game, ironically against the Senators, Lehner suffered a high-ankle sprain that would keep him out of the lineup until January, 2016. He would appear in 20 games for Buffalo through January but he was shut down in late March after lingering issues with the ankle caused him to opt for surgery.
One first round pick and one full year later, the Sabres still didn't know if they had a starter in Lehner.
Lehner started 59 games last year for Buffalo and compiled a 23-26-8 record with a 2.68 GAA and .920 Sv%, thus proving he could handle the workload of a No. 1 goalie. He came into training camp last September looking tight after doing MMA training over the summer and was determined to take the reigns of the starting goalie. Mission accomplished.
And he's back in Buffalo now, after following the same training regimen.
WGR550 Radio's Paul Hamilton said that Lehner "is in top physical condition" and that he's very confident heading into camp. “I've got nothing to prove to you," Lehner told Hamilton at a recent workout in Buffalo. "Since I came here there have been some ups and downs. I've been injured, but I've been a steady over 92 percent (Sv%) and its something I want to keep improving on and hopefully we can just tighten it up as a team this year and get some more team success.”
Lehner has been all that, all while facing the third most shots in the league last year (1,910) but last season didn't come without trouble areas. He looked shaky in odd-man situations and did let in more than his fair share of softies Yet he also showed some remarkable work like this in Montreal:
(Thank you, Sportsnet.CA.)
In that game he outdueled Canadians goalie Carey Price who, by the way, was just re-signed by Montreal at an AAV of $10.5 million.
His Achilles heel, however, seems to be the shootout. Lehner did not stop a single opponent in eight opportunities. In addition, none of the shooters he faced mishandled the puck or shot wide every goal against him in the shootout went in, like this one from Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov (via NHL.com):
And so 65 minutes of work against the Lightning featuring 31 saves on 32 shots all went for naught as Lehner will be remembered more for the shootout session then his work getting the Sabres to that point.
It's another hurdle for Lehner but it should also be noted that in his the two seasons with Ottawa prior to becoming a Sabres, he had some very good shootout numbers--44 attempts, 30 saves (.681%)--and in his initial, injury-shortened first Sabres season he managed to stop two of six shots against.
We're not sure what happened but we do know a couple of things. First off, he was asked by management to tone down his intensity and second, he may not have had the utmost confidence in the coaching staff last season. Although not directly related to his shootout woes, Lehner did tell Hamilton that he was excited about the "new direction" the team was headed in and how he thinks it will affect the defense in front of him.
“I had no problems with the defensemen, but the problem was we really didn't know how to play," he said. "It's not just the defensemen, that's a common misconception, it's how we play as a team.
“If you watched the Stanley Cup Playoffs last year all the good teams like Pittsburgh, everyone defends, everyone comes back and everyone plays as a five-man unit and its fast forward and fast back to the defensive zone and I think that's what Phil wants. He doesn't want us to play slow, he wants to play fast and everyone attacks and everyone defends and we didn't do that last year.”
There are still question marks surrounding Lehner as well as the team but he did answer the question as to whether or not he could shoulder the load as a starting goalie. He'll still need to get over that shootout hurdle and he'll also need to cut down on the softies and perhaps that's why he was only signed to a one-year extension.
The next question he'll need to answer is whether or not he can help guide this team to the playoffs and there will be other questions as the season, and his career progresses.
However there's still one question that will dog him for a while, was he worth a first round pick?
Building the 2017-18 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Evander Kane / C, Jack Eichel / RW, Sam Reinhart
D, Marco Scandella / D, Rasmus Ristolainen
G, Robin Lehner
It all began at the 2015 NHL Draft when the Buffalo Sabres sent the 21st overall pick to the Ottawa Senators for goalie Robin Lehner (and F, David Legwand.) Then GM Tim Murray made the trade in the hopes that the 23 yr. old Lehner would be the team's No. 1 goalie for years to come.
The trade was a gamble in that it's a rarity to trade a first-rounder for a goalie but it wasn't without precedent. In 2011 the Washington Capitals goalie Semyon Varlamov was traded to the Colorado Avalanche for a 2012 first round pick (and also a second rounder.) In 2013 the New Jersey Devils trade the ninth-overall pick to the Vancouver Canucks for goalie Cory Schneider. And at the same 2015 draft that saw Lehner moved, the San Jose' Sharks sent a 2016 first-rounder to Boston for goalie Martin Jones.
But it was also a gamble for the Sabres in that Lehner was still an unknown quantity who was coming off of a season shortened by a concussion. Although Murray knew Lehner when both were with the Ottawa Senators organization the 6'4" 239 lb. Swede, who backstopped Binghamton to the 2011 Calder Cup, was in a three-way battle for the starter's role in Ottawa. Prior to his concussion in February, 2015, Lehner had played in only 86 NHL games over the course of five seasons with the Senators.
With the deal done, Lehner entered the 2015-16 season as the undisputed No. 1 goalie in Buffalo. However, in the second period of his first Sabres game, ironically against the Senators, Lehner suffered a high-ankle sprain that would keep him out of the lineup until January, 2016. He would appear in 20 games for Buffalo through January but he was shut down in late March after lingering issues with the ankle caused him to opt for surgery.
One first round pick and one full year later, the Sabres still didn't know if they had a starter in Lehner.
Lehner started 59 games last year for Buffalo and compiled a 23-26-8 record with a 2.68 GAA and .920 Sv%, thus proving he could handle the workload of a No. 1 goalie. He came into training camp last September looking tight after doing MMA training over the summer and was determined to take the reigns of the starting goalie. Mission accomplished.
And he's back in Buffalo now, after following the same training regimen.
WGR550 Radio's Paul Hamilton said that Lehner "is in top physical condition" and that he's very confident heading into camp. “I've got nothing to prove to you," Lehner told Hamilton at a recent workout in Buffalo. "Since I came here there have been some ups and downs. I've been injured, but I've been a steady over 92 percent (Sv%) and its something I want to keep improving on and hopefully we can just tighten it up as a team this year and get some more team success.”
Lehner has been all that, all while facing the third most shots in the league last year (1,910) but last season didn't come without trouble areas. He looked shaky in odd-man situations and did let in more than his fair share of softies Yet he also showed some remarkable work like this in Montreal:
(Thank you, Sportsnet.CA.)
In that game he outdueled Canadians goalie Carey Price who, by the way, was just re-signed by Montreal at an AAV of $10.5 million.
His Achilles heel, however, seems to be the shootout. Lehner did not stop a single opponent in eight opportunities. In addition, none of the shooters he faced mishandled the puck or shot wide every goal against him in the shootout went in, like this one from Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov (via NHL.com):
And so 65 minutes of work against the Lightning featuring 31 saves on 32 shots all went for naught as Lehner will be remembered more for the shootout session then his work getting the Sabres to that point.
It's another hurdle for Lehner but it should also be noted that in his the two seasons with Ottawa prior to becoming a Sabres, he had some very good shootout numbers--44 attempts, 30 saves (.681%)--and in his initial, injury-shortened first Sabres season he managed to stop two of six shots against.
We're not sure what happened but we do know a couple of things. First off, he was asked by management to tone down his intensity and second, he may not have had the utmost confidence in the coaching staff last season. Although not directly related to his shootout woes, Lehner did tell Hamilton that he was excited about the "new direction" the team was headed in and how he thinks it will affect the defense in front of him.
“I had no problems with the defensemen, but the problem was we really didn't know how to play," he said. "It's not just the defensemen, that's a common misconception, it's how we play as a team.
“If you watched the Stanley Cup Playoffs last year all the good teams like Pittsburgh, everyone defends, everyone comes back and everyone plays as a five-man unit and its fast forward and fast back to the defensive zone and I think that's what Phil wants. He doesn't want us to play slow, he wants to play fast and everyone attacks and everyone defends and we didn't do that last year.”
There are still question marks surrounding Lehner as well as the team but he did answer the question as to whether or not he could shoulder the load as a starting goalie. He'll still need to get over that shootout hurdle and he'll also need to cut down on the softies and perhaps that's why he was only signed to a one-year extension.
The next question he'll need to answer is whether or not he can help guide this team to the playoffs and there will be other questions as the season, and his career progresses.
However there's still one question that will dog him for a while, was he worth a first round pick?
Building the 2017-18 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Evander Kane / C, Jack Eichel / RW, Sam Reinhart
D, Marco Scandella / D, Rasmus Ristolainen
G, Robin Lehner
Monday, September 4, 2017
Building the 2017-18 Buffalo Sabres roster--D, Marco Scandella
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-3-2017
Marco Scandella
27 yrs. old
6'3" 208 lbs.
2008, 2nd round (55th-overall)
Acquired in a trade with Minnesota June 30, 2017
Career Stats: 373 games | 27 goals | 62 assists | 89 points | -10
Similar to last year, the Buffalo Sabres head into the 2017-18 season in a situation where Rasmus Ristolainen will be anchoring the defense as the team's only top pairing defenseman. It will then be up to the coaching staff and/or player chemistry to find out who will be joining him on Buffalo's top defensive pairing.
As it stands now, Marco Scandella looks as if he'll be in that No. 2 role heading into the season. Others like Jake McCabe or Nathan Beaulieu may make a push with a strong camp, but when the Sabres sent a trade-package to the Minnesota Wild for Scandella, which included taking back Jason Pominville's rather large $5.6 million cap-hit for the next two seasons, one would think that Buffalo GM Jason Botterill has designs on Scandella pairing with Ristolainen.
"It was a priority for us to try to find another guy that can play some heavy minutes," said Botterill of the trade for Scandella (via Jourdan LaBarber of Sabres.com.) "We think [he] did a little bit of that in Minnesota, but he was certainly surrounded by some good defensemen and I think now playing a bigger role here (in Buffalo,) he's ready to take the next step in his career."
Buffalo head coach Phil Housley saw a lot of Scandella when he was an assistant with the Nashville Predators. He told the post-trade gathered media that Scandella was a "terrific player" and a "fierce competitor" and that the 27 yr. old was "a key element" the team added. At 6'3" and 208 lbs. he's got size and he's also considered a shutdown defenseman but he skates very well to and is adept at moving the puck up ice. "The way he can skate," said Housley, "[he] is mobile ... A big part of our team is going to be mobility back there and he brings that.” He can also put up points although he had a down year last season.
Scandella's two-way game was very appealing to Botterill, especially with the way Housley is expected to coach the defensemen. "It'll be interesting to see how much his offensive numbers really increase," he said. "Whether he gets the assists or not, he's going to start our transition game out of our own end and in the neutral zone and then with his size and his compete down low, his reach, we really think he's going to be able to log a lot of minutes on our PK and be able to play against other teams' top two lines."
Last season under new coach Bruce Boudreau Scandella saw his year-over-year numbers drop. He went from 21 pints (5+16) in 2015-16 under then coach Mike Yeo to 13 points (4+9) last season and he also saw his ice-time drop from 20:42/game to 18:20/gm. Part of that ice-time reduction had to do with the quality of defensemen on the Wild while another part was his play, which dropped off.
Although he had a rough regular season, Scandella turned it on in the playoffs averaging nearly 23 minutes of ice-time in the five-game series vs. the St. Louis Blues. That number was second only to top defenseman Ryan Suter.
Chad Graff of the Twin Cities Pioneer Press said that Scandella was "eager to turn the page" after the regular season and that he was "thriving" in the post season. Having 34 games of playoff experience perhaps lead Boudreau to lean on him a little more and he made the most of it and although he didn't hit the score sheet, he really upped his game. “I’ve always thought my game works really well in the playoffs,” said Scandella in the Graff piece. “This is the way that I have to play every night, I find it’s been really effective. I just have to be an animal defensively. I have that long stick and a big body and I can skate, so I need to use that to my advantage.”
If Scandella hopes to once again thrive in the post season, he'll need to bring that same package every night during the regular season for Buffalo as Housley may need to lean heavily on him in a top-pairing role.
Building the 2017-18 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Evander Kane / C, Jack Eichel / RW, Sam Reinhart
D, Marco Scandella / D, Rasmus Ristolainen
Marco Scandella
27 yrs. old
6'3" 208 lbs.
2008, 2nd round (55th-overall)
Acquired in a trade with Minnesota June 30, 2017
Career Stats: 373 games | 27 goals | 62 assists | 89 points | -10
Similar to last year, the Buffalo Sabres head into the 2017-18 season in a situation where Rasmus Ristolainen will be anchoring the defense as the team's only top pairing defenseman. It will then be up to the coaching staff and/or player chemistry to find out who will be joining him on Buffalo's top defensive pairing.
As it stands now, Marco Scandella looks as if he'll be in that No. 2 role heading into the season. Others like Jake McCabe or Nathan Beaulieu may make a push with a strong camp, but when the Sabres sent a trade-package to the Minnesota Wild for Scandella, which included taking back Jason Pominville's rather large $5.6 million cap-hit for the next two seasons, one would think that Buffalo GM Jason Botterill has designs on Scandella pairing with Ristolainen.
"It was a priority for us to try to find another guy that can play some heavy minutes," said Botterill of the trade for Scandella (via Jourdan LaBarber of Sabres.com.) "We think [he] did a little bit of that in Minnesota, but he was certainly surrounded by some good defensemen and I think now playing a bigger role here (in Buffalo,) he's ready to take the next step in his career."
Buffalo head coach Phil Housley saw a lot of Scandella when he was an assistant with the Nashville Predators. He told the post-trade gathered media that Scandella was a "terrific player" and a "fierce competitor" and that the 27 yr. old was "a key element" the team added. At 6'3" and 208 lbs. he's got size and he's also considered a shutdown defenseman but he skates very well to and is adept at moving the puck up ice. "The way he can skate," said Housley, "[he] is mobile ... A big part of our team is going to be mobility back there and he brings that.” He can also put up points although he had a down year last season.
Scandella's two-way game was very appealing to Botterill, especially with the way Housley is expected to coach the defensemen. "It'll be interesting to see how much his offensive numbers really increase," he said. "Whether he gets the assists or not, he's going to start our transition game out of our own end and in the neutral zone and then with his size and his compete down low, his reach, we really think he's going to be able to log a lot of minutes on our PK and be able to play against other teams' top two lines."
Last season under new coach Bruce Boudreau Scandella saw his year-over-year numbers drop. He went from 21 pints (5+16) in 2015-16 under then coach Mike Yeo to 13 points (4+9) last season and he also saw his ice-time drop from 20:42/game to 18:20/gm. Part of that ice-time reduction had to do with the quality of defensemen on the Wild while another part was his play, which dropped off.
Although he had a rough regular season, Scandella turned it on in the playoffs averaging nearly 23 minutes of ice-time in the five-game series vs. the St. Louis Blues. That number was second only to top defenseman Ryan Suter.
Chad Graff of the Twin Cities Pioneer Press said that Scandella was "eager to turn the page" after the regular season and that he was "thriving" in the post season. Having 34 games of playoff experience perhaps lead Boudreau to lean on him a little more and he made the most of it and although he didn't hit the score sheet, he really upped his game. “I’ve always thought my game works really well in the playoffs,” said Scandella in the Graff piece. “This is the way that I have to play every night, I find it’s been really effective. I just have to be an animal defensively. I have that long stick and a big body and I can skate, so I need to use that to my advantage.”
If Scandella hopes to once again thrive in the post season, he'll need to bring that same package every night during the regular season for Buffalo as Housley may need to lean heavily on him in a top-pairing role.
Building the 2017-18 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Evander Kane / C, Jack Eichel / RW, Sam Reinhart
D, Marco Scandella / D, Rasmus Ristolainen
Sunday, September 3, 2017
Building the 2017-18 Buffalo Sabres roster--D, Rasmus Ristolainen
To Sabres fans, Ristolainen is the team's No. 1 defenseman who was a workhorse under previous head coach Dan Bylsma while averaging an NHL fifth-best 26:28 minutes per game last season. That was over a minute more than the 25:17 ATOI from the prior season. The 6'4" 203 lb. native of Turku, Finland will be entering his fifth NHL season and has upped his point total every season while his plus/minus has gone down. Last season Ristolainen potted six goals and added 39 assist for a career-high 45 points with a minus-9 rating.
Those are the overall numbers which make him a key component on the Sabres. However, there's a quibble over Ristolainen's effectiveness as a defenseman, whether or not he should be viewed as a No.1 or even a top-pairing d-man, and where his place should be in the pecking order of NHL defensemen.
The quibble is based upon the analytics community busting out their spread sheets and concluding that Ristolainen isn't all he's cracked up to be. From the extreme side of that equation, one person wrote prior to last season that the Sabres are better without him on the ice. Stats are stats, however, and if you ask any player or coach that has played with or against him, they'd probably offer up a different opinion.
There is truth to both statistical sides but what there are a couple truisms that can't be denied. As stated, Ristolainen has upped his production every season in the league and also his ATOI has increased every season as well. Bylsma relied heavily on Ristolainen last season playing him over 29 minutes/game in 20 games and 30 minutes or more in eight of those.
Despite being in top-notch shape, Ristolainen, as he did the prior season, wore down and became less and less effective in the mid-latter part of the season. Part of that has to do with game management and part of it has to do with his defense partners. As he matures, Ristolainen will start managing the game better but he really has no control over his d-partners. In the past Ristolainen has been taking on the best the opposition has with a variety of defense partners none of whom should ideally be on the top paring. Each brought different skills but also brought an array of deficiencies that had to be accounted for as well.
And there's also Bylsma's system that affected the entire team including the defense corps, as stated by goalie Robin Lehner recently. “The problem was we really didn’t know how to play,” he told a group of reporters at a workout last weekend. “The defensemen, it’s a common misconception (it was a problem). It’s how we play as a team. I was sitting watching the whole Stanley Cup playoffs last year. If you watch the good teams, look at Pittsburgh, everyone defends, everyone comes back and everyone plays as a five-man unit, and it’s fast forward and fast back in the defensive zone.
“I think that’s what [new coach] Phil [Housley] wants. He doesn’t want us to play slow. He wants us to play fast, and everyone attacks and everyone defends. That’s what we need to do. We didn’t do that last year. We were playing as three forwards and two defensemen.”
Ristolainen is still learning a lot about the game but he has himself a solid foundation. The criteria for NHL.com's top-20 defensemen was laid out as such, "Whether it's blocking a shot, breaking up a pass or chipping in offensively, there are many areas that make a player a top defenseman," and Ristolainen did all of that very effectively in a No. 1 role. He's still weak in areas but taken as a whole, he's been progressing nicely.
"[Ristolainen is] only 22 and plays in every situation, and the Sabres rely on him so heavily," said NHL.com's Ken Daneyko, a former defenseman and three-time Stanley Cup winner. "He's big, strong and is just rounding out his game. It takes some young defensemen longer than others, but I only expect him to get better and better."
I think those of us in Sabreland would agree.
Building the 2017-18 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Evander Kane / C, Jack Eichel / RW, Sam Reinhart
LW, Evander Kane / C, Jack Eichel / RW, Sam Reinhart
D, Rasmus Ristolainen
Saturday, September 2, 2017
Building the 2017-18 Buffalo Sabres roster--RW, Sam Reinhart
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-1-2017
Sam Reinhart
21 yrs. old
6'1" 193 lbs.
2014, 2nd-overall
Career Stats: 167 games | 40 goals | 50 assists | 90 points | -20
Third-year forward Sam Reinhart has spent the majority of his first two NHL seasons on Jack Eichel's wing and unless new coach Phil Housley has designs on moving Reinhart to third-line center, having Jack and Sam on the same line seems like a good way to at least start the season.
A lot has been made about Reinhart and his place in the 2014 NHL Draft. The Sabres drafted second-overall that year and had their pick of the litter when it came to top forwards. Reinhart was the consensus pick amongst the Sabres scouting staff that year. "He was [first] on our list at our organizational meeting in May," said then GM Tim Murray on the draft floor that year. "We've tweaked those lists a couple of times, but we didn't tweak [number] one."
The Sabres did pass on Leon Draisaitl (third-overall) who's had a phenomenal two seasons in Edmonton and just signed an 8yr./$68 million contract extension. That will be the shadow Reinhart plays under in Buffalo, but he's also been true to his game thus far an moreoso last season than in his rookie campaign. But it is what it is and although Draisaitl left Reinhart far behind out of the gate, both of these players will have long careers.
Reinhart's year-over-year stats say that his 47 points are five better than the previous season, yet nearly every one who watched him on a regular basis would say that he didn't have as good a season in 2016-17. A big part of that comes from his goal total which went down from 23 in his rookie year to 17 last season. He didn't get as many tip-ins on the powerplay as he did in 2015-16 and he couldn't maintain a shooting percentage of 13.9% from the previous season.
But goal-scoring is not the main reason Reinhart was taken second-overall in 2014. Although he's been able to score at every level, his hockey IQ and skills as a set-up man is what drew the attention of every NHL scout.
Reinhart's play is very subtle, it may not look like he's been doing much in-game, but at the end you'll see him on the stat-sheet and wonder where those points came from. Last season he lead the team with 22 primary assists, just barely edging out Ryan O'Reilly's (21) with those assists making up 73% of his 30-assist total, an increase over the 63% total he had his rookie season. Ten of those primary assists came from feeding Eichel (six) and Evander Kane (four.)
Although he doesn't have the pure speed of Eichel and Kane, Reinhart is able to keep up and be a factor because of how he thinks the game. Over the last two seasons under coach Dan Bylsma Reinhart played mostly on Eichel's wing and there's really no reason to switch it at this time unless Housley and/or training camp call for a different direction.
Changes to Buffalo's style of play will be forthcoming as the Sabres are heading into 2017-18 with a new coaching staff. Those changes can affect anyone up and down the line up including Reinhart. But it's not going to matter for him as he'll continue playing his game. That's how he's wired. That's what he learned from his father Paul Reinhart who played 11 seasons in the NHL.
It's hard to believe Reinhart has hit his ceiling this early in his career and something tells me that it may be quite a few years down the road until he does. He seems to be the type of player that will be getting a feel for everything and shift through every gear. It's like the race between two cars--one with an automatic transmission, the other a standard. The automatic transmission-driven car is quick out of the start and bolts to the lead while the stick is just doing it's thing, rolling through all the gears. All things equal, eventually the standard catches up.
Of note, Reinhart is entering the final year of his entry-level deal and Sabres GM Jason Botterill has said that Reinhart contract extension talks have been put on hold.
Building the 2017-18 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Evander Kane / C, Jack Eichel / RW, Sam Reinhart
Sam Reinhart
21 yrs. old
6'1" 193 lbs.
2014, 2nd-overall
Career Stats: 167 games | 40 goals | 50 assists | 90 points | -20
Third-year forward Sam Reinhart has spent the majority of his first two NHL seasons on Jack Eichel's wing and unless new coach Phil Housley has designs on moving Reinhart to third-line center, having Jack and Sam on the same line seems like a good way to at least start the season.
A lot has been made about Reinhart and his place in the 2014 NHL Draft. The Sabres drafted second-overall that year and had their pick of the litter when it came to top forwards. Reinhart was the consensus pick amongst the Sabres scouting staff that year. "He was [first] on our list at our organizational meeting in May," said then GM Tim Murray on the draft floor that year. "We've tweaked those lists a couple of times, but we didn't tweak [number] one."
The Sabres did pass on Leon Draisaitl (third-overall) who's had a phenomenal two seasons in Edmonton and just signed an 8yr./$68 million contract extension. That will be the shadow Reinhart plays under in Buffalo, but he's also been true to his game thus far an moreoso last season than in his rookie campaign. But it is what it is and although Draisaitl left Reinhart far behind out of the gate, both of these players will have long careers.
Reinhart's year-over-year stats say that his 47 points are five better than the previous season, yet nearly every one who watched him on a regular basis would say that he didn't have as good a season in 2016-17. A big part of that comes from his goal total which went down from 23 in his rookie year to 17 last season. He didn't get as many tip-ins on the powerplay as he did in 2015-16 and he couldn't maintain a shooting percentage of 13.9% from the previous season.
But goal-scoring is not the main reason Reinhart was taken second-overall in 2014. Although he's been able to score at every level, his hockey IQ and skills as a set-up man is what drew the attention of every NHL scout.
Reinhart's play is very subtle, it may not look like he's been doing much in-game, but at the end you'll see him on the stat-sheet and wonder where those points came from. Last season he lead the team with 22 primary assists, just barely edging out Ryan O'Reilly's (21) with those assists making up 73% of his 30-assist total, an increase over the 63% total he had his rookie season. Ten of those primary assists came from feeding Eichel (six) and Evander Kane (four.)
Although he doesn't have the pure speed of Eichel and Kane, Reinhart is able to keep up and be a factor because of how he thinks the game. Over the last two seasons under coach Dan Bylsma Reinhart played mostly on Eichel's wing and there's really no reason to switch it at this time unless Housley and/or training camp call for a different direction.
Changes to Buffalo's style of play will be forthcoming as the Sabres are heading into 2017-18 with a new coaching staff. Those changes can affect anyone up and down the line up including Reinhart. But it's not going to matter for him as he'll continue playing his game. That's how he's wired. That's what he learned from his father Paul Reinhart who played 11 seasons in the NHL.
It's hard to believe Reinhart has hit his ceiling this early in his career and something tells me that it may be quite a few years down the road until he does. He seems to be the type of player that will be getting a feel for everything and shift through every gear. It's like the race between two cars--one with an automatic transmission, the other a standard. The automatic transmission-driven car is quick out of the start and bolts to the lead while the stick is just doing it's thing, rolling through all the gears. All things equal, eventually the standard catches up.
Of note, Reinhart is entering the final year of his entry-level deal and Sabres GM Jason Botterill has said that Reinhart contract extension talks have been put on hold.
Building the 2017-18 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Evander Kane / C, Jack Eichel / RW, Sam Reinhart
Friday, September 1, 2017
Building the 2017-18 Buffalo Sabres roster--LW, Evander Kane
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 8-31-2017
Evander Kane
6'2" 211 lbs.
26 yrs. old
2009, 4th overall, Atlanta Thrashers
Acquired by Buffalo from Winnipeg Jets, February 11, 2015
Career Stats: 496 games | 157 goals | 143 assists | 300 points | -41
As of right now, Evander Kane is entering the final year of a 6yr./$31.5 million contract he signed with the Winnipeg Jets. What the Sabres do concerning a possible contract extension with Kane will say plenty about how he fits into the future plans of the team.
Kane was coveted by former Sabres GM Tim Murray and when he became available, Murray grabbed him in a blockbuster trade that totaled four players, two prospects and a first round pick. Why Murray traded for Kane is rather simple as he's a multi-faceted player with speed, size and scoring ability who plays an aggressive north/south game with a driving on-ice work-ethic. And he's a pretty good pugilist as well.
Why Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff wanted to trade a then 24 yr. old with those attributes is why we're still talking about his future in Buffalo and why there are rumors (although faint right now) that he's still on the trading block. It's the dichotomy of Evander Kane--star qualities on the ice, questionable decisions off the ice, even if it's only far enough off the ice to reach the dressing room.
Kane's off-ice troubles have followed him since Winnipeg. Some of them are true while others may have been fabricated. Although we in Buffalo are not privy to the entire story of Kane's time with the Jets, we do know that he had three headline-grabbing incidents as a member of the Sabres culminating with an altercation while the 2016 NHL Draft was being held in Buffalo. That incident was an embarrassment for the organization and landed him on probation for six months at the beginning of the 2016-17 season. On May 3, 2017 all charges were dropped.
What was an embarrassment for the Buffalo Sabres, and hopefully for player himself, may have been a God-send in that Kane kept his antics to a minimum, or at the very least out of the limelight and he posted his best goal total since scoring 30 in 2011-12, the year prior to signing his six-year deal. Kane's 28 goals came in only 70 games (.4 goals/game) which was right on track with his career best 30-goal season (.405 g/gm.) It was the second year in a row that he scored 20+ goals for the Sabres but more importantly it showed that when he dumped the off-ice stuff, he could fill the net rather well.
Kane was bounced around up and down the left side last season as former bench-boss Dan Bylsma did the Disco with the lineup. But he showed he could produce whether Jack Eichel, Johan Larsson or Zemgus Girgensons was his center. He got off to a rough start and missed the first 11 games after crashing heavily into the boards in the season opener. Kane broke ribs in the crash and may have come back a bit too soon as he came off of his injury with no goals and four assists in 11 games. He got his first goal on December 3 when the Sabres were already 24 games into the season. However, he would light things up as he finished the season with 28 goals in the final 62 games for Buffalo with a team-leading 25 goals scored at even strength.
Maturity is the operative word with Kane. He showed maturity on the ice with his play this past season, most notably using his linemates more and taking less stupid shots that ended up with the opposition headed the other way. And as mentioned, there were no off-ice incidents last season either. Although he's still going to be, or rather, is still going to promote himself as, "Mr. MoneyPhone," if he can either get over that schitck, or at least separate it from himself as a professional hockey player, he could be a force on the ice knocking in around 30 goals and adding 20+ assists per season while also becoming a key part of the Sabres core going forward. Stats like that could put him in the $6+ million AAV range for his next contract on a longer term basis.
However, the dichotomy of Kane makes it questionable as to whether he could reach and/or sustain those 50-60 point seasons. He has the talent, but after eight NHL seasons he hasn't been able to separate the hindrance of his off-ice persona from a skill set that could make him one of the better wingers in the league.
New Sabres GM Jason Botterill has seen a lot of players come and go throughout his years as an NHL executive and even more during his eight years as a player. Kane represents a big test for him. It also represents a big test for new head coach Phil Housley and his coaching staff. It's very possible that Botterill wants Kane on a shorter-term, "show me" contract to see how, or if, he fits into the future.
Regardless of an extension or not, Kane has the speed and the skill to hang with, and produce on a line with Eichel. He could also offer protection should anyone get stupid with the face of the franchise.
And for at least one more year, or until the trade deadline if an extension can't be hammered out, Kane will be in the Blue and Gold and there's no reason to believe that he'll take a step back from his 28-goal season if he remains healthy this season. Of note, in his last contract year he scored 30 goals 57 points in 74 games.
Building the 2017-18 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Evander Kane / C, Jack Eichel
Evander Kane
6'2" 211 lbs.
26 yrs. old
2009, 4th overall, Atlanta Thrashers
Acquired by Buffalo from Winnipeg Jets, February 11, 2015
Career Stats: 496 games | 157 goals | 143 assists | 300 points | -41
As of right now, Evander Kane is entering the final year of a 6yr./$31.5 million contract he signed with the Winnipeg Jets. What the Sabres do concerning a possible contract extension with Kane will say plenty about how he fits into the future plans of the team.
Kane was coveted by former Sabres GM Tim Murray and when he became available, Murray grabbed him in a blockbuster trade that totaled four players, two prospects and a first round pick. Why Murray traded for Kane is rather simple as he's a multi-faceted player with speed, size and scoring ability who plays an aggressive north/south game with a driving on-ice work-ethic. And he's a pretty good pugilist as well.
Why Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff wanted to trade a then 24 yr. old with those attributes is why we're still talking about his future in Buffalo and why there are rumors (although faint right now) that he's still on the trading block. It's the dichotomy of Evander Kane--star qualities on the ice, questionable decisions off the ice, even if it's only far enough off the ice to reach the dressing room.
Kane's off-ice troubles have followed him since Winnipeg. Some of them are true while others may have been fabricated. Although we in Buffalo are not privy to the entire story of Kane's time with the Jets, we do know that he had three headline-grabbing incidents as a member of the Sabres culminating with an altercation while the 2016 NHL Draft was being held in Buffalo. That incident was an embarrassment for the organization and landed him on probation for six months at the beginning of the 2016-17 season. On May 3, 2017 all charges were dropped.
What was an embarrassment for the Buffalo Sabres, and hopefully for player himself, may have been a God-send in that Kane kept his antics to a minimum, or at the very least out of the limelight and he posted his best goal total since scoring 30 in 2011-12, the year prior to signing his six-year deal. Kane's 28 goals came in only 70 games (.4 goals/game) which was right on track with his career best 30-goal season (.405 g/gm.) It was the second year in a row that he scored 20+ goals for the Sabres but more importantly it showed that when he dumped the off-ice stuff, he could fill the net rather well.
Kane was bounced around up and down the left side last season as former bench-boss Dan Bylsma did the Disco with the lineup. But he showed he could produce whether Jack Eichel, Johan Larsson or Zemgus Girgensons was his center. He got off to a rough start and missed the first 11 games after crashing heavily into the boards in the season opener. Kane broke ribs in the crash and may have come back a bit too soon as he came off of his injury with no goals and four assists in 11 games. He got his first goal on December 3 when the Sabres were already 24 games into the season. However, he would light things up as he finished the season with 28 goals in the final 62 games for Buffalo with a team-leading 25 goals scored at even strength.
Maturity is the operative word with Kane. He showed maturity on the ice with his play this past season, most notably using his linemates more and taking less stupid shots that ended up with the opposition headed the other way. And as mentioned, there were no off-ice incidents last season either. Although he's still going to be, or rather, is still going to promote himself as, "Mr. MoneyPhone," if he can either get over that schitck, or at least separate it from himself as a professional hockey player, he could be a force on the ice knocking in around 30 goals and adding 20+ assists per season while also becoming a key part of the Sabres core going forward. Stats like that could put him in the $6+ million AAV range for his next contract on a longer term basis.
However, the dichotomy of Kane makes it questionable as to whether he could reach and/or sustain those 50-60 point seasons. He has the talent, but after eight NHL seasons he hasn't been able to separate the hindrance of his off-ice persona from a skill set that could make him one of the better wingers in the league.
New Sabres GM Jason Botterill has seen a lot of players come and go throughout his years as an NHL executive and even more during his eight years as a player. Kane represents a big test for him. It also represents a big test for new head coach Phil Housley and his coaching staff. It's very possible that Botterill wants Kane on a shorter-term, "show me" contract to see how, or if, he fits into the future.
Regardless of an extension or not, Kane has the speed and the skill to hang with, and produce on a line with Eichel. He could also offer protection should anyone get stupid with the face of the franchise.
And for at least one more year, or until the trade deadline if an extension can't be hammered out, Kane will be in the Blue and Gold and there's no reason to believe that he'll take a step back from his 28-goal season if he remains healthy this season. Of note, in his last contract year he scored 30 goals 57 points in 74 games.
Building the 2017-18 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Evander Kane / C, Jack Eichel
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