Published by hockeybuzz.com, 10-5-2018
It's really pretty simple, if the Buffalo Sabres continue to put on performances like last night, head coach Phil Housley will be joining his wife's senatorial campaign in Minnesota just in time for the November 6 mid-term elections.
It was yet another uninspiring home game for the Sabres as they were shutout by the Boston Bruins 4-0. Buffalo picked up where they left off last season at KeyBank Center as they were shut out for the third time in their last six home games dating back to last season where they had an 11-25-5 record overall. In those six games the Sabres have been outscored by a 25-6 margin.
The Sabres left the first period last night down 2-0 and headed towards the locker room to a chorus of boos, which seems to be the prevailing theme as of late. I guess that's what happens when "the suffering" was supposed to be long gone and the hope of a new season is dashed rather quickly and emphatically. Last season at least they put on a good showing in the first game before getting bulldozed into oblivion before Halloween.
This year the Sabres didn't delay, as they were driven into the ice in Game-1.
Housley's charges showed progress in certain areas ;last night. They showed some speed and better passing in the first period and looked fairly organized. However they were facing a Bruins team that had gotten their ass handed to them the previous night in a 7-0 beatdown by the Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals. It wasn't so much that the Bruins were ornery to the point where they wanted to overtly take out their frustrations the NHL's 2017-18 last place team. They really didn't need to waste energy on anger and stupidity. Boston simply worked their game by clogging up the middle, cutting off passing lanes, getting to a player before they could get a head of steam and forcing the Sabers to play a dump and chase game that Buffalo neither has the players nor the gumption to play.
Boston's core group of players has been together for years playing a Bruins system that generally been in place for decades. They frustrated the Sabres then took advantage of mistakes and missed opportunities by Buffalo and there's no better example than on Boston's first goal.
The Sabres forced a turnover inside the Bruins blueline and Sam Reinhart got the puck to captain Jack Eichel who barreled towards the net. Eichel had a clear shot on Boston backup Jaroslav Halak but decided to get cute and try a pass to linemate Jeff Skinner who was covered just enough to send the puck to the corner. Boston eventually corralled the puck and headed up ice on the counter attack where a gliding Zdeno Chara waltzed into an large area of open ice to the right of Buffalo goalie Carter Hutton and fire it home.
The breakdowns on that were numerous but one really needs to look at Eichel, Buffalo's new captain, on that play. He compounded his decision not to shoot the puck by cheating in the offensive zone then getting caught flat-footed behind the net when the play turned up ice. And to make matters worse he floated on the back check. Granted, he might not have been able to catch Chara, no matter how casual the hulking Bruins defenseman entered the Buffalo zone, but for a player who talked of playing with desperation in the opening game of the season, it sure didn't look like he had any on that play.
Every fan who watched last night's game can rattle off a list of Sabres players that disappointed and a number of moments that were downright awful. Bias will direct us to be harder on some than others but what it really comes down to is that the Sabres had no answers for what the Bruins were doing. Whether you fault the coach or the players or both, it doesn't matter.
Last night was a boo-worthy flop of an opening night.
*****
You've got to love it when Housley stands at the podium and says as angrily as he can, "We are NOT going through this again," when talking to the media about last night's flop. A couple of media members said that they'd not seen him this angry before.
Which is all well and good.
I'm not sure what Housley is like behind closed doors but based upon last season, his public demeanor is that of a maternal coddler and his anger doesn't seem as if it would shake a player to his bone. He doesn't seem like a strict "Iron Mike" Keenan/John Tortorella paternal disciplinarian, which is fine. If that's who he is than so be it.
The results are what they are. You can't say this team hasn't had upgrades, at least up-front, and to watch a re-run of last year's team to open the season does not bode well for his teaching/coaching methods.
Granted, it's one game, but you know what they say, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. Even if it was his 83rd game as Buffalo's head coach.
*****
Some notes from last night:
--Buffalo's fourth line of Evan Rodrigues flanked by Zemgus Girgensons and Jason Pominville were the Sabres best line last night. Which is a scary proposition. When Housley mixed up his line combinations to start the third period that line was the only one that remained intact. They had two glorious opportunities that were snuffed out by two excellent kick saves by Halak.
--For as disappointed as fans are with Girgensons being a first round flop, he did not deserve some of the hate that was directed his way. He's a fourth-liner on the team and having waiver-claim Remi Elie and his 14 points (6+8) from last season replace Girgensons (who had 15 points last season) doesn't seem as if it would be a game-changer no matter how good the new toy might look.
--The Sabres needed game-changing moment from their scorers and the didn't get any. Reinhart worked his way into a couple of scoring chances and their line converged on the net after an Eichel shot from a tough angle in the second period but other than that they provided little.
--Speaking of that play, Chara clearly put his hand over the puck in the crease but the ref was slow to the scene and wasn't at a good angle to see it. A few minutes later Rodrigues was tackled to the ice at the Sabers blueline by Boston's Sean Kuraly in full view of the official. No penalty was called. At the time the score was 2-0.
--Tage Thompson got his opportunity to skate in the top-six and didn't take advantage of it. He didn't register a shot on goal and his 11:02 of even strength ice time was a team low.
--Housley had Vladimir Sobotka out there taking defensive zone draws with the former St. Louis Blue often times on the ice with Eichel and Reinhart. Sobotka was second to Eichel in the number of draws taken for Buffalo (15-14,) and was second to Eichel in even-strength time on ice amongst forwards (19:04-18:42.) With Eichel at 60% (9/15) on draws and Skinner at 80% (4/5,) why bother?
--I hate to say this, but about the best thing defenseman Nathan Beaulieu did all night was blast a slapshot off of Charlie MacAvoy's foot which sidelined the Bruins d-man for a short period of time.
--Conor Sheary was put on Eichel's left wing in the third period and the line had perhaps the best cycle of the night for Buffalo. Sheary whizzed around the ice like a whirling dervish and the and got his teammates into a groove.
--Casey Mittelstadt had a real good game. In preseason it looked as if the 19 yr. old would struggle but he once again showed he could skate with the big boys. Housley's line changes had him between vets Patrik Berglund and Kyle Okposo
--The much anticipated debut of defenseman Rasmus Dahlin came and went with the 18 yr. old rookie also looking real good. I'm not sure what people expected of him but he was as advertised with his skating, stick work and deft passing abilities. Sure, he made some rookie mistakes but he has that on-ice presence and vision and knows what the hell he's doing back there.
--And finally, the Rochester Americans open up their season tonight at home vs. the Charlotte Checkers. Although they flopped in the Calder Cup playoffs last season, good things are expected from the Amerks in their second season under head coach Chris Taylor.
Saturday, October 6, 2018
Friday, October 5, 2018
Buffalo Sabres 2018-19 season preview
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 10-4-2018
Every team, no matter what sport, no matter where they are on the totem pole, starts out with the same equation that will dictate where they end up in the season--if ______ can...
For instance, in a team sense it might be something like, if the Washington Capitals could ever get by the Pittsburgh Penguins, they might have a good shot of winning the Stanley Cup. Or, if the Philadelphia Flyers could get solid goaltending, they'd be a serious threat.
Within those broader team if/cans, there are a lot of individual question marks and for a Buffalo Sabres team that finished dead last in the NHL last season, that certainly is the case heading into 2018-19. It's not just the fact that the Sabres finished with only 62 points in the league last season, this is a franchise that has finished in last place three of the past five seasons and they've been pretty bad in a playoff drought that has lasted seven years. The changes have been many, the bright spots few and despite having some pretty good individual talent to work with, it's been an overall disaster.
G. Thomas Scott, in a piece for Buffalo Business First, laid out some the Sabres low points during that seven-year stretch:
--Buffalo was one of only two teams to finish with less than 70 points last season (OTT, 67)
--Their record of 197-273-70 the last seven seasons was far and away the worst in the league
--Their 464 points in that span was by far the worst as every other team picked up at least 499 points
--The Sabres also finished last in the seven-season rankings of goals scored (1,262) and goal differential (minus-372)
It wasn't all bad as the Sabres finished 27th in the league in goals against, but it just goes to show just how bad the hockey has been in Buffalo.
Most wouldn't have thought that the Sabres were going to be a 62-point, last place team in 2017-18. They were expected to have more growing pains and with a new coach and a GM that added some players, most expected they'd finish in the general area of where they did the prior season, around 78 points with optimists (like me) thinking they could be in the 90-point area.
It didn't happen. Not by a long shot.
The Sabres got steam-rolled early in the season and by the time it all ended, one of their leaders had said he checked out at numerous times during the season while implying that the team as whole just didn't seem to care. Among the others low points for the team, Buffalo's top winger was eventually traded, a top-six forward had a long, hard road recovering from a difficult medical issue and their No. 1 goalie had bipolar and addiction issues that lead to thoughts of suicide.
This was on top of a roster that had little top-six talent, a shaky (at best) defense-corps, suffered from poor goaltending and also lacked depth
If Jason Botterill can...
For the Sabres, putting last season (and the previous seven seasons) as far in the rear-view as they could mirror began with GM Jason Botterill and his work this off season. Buffalo's forward group was barren of talent on the left side after the trade of Evander Kane and lacked quality depth on the lower lines. If the second year general manger could shore that up, it would go a long way towards having success this season and into the future.
Botterill started by landing left wing Conor Sheary in a trade with his old club, the Penguins. Sheary was a good get for Buffalo despite having a poor 2017-18 campaign and immediately was pegged for top-six left wing duty on the club. It was a good, but not great, move by Botterill however he did manage to trump that by landing a bona fide top-line left winger in Carolina's Jeff Skinner.
Skinner and the Hurricanes, the only team he'd ever played for, were parting ways and Botterill pulled off a trade for three-time 30-goal scorer. The Sabres went from having no scoring left wingers to having two, albeit for only one season as Skinner is a pending unrestricted free agent.
As mentioned earlier, the Sabres had trouble in net. They moved on from troubled No. 1 goalie Robin Lehner and based upon his locker cleanout interview, backup Chad Johnson seemed as if he couldn't get out of Buffalo fast enough. Faced with no NHL goalies to start the off season, Botterill brought on late-bloomer Carter Hutton (St. Louis) by signing him to a free agent deal after promising that young goalie Linus Ullmark would be with the club.
Buffalo also had dreams of upgrading the blueline through the draft. If they could win the NHL lottery, something that they hadn't done the previous two times, they could select Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, who's expected to be a franchise defensemen. It happened. Buffalo won the rights and selected Dahlin who so far has looked every bit as projected.
With some crafty trades and a some luck, Botterill certainly did his part filling some pretty big holes on the team and this is what they'll be moving forward with.
The Forwards
It all begins up front with Jack Eichel and an emphasis on that point was made yesterday as the 21 yr. old was named captain of the Buffalo Sabres. Eichel's last two seasons have been marred by injury and inconsistency but when he's on the ice and when he gets hot, we see the franchise center he was drafted for.
Buffalo will start the season with Eichel being flanked by Skinner and Sam Reinhart providing the Sabres with the most complete and formidable top line in a decade if not longer. In the past they've had pieces that made up a good top line, but this trio has much more going for it.
The Sabres scoring woes over the past seven seasons reached near historic levels for incompetence. Lack of talent was a huge issue during the tank years and lack of chemistry and depth marred the last few. Although this is no where near '06-07 when Buffalo was rolling three scoring lines on their way to a league-leading 308 goals-for, they're trending in the right direction.
Veteran Patrik Berglund will start out centering the second line. The 30 yr. old who was acquired from St. Louis as part of the O'Reilly trade is more of a third line, two-way center than scorer but should be able to hold his own in this role for the Sabres. Berglund will be flanked by Sheary on the left and Tage Thompson on the right to start the season. Thompson also came from St. Louis in the O'Reilly trade and has an envious skill-package within a 6'6" 205 lb. frame. He played 41 games for the Blues last season as a rookie (3 goals, 6 assists, -12) and has a golden top-six opportunity in front of him.
The bottom-six should see plenty of flux this season and a lot of that will based upon the progress rookie center Casey Mittelstadt makes. Mittelstadt had an impressive six-game cup of coffee with the club after the 19 yr. old signed out of college. Top-six expectations might have been a bit high for him coming into camp, but he got off to a slow start and the Sabres look to be easing him into his first full NHL season by starting him in a third-line role.
A big part of the bottom-six flux will involve Mittelstadt's probable left winger tonight. Vladimir Sobotka also came over in the O'Reilly trade and can play any position up front. If he ends up on the fourth line sometime this year, it means that the Sabres top-nine is looking pretty good. Kyle Okposo is slated to be on Mittelstadt's right to start the season. Okposo had survived dire medical conditions in Spring, 2017 and spent a good chunk of last year getting up to speed and gaining confidence. The 30 yr. old is a three-time 20-goal scorer looking to rebound from possibly his worst season in the league.
As Botterill added to the top-nine, players dropped down the depth chart and the fourth line looks to be a capable checking line that should be able to chip in offensively. Forward Evan Rodrigues is an example of that as he's more than capable of holding down a third-line role but numbers pushed him down to the fourth line. Rodrigues right-winger is another example as 35 yr. old veteran Jason Pominville finds himself in the same situation. Just last year he was skating top-six minutes that included stints on Eichel's line.
The left side of the fourth line has three players battling for a spot. Scott Wilson may have been the front-runner to start there but he suffered an ankle injury and is out 8-10 weeks. Zemgus Girgensons is the longest continuously tenured Sabre and has been used literally all over the place during his five seasons in the league. He may find a home on the fourth line in Buffalo. The Sabres claimed Remi Elie off waivers from the Dallas Stars on Tuesday and he'll add even more depth in a checking line role.
The Defense
Dahlin wasn't drafted as a second-pairing defenseman but he'll start out there adjusts to an NHL game that's played on a smaller rink but perhaps his biggest adjustment will be knowing the players he'll be up against.
Heading up Buffalo's d-corps to start this season will be Rasmus Ristolainen and Marco Scandella. It's no secret that the Sabres defense has been below average at best and a train-wreck at worst while Ristolainen has been the No. 1 d-man on the team. This will be a good season to see whether or not the 22 yr. old and his less than stellar numbers are a product of him being over used and overrated. Ristolainen has averaged 26:04 of ice-time over the past three seasons, fourth most in the league, on Sabres teams that have not finished higher than seventh in the Atlantic Division.
Scandella was traded for in 2017 to help stabilize the defense and has been pretty solid for Buffalo. Although a first-pairing role is above his skill-level, he can hold his own but the mark of a Sabres defense on the rise would see him as more of a second-pairing player.
Buffalo head coach Phil Housley has had a long relationship with defenseman Jake McCabe dating back to their gold medal win for Team USA in the 2013 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships. The trust factor that began back then continues as Housley has McCabe on the second pairing with Dahlin as Buffalo's future No. 1 defenseman learns the ropes.
The third pairing for Buffalo might give fans the heebie-jeebies on any given night. For the opener college free agent defenseman Casey Nelson looks to get the start alongside Nathan Beaulieu. Nelson has some high-quality traits which includes a high hockey IQ and getting his shot through from the point while Beaulieu has the high-end skating skills that Housley wants from the back-end. However, Nelson still has his moments while Beaulieu is prone to egregious turnovers that often lead to goals against.
The Goalies
Hutton had a career season for the Blues last year. The free agent signee willingly came to Buffalo on a modest three-year deal as he saw an opportunity to win the starters role. Although his 2.09 goals-against average and .931 save percentage look awfully good, we're left to wonder just how much those number were a product of the strong group of skaters, including a upper-level defense-corps, in front of him. That said, one thing that really stands out is Hutton's puck-handling abilities and for a team that has had all kinds of trouble moving the puck up ice, he'll add a dimension conducive to kick-starting the offense from the back-end.
Ullmark has been a workhorse for the Rochester Americans the last two seasons while seeing a ton of rubber in the process. Like most goalies it's been a long learning curve and at times he looks unbeatable. Then there was the Calder Cup playoffs where he looked anything but. Backing up Hutton while getting plenty of games in will be a nice step in his development.
Special teams
The worst thing that could have happened to the Sabres last year happened as they began the season in a hole so deep that they couldn't climb out of it. A contributing factor to their early season implosion was the powerplay. Buffalo came into the season having had the league's best powerplay (24.5% conversion rate) in 2016-17 but it started off as a train wreck and they were dead last for a big chunk to start the season while also giving up an inordinate amount of shorthanded goals.
The addition of Skinner and his sniping ability should give the powerplay a huge boost as will Dahlin who will be in the mix somewhere. After their slow start, Buffalo's powerplay came to life and finished 20th in the league at 19.1%.
Buffalo's penalty kill units ran roughly at the same pace over the prior two seasons--77.6% in 2016-17 and 77.9% last season.
Coaching
To put it plainly, Housley looked to be in way over his head last season. As a Hall of Fame defenseman who was an assistant on the 2016-17 western conference champion Nashville Predators, Housley had the background to make the jump to NHL head coach. It was a rough ride and not all of it was his fault as he came to a team that was in the midst of a front office transition. And while the group of players he had at his disposal had some talent they lacked the overall speed he needed to get his system rolling.
That said, what happened with the powerplay using the same top unit was inexcusable.
Also to be questioned was his choice of a rookie assistant in Chris Hajt, who was in charge of the defense. In what might be one of the most crucial off seasons move by Botterill, the Sabres hired former NHL defenseman and three-time Stanley Cup winner Steve Smith to take over for Hajt behind the bench.
There's a lot to be said for credentials and commanding respect as a coach and Smith's got that as he was in charge of the Carolina Hurricanes defense and penalty kill that last four seasons. Although you won't see him flashing those Cup rings, Smith can boast a 'Canes defense that allowed the second-fewest shots per game (28) over that span and the fifth-best penalty kill (82.7) while molding Carolina's defense into one of the best young groups in the league.
The Prediction
It's no reach to see the Sabres making big strides this season as they've added talent, speed and competent coaching. However, just how big those strides are will be dependent upon a number of factors. This edition of the Buffalo Sabres might have a range of points anywhere from the upper-70's to lower-90's as there are a lot of "if _____ can's" that could get them to the upper level of that range.
Like:
--if Eichel can stay healthy and score at or near a point/game while bearing the burden of being the captain
--if Skinner can have another 30-goal (or more) season
--if Reinhart can have a breakout season on Eichel's right wing
--if they can beat a hot goalie or even a backup
--if Okposo can return to his 20-goal/55-pont self
--if the Sabres can get secondary scoring down to the third line
--if Mittelstadt can make the jump up to second-line center
--if the fourth line can lock down the opposition and meaningfully contribute offensively
--if they can get a surprise or two offensively and/or defensively
--if the powerplay can reach top-five status
--if the defense can become tighter
--if the defense can contribute offensively as a group
--if Ristolainen can continue to score but play better defensively
--if Dahlin can eventually become that driving offensive force from the back end
--if Zach Bogosian can stay on the ice and be the big, all-around defenseman he was drafted to be
--if the defense in general and Beaulieu in particular can limit their brain farts
--if Hutton can hold his own in a starters role
--if Ullmark can provide quality back-up minutes
--if Smith can turn the PK into a top-10 unit
--if Buffalo can get off to a fast start
--if they can go on a couple of runs
--if they can avoid prolonged slumps
--if they can win in overtime and the shootout
--if the Sabres can turn around the 21, one-goal losses they had last season...
And if they can play with speed, gumption and finish their chances than were possibly looking at one of those worst-to-playoff type seasons.
It's a lot to ask. Yet for a fan base that's coming off one of the worst seasons in the history of the franchise, methinks something as small as a watchable product, especially on home ice, with a Sabres team decidedly pointed in the right direction would constitute a huge leap for the club.
There' are many reasons to believe they'll make great strides this season, however it probably won't include the playoffs as they look to be a team that will end up in the 84 point range, give or take a few. Anything more than that would be a bonus.
*****
The Sabres open up the 2018-19 season at home tonight vs. the Boston Bruins (who lost 7-2 last night in Washington.) The projected lineup from Sabres twitter:
53 Jeff Skinner - 9 Jack Eichel - 23 Sam Reinhart
43 Conor Sheary - 10 Patrik Berglund - 72 Tage Thompson
17 Vladimir Sobotka - 37 Casey Mittelstadt - 21 Kyle Okposo
28 Zemgus Girgensons - 71 Evan Rodrigues - 29 Jason Pominville
6 Marco Scandella - 55 Rasmus Ristolainen
19 Jake McCabe - 26 Rasmus Dahlin
82 Nathan Beaulieu - 8 Casey Nelson
40 Carter Hutton
35 Linus Ullmark
Every team, no matter what sport, no matter where they are on the totem pole, starts out with the same equation that will dictate where they end up in the season--if ______ can...
For instance, in a team sense it might be something like, if the Washington Capitals could ever get by the Pittsburgh Penguins, they might have a good shot of winning the Stanley Cup. Or, if the Philadelphia Flyers could get solid goaltending, they'd be a serious threat.
Within those broader team if/cans, there are a lot of individual question marks and for a Buffalo Sabres team that finished dead last in the NHL last season, that certainly is the case heading into 2018-19. It's not just the fact that the Sabres finished with only 62 points in the league last season, this is a franchise that has finished in last place three of the past five seasons and they've been pretty bad in a playoff drought that has lasted seven years. The changes have been many, the bright spots few and despite having some pretty good individual talent to work with, it's been an overall disaster.
G. Thomas Scott, in a piece for Buffalo Business First, laid out some the Sabres low points during that seven-year stretch:
--Buffalo was one of only two teams to finish with less than 70 points last season (OTT, 67)
--Their record of 197-273-70 the last seven seasons was far and away the worst in the league
--Their 464 points in that span was by far the worst as every other team picked up at least 499 points
--The Sabres also finished last in the seven-season rankings of goals scored (1,262) and goal differential (minus-372)
It wasn't all bad as the Sabres finished 27th in the league in goals against, but it just goes to show just how bad the hockey has been in Buffalo.
Most wouldn't have thought that the Sabres were going to be a 62-point, last place team in 2017-18. They were expected to have more growing pains and with a new coach and a GM that added some players, most expected they'd finish in the general area of where they did the prior season, around 78 points with optimists (like me) thinking they could be in the 90-point area.
It didn't happen. Not by a long shot.
The Sabres got steam-rolled early in the season and by the time it all ended, one of their leaders had said he checked out at numerous times during the season while implying that the team as whole just didn't seem to care. Among the others low points for the team, Buffalo's top winger was eventually traded, a top-six forward had a long, hard road recovering from a difficult medical issue and their No. 1 goalie had bipolar and addiction issues that lead to thoughts of suicide.
This was on top of a roster that had little top-six talent, a shaky (at best) defense-corps, suffered from poor goaltending and also lacked depth
If Jason Botterill can...
For the Sabres, putting last season (and the previous seven seasons) as far in the rear-view as they could mirror began with GM Jason Botterill and his work this off season. Buffalo's forward group was barren of talent on the left side after the trade of Evander Kane and lacked quality depth on the lower lines. If the second year general manger could shore that up, it would go a long way towards having success this season and into the future.
Botterill started by landing left wing Conor Sheary in a trade with his old club, the Penguins. Sheary was a good get for Buffalo despite having a poor 2017-18 campaign and immediately was pegged for top-six left wing duty on the club. It was a good, but not great, move by Botterill however he did manage to trump that by landing a bona fide top-line left winger in Carolina's Jeff Skinner.
Skinner and the Hurricanes, the only team he'd ever played for, were parting ways and Botterill pulled off a trade for three-time 30-goal scorer. The Sabres went from having no scoring left wingers to having two, albeit for only one season as Skinner is a pending unrestricted free agent.
As mentioned earlier, the Sabres had trouble in net. They moved on from troubled No. 1 goalie Robin Lehner and based upon his locker cleanout interview, backup Chad Johnson seemed as if he couldn't get out of Buffalo fast enough. Faced with no NHL goalies to start the off season, Botterill brought on late-bloomer Carter Hutton (St. Louis) by signing him to a free agent deal after promising that young goalie Linus Ullmark would be with the club.
Buffalo also had dreams of upgrading the blueline through the draft. If they could win the NHL lottery, something that they hadn't done the previous two times, they could select Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, who's expected to be a franchise defensemen. It happened. Buffalo won the rights and selected Dahlin who so far has looked every bit as projected.
With some crafty trades and a some luck, Botterill certainly did his part filling some pretty big holes on the team and this is what they'll be moving forward with.
The Forwards
It all begins up front with Jack Eichel and an emphasis on that point was made yesterday as the 21 yr. old was named captain of the Buffalo Sabres. Eichel's last two seasons have been marred by injury and inconsistency but when he's on the ice and when he gets hot, we see the franchise center he was drafted for.
Buffalo will start the season with Eichel being flanked by Skinner and Sam Reinhart providing the Sabres with the most complete and formidable top line in a decade if not longer. In the past they've had pieces that made up a good top line, but this trio has much more going for it.
The Sabres scoring woes over the past seven seasons reached near historic levels for incompetence. Lack of talent was a huge issue during the tank years and lack of chemistry and depth marred the last few. Although this is no where near '06-07 when Buffalo was rolling three scoring lines on their way to a league-leading 308 goals-for, they're trending in the right direction.
Veteran Patrik Berglund will start out centering the second line. The 30 yr. old who was acquired from St. Louis as part of the O'Reilly trade is more of a third line, two-way center than scorer but should be able to hold his own in this role for the Sabres. Berglund will be flanked by Sheary on the left and Tage Thompson on the right to start the season. Thompson also came from St. Louis in the O'Reilly trade and has an envious skill-package within a 6'6" 205 lb. frame. He played 41 games for the Blues last season as a rookie (3 goals, 6 assists, -12) and has a golden top-six opportunity in front of him.
The bottom-six should see plenty of flux this season and a lot of that will based upon the progress rookie center Casey Mittelstadt makes. Mittelstadt had an impressive six-game cup of coffee with the club after the 19 yr. old signed out of college. Top-six expectations might have been a bit high for him coming into camp, but he got off to a slow start and the Sabres look to be easing him into his first full NHL season by starting him in a third-line role.
A big part of the bottom-six flux will involve Mittelstadt's probable left winger tonight. Vladimir Sobotka also came over in the O'Reilly trade and can play any position up front. If he ends up on the fourth line sometime this year, it means that the Sabres top-nine is looking pretty good. Kyle Okposo is slated to be on Mittelstadt's right to start the season. Okposo had survived dire medical conditions in Spring, 2017 and spent a good chunk of last year getting up to speed and gaining confidence. The 30 yr. old is a three-time 20-goal scorer looking to rebound from possibly his worst season in the league.
As Botterill added to the top-nine, players dropped down the depth chart and the fourth line looks to be a capable checking line that should be able to chip in offensively. Forward Evan Rodrigues is an example of that as he's more than capable of holding down a third-line role but numbers pushed him down to the fourth line. Rodrigues right-winger is another example as 35 yr. old veteran Jason Pominville finds himself in the same situation. Just last year he was skating top-six minutes that included stints on Eichel's line.
The left side of the fourth line has three players battling for a spot. Scott Wilson may have been the front-runner to start there but he suffered an ankle injury and is out 8-10 weeks. Zemgus Girgensons is the longest continuously tenured Sabre and has been used literally all over the place during his five seasons in the league. He may find a home on the fourth line in Buffalo. The Sabres claimed Remi Elie off waivers from the Dallas Stars on Tuesday and he'll add even more depth in a checking line role.
The Defense
Dahlin wasn't drafted as a second-pairing defenseman but he'll start out there adjusts to an NHL game that's played on a smaller rink but perhaps his biggest adjustment will be knowing the players he'll be up against.
Heading up Buffalo's d-corps to start this season will be Rasmus Ristolainen and Marco Scandella. It's no secret that the Sabres defense has been below average at best and a train-wreck at worst while Ristolainen has been the No. 1 d-man on the team. This will be a good season to see whether or not the 22 yr. old and his less than stellar numbers are a product of him being over used and overrated. Ristolainen has averaged 26:04 of ice-time over the past three seasons, fourth most in the league, on Sabres teams that have not finished higher than seventh in the Atlantic Division.
Scandella was traded for in 2017 to help stabilize the defense and has been pretty solid for Buffalo. Although a first-pairing role is above his skill-level, he can hold his own but the mark of a Sabres defense on the rise would see him as more of a second-pairing player.
Buffalo head coach Phil Housley has had a long relationship with defenseman Jake McCabe dating back to their gold medal win for Team USA in the 2013 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships. The trust factor that began back then continues as Housley has McCabe on the second pairing with Dahlin as Buffalo's future No. 1 defenseman learns the ropes.
The third pairing for Buffalo might give fans the heebie-jeebies on any given night. For the opener college free agent defenseman Casey Nelson looks to get the start alongside Nathan Beaulieu. Nelson has some high-quality traits which includes a high hockey IQ and getting his shot through from the point while Beaulieu has the high-end skating skills that Housley wants from the back-end. However, Nelson still has his moments while Beaulieu is prone to egregious turnovers that often lead to goals against.
The Goalies
Hutton had a career season for the Blues last year. The free agent signee willingly came to Buffalo on a modest three-year deal as he saw an opportunity to win the starters role. Although his 2.09 goals-against average and .931 save percentage look awfully good, we're left to wonder just how much those number were a product of the strong group of skaters, including a upper-level defense-corps, in front of him. That said, one thing that really stands out is Hutton's puck-handling abilities and for a team that has had all kinds of trouble moving the puck up ice, he'll add a dimension conducive to kick-starting the offense from the back-end.
Ullmark has been a workhorse for the Rochester Americans the last two seasons while seeing a ton of rubber in the process. Like most goalies it's been a long learning curve and at times he looks unbeatable. Then there was the Calder Cup playoffs where he looked anything but. Backing up Hutton while getting plenty of games in will be a nice step in his development.
Special teams
The worst thing that could have happened to the Sabres last year happened as they began the season in a hole so deep that they couldn't climb out of it. A contributing factor to their early season implosion was the powerplay. Buffalo came into the season having had the league's best powerplay (24.5% conversion rate) in 2016-17 but it started off as a train wreck and they were dead last for a big chunk to start the season while also giving up an inordinate amount of shorthanded goals.
The addition of Skinner and his sniping ability should give the powerplay a huge boost as will Dahlin who will be in the mix somewhere. After their slow start, Buffalo's powerplay came to life and finished 20th in the league at 19.1%.
Buffalo's penalty kill units ran roughly at the same pace over the prior two seasons--77.6% in 2016-17 and 77.9% last season.
Coaching
To put it plainly, Housley looked to be in way over his head last season. As a Hall of Fame defenseman who was an assistant on the 2016-17 western conference champion Nashville Predators, Housley had the background to make the jump to NHL head coach. It was a rough ride and not all of it was his fault as he came to a team that was in the midst of a front office transition. And while the group of players he had at his disposal had some talent they lacked the overall speed he needed to get his system rolling.
That said, what happened with the powerplay using the same top unit was inexcusable.
Also to be questioned was his choice of a rookie assistant in Chris Hajt, who was in charge of the defense. In what might be one of the most crucial off seasons move by Botterill, the Sabres hired former NHL defenseman and three-time Stanley Cup winner Steve Smith to take over for Hajt behind the bench.
There's a lot to be said for credentials and commanding respect as a coach and Smith's got that as he was in charge of the Carolina Hurricanes defense and penalty kill that last four seasons. Although you won't see him flashing those Cup rings, Smith can boast a 'Canes defense that allowed the second-fewest shots per game (28) over that span and the fifth-best penalty kill (82.7) while molding Carolina's defense into one of the best young groups in the league.
The Prediction
It's no reach to see the Sabres making big strides this season as they've added talent, speed and competent coaching. However, just how big those strides are will be dependent upon a number of factors. This edition of the Buffalo Sabres might have a range of points anywhere from the upper-70's to lower-90's as there are a lot of "if _____ can's" that could get them to the upper level of that range.
Like:
--if Eichel can stay healthy and score at or near a point/game while bearing the burden of being the captain
--if Skinner can have another 30-goal (or more) season
--if Reinhart can have a breakout season on Eichel's right wing
--if they can beat a hot goalie or even a backup
--if Okposo can return to his 20-goal/55-pont self
--if the Sabres can get secondary scoring down to the third line
--if Mittelstadt can make the jump up to second-line center
--if the fourth line can lock down the opposition and meaningfully contribute offensively
--if they can get a surprise or two offensively and/or defensively
--if the powerplay can reach top-five status
--if the defense can become tighter
--if the defense can contribute offensively as a group
--if Ristolainen can continue to score but play better defensively
--if Dahlin can eventually become that driving offensive force from the back end
--if Zach Bogosian can stay on the ice and be the big, all-around defenseman he was drafted to be
--if the defense in general and Beaulieu in particular can limit their brain farts
--if Hutton can hold his own in a starters role
--if Ullmark can provide quality back-up minutes
--if Smith can turn the PK into a top-10 unit
--if Buffalo can get off to a fast start
--if they can go on a couple of runs
--if they can avoid prolonged slumps
--if they can win in overtime and the shootout
--if the Sabres can turn around the 21, one-goal losses they had last season...
And if they can play with speed, gumption and finish their chances than were possibly looking at one of those worst-to-playoff type seasons.
It's a lot to ask. Yet for a fan base that's coming off one of the worst seasons in the history of the franchise, methinks something as small as a watchable product, especially on home ice, with a Sabres team decidedly pointed in the right direction would constitute a huge leap for the club.
There' are many reasons to believe they'll make great strides this season, however it probably won't include the playoffs as they look to be a team that will end up in the 84 point range, give or take a few. Anything more than that would be a bonus.
*****
The Sabres open up the 2018-19 season at home tonight vs. the Boston Bruins (who lost 7-2 last night in Washington.) The projected lineup from Sabres twitter:
53 Jeff Skinner - 9 Jack Eichel - 23 Sam Reinhart
43 Conor Sheary - 10 Patrik Berglund - 72 Tage Thompson
17 Vladimir Sobotka - 37 Casey Mittelstadt - 21 Kyle Okposo
28 Zemgus Girgensons - 71 Evan Rodrigues - 29 Jason Pominville
6 Marco Scandella - 55 Rasmus Ristolainen
19 Jake McCabe - 26 Rasmus Dahlin
82 Nathan Beaulieu - 8 Casey Nelson
40 Carter Hutton
35 Linus Ullmark
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Some 2018-19 NHL predictions for the Buffalo Sabres
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 10-3-2018
Scott Burnside, The Athletic NHL Power Rankings
Buffalo, 25th
"Buffalo has a bonafide top line with Jack Eichel centering for Jeff Skinner and Sam Reinhart. For the first time in a long time, there’s skill on the other lines, too. Conor Sheary (second), Casey Mittelstadt (third) and Jason Pominville (fourth) bring balance. The Sabres could surprise people early with four straight home games, but that’s followed by five in a row on the West Coast. They’ll learn a lot about each other in the opening month." — John Vogl
*****
The Hockey News
6th in the Atlantic
"Buoyed by an injection of youth and new players, the Sabres are hoping to fulfill their potential and take a step towards becoming a playoff contender. (However) The Sabres accomplished the rare feat of scoring the fewest goals and being one of the worst defensive teams in the league last season, and those aren’t the kind of warts that disappear overnight. If there’s no progress made in both of those areas, it promises to be another miserable year in Buffalo.
"Buffalo is on its way to a brighter future, but the Sabres aren’t quite there yet. Look for great seasons out of Eichel and some real promise from Mittelstadt. And don’t count out the possibility that Buffalo battles for a wild-card berth.
*****
Greg Wyshynski, ESPN Power Rankings, Sabres--25th
"The Sabres are everybody's favorite sleeper team after losing Ryan O'Reilly but acquiring so much depth. 'I think things are really heading in the right direction,' Jack Eichel told ESPN this summer. 'I can confidently say that now.' Oh, and they also have the early favorite for the Calder Trophy in No. 1 overall pick Rasmus Dahlin."
*****
Brandon Schlager, The Sporting News
Atlantic Prediction--Buffalo, 5th (81.6 points)
"Sabres GM Jason Botterill entered the summer with a plan to rid the roster of predecessor Tim Murray's remaining influence. Mission accomplished, as perhaps no team in the NHL saw a greater volume of change up and down the roster after another dead-last finish.
Buffalo is another popular pick to make major gains in 2018-19. Time will tell if it all works out, but this is decidedly Botterill's vision now. At least, that's something to believe in."
*****
Dom Luszczyszyn, The Athletic: 22nd in the league, 87 projected points
"The playoffs are still very unlikely, but at 27 per cent the team their chances can’t be dismissed. They’re a step ahead of the other bottom feeders in the Atlantic, but still lag way behind the other four teams."
Luszczyszyn projection model is the most optimistic of the three he posted in his Sabres preview:
Emmanuel Perry, Corsica: 73.9 points, 31st
Rob Pizzola, Semi-Professional Sports Bettor: 81.2 points, 27th
Andy MacNeil, Vegas Stats & Information Network: 85.9 points, 24th
Over/Under Point Total, Bodog: 79.5 points, 27th
*****
Down Goes Brown, The Athletic: The bottom-feeder division (These teams are all sure-things to be terrible next year. You know, like the Avalanche, Devils and Golden Knights last year.) Buffalo--27th.
"Of all the teams in this section, the Sabres are the one that makes me nervous. I mean, they have to break through at some point, right?
"It’s also not hard to imagine a scenario where I am once again kicking myself for thinking the Sabres would ever stop being the Sabres. So I’m sticking them down here with the bottom feeders, if only as a motivating bit of reverse psychology. Prove me wrong, gentlemen."
*****
Larry Fischer, The Hockey Writers
5th in the Atlantic Division
" I was bullish on Buffalo last season, predicting the Sabres to make the playoffs. Instead, they finished last overall and won the Rasmus Dahlin lottery. I was wrong, but I’m still on Buffalo’s bandwagon as a future contender...I do think the Sabres will take a significant step in 2018-19,
Realistically, the Sabres are probably still a bottom-10 team, but I wouldn’t be shocked if they exceeded those expectations and made a little noise by hanging around in the playoff race."
*****
Griffin Youngs, Projecting every NHL team’s chances of hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2019
Buffalo, 27th on the list
Why they could win--The youth movement of the Buffalo Sabres is starting to seriously come together, and this could be the year that they finally break out of the basement and become a team worth notice. Jack Eichel will take another step in his development this season [and] If first overall pick Rasmus Dahlin can live up to the hype of a generational two-way defenseman and produce in his first year, the Sabres will have two of the best young players in the league on offense and defense.
Why they won't win--This team still needs time to gestate and finish their development before serious playoff contention can be considered.
Conclusion--The Sabres don’t really need to tank anymore with how much elite talent they’ve acquired through the draft, so expect a massive improvement from finishing in last. But making the playoffs this season is a bit ambitious.
Scott Burnside, The Athletic NHL Power Rankings
Buffalo, 25th
"Buffalo has a bonafide top line with Jack Eichel centering for Jeff Skinner and Sam Reinhart. For the first time in a long time, there’s skill on the other lines, too. Conor Sheary (second), Casey Mittelstadt (third) and Jason Pominville (fourth) bring balance. The Sabres could surprise people early with four straight home games, but that’s followed by five in a row on the West Coast. They’ll learn a lot about each other in the opening month." — John Vogl
*****
The Hockey News
6th in the Atlantic
"Buoyed by an injection of youth and new players, the Sabres are hoping to fulfill their potential and take a step towards becoming a playoff contender. (However) The Sabres accomplished the rare feat of scoring the fewest goals and being one of the worst defensive teams in the league last season, and those aren’t the kind of warts that disappear overnight. If there’s no progress made in both of those areas, it promises to be another miserable year in Buffalo.
"Buffalo is on its way to a brighter future, but the Sabres aren’t quite there yet. Look for great seasons out of Eichel and some real promise from Mittelstadt. And don’t count out the possibility that Buffalo battles for a wild-card berth.
*****
Greg Wyshynski, ESPN Power Rankings, Sabres--25th
"The Sabres are everybody's favorite sleeper team after losing Ryan O'Reilly but acquiring so much depth. 'I think things are really heading in the right direction,' Jack Eichel told ESPN this summer. 'I can confidently say that now.' Oh, and they also have the early favorite for the Calder Trophy in No. 1 overall pick Rasmus Dahlin."
*****
Brandon Schlager, The Sporting News
Atlantic Prediction--Buffalo, 5th (81.6 points)
"Sabres GM Jason Botterill entered the summer with a plan to rid the roster of predecessor Tim Murray's remaining influence. Mission accomplished, as perhaps no team in the NHL saw a greater volume of change up and down the roster after another dead-last finish.
Buffalo is another popular pick to make major gains in 2018-19. Time will tell if it all works out, but this is decidedly Botterill's vision now. At least, that's something to believe in."
*****
Dom Luszczyszyn, The Athletic: 22nd in the league, 87 projected points
"The playoffs are still very unlikely, but at 27 per cent the team their chances can’t be dismissed. They’re a step ahead of the other bottom feeders in the Atlantic, but still lag way behind the other four teams."
Luszczyszyn projection model is the most optimistic of the three he posted in his Sabres preview:
Emmanuel Perry, Corsica: 73.9 points, 31st
Rob Pizzola, Semi-Professional Sports Bettor: 81.2 points, 27th
Andy MacNeil, Vegas Stats & Information Network: 85.9 points, 24th
Over/Under Point Total, Bodog: 79.5 points, 27th
*****
Down Goes Brown, The Athletic: The bottom-feeder division (These teams are all sure-things to be terrible next year. You know, like the Avalanche, Devils and Golden Knights last year.) Buffalo--27th.
"Of all the teams in this section, the Sabres are the one that makes me nervous. I mean, they have to break through at some point, right?
"It’s also not hard to imagine a scenario where I am once again kicking myself for thinking the Sabres would ever stop being the Sabres. So I’m sticking them down here with the bottom feeders, if only as a motivating bit of reverse psychology. Prove me wrong, gentlemen."
*****
Larry Fischer, The Hockey Writers
5th in the Atlantic Division
" I was bullish on Buffalo last season, predicting the Sabres to make the playoffs. Instead, they finished last overall and won the Rasmus Dahlin lottery. I was wrong, but I’m still on Buffalo’s bandwagon as a future contender...I do think the Sabres will take a significant step in 2018-19,
Realistically, the Sabres are probably still a bottom-10 team, but I wouldn’t be shocked if they exceeded those expectations and made a little noise by hanging around in the playoff race."
*****
Griffin Youngs, Projecting every NHL team’s chances of hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2019
Buffalo, 27th on the list
Why they could win--The youth movement of the Buffalo Sabres is starting to seriously come together, and this could be the year that they finally break out of the basement and become a team worth notice. Jack Eichel will take another step in his development this season [and] If first overall pick Rasmus Dahlin can live up to the hype of a generational two-way defenseman and produce in his first year, the Sabres will have two of the best young players in the league on offense and defense.
Why they won't win--This team still needs time to gestate and finish their development before serious playoff contention can be considered.
Conclusion--The Sabres don’t really need to tank anymore with how much elite talent they’ve acquired through the draft, so expect a massive improvement from finishing in last. But making the playoffs this season is a bit ambitious.
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Sabres cancel practice, moves made, final roster due at 5 pm
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 10-2-2018
The Buffalo Sabres had a pretty hectic final preseason schedule featuring five games in eight nights with three of them on the road. Head coach Phil Housley noted the busy schedule last week and kept a pretty full roster because of it. The Sabres also opted to skip practice today while they finalize their 23-man roster by 5 pm EST.
Buffalo made a number of moves over the weekend which included waiving wingers Justin Bailey and Nicholas Baptiste on Saturday. The duo had been with the organization for a few years and ended up clearing waivers on Sunday. Baptiste was traded to the Nashville Predators on Monday for 22 yr. old defenseman Jack Dougherty, who has spent his pro career in the minors with the Milwaukee Admirals.
Yesterday the Sabres sent three players to Rochester--winger Alexander Nylander along with defensemen Brandon Hickey and Brendan Guhle.
While Hickey was almost guaranteed to be sent down and Guhle was highly probable, the Nylander demotion was a bit of a surprise. Nylander came into camp with something to prove, and looked like he did, but seems to have lost out to winger Tage Thompson for a spot in Buffalo's top-nine forward group. It should be interesting to note that when Thompson was acquired from the St. Louis Blues in the Ryan O'Reilly trade, Sabres GM Jason Botterill said that the big winger would get a shot in Buffalo's top-six. Botterill remained true to his word, at the expense of Nylander.
A spot did open up on the Sabres fourth line, however, as winger Scott Wilson got tangled up late at practice on Sunday and broke his ankle. He'll be out 8-10 weeks and rather than put a scorer in a grinder's role, Buffalo opted to hit the waiver wire and pick up winger Remi Elie from the Dallas Stars.
Elie was a 2103 second round pick (40th overall) who scored just over a point/game in the OHL prior to being traded to the Erie Otters. While in Erie riding shotgun on Connor McDavid's line, the big left-winger upped his per-game totals and had particularly strong run in the playoffs scoring 24 points, second only to McDavid.
As his pro career progressed 6'1" 210 lb. Elie went from a potential top-six powerforward to a bottom-six grinder who could pitch in offensively. In two seasons with the Texas Stars, Dallas' AHL affiliate, Elie managed 15 goals and 45 points in 117 games. He played all of last season with Dallas scoring 14 points (6+8) in 72 games.
Elie got caught up in a bit of a numbers crunch at the Stars' training camp this year and was the odd man out. Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News quoted Stars GM Jim Nill as saying about the decision to waive Elie. "In the end, maybe a little bit of the flexibility of the position," Nill said. "We got some guys that can play different positions which helps. Remi probably doesn't have that quite as much. In the end, the other guys based off of the camp, just earned it ahead of him. That's part of the competition."
There's no need for Elie to be versatile in Buffalo as they have a glut of centers, nor will he be looked at as anything but a fourth-line grinder as the Sabres have some scoring on the left side. Buffalo GM Jason Botterill had a hole on the fourth line after Wilson went down and filled it with Elie and one would think, barring other injuries he'll be waived or in the press box once Wilson returns.
These are the line Housley rolled out yesterday at practice:
Jeff Skinner -Jack Eichel -Sam Reinhart
Conor Sheary -Patrik Berglund -Tage Thompson
Vladimir Sobotka -Casey Mittelstadt -Kyle Okposo
Zemgus Girgensons -Evan Rodrigues -Jason Pominville
Sunday's practice had the same lineup with Wilson/Girgensons at left wing on the fourth line so if we sub Elie for Wilson, this looks like what the Sabres will be opening up on Thursday with one of the two in the press box.
The Buffalo Sabres had a pretty hectic final preseason schedule featuring five games in eight nights with three of them on the road. Head coach Phil Housley noted the busy schedule last week and kept a pretty full roster because of it. The Sabres also opted to skip practice today while they finalize their 23-man roster by 5 pm EST.
Buffalo made a number of moves over the weekend which included waiving wingers Justin Bailey and Nicholas Baptiste on Saturday. The duo had been with the organization for a few years and ended up clearing waivers on Sunday. Baptiste was traded to the Nashville Predators on Monday for 22 yr. old defenseman Jack Dougherty, who has spent his pro career in the minors with the Milwaukee Admirals.
Yesterday the Sabres sent three players to Rochester--winger Alexander Nylander along with defensemen Brandon Hickey and Brendan Guhle.
While Hickey was almost guaranteed to be sent down and Guhle was highly probable, the Nylander demotion was a bit of a surprise. Nylander came into camp with something to prove, and looked like he did, but seems to have lost out to winger Tage Thompson for a spot in Buffalo's top-nine forward group. It should be interesting to note that when Thompson was acquired from the St. Louis Blues in the Ryan O'Reilly trade, Sabres GM Jason Botterill said that the big winger would get a shot in Buffalo's top-six. Botterill remained true to his word, at the expense of Nylander.
A spot did open up on the Sabres fourth line, however, as winger Scott Wilson got tangled up late at practice on Sunday and broke his ankle. He'll be out 8-10 weeks and rather than put a scorer in a grinder's role, Buffalo opted to hit the waiver wire and pick up winger Remi Elie from the Dallas Stars.
Elie was a 2103 second round pick (40th overall) who scored just over a point/game in the OHL prior to being traded to the Erie Otters. While in Erie riding shotgun on Connor McDavid's line, the big left-winger upped his per-game totals and had particularly strong run in the playoffs scoring 24 points, second only to McDavid.
As his pro career progressed 6'1" 210 lb. Elie went from a potential top-six powerforward to a bottom-six grinder who could pitch in offensively. In two seasons with the Texas Stars, Dallas' AHL affiliate, Elie managed 15 goals and 45 points in 117 games. He played all of last season with Dallas scoring 14 points (6+8) in 72 games.
Elie got caught up in a bit of a numbers crunch at the Stars' training camp this year and was the odd man out. Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News quoted Stars GM Jim Nill as saying about the decision to waive Elie. "In the end, maybe a little bit of the flexibility of the position," Nill said. "We got some guys that can play different positions which helps. Remi probably doesn't have that quite as much. In the end, the other guys based off of the camp, just earned it ahead of him. That's part of the competition."
There's no need for Elie to be versatile in Buffalo as they have a glut of centers, nor will he be looked at as anything but a fourth-line grinder as the Sabres have some scoring on the left side. Buffalo GM Jason Botterill had a hole on the fourth line after Wilson went down and filled it with Elie and one would think, barring other injuries he'll be waived or in the press box once Wilson returns.
These are the line Housley rolled out yesterday at practice:
Jeff Skinner -Jack Eichel -Sam Reinhart
Conor Sheary -Patrik Berglund -Tage Thompson
Vladimir Sobotka -Casey Mittelstadt -Kyle Okposo
Zemgus Girgensons -Evan Rodrigues -Jason Pominville
Sunday's practice had the same lineup with Wilson/Girgensons at left wing on the fourth line so if we sub Elie for Wilson, this looks like what the Sabres will be opening up on Thursday with one of the two in the press box.
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Injuries open up spots on the Sabres roster
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 10-1-2018
Sabres forward Johan Larsson is a 26 yr. old young veteran who's played in 258 NHL games in a bottom-six role for Buffalo. Last year, much like the team in general, Larsson had a terrible season and coming into camp he was anything but a lock to make the roster.
Last month as training camp was beginning to roll, head coach Phil Housley told the gathered media he liked what he'd seen from Larsson in camp to that point. "I think he’s had three really good days (of training camp),” Housley said (via Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times) after the Sabres scrimmaged Sunday morning inside HarborCenter. “He’s come into camp in really good shape, probably the best shape that he’s been in. So it’s good to say he took the words in the right way at the end of the year. But he’s been really, really good so far in camp.”
Larsson's performance on the ice during the preseason was good and he showed flashes of his better self but really wasn't standing out from amongst the many players vying for a roster spot. The acquisitions of Conor Sheary added top-nine depth and when the Sabres traded Ryan O'Reilly to the St. Louis Blues they brought back two veterans forwards in Patrik Berglund and Vladimir Sobotka who pretty much passed Larsson on the depth chart upon arrival. In August the Sabres traded for top-six forward Jeff Skinner and he pushed another player down the depth chart probably pushing Larsson out, unless the latter had a helluva camp.
That really didn't happen and this past Wednesday Larsson suffered a foot injury. He's listed as day-to-day right now and prior to yesterday, many expected that when he came off of the injured list he'd be waived. However, what looks to be a serious injury to Scott Wilson yesterday during practice may have given Larsson a brief reprieve.
Wilson, whom the Sabres traded for in December and re-signed to a two-year contract extension, looked to be slated for fourth line duties on the wing before getting tangled up with Rasmus Ristolainen yesterday. Word from the rink had him being helped off the ice and not being able to put any pressure on his right foot. It might be safe to say that he won't be ready for the season opener on Thursday and might be out for an extended period of time.
Oddly enough, Sheary had just returned to practice yesterday after suffering an injury on the first day of training camp.
Another forward who was making a strong push for the opening night roster was rookie Sean Malone who suffered a knee injury in the preseason opener against Columbus. The center is expected to be out six weeks and is expected to got to Rochester when he's cleared to play.
The injuries to Malone, Larsson and now Wilson, in addition to the waiving of winger Justin Bailey and Nicholas Baptiste have combined to allow for winger Tage Thompson and Alexander Nylander to remain with the club. As of now there are 16 forwards listed on Buffalo's roster and only 13 when you take out the injured Malone, Larsson and Wilson.
Buffalo's defense-corps is crowded right now, at least on paper. The Sabres roster on defense stands at 11 players, but three of them are injured and another, Matt Tennyson, was waived on Saturday, cleared, and is presently practicing with the team. Defenseman Matt Hunwick was acquired in the Sheary trade but has been sidelined with a neck injury that caused him to miss all of training camp, Brandon Hickey is also sideline with an undisclosed injury and, as usual, Zach Bogosian is also out with an injury.
That leaves a group of four players that were pegged as starters to begin with--Rasmus Ristolainen, Marco Scandella, Jake McCabe and Rasmus Dahlin--plus two from last year, Nathan Beauleu and Casey Nelson, also in the mix for the top-six. Twenty-one year old defenseman Brendan Guhle, who's had a good but not spectacular camp, is still with the club and may have an opportunity to get into the top six should Bogosian not be ready for Thursday's opener.
Nylander, Thompson and Guhle are all waiver's exempt and when the injured start returning any of those three can be sent down without them having to pass through waivers. And, since Bailey and Baptiste cleared, they can be brought up and sent down if the Sabres want to bring either of them up for the opener.
NHL teams well need to pare their roster to 23 players tomorrow and when six of your 27 skaters are injured, that won't be much of a problem for Buffalo. Plus they can even keep Tennyson around as an extra defenseman, if they so desire.
There will be a lot to watch come opening night including individual players like Jack Eichel, newcomer Skinner and rookie defenseman Dahlin but we'll also be keeping an eye on young players like Nylander, Thompson and Guhle. Injuries have given them opportunities but their performances will dictate where the roster stands when the injured return.
Sabres forward Johan Larsson is a 26 yr. old young veteran who's played in 258 NHL games in a bottom-six role for Buffalo. Last year, much like the team in general, Larsson had a terrible season and coming into camp he was anything but a lock to make the roster.
Last month as training camp was beginning to roll, head coach Phil Housley told the gathered media he liked what he'd seen from Larsson in camp to that point. "I think he’s had three really good days (of training camp),” Housley said (via Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times) after the Sabres scrimmaged Sunday morning inside HarborCenter. “He’s come into camp in really good shape, probably the best shape that he’s been in. So it’s good to say he took the words in the right way at the end of the year. But he’s been really, really good so far in camp.”
Larsson's performance on the ice during the preseason was good and he showed flashes of his better self but really wasn't standing out from amongst the many players vying for a roster spot. The acquisitions of Conor Sheary added top-nine depth and when the Sabres traded Ryan O'Reilly to the St. Louis Blues they brought back two veterans forwards in Patrik Berglund and Vladimir Sobotka who pretty much passed Larsson on the depth chart upon arrival. In August the Sabres traded for top-six forward Jeff Skinner and he pushed another player down the depth chart probably pushing Larsson out, unless the latter had a helluva camp.
That really didn't happen and this past Wednesday Larsson suffered a foot injury. He's listed as day-to-day right now and prior to yesterday, many expected that when he came off of the injured list he'd be waived. However, what looks to be a serious injury to Scott Wilson yesterday during practice may have given Larsson a brief reprieve.
Wilson, whom the Sabres traded for in December and re-signed to a two-year contract extension, looked to be slated for fourth line duties on the wing before getting tangled up with Rasmus Ristolainen yesterday. Word from the rink had him being helped off the ice and not being able to put any pressure on his right foot. It might be safe to say that he won't be ready for the season opener on Thursday and might be out for an extended period of time.
Oddly enough, Sheary had just returned to practice yesterday after suffering an injury on the first day of training camp.
Another forward who was making a strong push for the opening night roster was rookie Sean Malone who suffered a knee injury in the preseason opener against Columbus. The center is expected to be out six weeks and is expected to got to Rochester when he's cleared to play.
The injuries to Malone, Larsson and now Wilson, in addition to the waiving of winger Justin Bailey and Nicholas Baptiste have combined to allow for winger Tage Thompson and Alexander Nylander to remain with the club. As of now there are 16 forwards listed on Buffalo's roster and only 13 when you take out the injured Malone, Larsson and Wilson.
Buffalo's defense-corps is crowded right now, at least on paper. The Sabres roster on defense stands at 11 players, but three of them are injured and another, Matt Tennyson, was waived on Saturday, cleared, and is presently practicing with the team. Defenseman Matt Hunwick was acquired in the Sheary trade but has been sidelined with a neck injury that caused him to miss all of training camp, Brandon Hickey is also sideline with an undisclosed injury and, as usual, Zach Bogosian is also out with an injury.
That leaves a group of four players that were pegged as starters to begin with--Rasmus Ristolainen, Marco Scandella, Jake McCabe and Rasmus Dahlin--plus two from last year, Nathan Beauleu and Casey Nelson, also in the mix for the top-six. Twenty-one year old defenseman Brendan Guhle, who's had a good but not spectacular camp, is still with the club and may have an opportunity to get into the top six should Bogosian not be ready for Thursday's opener.
Nylander, Thompson and Guhle are all waiver's exempt and when the injured start returning any of those three can be sent down without them having to pass through waivers. And, since Bailey and Baptiste cleared, they can be brought up and sent down if the Sabres want to bring either of them up for the opener.
NHL teams well need to pare their roster to 23 players tomorrow and when six of your 27 skaters are injured, that won't be much of a problem for Buffalo. Plus they can even keep Tennyson around as an extra defenseman, if they so desire.
There will be a lot to watch come opening night including individual players like Jack Eichel, newcomer Skinner and rookie defenseman Dahlin but we'll also be keeping an eye on young players like Nylander, Thompson and Guhle. Injuries have given them opportunities but their performances will dictate where the roster stands when the injured return.
Monday, October 1, 2018
Report: Justin Bailey, Nicholas Baptiste, Matt Tennyson waived by BUF
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-29-2018
Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reported three Buffalo Sabres on his list of NHL players waived by NHL teams. According to Lavoie, forwards Justin Bailey and Nicholas Baptiste, along with defenseman Matt Tennyson were waived by the team. No official announcement has been made.
With those moves the Sabres now have 16 forwards on the roster including injured players Johan Larsson and Sean Malone. The forward lineup has:
Jack Eichel, Kyle Okposo, Jeff Skinner, Jason Pominville, Patrik Berglund, Sam Reinhart, Vladimir Sobotka, Conor Sheary (who was injured but has begun skating,) Zemgus Girgensons, Scott Wilson, Tage Thompson, Casey Mittelstadt, Evan Rodrigues, and Alexander Nylander.
The Tennyson move allow for rookie free agent Lawrence Pilut to stay with the club as Buffalo's d-corps has Rasmus Ristolainen, Zach Bogosian (injured,) Marco Scandella, Nathan Beaulieu, Matt Hunwick (injured,) Jake McCabe, Rasmus Dahlin and Casey Nelson.
Bailey and Baptiste both were drafted in 2013 (2nd and 3rd rounds, respectively) and had similar roads to this point. Both finished junior and skated for the Rochester Americans (Bailey 159 games, Baptiste 157) and had ample time to make an impression with the big club (Bailey 52 games for Buffalo, Baptiste 47.)
The duo were supposed to put Buffalo in a very difficult situation during training camp and neither would be waiver-exempt and it was thought that the Sabres might want to keep one or both and send down a waiver-exempt player or two. Unfortunately neither made an impresson this season despite their speed. Buffalo decided to keep Nylander, who had an excellent camp and Thompson, who looked real good for stretches. They also kept young vet Girgensons over both Bailey and Baptiste.
The probability factor that each player might get claimed leans more towards yes, but with a long list of players being waived as teams get ready to finalize their rosters one or both might slip through.
As for Tennyson, he's been through this movie before. Although Sabres head coach Phil Housley said he like a lot of what Tennyson brought to the table, Pilut, who is waivers-exempt, had too good a camp to deny.
The Sabres are off today and will resume practice tomorrow.
*****
For those of us who weren't in Oshawa, Ontario for last nigh
t's Sabres/NY Islanders game, Buffalo defeated NY 5-4 to finish preseason with a win.
Highlights from the game have been very slow to surface but Sabres.com finally released them. Girgensons, Nelson, Dahlin and Skinner (2) all scored for Buffalo, which you can view here:
Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reported three Buffalo Sabres on his list of NHL players waived by NHL teams. According to Lavoie, forwards Justin Bailey and Nicholas Baptiste, along with defenseman Matt Tennyson were waived by the team. No official announcement has been made.
With those moves the Sabres now have 16 forwards on the roster including injured players Johan Larsson and Sean Malone. The forward lineup has:
Jack Eichel, Kyle Okposo, Jeff Skinner, Jason Pominville, Patrik Berglund, Sam Reinhart, Vladimir Sobotka, Conor Sheary (who was injured but has begun skating,) Zemgus Girgensons, Scott Wilson, Tage Thompson, Casey Mittelstadt, Evan Rodrigues, and Alexander Nylander.
The Tennyson move allow for rookie free agent Lawrence Pilut to stay with the club as Buffalo's d-corps has Rasmus Ristolainen, Zach Bogosian (injured,) Marco Scandella, Nathan Beaulieu, Matt Hunwick (injured,) Jake McCabe, Rasmus Dahlin and Casey Nelson.
Bailey and Baptiste both were drafted in 2013 (2nd and 3rd rounds, respectively) and had similar roads to this point. Both finished junior and skated for the Rochester Americans (Bailey 159 games, Baptiste 157) and had ample time to make an impression with the big club (Bailey 52 games for Buffalo, Baptiste 47.)
The duo were supposed to put Buffalo in a very difficult situation during training camp and neither would be waiver-exempt and it was thought that the Sabres might want to keep one or both and send down a waiver-exempt player or two. Unfortunately neither made an impresson this season despite their speed. Buffalo decided to keep Nylander, who had an excellent camp and Thompson, who looked real good for stretches. They also kept young vet Girgensons over both Bailey and Baptiste.
The probability factor that each player might get claimed leans more towards yes, but with a long list of players being waived as teams get ready to finalize their rosters one or both might slip through.
As for Tennyson, he's been through this movie before. Although Sabres head coach Phil Housley said he like a lot of what Tennyson brought to the table, Pilut, who is waivers-exempt, had too good a camp to deny.
The Sabres are off today and will resume practice tomorrow.
*****
For those of us who weren't in Oshawa, Ontario for last nigh
t's Sabres/NY Islanders game, Buffalo defeated NY 5-4 to finish preseason with a win.
Highlights from the game have been very slow to surface but Sabres.com finally released them. Girgensons, Nelson, Dahlin and Skinner (2) all scored for Buffalo, which you can view here:
Saturday, September 29, 2018
Building the 2018-19 Buffalo Sabres roster--The field
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-28-2018
The Buffalo Sabers head up to Oshawa, Ontario to take on the NY Islanders in their final preseason game.
Yes, you read that right, Oshawa, Ontario.
The city of about 160,000 is home to the Oshawa Generals of the OHL which boasts a long lineage of great players that have played for the club including Bobby Orr, Alex Delvecchio, Dave Andreychuk and Eric Lindros. Another big name, and more recent, is that of John Tavares, who was a member of the Islanders up until this off season when he signed a free agent contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Other Generals alum who were with the Islanders but have moved on are defenseman Calvin de Haan, who signed with the Carolina Hurricanes and prospect Michael del Colle, who was sent to Bridgeport (AHL.) Such was the impetus behind the 2017 planning of the game, but fans looking to see a Generals/Islanders connections will have to settle for Cal Clutterbuck.
It's and awkward situation overall but for the Sabres it's just another preseason game on the road in a different venue. The Sabres were tabbed for the Kraft Hockeyville USA game earlier this week in Clinton, NY which has a population of roughly 1,900. Buffalo played the Columbus Blue Jackets at Clinton Arena which is akin to playing a preseason game at HarborCenter save for the shorter ice and corners that were more square than an NHL rink. It might be safe to say that it was a great experience as the Sabres and Jackets brought the NHL to an intimate setting while also tapping into their early hockey roots playing in a "barn" like that.
The atmosphere should be similar at Tribute Communities Center in Oshawa tonight. Although the Center holds just over 6,000 when standing room is included, it's still a much smaller venue for an NHL team and the smaller city should make for an event similar to what took place in Clinton.
Regardless of the venue, there are 32 players that remain with the Sabers and only a few roster spots up for grabs. All but one player that is on the projected roster we began building in August are still either entrenched in the lineup or are in the mix for a couple of openings. Center Rasmus Asplund was sent to Rochester in a move that wasn't too surprising as the rookie played solid hockey but really didn't do much to separate himself from the crowd. Injuries to projected top-nine winger Conor Sheary and defenseman Zach Bogosian have opened up a couple more spots all of which will be filled by players from this group, with those just outside the top-three looking at reserve roles.
LW, Alexander Nylander
When Nylander was drafted with the eight-overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, his skating and skills were never in doubt as most felt that he had possibly the best skill-set of any player in his draft class. The knock on him has always been compete and that followed him into the pros as he made the jump directly to AHL as an 18 yr. old.
That same profile followed him into camp this year although Buffalo GM Jason Botterill reminded everyone that Nylander was still only 20 yrs. old and that most players are just hitting the pro ranks at his age. We were also reminded that a preseason injury pretty much scuttled much of his 2017-18 season and heard that he was determined to make an impact at camp this year.
That he did.
He's been one of Buffalo's best forwards this preseason and with Sheary sidelinded, as of right now Nylander looks to have a spot in the top-six to lose for Thursday's opener against the Boston Bruins. Even if Sheary were healthy, Nylander looks to have had the type of camp that would put him on the roster opening night. Good for him and good for the Sabres.
F, Evan Rodrigues
Rodrigues is entering his fourth pro season after leaving Boston University and signing with the Sabres as a free agent. The versatile forward has worked his way up the pro ranks and has showed definitive year-over-year progress in both Rochester and Buffalo.
Last season was yet another step forward for Rodrigues. After suffering an injury in camp which derailed his NHL plans, Rodrigues hit Rochester for an eight-game stint and scored 10 points (5+5.) He was with Buffalo for 48 games scoring seven goals and adding 18 assists.
Sabres coach Phil Housley has a player in Rodrigues that he can play up and down the lineup at either left wing or center and will be consistent game-in, game-out. The demotion of Asplund means that Rodrigues might find himself in a two-way winger role on the third-line. Although he's played better at center, right now Jack Eichel, Casey Mittelstadt and veteran Patrik Berglund look to be locks there which means Rodrigues could start out on the wing. And we're pretty sure he doesn't care as long as he plays.
D, Lawrence Pilut
The 22 yr. old Swedish defenseman has been making some waves at camp and has caught the eye of Housley. "I think it's just his calmness and poise with the puck," Housley told the media at practice the other day. "He attacks the game the right way. He gets into the play, he'll make those moves on the blue line. It shows the confidence he has in his abilities."
Pilut has never seen a play he wasn't ready to jump into which is the way Housley played the game. However, it looks as if Pilut may have a little more going for him on the defensive side of the equation.
The injury to Bogosian is a huge opportunity for one of the remaining defensemen still with the club and Pilut may have had the best camp thus far amongst a group that includes Nathan Beaulieu, Brendan Guhle and Brandon Hickey.
D, Nathan Beaulieu
Beaulieu has all the skating and puck-moving abilities that Housley and Co. love from their defenseman. The 17th-ovearll pick in 2011 came to Buffalo last year in a trade with the Montreal Canadians and Sabres fans were curious as to why he fell from a top-pairing spot with Shea Weber all the way to the pressbox. Last season they got a pretty good look as to why that happened.
For all the great skills and qualities Beaulieu has, he has a brain fart on the ice seemingly almost every game and it's why the 25 yr, old young vet of 284 NHL games sees himself in a battle with an undrafted rookie like Pilut who is making his North American debut this year.
F, Justin Bailey
Bailey is one of two players drafted in 2013 who hit Rochester in 2015-16. The 23 yr. old has played in 159 games AHL games and 52 NHL games making some solid progress along the way.
Drafted as a powerforward with a good scoring touch, Bailey has yet to have offensive skills translate to the NHL-level and it looks as if his ceiling is that of a bottom-six role player. He still has great size (6'4" 214 lbs) and has tremendous speed which has been on display all camp. Bailey is no longer waiver-exempt which could have put the Sabres in a very difficult position. However, a foot injury to Johan Larsson, who's considered day-to-day looks to have put that decision on hold.
F, Nicholas Baptiste
Is the second of the 2013 draft picks who was with the Amerks beginning in 2015-16. Like Bailey, Baptiste has spent the majority of his time with Rochester (157 games) while also getting a good taste of the NHL game with Buffalo (47 games.)
Baptiste also has speed and size but seems to have little more offensive acumen a higher ceiling than Bailey. However, he's yet to stand out this camp and it will be an interesting decision for Buffalo as Baptiste has also lost his waiver-exempt status.
RW, Tage Thompson
When you see a young guy like Thompson pull off a play like he did against Leafs a week ago, the wow-factor of a 6'5" 205 lb. forward who can create separation like that and finish with a wicked shot whets your appetite to see him skating in a Sabres uniform this year.
Thompson was a 2016 first-rounder (26th-overall) of the St. Louis Blues and has spent nearly the same number of games (41) in the NHL as he has in the AHL (46.) As it stands right now, Thompson is behind at least two right wingers on the club--Sam Reinhart and Kyle Okposo--and because of Jason Pominville's status both contractually and as a vet on the team, Thompson might only see fourth-line duty with the Sabres at this juncture.
Although it doesn't mean he's worse than a player like Pominville, it wouldn't seem as if Housley will want too many question marks heading into the season as he wants to get off to a fast start. Thompson still has waiver-exempt status and could use more seasoning in the AHL to develop consistency to his game. He's got top-six talent but right now for Buffalo there's really no need to rush him.
D, Brendan Guhle
Might be the most disappointing Sabre at camp this year. That said, perhaps expectations were a little too high for the 21 yr. old second-rounder (51st overall, 2015) entering camp as he's wowed us ever since his first camp three years ago. Guhle's skating and athleticism are top-notch, he has some excellent on-ice vision and can lay the body on people. Although he was never touted as a scorer, Guhle has been able to put up solid point totals in the AHL.
Consistency is the big issue with him at this point in his very young career. With an organization that's steadfast in proper development, the emergence of Pilut as a roster possibility to start the season and Guhle's waiver-exempt status, he could be due for another year of seasoning in the AHL with intermittent call-ups as needed.
F, Johan Larsson
Prior to his foot injury against the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier this week, Larsson seemed like a bubble player. He had a rough season last year and despite coming to camp with a different attitude and a sharper focus, Larsson hasn't had an impact in a bottom-six role. Add to that his lack of speed, which most other bubble forwards have, and it looked as if he was on the way out prior to his injury.
D, Brandon Hickey
Hickey was acquired in the Hudson Fasching trade with Arizona. The Boston University product who signed with the Sabres after the trade has had a solid camp in a steady, stay-at-home defenseman role for the club. Although still raw for the pro ranks, Hickey plays the game with a lot of poise. He was a very long shot to make the club but should be a strong addition to an already strong Amerks blueline.
D, Matt Tennyson
Last year Tennyson was the beneficiary of a rash of blueline injuries in Buffalo and ended up playing in 15 games for the Sabres. Unfortunately things didn't go well for him or the team last season in Buffalo and he was sent to Rochester. This year he's behind quite a few players in the pecking order.
F, Sean Malone
It's a shame that Malone was injured as he was having an eye-brow raising camp. The 2013 sixth-rounder (159th overall) relishes his role as a checking line center that does all the dirty work and he was performing every bit the part until suffering a knee injury a week-and-a-half ago. The West Seneca, NY native will have a six week recovery time before heading to Rochester once deemed healthy.
D, Matt Hunwick
Acquired from the Penguins along with Sheary, Hunwick suffered a neck injury in camp that have some thinking that it might be career threatening for the 33 yr. old.
Building the 2018-19 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Conor Sheary / C, Jack Eichel / RW, Sam Reinhart
LW, Jeff Skinner / C, Casey Mittelstadt / RW, Kyle Okposo
LW, Patrik Berglund / C, Rasmus Asplund / RW, Jason Pominville
LW, Scott Wilson / C, Zemgus Girgensons / RW, Vladimir Sobotka
Alexander Nylander, Evan Rodrigues, Justin Bailey
LHD, Marco Scandella / RHD, Rasmus Ristolainen
LHD, Rasmus Dahlin / RHD, Zach Bogosian
LHD, Jake McCabe / RHD, Casey Nelson
Lawrence Pilut, Nathan Beaulieu
G, Carter Hutton
G, Linus Ullmark
The Buffalo Sabers head up to Oshawa, Ontario to take on the NY Islanders in their final preseason game.
Yes, you read that right, Oshawa, Ontario.
The city of about 160,000 is home to the Oshawa Generals of the OHL which boasts a long lineage of great players that have played for the club including Bobby Orr, Alex Delvecchio, Dave Andreychuk and Eric Lindros. Another big name, and more recent, is that of John Tavares, who was a member of the Islanders up until this off season when he signed a free agent contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Other Generals alum who were with the Islanders but have moved on are defenseman Calvin de Haan, who signed with the Carolina Hurricanes and prospect Michael del Colle, who was sent to Bridgeport (AHL.) Such was the impetus behind the 2017 planning of the game, but fans looking to see a Generals/Islanders connections will have to settle for Cal Clutterbuck.
It's and awkward situation overall but for the Sabres it's just another preseason game on the road in a different venue. The Sabres were tabbed for the Kraft Hockeyville USA game earlier this week in Clinton, NY which has a population of roughly 1,900. Buffalo played the Columbus Blue Jackets at Clinton Arena which is akin to playing a preseason game at HarborCenter save for the shorter ice and corners that were more square than an NHL rink. It might be safe to say that it was a great experience as the Sabres and Jackets brought the NHL to an intimate setting while also tapping into their early hockey roots playing in a "barn" like that.
The atmosphere should be similar at Tribute Communities Center in Oshawa tonight. Although the Center holds just over 6,000 when standing room is included, it's still a much smaller venue for an NHL team and the smaller city should make for an event similar to what took place in Clinton.
Regardless of the venue, there are 32 players that remain with the Sabers and only a few roster spots up for grabs. All but one player that is on the projected roster we began building in August are still either entrenched in the lineup or are in the mix for a couple of openings. Center Rasmus Asplund was sent to Rochester in a move that wasn't too surprising as the rookie played solid hockey but really didn't do much to separate himself from the crowd. Injuries to projected top-nine winger Conor Sheary and defenseman Zach Bogosian have opened up a couple more spots all of which will be filled by players from this group, with those just outside the top-three looking at reserve roles.
LW, Alexander Nylander
When Nylander was drafted with the eight-overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, his skating and skills were never in doubt as most felt that he had possibly the best skill-set of any player in his draft class. The knock on him has always been compete and that followed him into the pros as he made the jump directly to AHL as an 18 yr. old.
That same profile followed him into camp this year although Buffalo GM Jason Botterill reminded everyone that Nylander was still only 20 yrs. old and that most players are just hitting the pro ranks at his age. We were also reminded that a preseason injury pretty much scuttled much of his 2017-18 season and heard that he was determined to make an impact at camp this year.
That he did.
He's been one of Buffalo's best forwards this preseason and with Sheary sidelinded, as of right now Nylander looks to have a spot in the top-six to lose for Thursday's opener against the Boston Bruins. Even if Sheary were healthy, Nylander looks to have had the type of camp that would put him on the roster opening night. Good for him and good for the Sabres.
F, Evan Rodrigues
Rodrigues is entering his fourth pro season after leaving Boston University and signing with the Sabres as a free agent. The versatile forward has worked his way up the pro ranks and has showed definitive year-over-year progress in both Rochester and Buffalo.
Last season was yet another step forward for Rodrigues. After suffering an injury in camp which derailed his NHL plans, Rodrigues hit Rochester for an eight-game stint and scored 10 points (5+5.) He was with Buffalo for 48 games scoring seven goals and adding 18 assists.
Sabres coach Phil Housley has a player in Rodrigues that he can play up and down the lineup at either left wing or center and will be consistent game-in, game-out. The demotion of Asplund means that Rodrigues might find himself in a two-way winger role on the third-line. Although he's played better at center, right now Jack Eichel, Casey Mittelstadt and veteran Patrik Berglund look to be locks there which means Rodrigues could start out on the wing. And we're pretty sure he doesn't care as long as he plays.
D, Lawrence Pilut
The 22 yr. old Swedish defenseman has been making some waves at camp and has caught the eye of Housley. "I think it's just his calmness and poise with the puck," Housley told the media at practice the other day. "He attacks the game the right way. He gets into the play, he'll make those moves on the blue line. It shows the confidence he has in his abilities."
Pilut has never seen a play he wasn't ready to jump into which is the way Housley played the game. However, it looks as if Pilut may have a little more going for him on the defensive side of the equation.
The injury to Bogosian is a huge opportunity for one of the remaining defensemen still with the club and Pilut may have had the best camp thus far amongst a group that includes Nathan Beaulieu, Brendan Guhle and Brandon Hickey.
D, Nathan Beaulieu
Beaulieu has all the skating and puck-moving abilities that Housley and Co. love from their defenseman. The 17th-ovearll pick in 2011 came to Buffalo last year in a trade with the Montreal Canadians and Sabres fans were curious as to why he fell from a top-pairing spot with Shea Weber all the way to the pressbox. Last season they got a pretty good look as to why that happened.
For all the great skills and qualities Beaulieu has, he has a brain fart on the ice seemingly almost every game and it's why the 25 yr, old young vet of 284 NHL games sees himself in a battle with an undrafted rookie like Pilut who is making his North American debut this year.
F, Justin Bailey
Bailey is one of two players drafted in 2013 who hit Rochester in 2015-16. The 23 yr. old has played in 159 games AHL games and 52 NHL games making some solid progress along the way.
Drafted as a powerforward with a good scoring touch, Bailey has yet to have offensive skills translate to the NHL-level and it looks as if his ceiling is that of a bottom-six role player. He still has great size (6'4" 214 lbs) and has tremendous speed which has been on display all camp. Bailey is no longer waiver-exempt which could have put the Sabres in a very difficult position. However, a foot injury to Johan Larsson, who's considered day-to-day looks to have put that decision on hold.
F, Nicholas Baptiste
Is the second of the 2013 draft picks who was with the Amerks beginning in 2015-16. Like Bailey, Baptiste has spent the majority of his time with Rochester (157 games) while also getting a good taste of the NHL game with Buffalo (47 games.)
Baptiste also has speed and size but seems to have little more offensive acumen a higher ceiling than Bailey. However, he's yet to stand out this camp and it will be an interesting decision for Buffalo as Baptiste has also lost his waiver-exempt status.
RW, Tage Thompson
When you see a young guy like Thompson pull off a play like he did against Leafs a week ago, the wow-factor of a 6'5" 205 lb. forward who can create separation like that and finish with a wicked shot whets your appetite to see him skating in a Sabres uniform this year.
Thompson was a 2016 first-rounder (26th-overall) of the St. Louis Blues and has spent nearly the same number of games (41) in the NHL as he has in the AHL (46.) As it stands right now, Thompson is behind at least two right wingers on the club--Sam Reinhart and Kyle Okposo--and because of Jason Pominville's status both contractually and as a vet on the team, Thompson might only see fourth-line duty with the Sabres at this juncture.
Although it doesn't mean he's worse than a player like Pominville, it wouldn't seem as if Housley will want too many question marks heading into the season as he wants to get off to a fast start. Thompson still has waiver-exempt status and could use more seasoning in the AHL to develop consistency to his game. He's got top-six talent but right now for Buffalo there's really no need to rush him.
D, Brendan Guhle
Might be the most disappointing Sabre at camp this year. That said, perhaps expectations were a little too high for the 21 yr. old second-rounder (51st overall, 2015) entering camp as he's wowed us ever since his first camp three years ago. Guhle's skating and athleticism are top-notch, he has some excellent on-ice vision and can lay the body on people. Although he was never touted as a scorer, Guhle has been able to put up solid point totals in the AHL.
Consistency is the big issue with him at this point in his very young career. With an organization that's steadfast in proper development, the emergence of Pilut as a roster possibility to start the season and Guhle's waiver-exempt status, he could be due for another year of seasoning in the AHL with intermittent call-ups as needed.
F, Johan Larsson
Prior to his foot injury against the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier this week, Larsson seemed like a bubble player. He had a rough season last year and despite coming to camp with a different attitude and a sharper focus, Larsson hasn't had an impact in a bottom-six role. Add to that his lack of speed, which most other bubble forwards have, and it looked as if he was on the way out prior to his injury.
D, Brandon Hickey
Hickey was acquired in the Hudson Fasching trade with Arizona. The Boston University product who signed with the Sabres after the trade has had a solid camp in a steady, stay-at-home defenseman role for the club. Although still raw for the pro ranks, Hickey plays the game with a lot of poise. He was a very long shot to make the club but should be a strong addition to an already strong Amerks blueline.
D, Matt Tennyson
Last year Tennyson was the beneficiary of a rash of blueline injuries in Buffalo and ended up playing in 15 games for the Sabres. Unfortunately things didn't go well for him or the team last season in Buffalo and he was sent to Rochester. This year he's behind quite a few players in the pecking order.
F, Sean Malone
It's a shame that Malone was injured as he was having an eye-brow raising camp. The 2013 sixth-rounder (159th overall) relishes his role as a checking line center that does all the dirty work and he was performing every bit the part until suffering a knee injury a week-and-a-half ago. The West Seneca, NY native will have a six week recovery time before heading to Rochester once deemed healthy.
D, Matt Hunwick
Acquired from the Penguins along with Sheary, Hunwick suffered a neck injury in camp that have some thinking that it might be career threatening for the 33 yr. old.
Building the 2018-19 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Conor Sheary / C, Jack Eichel / RW, Sam Reinhart
LW, Jeff Skinner / C, Casey Mittelstadt / RW, Kyle Okposo
LW, Patrik Berglund / C, Rasmus Asplund / RW, Jason Pominville
LW, Scott Wilson / C, Zemgus Girgensons / RW, Vladimir Sobotka
Alexander Nylander, Evan Rodrigues, Justin Bailey
LHD, Marco Scandella / RHD, Rasmus Ristolainen
LHD, Rasmus Dahlin / RHD, Zach Bogosian
LHD, Jake McCabe / RHD, Casey Nelson
Lawrence Pilut, Nathan Beaulieu
G, Carter Hutton
G, Linus Ullmark
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