Here's what the media pedicts for the Sabres this season.
The Hockey News:
2nd in the division, 5th in the conference--"Everyone knows the Sabres are built around Ryan Miller and that hasn’t changed... the Sabres should improve on last year’s seventh-place showing and make for an interesting team to watch in 2011-12."
Adam Proteau (the Hockey News):
2nd in the division, 5th in the conference--"Overall, there’s no disputing Buffalo now has all the components to be a serious Cup threat. But if I were a Sabres fan, I’d temper my expectations with the knowledge it might take a year or two for the team to fully gel."
Bodog Odds To Win the Cup:
Buffalo--18:1
Kevin Allen, USA Today:
2nd in the division--"Buffalo finished seven points behind Boston last season, and the Sabres might be six points better this season. But those last couple of points are what separate very good teams from great teams."
The Canadian Press:
2nd in the division, 6th in the conference--"There are no glaring holes in this Sabres team, especially if Ryan Miller plays up to his Vezina Trophy standard of 2009-10, making them a squad to keep an eye on."
CBS Sportsline.com:
2nd in the division--"Overall, it's not a roster with many holes in it whatsoever. It will just come down to how talented the team proves to be as there are multiple players capable of 50-plus point seasons."
ESPN:
Matt Barnaby, John Buccigross, Linda Cohn, Craig Custance, Steve Levy, Pierre LeBrun--1st in the division.
Cohn, Levy--Eastern Conference Champions
Levy--Stanley Cup Champions
TSN Consensus:
2nd in the division, 6th in the conference
Darren Eliot, Sports Illustrated:
1st in the division--"The Sabres have a complete four-line, six-D compliment for the first time in ages and the goaltending to back it up."
ESPN Power Rankings, Scott Burnside:
Sabres, #10--"We have to admit that we're still not sure how all the pieces will fit together in Buffalo, but this is not your grandfather's Sabres squad, that's for sure."
CBSSportsline Power Rankings, Adam Gretz:
Sabres, #9--"Who didn't these guys sign this summer for big money? Love the addition of Robyn Regehr, while Christian Ehrhoff and Ville Leino should improve them, even if those two contracts were a bit of an overpayment and/or gamble."
Yahoo Puckdaddy:
Greg Wyshinski--1st in the division, 2nd conference
Sean Leahy--3rd in the division, 8th conference
Harrison Mooney--1st in the division, 3rd conference
Dmitry Chesnokov--outside the playoffs (4th in the division behind Boston, Montreal, Toronto)
Ryan Lambert--2nd in the division, 6th conference
Dobber--2nd in the division, 7th conference
Showing posts with label 2011/12 season preview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2011/12 season preview. Show all posts
Friday, October 7, 2011
2011/12 Season Preview, Part 4--The Prediction
"I loathe making predictions about particular series. I put no stock my own or "expert" predictions because I truly believe that the most knowledgeable piece of hockey wisdom is that the game is unpredictable and all a team can do is try to be as well-stocked and well-prepared as possible."--Bill Meltzer, versus.com
http://www.versus.com/blogs/the-daily-drop/no-upsets-would-be-an-upset/
This...
...is what we're looking at as the Sabres head into the 2011/12 season.
It would seem as if Terry Pegula, Senior Advisor Ken Sawyer and President Ted Black have the same philosophy. Pegula gave the green light to the organization to not only go after talent, but add to the coaching staff and the scouting staff--said Pegula, "there will be no financial mandates on the Buffalo Sabres hockey department."
The hockey world has been focusing on the obvious in their Sabres previews, Pegula let Darcy Regier spend to the point that they had the highest payroll in the league. But before we get to the players on the ice, it should be noted that the Sabres had some changes to the coaching staff behind Lindy Ruff.
Out was long-time Assistant Coach, Brian McCutcheon. In is Kevyn Adams, a former Stanley Cup winner with Carolina. Adams has been working with the players as a player development coach for over a year and has been said to be directly responsible for the successes of Tyler Ennis, Nathan Gerbe and Paul Gaustad. He will join Assistant Coach James Patrick behind the bench.
New to the coaching staff is former Sabres defensman and veteran of 20 NHL seasons, Teppo Numminen. Numminen will be up in the booth communicating directly with Adams during games breaking down the opposition.
Having another coach on the team means more direct interaction with the players. Said Ruff, "We've done a lot of individual work with players, and due to the size of the staff you can spend time now. You can have Teppo spend time with one or two of our defensemen. You can have James Patrick and Kevyn Adams doing the same."
Patrick, Adams and Numminen will be working with a well-stocked team this season thanks to an unprecedented off-season spending spree by Regier.
All the question marks concerning the Sabres heading into the 2011/12 season revolve around the center position.
Ideally, Regier could've gone out back to the #1-center tree and picked one. And they put in a good bid to hire the services of Brad Richards. But Richards, seemingly, pulled a LeBron James and made a spectacle of a foregone conclusion. In hindsight, there was little doubt he'd be headed to Broadway. Pegula and Regier were rather quick to figure it out and instituted Plan B immediately.
In comes Ville Leino.
Nobody knows what he will bring to the team, but he wants to be in that position, Ruff believes he can at least play, if not excell, there and he'll have a very deep pool of wingers with which to build some chemistry.
The team seems to be three lines deep with talent. Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville, Drew Stafford and Brad Boyes have all reached the 30-goal mark with Vanek and Boyes scoring over 40. Sophomore Tyler Ennis reached 20 last season while Nathan Gerbe showed he's capable of a 20-goal season.
After finishing 9th in the league last season in goals/game, the team will be looking to score more with the addition of Leino and with Boyes playing a full season for the team on the wing as opposed to center.
An area that will help improve that ranking is the power play. It was also 9th last season. There will be some juggling with the major move being Pomiville down low instead of playing the point. And one of the main reasons he'll be able to move there is the acquisition of defenseman Christian Ehrhoff.
A Sabres strength this season could be the emergence of the defense as an even stronger two-way force.
Erhoff has a penchant for finding open ice, whether 5-on-5 or on the power play, and has a deft shot. Tyler Myers seems hell-bent upon attaking as much as he can at any given moment and with Robyn Regehr covering his back, he'll be able to do that more confidently. Add in Marc-Andre Gragnani and his puck-moving skills for a full season, and you have three puck-movers with a big scoring upside. And we haven't even touched upon Jordan Leopold and Andrej Sekera, who are no strangers to putting points up.
That's a total of five defensemen jumping into the rush and acting as a "foruth forward."
This mode of attack doesn't necessarily mean that the team will be a sieve on defense. The top-three of Myers, Regehr and Ehrhoff all are responsible in their own end. Leopold at one point last season lead the team in +/- and Gragnani looks to be pretty solid as well. Mike Weber, who culd be the odd man out early, is very solid as well.
As long as they take care of their job and cut off the back-door play, there will always be Ryan Miller to bail them out.
This year not unlike, the 2009/10 season, Miller will have some solid veteran rear guards taking care of business in their own end which will allow him to get high into the crease and do what he does best, challenge shooters.
Miller can expect a number of odd man rushes this season due to the attack-mode the team will be in on offense. We know he can stop the breakaway and we know he's able to stop the two-on-one, if his defenseman plays it like he should.
With that in mind, it shouldn't be too difficult for the Sabres to significantly improve upon their 18th goals against ranking last season. The defense also looks staunch enough to be able to lift the penalty kill from it's #13 finish last season.
Terry Pegula has given the team it's goal. He's all-in.
Darcy Regier has gone out and filled holes.
Lindy Ruff has the team focusing on a business-like approach to the season.
Now it's up to the players.
While in Mannaheim, Germany playing on a larger ice surface, Ruff told his team to play like it was on an NHL rink. And the players obliged. That's a good sign that everyone is on the same page.
For the Sabres to take the Northeast Division crown away from the Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins, they'll need to make up seven or eight points. And that's within the realm of possibility with this group as long as they remain focused upon this, from Terry Pegula, "Winning is not a goal, it's a belief."
With that being said, I believe they will put together a real good season and expect the Sabres to finish:
1st in the Northeast
3rd in the Eastern Conference
http://www.versus.com/blogs/the-daily-drop/no-upsets-would-be-an-upset/
This...
...is what we're looking at as the Sabres head into the 2011/12 season.
It would seem as if Terry Pegula, Senior Advisor Ken Sawyer and President Ted Black have the same philosophy. Pegula gave the green light to the organization to not only go after talent, but add to the coaching staff and the scouting staff--said Pegula, "there will be no financial mandates on the Buffalo Sabres hockey department."
The hockey world has been focusing on the obvious in their Sabres previews, Pegula let Darcy Regier spend to the point that they had the highest payroll in the league. But before we get to the players on the ice, it should be noted that the Sabres had some changes to the coaching staff behind Lindy Ruff.
Out was long-time Assistant Coach, Brian McCutcheon. In is Kevyn Adams, a former Stanley Cup winner with Carolina. Adams has been working with the players as a player development coach for over a year and has been said to be directly responsible for the successes of Tyler Ennis, Nathan Gerbe and Paul Gaustad. He will join Assistant Coach James Patrick behind the bench.
New to the coaching staff is former Sabres defensman and veteran of 20 NHL seasons, Teppo Numminen. Numminen will be up in the booth communicating directly with Adams during games breaking down the opposition.
Having another coach on the team means more direct interaction with the players. Said Ruff, "We've done a lot of individual work with players, and due to the size of the staff you can spend time now. You can have Teppo spend time with one or two of our defensemen. You can have James Patrick and Kevyn Adams doing the same."
Patrick, Adams and Numminen will be working with a well-stocked team this season thanks to an unprecedented off-season spending spree by Regier.
It Wasn't A "Perfect" Off-Season, But It Was Pretty Damn Solid
All the question marks concerning the Sabres heading into the 2011/12 season revolve around the center position.
Ideally, Regier could've gone out back to the #1-center tree and picked one. And they put in a good bid to hire the services of Brad Richards. But Richards, seemingly, pulled a LeBron James and made a spectacle of a foregone conclusion. In hindsight, there was little doubt he'd be headed to Broadway. Pegula and Regier were rather quick to figure it out and instituted Plan B immediately.
In comes Ville Leino.
Nobody knows what he will bring to the team, but he wants to be in that position, Ruff believes he can at least play, if not excell, there and he'll have a very deep pool of wingers with which to build some chemistry.
The team seems to be three lines deep with talent. Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville, Drew Stafford and Brad Boyes have all reached the 30-goal mark with Vanek and Boyes scoring over 40. Sophomore Tyler Ennis reached 20 last season while Nathan Gerbe showed he's capable of a 20-goal season.
After finishing 9th in the league last season in goals/game, the team will be looking to score more with the addition of Leino and with Boyes playing a full season for the team on the wing as opposed to center.
An area that will help improve that ranking is the power play. It was also 9th last season. There will be some juggling with the major move being Pomiville down low instead of playing the point. And one of the main reasons he'll be able to move there is the acquisition of defenseman Christian Ehrhoff.
Regier Fills Holes On Defense
A Sabres strength this season could be the emergence of the defense as an even stronger two-way force.
Erhoff has a penchant for finding open ice, whether 5-on-5 or on the power play, and has a deft shot. Tyler Myers seems hell-bent upon attaking as much as he can at any given moment and with Robyn Regehr covering his back, he'll be able to do that more confidently. Add in Marc-Andre Gragnani and his puck-moving skills for a full season, and you have three puck-movers with a big scoring upside. And we haven't even touched upon Jordan Leopold and Andrej Sekera, who are no strangers to putting points up.
That's a total of five defensemen jumping into the rush and acting as a "foruth forward."
This mode of attack doesn't necessarily mean that the team will be a sieve on defense. The top-three of Myers, Regehr and Ehrhoff all are responsible in their own end. Leopold at one point last season lead the team in +/- and Gragnani looks to be pretty solid as well. Mike Weber, who culd be the odd man out early, is very solid as well.
As long as they take care of their job and cut off the back-door play, there will always be Ryan Miller to bail them out.
This year not unlike, the 2009/10 season, Miller will have some solid veteran rear guards taking care of business in their own end which will allow him to get high into the crease and do what he does best, challenge shooters.
Miller can expect a number of odd man rushes this season due to the attack-mode the team will be in on offense. We know he can stop the breakaway and we know he's able to stop the two-on-one, if his defenseman plays it like he should.
With that in mind, it shouldn't be too difficult for the Sabres to significantly improve upon their 18th goals against ranking last season. The defense also looks staunch enough to be able to lift the penalty kill from it's #13 finish last season.
The Prediction
The 2011/12 edition has the talent with which to improve in all areas this season, but what it may come down to is attitdude.
Terry Pegula has given the team it's goal. He's all-in.
Darcy Regier has gone out and filled holes.
Lindy Ruff has the team focusing on a business-like approach to the season.
Now it's up to the players.
While in Mannaheim, Germany playing on a larger ice surface, Ruff told his team to play like it was on an NHL rink. And the players obliged. That's a good sign that everyone is on the same page.
For the Sabres to take the Northeast Division crown away from the Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins, they'll need to make up seven or eight points. And that's within the realm of possibility with this group as long as they remain focused upon this, from Terry Pegula, "Winning is not a goal, it's a belief."
With that being said, I believe they will put together a real good season and expect the Sabres to finish:
1st in the Northeast
3rd in the Eastern Conference
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Sabres 2011/12 Season Preview Part 3--The Forwards
Two areas of weakness were exposed last season in the playoffs: veteran, top-four talent on defense and the lack of a true #1 center up front.
The former, being somewhat easier to fill than the latter, was addressed in a matter of a few days as the team traded for Robyn Regehr and the rights to Christian Ehrhoff whom they signed soon thereafter.
Buffalo was in the running for the only bonafide #1 center on the free agent market, Brad Richards, but Richards opted to sign with the NY Rangers. GM Darcy Regier immediately implemented Plan B and signed former Philadelphia winger Ville Leino whom the team plans to play at center.
The whole Leino signing was a head-scratcher--from a return to his preferred position at center, to the length and term of his 6-year/$27m contract. But Head Coach Lindy Ruff, having watched Leino's work up close for seven games versus the Flyers in the playoffs, saw enough to be convinced that Leino will work at center for the team.
With that in mind, we take a look at the forwards heading into the 2011/12 season starting with the centers.
Ville Leino--What Ruff saw against Philadelphia in the playoffs was Leino often times playing down low as a center. He saw a gifted passer who could hang on to the puck while waiting for trailers. And what he also saw is a player who could get himself into position to bury the puck in crucial situations as evidenced by Leino's overtime game-winner in Game 6 with the Flyers on the brink of elimination.
Leino's journey to a fixture on the Sabres for the next six years has been long and full of ups and downs. Going forward, this season presents a whole new set of circumstances that he'll need to adjust to. He's going from big-city Philly to small-city Buffalo. He's moving from wing to center. His contract goes from $825K to $4.5M. But the saving grace for him, as he plays under the microscope in Buffalo, will be that he's replacing former Sabre Tim Connolly. Connolly was a whipping boy, deservedly or not, for a number of years and it won't take much for Leino to endear himself to the fan base and media in Buffalo.
One would expect Leino to surpass his 19 goals and 34 assists from last season, but to expect a breakout year may be asking too much. It will take some time for him to adjust. His capacity and desire to learn and grow in his new role will be key. Should he adapt well, it's not out of the question to see him pick things up in the latter part of the season and into the playoffs.
Derek Roy--A fixture in the top-six for the Sabres since 2007, Roy will continue in his role as 1A center on the team. There's no denying his consistent point production over that span and were it not for a season ending injury last year, he'd have been near the top of the Sabres scoring once again.
It's never been about production when it comes to Roy, though. It's always been whether or not he can ditch the sophomoric tendencies that he's clinged to since his placement in the top-six. As the season went on last year he seemed to ditch the immaturity--the diving, the complaining to referees--and was looking like a complete player.
Roy has always seemed to be at odds with Ruff and how he wants his team to play. In direct contrast to the team game Ruff wants to see, over the years we've seen too much of "Dipsy-doodle Derek" and his dangling-puck showmanship. Once again, though, that seemed to be abating last season before Roy's injury.
This is a signature moment for Roy as to how he's perceived by not only Ruff, but his teammates as well. The team went on a tear to reach the playoffs last season with him on the sidelines and the mantle of leadership may pass him by. He may not wear a letter this season and how he handles all of this may be a determining factor as to how he fits in to the Sabres plans beyond the season.
There's a new core rising and a set of leaders that are more in-tune with Ruff's five-men-as-a-unit concept than Roy seems to be.
Make no mistake, Derek Roy is a valuable component to the team as he's on the ice in all situations. Whether or not he can accept his diminished status and lead without being expected to be a leader is another story.
Paul Gaustad--"Goose" will anchor the bottom-six and dependent upon who's in the line up he'll either be on the third line or fourth line. Regardless of where he plays, he'll be expected to provide two things: leadership and proficiency on the dot.
The 6'5", 225lb center has a presence about him both on and off of the ice. Were it not for his bottom-six role, he'd probably be the captain of the team, though it doesn't really matter.
Gaustad will be looked to for his typical 10-15 goals and 30 points and as well as the staunch defense of his teammates in hostile situations. We'll also see him on the dot in a crucial face off situation as well.
"Goose" is a consummate veteran. He knows his role on the team and leads by example on the ice. We know he'll never be a "Jumbo" Joe Thorton in the scoring department, but he has shown the capacity to be a lesser Johan "The Mule" Franzen and I wouldn't be surprised if Gaustad's numbers took a decent jump if we see him centering the likes of Nathan Gerbe and Patrick Kaleta, a trio that worked together during the off season. That line has been solid lately.
Luke Adam--The determining factor as to whether or not, and where, Adam plays is the health of Jochen Hecht. Hecht still is not fully recovered from an inadvertent hit to the head by teammate Shaone Morrisonn early in training camp.
One thing we do know is that Adam is making strong push to be in the lineup for Friday's season opener versus Anaheim in Finland.
WGR beat reporter Paul Hamilton is adamant about the progress made by Adam ever since he was removed from linemates Zack Kassian and Marcus Foligno (both who've been sent Rochester) and placed in a top-six role centering Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville (WGR audio 11:24-mark.) Adam seems to be much quicker and his hockey sense is getting much sharper and he seems to be adapting well to the speed of the game.
It remains to be seen just what Ruff will do on opening night, but there's a good possibility that Adam, because Hecht will not be in the lineup, will be a part of the roster, not in a bottom-six role, but up top. We know the kid can score and be a force in the AHL, what remains to be seen is what he can do with the big boys.
Jochen Hecht--As one of the Sabres best two-way forwards, Hecht will find himself in the bottom-six once he returns to from his concussion. Ruff really likes him because of his two-way play and because of his defensive work. But Hecht is no slouch when it comes to scoring. Twice in the past four years he's scored over 20 goals and he's averaged 40 points over the past six seasons.
Sabres fans cringe at the though of Hecht at center and would rather see him on the wing (actually most, because of his $3.5M salary, would like to see him gone.) Having Hecht in a bottom-six role for the last year of his contract is not a bad thing for the team, no matter what position he plays, and you can look for him to be a big part of the Sabres' penalty kill.
Both left and right wings are loaded with talent on this edition of the Buffalo Sabres. But we'll move over to left wing and start with a player who's considered the biggest scoring threat on the team as of now...
Thomas Vanek--Vanek has performed extremely well for the team as he continues on a path to a complete player. A lot has transpired since his early years with the Sabres both with the team and for Vanek himself.
He has passed through a multitude of thresholds which saw him go from being benched in the playoffs early in his career, to being a consistent threat over the last two playoff seasons and has probably matured more than any other "core" Sabre over that timespan. He has gone from bearing the weight of his ridiculous (at the time) contract to shouldering the mantle of leadership last season. And he's gone from pure offense to a player who Ruff may look to on the penalty kill (see 1:50 mark of WGR audio clip here).
Thomas Vanek has never scored less than 25 goals in his NHL career. He's surpassed 30 goals four times reaching 40 or more twice. And he can score in many ways including a wicked slapshot or a tip in while being harassed in front of the net.
Vanek also seems poised to take the reigns of leadership this season as he's being seriously considered for the captaincy of the team (which would be my personal choice.) Last off-season he took Drew Stafford under his wing and staff produced 31 goals in 62 games. This preseason he's been seen talking Luke Adam through the game, and Adam is poised to be on the opening night roster.
His maturation process has been fraught with pitfalls as he tried to live up to that mammoth contract he signed in 2007. He's now four years removed from that and seems comfortable with who he is and confident in his game.
He may not wear the "C" this season, but you can bet that he'll be wearing an "A" like he did last season. And one should expect continued production from him and his linemates as well as continued growth in his overall game.
Tyler Ennis--The charge of the yougins starts on the back-end with Tyler Myers. Up-front "the other Tyler" joins his namesake as "the new core" for the Buffalo Sabres.
Ennis had a very strong rookie season for the Sabres last year scoring 20 goals and adding 29 assists. This was after netting three goals and garnering six assists during a 10-game stint the previous season.
Ennis also showed he can contribute in the playoffs with three goals and five assists in 13 games and can be a clutch player as evidenced by his Game-5 overtime winner versus the Flyers last season.
The former center who now plays on the wing will be expected to be Ville Leino's "Daniel Briere" this season. Leino and Briere, along with Scott Hartnell made for a formidable line in Philly.
It's a lot of responsibility for the (soon to be, like, tomorrow) 22 year old, but Ennis seems like the type of player who has enough confidence in his game to handle it.
What would constitute a breakout year for the 5'9", 160lb center? Who knows? He'll be adapting to a new center who's new to his position as well. Hell, we're not even sure of any line combinations at this point. But if Ennis were to equal or surpass his regular season output and continue to produce in the playoffs, I'd say that's a damn good start to his career.
Nathan Gerbe--At one point last season it looked as if Gerbe and his 5'5", 180lb frame would be shipped to the AHL because of his inconsistent/poor play. But a funny thing happened on the way to Portland--he got "it" and stuck with the big club.
Late in December he added consistency to his game and it built his confidence. Then in January he started scoring some goals, which furthered his confidence. Then, as the team was transitioning to new ownership on a three-game home losing streak, he buried a puck at center ice as a way to end the team's home futility. The team finished with a 9-1-2 home record after that punctuated by a win versus Philadelphia in the last home game of the regular season. Gerbe netted the game-tying goal on this wicked backhand:
Still young and finding his game, the short, stocky fireplug exudes leadership and a fierceness that his teammates feed off of. He'll be relegated to third-line minutes this season behind Vanek and Ennis, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him hit the 20 goal, 40 point mark. In addition, you'll see Gerbe on the ice during the power play and on the penalty kill. He's also earned the confidence of Ruff to where he'll be on the ice in crucial game-ending situations.
Gerbe, unlike last season, is not being taken lightly by anyone in hockey. He's mentioned behind the likes of Ehrhoff and Leino, Vanek, Ennis and Myers, Pominville and Roy and Miller. But he is being mentioned as an impact player for the team.
Cody McCormick--A fan favorite because of his blue-collar, balls-to-the-wall style of play. McCormick is energy and on the fourth line, he'll provide it. He can score as well.
The versatile forward will be playing either center or left wing for the club dependent upon the health of the Sabres forwards. But no matter where he plays, you can bet he'll be playing smash-mouth hockey to the applause of Sabres fans.
$5.3M, $4M and $4M.
Those are the cap-hits for top-nine RW's Jason Pominville, Drew Stafford and Brad Boyes respectively. All of them have hit the 30-goal plateau at one point in their careers (Boyes netted 43 one season,) yet one of these $4M+ players will be "relegated" to third-line minutes. Which, when put into perspective, is a good thing when the Sabres roll three, maybe four, lines.
Jason Pominville--Arguably the Sabres best two-way forward and a strong candidate to wear the "C."
Pomville is rock-solid in all facets of the game--top-line winger, 1st unit power play, 1st unit penalty kill and go-to guy in the waning minutes of a tight game. His understated style of play goes largely unnoticed by the causal fan and his $5.3M contract is often times said to be albatross-like.
"Pommer" is paid what he's paid. That's it. Whether grossly overpaid or not is up for discussion, but there's no denying that his all around game is sorely missed when he's not on the ice, something that's was a rarity up until last season as he played full seasons in the four years prior to last season.
The biggest hit to the team in his absence was on the penalty kill last season and in the playoffs as well. As a quiet scorer, he's somehow managed to average .80 points per game over the last five seasons including 80 points in 2007/08. In the four years prior to last, he's never had less than 20 goals or 62 points.
Pominville is comfortable in himself and his game and has the respect of both coach and teammates. He will be wearing a letter like he's done for the past four seasons. And a letter looks right on his uniform.
Drew Stafford--"The Enigma" Just what "Staff" will bring to the table this season is not known. We do know that his inconsistencies over the past three seasons have been maddening.
Will he use his 6'2", 215lb frame to the fullest? Will he continue to work the corners with velcro on his stick? How will he mesh with his probable linemates Ennis and Leino? Can we expect him to score in bunches and possibly surpass his 31 goals from last season? Is he capable of 40 goals? Will he be able to transfer regular season success into the playoffs?
Maybe it all hinges upon whether or not he put his "guitar-hero" dreams on hold to focus on hockey. He said he did that last year and he scored at a half-a-goal/game clip.
He's always had the tools, but rarely showed desire up until last season.
Staff will be looked upon as a key cog in the Sabres offense this season. And it's good to see that Ruff has enough faith in his defensive game to put him out on the penalty kill.
What it comes down to with Stafford is whether he wants to be John Leclair or Steve Bernier.
Brad Boyes--The former 40 goal scorer may be the one to end up with third line minutes. But, more importantly, Boyes will be playing on the wing instead of center.
Ruff has said on more than one occasion that without Boyes, the Sabres may not have made the playoffs. And that's true.
As for the playoffs? Simply put--fail. Was it because of his position? or was it because he just doesn't have what it takes to succeed in the post season?
Boyes' lone 40-goal season came when "the New NHL" was still alive back in the 2007/08 season. It was still a hands-off league at the time and perimeter players were able to put up points without interference from the opposition. But the league has changed and it's tougher to score goals. Many now, just like in the playoffs, coming from the "bloody nose" areas down low. And, so far, Boyes hasn't shown a willingness to go into those areas.
If that changes, and he can at least provide 20-25 goals playing third-line minutes, the Sabres top-nine will give the opposition fits.
Patrick Kaleta--Stay healthy and don't get stupid.
Everyone knows Kaleta's game. He is the gadfly, the antagonist, the pest that the opposition hates. Buffalonians love him though. And it helps that he's a native.
Kaleta's problem, due to who he is and his style of play, has been injuries. Not once over the past four seasons has he played more than 55 games.
But, the kid knows his role and he provides a 60-minute motor in overdrive on the energy line. He can score goals and put up points, but will never be confused with Dale Hunter or Claude Lemieux, but if he can channel his energies more in the direction of production instead of destruction, he may surprise a lot of people.
Matt "Friggen" Ellis--Ellis will straddle the AHL and NHL this season. When he plays in Rochester, which will be most of the season, he'll be their captain. When he's up in Buffalo he'll be logging fourth-line energy minutes and displaying a knack for working the corners and playing keep away along the wall. A character guy through and through, Ellis is a good player to have in the organization, one who not only accepts his role, but relieshes it.
All in all, the 2011/12 edition of the Buffalo Sabres is deep up front with one persistent hole--#1 center. Their strength is on the wings and the fact that at least three of the four lines will represent a threat to score will help negate their lone weakness.
They have scorers, two-way players, size, skill, energy and some attitude. As constructed they'll need to embrace the philosophy of "the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts" to reach the promised land.
One should expect that this team's style of play up-front will be leaning towards the "Ferrari" of the 2006/07 team where Ruff rolled four lines while saying "stop me if you can." They don't have top-two centers like Briere and Drury, but they have plenty of speed and more grit up-front than that edition.
Lindy Ruff's line combinations will be a work in progress, as injuries and chemistry affect them. And he gets angry when lines are mentioned as first, second, third...etc.
What he's probably looking at are forwards that are interchangeable in his "five-men-as-a-unit" scheme. Looking for forwards to be all-in no matter which role they find themselves. Looking for them to play "out of character" and willing to do what's necessary in any given situation. Looking for as much desire in their own zone as they have in the opposition's.
Chan Gailey, head coach of the Buffalo Bills, has been able to hide offensive deficiencies through his game planning. His weaknesses on the o-line have been covered to the point where the team has one of the most highly rated offenses in the league. This is without a "franchise" quarterback.
The Sabres will be looking to do the same thing. Without a true #1 center up front, Ruff will be hiding that deficiency through depth.
And as the Boston Bruins proved last season without their #1 center, Marc Savard, it can work.
The former, being somewhat easier to fill than the latter, was addressed in a matter of a few days as the team traded for Robyn Regehr and the rights to Christian Ehrhoff whom they signed soon thereafter.
Buffalo was in the running for the only bonafide #1 center on the free agent market, Brad Richards, but Richards opted to sign with the NY Rangers. GM Darcy Regier immediately implemented Plan B and signed former Philadelphia winger Ville Leino whom the team plans to play at center.
The whole Leino signing was a head-scratcher--from a return to his preferred position at center, to the length and term of his 6-year/$27m contract. But Head Coach Lindy Ruff, having watched Leino's work up close for seven games versus the Flyers in the playoffs, saw enough to be convinced that Leino will work at center for the team.
With that in mind, we take a look at the forwards heading into the 2011/12 season starting with the centers.
 |
| Ville Leino, now a Buffalo Sabre celebrates his overtime game-winner in Game 6 of last year's playoffs. |
Leino's journey to a fixture on the Sabres for the next six years has been long and full of ups and downs. Going forward, this season presents a whole new set of circumstances that he'll need to adjust to. He's going from big-city Philly to small-city Buffalo. He's moving from wing to center. His contract goes from $825K to $4.5M. But the saving grace for him, as he plays under the microscope in Buffalo, will be that he's replacing former Sabre Tim Connolly. Connolly was a whipping boy, deservedly or not, for a number of years and it won't take much for Leino to endear himself to the fan base and media in Buffalo.
One would expect Leino to surpass his 19 goals and 34 assists from last season, but to expect a breakout year may be asking too much. It will take some time for him to adjust. His capacity and desire to learn and grow in his new role will be key. Should he adapt well, it's not out of the question to see him pick things up in the latter part of the season and into the playoffs.
 |
| Derek Roy may find himself not wearing a letter on his sweater. Will it affect his game? |
It's never been about production when it comes to Roy, though. It's always been whether or not he can ditch the sophomoric tendencies that he's clinged to since his placement in the top-six. As the season went on last year he seemed to ditch the immaturity--the diving, the complaining to referees--and was looking like a complete player.
Roy has always seemed to be at odds with Ruff and how he wants his team to play. In direct contrast to the team game Ruff wants to see, over the years we've seen too much of "Dipsy-doodle Derek" and his dangling-puck showmanship. Once again, though, that seemed to be abating last season before Roy's injury.
This is a signature moment for Roy as to how he's perceived by not only Ruff, but his teammates as well. The team went on a tear to reach the playoffs last season with him on the sidelines and the mantle of leadership may pass him by. He may not wear a letter this season and how he handles all of this may be a determining factor as to how he fits in to the Sabres plans beyond the season.
There's a new core rising and a set of leaders that are more in-tune with Ruff's five-men-as-a-unit concept than Roy seems to be.
Make no mistake, Derek Roy is a valuable component to the team as he's on the ice in all situations. Whether or not he can accept his diminished status and lead without being expected to be a leader is another story.
 |
| Sabres Alternate Captain, Paul Gaustad, may not get big minutes, but he's still a big man both on and off of the ice. |
Paul Gaustad--"Goose" will anchor the bottom-six and dependent upon who's in the line up he'll either be on the third line or fourth line. Regardless of where he plays, he'll be expected to provide two things: leadership and proficiency on the dot.
The 6'5", 225lb center has a presence about him both on and off of the ice. Were it not for his bottom-six role, he'd probably be the captain of the team, though it doesn't really matter.
Gaustad will be looked to for his typical 10-15 goals and 30 points and as well as the staunch defense of his teammates in hostile situations. We'll also see him on the dot in a crucial face off situation as well.
"Goose" is a consummate veteran. He knows his role on the team and leads by example on the ice. We know he'll never be a "Jumbo" Joe Thorton in the scoring department, but he has shown the capacity to be a lesser Johan "The Mule" Franzen and I wouldn't be surprised if Gaustad's numbers took a decent jump if we see him centering the likes of Nathan Gerbe and Patrick Kaleta, a trio that worked together during the off season. That line has been solid lately.
Luke Adam--The determining factor as to whether or not, and where, Adam plays is the health of Jochen Hecht. Hecht still is not fully recovered from an inadvertent hit to the head by teammate Shaone Morrisonn early in training camp.
One thing we do know is that Adam is making strong push to be in the lineup for Friday's season opener versus Anaheim in Finland.
WGR beat reporter Paul Hamilton is adamant about the progress made by Adam ever since he was removed from linemates Zack Kassian and Marcus Foligno (both who've been sent Rochester) and placed in a top-six role centering Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville (WGR audio 11:24-mark.) Adam seems to be much quicker and his hockey sense is getting much sharper and he seems to be adapting well to the speed of the game.
It remains to be seen just what Ruff will do on opening night, but there's a good possibility that Adam, because Hecht will not be in the lineup, will be a part of the roster, not in a bottom-six role, but up top. We know the kid can score and be a force in the AHL, what remains to be seen is what he can do with the big boys.
Jochen Hecht--As one of the Sabres best two-way forwards, Hecht will find himself in the bottom-six once he returns to from his concussion. Ruff really likes him because of his two-way play and because of his defensive work. But Hecht is no slouch when it comes to scoring. Twice in the past four years he's scored over 20 goals and he's averaged 40 points over the past six seasons.
Sabres fans cringe at the though of Hecht at center and would rather see him on the wing (actually most, because of his $3.5M salary, would like to see him gone.) Having Hecht in a bottom-six role for the last year of his contract is not a bad thing for the team, no matter what position he plays, and you can look for him to be a big part of the Sabres' penalty kill.
Left Wing and the Emerging Youngins
Both left and right wings are loaded with talent on this edition of the Buffalo Sabres. But we'll move over to left wing and start with a player who's considered the biggest scoring threat on the team as of now...
 |
| Thomas Vanek looks good with the "A" on his sweater. What else is in store for the winger? |
He has passed through a multitude of thresholds which saw him go from being benched in the playoffs early in his career, to being a consistent threat over the last two playoff seasons and has probably matured more than any other "core" Sabre over that timespan. He has gone from bearing the weight of his ridiculous (at the time) contract to shouldering the mantle of leadership last season. And he's gone from pure offense to a player who Ruff may look to on the penalty kill (see 1:50 mark of WGR audio clip here).
Thomas Vanek has never scored less than 25 goals in his NHL career. He's surpassed 30 goals four times reaching 40 or more twice. And he can score in many ways including a wicked slapshot or a tip in while being harassed in front of the net.
Vanek also seems poised to take the reigns of leadership this season as he's being seriously considered for the captaincy of the team (which would be my personal choice.) Last off-season he took Drew Stafford under his wing and staff produced 31 goals in 62 games. This preseason he's been seen talking Luke Adam through the game, and Adam is poised to be on the opening night roster.
His maturation process has been fraught with pitfalls as he tried to live up to that mammoth contract he signed in 2007. He's now four years removed from that and seems comfortable with who he is and confident in his game.
He may not wear the "C" this season, but you can bet that he'll be wearing an "A" like he did last season. And one should expect continued production from him and his linemates as well as continued growth in his overall game.
Tyler Ennis--The charge of the yougins starts on the back-end with Tyler Myers. Up-front "the other Tyler" joins his namesake as "the new core" for the Buffalo Sabres.
 |
| "Greazy" is how Lindy Ruff described Tyler Ennis last season. As shown after his overtime game- winner in Game 5 versus the Flyers, the kids' got game. |
Ennis had a very strong rookie season for the Sabres last year scoring 20 goals and adding 29 assists. This was after netting three goals and garnering six assists during a 10-game stint the previous season.
Ennis also showed he can contribute in the playoffs with three goals and five assists in 13 games and can be a clutch player as evidenced by his Game-5 overtime winner versus the Flyers last season.
The former center who now plays on the wing will be expected to be Ville Leino's "Daniel Briere" this season. Leino and Briere, along with Scott Hartnell made for a formidable line in Philly.
It's a lot of responsibility for the (soon to be, like, tomorrow) 22 year old, but Ennis seems like the type of player who has enough confidence in his game to handle it.
What would constitute a breakout year for the 5'9", 160lb center? Who knows? He'll be adapting to a new center who's new to his position as well. Hell, we're not even sure of any line combinations at this point. But if Ennis were to equal or surpass his regular season output and continue to produce in the playoffs, I'd say that's a damn good start to his career.
Nathan Gerbe--At one point last season it looked as if Gerbe and his 5'5", 180lb frame would be shipped to the AHL because of his inconsistent/poor play. But a funny thing happened on the way to Portland--he got "it" and stuck with the big club.
Late in December he added consistency to his game and it built his confidence. Then in January he started scoring some goals, which furthered his confidence. Then, as the team was transitioning to new ownership on a three-game home losing streak, he buried a puck at center ice as a way to end the team's home futility. The team finished with a 9-1-2 home record after that punctuated by a win versus Philadelphia in the last home game of the regular season. Gerbe netted the game-tying goal on this wicked backhand:
Still young and finding his game, the short, stocky fireplug exudes leadership and a fierceness that his teammates feed off of. He'll be relegated to third-line minutes this season behind Vanek and Ennis, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him hit the 20 goal, 40 point mark. In addition, you'll see Gerbe on the ice during the power play and on the penalty kill. He's also earned the confidence of Ruff to where he'll be on the ice in crucial game-ending situations.
Gerbe, unlike last season, is not being taken lightly by anyone in hockey. He's mentioned behind the likes of Ehrhoff and Leino, Vanek, Ennis and Myers, Pominville and Roy and Miller. But he is being mentioned as an impact player for the team.
Cody McCormick--A fan favorite because of his blue-collar, balls-to-the-wall style of play. McCormick is energy and on the fourth line, he'll provide it. He can score as well.
The versatile forward will be playing either center or left wing for the club dependent upon the health of the Sabres forwards. But no matter where he plays, you can bet he'll be playing smash-mouth hockey to the applause of Sabres fans.
Big Money On the Right Wing
$5.3M, $4M and $4M.
Those are the cap-hits for top-nine RW's Jason Pominville, Drew Stafford and Brad Boyes respectively. All of them have hit the 30-goal plateau at one point in their careers (Boyes netted 43 one season,) yet one of these $4M+ players will be "relegated" to third-line minutes. Which, when put into perspective, is a good thing when the Sabres roll three, maybe four, lines.
Jason Pominville--Arguably the Sabres best two-way forward and a strong candidate to wear the "C."
Pomville is rock-solid in all facets of the game--top-line winger, 1st unit power play, 1st unit penalty kill and go-to guy in the waning minutes of a tight game. His understated style of play goes largely unnoticed by the causal fan and his $5.3M contract is often times said to be albatross-like.
"Pommer" is paid what he's paid. That's it. Whether grossly overpaid or not is up for discussion, but there's no denying that his all around game is sorely missed when he's not on the ice, something that's was a rarity up until last season as he played full seasons in the four years prior to last season.
The biggest hit to the team in his absence was on the penalty kill last season and in the playoffs as well. As a quiet scorer, he's somehow managed to average .80 points per game over the last five seasons including 80 points in 2007/08. In the four years prior to last, he's never had less than 20 goals or 62 points.
Pominville is comfortable in himself and his game and has the respect of both coach and teammates. He will be wearing a letter like he's done for the past four seasons. And a letter looks right on his uniform.
 |
| Were Drew Staffords numbers last season an aberration? Or will it be the norm? |
Drew Stafford--"The Enigma" Just what "Staff" will bring to the table this season is not known. We do know that his inconsistencies over the past three seasons have been maddening.
Will he use his 6'2", 215lb frame to the fullest? Will he continue to work the corners with velcro on his stick? How will he mesh with his probable linemates Ennis and Leino? Can we expect him to score in bunches and possibly surpass his 31 goals from last season? Is he capable of 40 goals? Will he be able to transfer regular season success into the playoffs?
Maybe it all hinges upon whether or not he put his "guitar-hero" dreams on hold to focus on hockey. He said he did that last year and he scored at a half-a-goal/game clip.
He's always had the tools, but rarely showed desire up until last season.
Staff will be looked upon as a key cog in the Sabres offense this season. And it's good to see that Ruff has enough faith in his defensive game to put him out on the penalty kill.
What it comes down to with Stafford is whether he wants to be John Leclair or Steve Bernier.
Brad Boyes--The former 40 goal scorer may be the one to end up with third line minutes. But, more importantly, Boyes will be playing on the wing instead of center.
Ruff has said on more than one occasion that without Boyes, the Sabres may not have made the playoffs. And that's true.
As for the playoffs? Simply put--fail. Was it because of his position? or was it because he just doesn't have what it takes to succeed in the post season?
Boyes' lone 40-goal season came when "the New NHL" was still alive back in the 2007/08 season. It was still a hands-off league at the time and perimeter players were able to put up points without interference from the opposition. But the league has changed and it's tougher to score goals. Many now, just like in the playoffs, coming from the "bloody nose" areas down low. And, so far, Boyes hasn't shown a willingness to go into those areas.
If that changes, and he can at least provide 20-25 goals playing third-line minutes, the Sabres top-nine will give the opposition fits.
Patrick Kaleta--Stay healthy and don't get stupid.
Everyone knows Kaleta's game. He is the gadfly, the antagonist, the pest that the opposition hates. Buffalonians love him though. And it helps that he's a native.
Kaleta's problem, due to who he is and his style of play, has been injuries. Not once over the past four seasons has he played more than 55 games.
But, the kid knows his role and he provides a 60-minute motor in overdrive on the energy line. He can score goals and put up points, but will never be confused with Dale Hunter or Claude Lemieux, but if he can channel his energies more in the direction of production instead of destruction, he may surprise a lot of people.
Matt "Friggen" Ellis--Ellis will straddle the AHL and NHL this season. When he plays in Rochester, which will be most of the season, he'll be their captain. When he's up in Buffalo he'll be logging fourth-line energy minutes and displaying a knack for working the corners and playing keep away along the wall. A character guy through and through, Ellis is a good player to have in the organization, one who not only accepts his role, but relieshes it.
Lindy Ruff and Chan Gailey Have One Thing In Common
All in all, the 2011/12 edition of the Buffalo Sabres is deep up front with one persistent hole--#1 center. Their strength is on the wings and the fact that at least three of the four lines will represent a threat to score will help negate their lone weakness.
They have scorers, two-way players, size, skill, energy and some attitude. As constructed they'll need to embrace the philosophy of "the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts" to reach the promised land.
One should expect that this team's style of play up-front will be leaning towards the "Ferrari" of the 2006/07 team where Ruff rolled four lines while saying "stop me if you can." They don't have top-two centers like Briere and Drury, but they have plenty of speed and more grit up-front than that edition.
Lindy Ruff's line combinations will be a work in progress, as injuries and chemistry affect them. And he gets angry when lines are mentioned as first, second, third...etc.
What he's probably looking at are forwards that are interchangeable in his "five-men-as-a-unit" scheme. Looking for forwards to be all-in no matter which role they find themselves. Looking for them to play "out of character" and willing to do what's necessary in any given situation. Looking for as much desire in their own zone as they have in the opposition's.
Chan Gailey, head coach of the Buffalo Bills, has been able to hide offensive deficiencies through his game planning. His weaknesses on the o-line have been covered to the point where the team has one of the most highly rated offenses in the league. This is without a "franchise" quarterback.
The Sabres will be looking to do the same thing. Without a true #1 center up front, Ruff will be hiding that deficiency through depth.
And as the Boston Bruins proved last season without their #1 center, Marc Savard, it can work.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Sabres 2011/12 Season Preview Part. 2--Behind the Blueline (Andrej Sekera, Jonas Enroth, Jordan Leopold, Marc-Andre Gragnani, Jordan Leopold, Mike Weber, Robyn Regehr)
You cannot discount the fact the Terry Pegula had the opportunity to clean house when he took over the team in February.
But he, and Senior Hockey Advisor Ken Sawyer, along with right-hand man and Team President Ted Black decided to retain the longest tenured GM/Coaching tandem in the NHL--Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff.
With Regier, Pegula did his "due diligence" and said that no one he talked to had a bad thing to say about the GM.
For Ruff, it was cut and dry, "Lindy ain't goin' nowhere," Pegula proclaimed.
Both Regier and Ruff have strenghts and weaknesses, and both have been at odds with personnel choices, but one thing they both firmly believe in is the old NHL adage--build from the goal out.
And that's where we'll start as we look at the product on the ice.
In goal is 31 yr. old Ryan Miller, who is entering his ninth season with the team. The former Vezina winner and US Olympic Silver Medalist will, once again, be looked to as a big part of the team's foundation.
Miller is coming off of a below average 2011/12 regular season, a season in which both he and the team started the year in a deep funk. The team pulled out of the mess that was the first six weeks of the season and went on a tear in the 2011 portion which propelled them to the #7 seed in the Eastern Conference. Miller went 20-10-4 with a 2.50 gaa and four shutouts during 2011.
Although he'll never steal game after game like legendary Sabres goaltender Dominic Hasek, and although he'll never be an elite workhorse like the NJ Devils Martin Brodeur, Miller often times looks impenetrable in net and is regarded as one of the best goalies in the league.
His successes are often interwoven with, and his failures can be directly related to, the team in front of him, especially his defense. This season the defense is much stronger than last and may be even stronger than the one that played in front of him two years ago when he won the Vezina, so there's no reason he shouldn't be in that talk again.
Going forward, it looks as if the Sabres could have one of the top goaltending tandems in the league.
There's no doubt that the Sabres have some pretty good young d-men with bright futures ahead of them. Last year youngsters like Andrej Sekera and Chris Butler found themselves on the top pairing while another one, Marc-Andre Gragnani was played himself into big minutes late in the season and into the playoffs. It was unbalanced, though, leaning heavily towards the youth end of the equation and during the playoffs while facing a veteran-laden, tenacious Philly team their inconsistencies were exposed.
The Pegula-effect takes hold here, as the owner's drive to take care of business immediately lead to Regier bringing in two vets to bolster the top-pairings on defense--Robyn Regehr and Christian Ehroff.
Both players will be directly linked to the ownership of Terry Pegula and the teams' quest for the Stanley Cup and both players add dimensions that were lacking last year--Regehr's top-pairing, physical, stay-at-home style and Ehrhoff's offensive/power play acumen.
Robyn Regehr--Everyone in the league knows what the former Calgary Flame brings to the table. He'll never be confused with Mike Green in the scoring department, nor will he be confused with former Sabre Hank Tallinder for his skating. But the big, gritty d-man brings an edge to the Sabres top-pairing that they haven't had since Jay McKee left. Regehr's big. And he's mean. And he has a sense of humor too. During a preseason game versus Montreal, Regehr deposited the Canadians Aaron Palushaj into their bench. When asked about it he had this to say, "I had an opportunity to line a guy up along the boards in front of their bench. I’ve only played out east occasionally being with a Western Conference team, so I took the opportunity to introduce myself to the guys on the opposing bench."
Christian Ehrhoff--The uproar over Erhoff's signing to a 10-year, $40m contract was loud and furious. That was until the preseason and Erhoff showed why he was brought on board. He a smooth skater who finds open ice. He can set-up a teammate or unleash a lethal shot that can get through traffic and find the back of the net. There are some question marks concerning his defense, but what we've seen thus far in the preseason, they may be somewhat overblown.
The Sabres had the 9th best power play in the league last season, and nabbing Ehroff, who came from the #1 power play in the league in Vancouver, should only enhance that. The misnomer on Ehrhoff is that he's a power play quarterback, but here's what he brought to table (from Vancouver Sun,) "the Canucks used him as a roamer, a fourth forward, of sorts. Often, the other members of the Canuck powerplay would form a diamond around the opposition’s four-man box, then have Ehrhoff drop down inside of it. Either the box collapsed, opening up room on the outside, or it didn’t, and a narrow passing lane to Ehrhoff opened up to be exploited."
Ehrhoff is coming off of back-to-back 14 goal seasons to a team that was in the top five in defense scoring. With his ability to find open ice and his wicked shot, there's no reason why the Sabres shouldn't continue to be one of the top teams in the league for scoring by defensemen.
Tyler Myers--Make no mistake, Myers is the future of the Buffalo Sabres rear-guard and were it not for the above acquisitions and their importance to the team, Myers would've had top-billing here.
Myers is 6'8" and can skate like a breeze, has a firm grasp on when to jump into the play, is solid in his own end and is a former Calder Trophy winner who dismissed his sophomore slump midway through last season. Even better, at 21 yrs. old Myers still has tremendous upside.
The scary part of Myers is that in addition to his skating, defense and offensive acumen he's beginning to develop an attitude. Being paired with Regehr this season will only further his development in the physicality department.
All-in-all, the Sabres went from top-three featuring youngin's like Myers, Butler and Sekera to one that now features a franchise d-man augmented by two top-four vets--both of whom have made it to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
But he, and Senior Hockey Advisor Ken Sawyer, along with right-hand man and Team President Ted Black decided to retain the longest tenured GM/Coaching tandem in the NHL--Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff.
With Regier, Pegula did his "due diligence" and said that no one he talked to had a bad thing to say about the GM.
For Ruff, it was cut and dry, "Lindy ain't goin' nowhere," Pegula proclaimed.
Both Regier and Ruff have strenghts and weaknesses, and both have been at odds with personnel choices, but one thing they both firmly believe in is the old NHL adage--build from the goal out.
And that's where we'll start as we look at the product on the ice.
Built From the Goal Out
In goal is 31 yr. old Ryan Miller, who is entering his ninth season with the team. The former Vezina winner and US Olympic Silver Medalist will, once again, be looked to as a big part of the team's foundation.
Miller is coming off of a below average 2011/12 regular season, a season in which both he and the team started the year in a deep funk. The team pulled out of the mess that was the first six weeks of the season and went on a tear in the 2011 portion which propelled them to the #7 seed in the Eastern Conference. Miller went 20-10-4 with a 2.50 gaa and four shutouts during 2011.
Although he'll never steal game after game like legendary Sabres goaltender Dominic Hasek, and although he'll never be an elite workhorse like the NJ Devils Martin Brodeur, Miller often times looks impenetrable in net and is regarded as one of the best goalies in the league.
His successes are often interwoven with, and his failures can be directly related to, the team in front of him, especially his defense. This season the defense is much stronger than last and may be even stronger than the one that played in front of him two years ago when he won the Vezina, so there's no reason he shouldn't be in that talk again.
 |
| Jhonas Enroth worked his way into the role of Ryan Miller's back up. |
Goalie-prospect Jhonas Enroth made the jump to legit-NHL'er last season when he wrestled the reigns of backup from Patrick Lalime. His work in net has instills a sense of confidence in the skaters in front of him. It's not so much Enroth's numbers, it's the presence he has on the ice and how the team responds with him in goal. In fact, if you look a Lalime's last full season as Miller's back up in 2009/10 and compare them to Enroth's from last season, they're almost identical, except in the most important column--the win column.
Going forward, it looks as if the Sabres could have one of the top goaltending tandems in the league.
Regier Reinforces the Defense Corps
There's no doubt that the Sabres have some pretty good young d-men with bright futures ahead of them. Last year youngsters like Andrej Sekera and Chris Butler found themselves on the top pairing while another one, Marc-Andre Gragnani was played himself into big minutes late in the season and into the playoffs. It was unbalanced, though, leaning heavily towards the youth end of the equation and during the playoffs while facing a veteran-laden, tenacious Philly team their inconsistencies were exposed.
The Pegula-effect takes hold here, as the owner's drive to take care of business immediately lead to Regier bringing in two vets to bolster the top-pairings on defense--Robyn Regehr and Christian Ehroff.
Both players will be directly linked to the ownership of Terry Pegula and the teams' quest for the Stanley Cup and both players add dimensions that were lacking last year--Regehr's top-pairing, physical, stay-at-home style and Ehrhoff's offensive/power play acumen.
 |
| New Sabres d-man Robyn Regehr will be adding some snarl to the Sabres blueline. |
Christian Ehrhoff--The uproar over Erhoff's signing to a 10-year, $40m contract was loud and furious. That was until the preseason and Erhoff showed why he was brought on board. He a smooth skater who finds open ice. He can set-up a teammate or unleash a lethal shot that can get through traffic and find the back of the net. There are some question marks concerning his defense, but what we've seen thus far in the preseason, they may be somewhat overblown.
The Sabres had the 9th best power play in the league last season, and nabbing Ehroff, who came from the #1 power play in the league in Vancouver, should only enhance that. The misnomer on Ehrhoff is that he's a power play quarterback, but here's what he brought to table (from Vancouver Sun,) "the Canucks used him as a roamer, a fourth forward, of sorts. Often, the other members of the Canuck powerplay would form a diamond around the opposition’s four-man box, then have Ehrhoff drop down inside of it. Either the box collapsed, opening up room on the outside, or it didn’t, and a narrow passing lane to Ehrhoff opened up to be exploited."
Ehrhoff is coming off of back-to-back 14 goal seasons to a team that was in the top five in defense scoring. With his ability to find open ice and his wicked shot, there's no reason why the Sabres shouldn't continue to be one of the top teams in the league for scoring by defensemen.
Tyler Myers--Make no mistake, Myers is the future of the Buffalo Sabres rear-guard and were it not for the above acquisitions and their importance to the team, Myers would've had top-billing here.
 |
| Tyler Myers is adding physicality to his already impressive game. |
Meyers is a franchise defenseman who was just signed to a franchise-like 7-year, $38.5m contract that both he and the Sabres are glad they got out of the way before he reached RFA status. Said Pegula, "It's a good felling to know that the players and the team are doing things quick. We didn't even know that Tyler wanted to get things over with this year and we said, 'Let's start talking about Tyler. The fact that it happens like that quick, it's a good feeling to know that he wants to be here, we want him.
Myers is 6'8" and can skate like a breeze, has a firm grasp on when to jump into the play, is solid in his own end and is a former Calder Trophy winner who dismissed his sophomore slump midway through last season. Even better, at 21 yrs. old Myers still has tremendous upside.
The scary part of Myers is that in addition to his skating, defense and offensive acumen he's beginning to develop an attitude. Being paired with Regehr this season will only further his development in the physicality department.
All-in-all, the Sabres went from top-three featuring youngin's like Myers, Butler and Sekera to one that now features a franchise d-man augmented by two top-four vets--both of whom have made it to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Bottom-Four
Jordan Leopold--Leopold logged the most average time on ice of any Sabres player last year, which might be surprising to some fans. Unfortunately, those minutes lead to a season that was very inconsistent and ended up the the d-man a team worst minus-11. Taking a look at last season, it's pretty obvious that Leopold was put in situations that were just out of reach for him. With Regehr, Ehrhoff and Myers locking down big minutes in big situations, Leopold should be in a position to succeed as he settles into a #4/5 role on the team. He's a puck-mover who can join the rush and put up points who will now be doing it mostly versus the opposition's second and third lines as well as taking his place on the Sabres second power play unit.
Andrej Sekera--Once again, as the top spots on d are filled competently by those who can play to that level, those in lesser roles will be in a position to succeed, and Sekera should benefit immensely by being in the bottom-pairing. Sekera's a puck-mover who has had severe brain-cramps on the back-end. On the opposite end of the spectrum, he did have flashes of brilliance last season during a stretch while paired with Myers. He's still relatively young and is still battling consistency issues so the best thing for him and the team right now would be for "Rej" to hone his game as a bottom-pairing d-man striving to reach the top-four.
 |
| Mike Weber clears Daniel Carcillo from Ryan Miller's crease during the playoffs last season. |
Mike Weber--When you look at Weber, ya gotta say to yourself, "here's a man who's paid his dues." As a rookie call-up late in 2007/08, Weber put together a stretch of 16 games during the Sabres failed playoff push, where he was a plus-12. Unfortunately an injury the following season derailed any plans to stay with the Sabres in 2008/09. He had an unremarkable 7-game stint with the club that season, 42 with the Portland Pirates, then spent the entire 2009/10 season in Portland working his way back.
Last season he forced his way into the line up after being rotated in and out early on. He played 58 games for the team and finished second in plus/minus with a +13.
Weber's worth should not be closely tied to numbers, though. The big, physical Pittsburgh native plays a Regehr-type stay-at-home physical game and has no problem clearing the crease for his goalie. Just ask Daniel Carcillo.
For as big and nasty as he is, Weber is very adept in his own end with the outlet pass. Sure, he's had some blunders, as do nearly all 23 yr. olds. But he seems to be able to recover rather quickly.
As with Leopold and Sekera, the competency up top will put him in a position to succeed on the bottom-pairing.
 |
| Marc-Andre Gragnani is looking to build upon a stellar appearance late last season and into the playoffs. |
Marc-Andre Gragnani--Simply put, Grags was a revelation during the playoffs last season vs. the Philadelphia Flyers. He lead the team in points with seven, averaged over 21 minutes per game and was one of two regular d-man not to be in the minus column as he and Leopold logged an even plus/minus rating.
Not bad for a late-season call-up who played all of nine regular season games for the team.
During the preseason, Grags did not look out of place beside Ehrhoff on the second pairing (WGR audio clip :30-mark) and it wouldn't be surprising to see him, Leopold and possibly Sekera playing quality minutes in the top-four. Based upon his play last season, it wouldn't surprise me to see Grags firmly entrenched in that #4 role by season's end.
The Skinny
At the end of last season, it was obvious that some of the biggest holes were on the back-end. It was not so much lack of talent as it was youthful inconsistency. Pegula and his charges didn't hesitate when the opportunity arose to fortify the d. Regehr and Ehrhoff, along with Myers, will be taking charge of top minutes, allowing for the rest of the d-corps to fall into place in roles more suitable to their talents and experience.
The Sabres defense will be the force that drives the team this season and may be the best group of players they've had in a long, long time. They're a diverse group, a nice mix of vets and youngsters that can defend, move the puck, score and hit. They have size, speed and grit as well. And with the goaltending tandem of Miller and Enroth back-stopping the defense corps, teams are gonna have their hands full in every area of the ice.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Sabres 2011/12 Season Preview. Part 1, It's Starts At the Top
It's a great 1:18 video that does what a cartoon should do, take a situation and amplify it to an extreme.
All the talk in the NHL is about the Sabres new owner Terry Pegula and what he's done for the franchise by opening up his wallet as he and the team pursue the Stanley Cup. And it should be. This type of commitment from ownership hasn't been seen since the Knox days.
It's true, Pegula has changed the financial dynamics of the team and spent a ton this off season to acquire, and retain, talent. And he's not shy about admitting it either, "This notation that we're spending more money than the other teams," he said at the Tyler Myers contract extension press conference, "we had some things we needed to address, and we have a timeline, so why wait two years to do it. We tried to take care of immediate needs early."
Salary's aside (although his financial wherewithal should in no way be discounted,) Pegula was intent upon changing the culture of the team--from compete hard to win--as well as changing the relationship between upper management and their charges--from a cold business to a family. "Believe it or not," he said, "I've never made a decision in my life based on money, it was always based on what I believed was right and what I thought should be done."
A lesser known example of this would be the story of long time Rochester Americans trainer, AHL Hall of Famer, Kent Weisbeck. Weisbeck was in Rochester for 26 years. When the Sabres announced their return after a three year stint in Portland, Weisbeck was out because the organization really liked the man they'd worked with in Portland. Pegula did what he considered the right thing to do, he created a new position with the Amerks for the re-hiring of Weisbeck.
Any owner with deep pockets can throw money around like a drunken sailor, and Pegula showed he's unafraid to shell out big bucks. When asked at the Myers press conference whether he knew how much he'd spent on the team from contracts to renovations, he said, "I don't know the number...I don't care."
But the Pegula-effect goes deper than that. "We're investing our hearts," he said, "and want to make the Buffalo Sabres a first-class organization."
As the team starts the 2011/12 regular season, it's first full season under Pegula's ownership, they have a sound foundation and an unabashed commitment from ownership to pursue the ultimate goal--and the reason for the Sabres existence--to win the Stanley Cup.
It all starts at the top.
 |
| You cannot stop me, for I am unstoppable. |
Monday, September 19, 2011
Who Will Wear Letters On Their Sabres' Sweaters?
In 2008, two days before their October 10 season opener vs. the Montreal Canadians, Head Coach Lindy Ruff announced that recently acquired d-man Craig Rivet would be named team captain.
It was a somewhat surprising move considering the fact that he'd been acquired a mere three months earlier in a trade with San Jose', with the operative word being "somewhat."
Ruff had used the rotating captain thing for the 2007/08 season--the first season without departed co-captains Chris Drury and Daniel Briere--trying to find out which player had what it takes to lead the team. Although there may have been a player in his eyes which could take the reigns, none, it seemed, felt themselves worthy, and it ended up with the team voting Rivet captain.
“The players showed a lot of instant respect for him and what he’s done,” Ruff said as he introduced the new Sabres captain. “Was I a little bit surprised? Yeah. I’ve liked, and loved actually, what he’s done in practice and games. But to come in and garner that much respect and trust from his teammates in a short period of time… it says a lot.”
 |
| And now, "Deep Thoughts," by Lindy Ruff. "Who Will Be My Captain This Season?" |
Three years later, the Sabres are once again looking for a captain as Rivet was off to Columbus on re-entry waivers late last season.
The Core Is Older, But Have They Matured?
"The Core" consists of these players who were brought up in the Sabres system and were/are looked to for leadership: Jason Pominville, Derek Roy, Thomas Vanek, Paul Gaustad and to an extent Drew Stafford. One other player, although not drafted by the Sabres yet has been with the team for eight years and may be considered a core player, is Jochen Hecht.
All have worn the "A" (save for Stafford,) two--Pominville and Hecht--wore the "C" during the 2007/08 captain's rotation season and all (save for Hecht) are entering various stages of their primes.
With four years under their belts since the departure of co-captains Drury and Briere, and with varying degrees of success both individually and team-wise, the jury's still out as to whether or not one of the group has emerged as captain material.
 |
| Is it deja vu all over again for the Sabres and incoming d-man/leader, Robyn Regehr? |
In a bit of deja vu, recently acquired d-man, Robyn Regehr, like Rivet, has leadership attributes and may end up wearing the "C" in Buffalo. It would be easy for the team to vote him captain considering he wore an "A" in Calgary.
And the same quote Ruff used to describe Rivet can be used to make a case for Regehr, “I’ve said all along first of all [a captain has] to be the guy you want to follow on the ice,” Ruff said. “[his] actions on the ice dictate more than what he can say in the room... He’s got good character. He’s going to be right there for his teammates.”
This time around, unlike 2008 when "the core" players were mired in youthful insecurities and shunned the responsibility of the captaincy, there may be players on the team this year who feel as if they are ready to lead.
Leadership Qualities That Teammates Follow
 |
| 2007 NHL Hall Of Fame Inductees: Mark Messier, Scott Stevens, Ron Francis and Al MacInnis |
"The guy you want to follow," pretty much sums up a hockey captain. Some have it when they come into the league, are named captain real early and are successful (Sidney Crosby.) Some adapt after the initial shock of the weight (Ron Francis.) For some it's a process that's either short-term (Joe Sakic,) mid-range (Mark Messier) or long-term (Dave Andreychuk.) And then there's some, as we come to find out later, who never had it to begin with (Alexei Yashin.)
But for the majority, it's the mid-range process, where they enter their prime after hundreds of games on the ice, much like where this current crop of core players are right now in their careers.
In a November, 2007 piece, Paul Grant of espn.com interviewed four 2007 Hockey Hall of Fame Inductees who were all captains in the NHL, and who had all hoisted the Stanley Cup, about what it takes to lead.
The "Captain's Captain," Mark Messier along with NJ Devils' Cup-winning captain Scott Stevens, Calgary Flames Cup-winner and St. Louis Blues captain, Al MacInnis and Hartford Whalers captain/Pittsburgh Penguins Cup-winner, Ron Francis all chimed in on what it means to be the guy that you'd want to follow.
Comfortable In Your Own Skin
Ron Francis played 23 years in the NHL, scored at a point/game pace for over 1700 games, won the Lady Byng Trophy three times, and was captain of the Hartford Whalers--the team that drafted him 4th overall in 1981--for six of his ten seasons with the team. He won the Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 1991 and 1992.
He was one of the 2007 Hall of Famers interviewed by Grant, and although he didn't win the Cup as captain of the team, he does provide an important jump-off point.
Francis was named team captain at a very young age and it was a difficult transition. One point that really jumped out as he talked about what it takes to be a captain was this, "It's about being comfortable in your own skin," he said.
It's a factor that pretty much eliminates the younger Sabres' players still trying to find their niche in the NHL. That includes Stafford, who had a breakout season last year yet is still trying to find consistency. Although young defensive stud Tyler Myers seems to exude leadership qualities and has garnered plenty of respect in his two NHL seasons, he not only has youth against him right now, but must also master the intricacies of his position.
Other Sabres like Tyler Ennis and Nathan Gerbe could be future leaders and seem comfortable in their game, but like Myers, are still very young and, like Stafford, will need to show consistently over the long haul.
Lead by Example
Former NJ Devils captain Scott Stevens and former St. Louis Blues captain Al MacInnis were both big defensemen who won the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Stevens, a stay-at-home d-man, was noted for his intimidating presence and vicious hits. MacInnis was best-known for his blistering slap-shot and offensive acumen recording 1274 points in 1416 NHL games.
Both stressed "lead by example" first and foremost when talking about being a captain.
"Lead by example," said Stevens, "that's the biggest thing. It's more about work ethic, coming to play every night, working hard in practice, showing up for practice, showing up for games, and what you do off the ice, how you carry yourself, because everyone is watching you. All the players are watching you."
Said MacInnis, "You want to lead by example. If your teammates see the work ethic that you put in, the consistency that you put in, not only games but in practices, I think your teammates will follow."
None of the Sabres' core in the mix have the intimidating presence of Stevens, yet all have the some of offensive acumen of MacInnis.
But, do any of them lead by example both on and off the ice? Does Lindy Ruff have, in his words, "that guy you want to follow" amongst his core players?
Trust
Trust
 |
| The NY Rangers, lead by Mark Messier, hoisted the Cup for the first time in 54 years. |
For the past three decades the benchmark for leadership has been "The Captain's Captain," Mark Messier. After leading the Edmonton Oilers to five Stanley Cups in the 80's, Messier headed to Broadway to a team that hadn't won the cup in 50 years.
In the '94 playoffs, with the Rangers down three games to two vs. the NJ Devils, Messier guaranteed a victory in Game 6 and backed it up with a hat trick in their victory.
The Rangers downed the Devils in seven games and went on to win their first Stanley Cup in 54 years as Messier scored the game winner in Game 7 versus the Vancouver Canucks.
Messier's career is legendary. and when looking at what it takes to lead, he said, "I think the biggest thing, if you had to pick just one, would be trust." He continued, "Your players have to trust you. They have to be able to look at you and know that you're consistent in your approach and your philosophy and what you believe in. Establishing a relationship where they can trust you is very important."
Who Will Ruff Be Looking To This Season?
Back in 2008, it would seem as if none of the core players had the trust of their teammates. It could probably be said that none felt comfortable enough in their own skin to take on the reigns of leadership as well.
With training camp underway , and the season set to begin in less than a month, Ruff, a former captain himself, will be looking at his options--he could go with the alternating captain thing (which is highly unlikely,) he could continue using four alternates and no captain (which would be a good possibility) or he could look at his group and name one captain with two home alternates and two away alternates.
But who would be the guy that the team would "want to follow?" Who amongst the core is comfortable in themselves, leads by example, and would be a player that the team would trust?
Ruff's Core Options
Jason Pominville
Pommer is the type of player who's game is as consistent as the sun rising. He's a smooth skater who plays a smart game with no fanfare or flair and Ruff counts on him to play in all situations on the ice.
People tend to get caught up in numbers and point to his statistical decline in production, which isn't to the point where it's alarming. And they also yearn for him to play a game that's not his style--they expect a more rugged game, more hits, more aggression.
But, that's not Pominville. He is comfortable in his game and it's easy to forget that when Drury and Briere left, he had his best statistical season in 2007/08 while taking on the mantle of leadership that season.
The subtlety with which Pominville plays the game is usually lost upon the casual fan, but a look at the penalty kill in his absence shows just how important he is to the team. And, although he will never show the bravado of Messier, and probably will never have the "Captain Clutch" moniker of Drury, he will be on the ice at every crucial point and the team will count on him to do what he's always done--take care of the task at hand.
As a player who's been in a leadership role for the last four seasons and as a veteran that the youngin's can look to for guidance, he would make a solid, if unspectacular, captain.
Derek Roy
We all know what Roy brings to the table, and over the past four years, he's consistently put up offensive numbers. Unfortunately, many times it's been at the expense of the "team-first" philosophy, as evidenced by more than a few sit-downs with Ruff.
His on-ice demeanor, at 28 yrs. old and in the midst of his prime, still leans towards immature. An example came early last season. WGR's Paul Hamilton pointed out, after a drubbing by the NY Rangers, that while Ennis was on the break streaking up ice and looking for a trailer, Roy was trailing, albeit far behind. He was busy complaining to a ref about a non-call.
His issues with diving and complaining to the refs are well documented and known throughout the league. And although they've abated over the past year or so, you're left to wonder whether he has it within himself to shuck those tendencies. Can a leopard ch...(well, you know the rest.)
Roy seemed to be turning the corner on maturity last season, but he ended up injured and missing the entire back-half of the season. During his season-ending injury, the Sabres got on a roll and went from 11th in the conference to 7th, and on many occasions it was said that "team-play" lead to the surge.
Roy is a valuable point-producer for the team and he plays in all situations, but he doesn't seem as if his teammates will follow his lead anymore, especially when his team missed the playoffs two straight seasons and were bounced in the first round with him in a leadership role. Nor does it seem as if the team will look to him as the one to guide them out of dire straights.
As the team transitions to the "new core," should Roy be looked upon as a leader? Or should he be left to focus upon his game?
 |
| Thomas Vanek wore the "A" last season. Is he ready to take the next step? |
Thomas Vanek
Vanek is an interesting case study in the maturation process of a highly skilled player thrust into extreme circumstances.
His incredible sophomore campaign made him multi-million dollar, poachable commodity and his transition from third line player on an offensively deep team to a top-line player on a team devoid of top-line talent made for a difficult on-ice transition.
The departure of Drury and Briere also left Vanek to his own devices when handling both on and off-ice pressures. He, basically, had to figure things out on his own, and because of all this, his maturation process was slowed.
But Vanek has shown continual progress the last few years, and he seems to have quietly passed through numerous thresholds to reach the point where he's become a complete player.
And last season he really came into his own as a leader on the team. Early in the season with the team in a deep funk, he was pivotal in overtime wins--scoring an overtime goal vs. Washington and harassing Vancouver Canucks defenseman Dan Hamuis into a turnover that lead to a Myers overtime goal.
When Roy went down for the season and with Rivet in no man's land, Vanek seemed to willingly take the reigns of leadership and the Sabres went on a run that got them into the playoffs.
It took a while, but Vanek finally seems comfortable with who he is and what he's capable of.
Throughout last season WGR's Paul Hamilton looked at Vanek as a captain via extremes saying he would either be great or it would be a failure.
As of now, it could be said that the former would apply more so than the latter. He seems to have the internal drive to continue to grow, mature and bust through doors that are blocking his path.
And it showed last season that he really wanted to take on the mantle of leadership.
Paul Gaustad
Throughout his seven seasons in Buffalo, the big forward has taken on responsibilities thrown his way while playing a sound game for the Sabres. "Goose" is solid in his own end and is more than capable on the faceoff dot.
He has the respect of his teammates in the locker room and has a presence about him to where his teammates will follow his lead.
Unfortunately his lack of offensive acumen has limited him to third-line minutes which is determent to his being named captain. But you can bet that, even though he may "only" wear an "A" on his sweater, every teammate will look to him for leadership at one point or another.
Still In Transition, But In Much Better Shape Than 2007
Four seasons after the departures of Drury and Briere, the Sabres are still in a period of transition when it comes to naming a captain. But the team as a whole has matured and is in much better shape after four seasons of various successes and failures.
That being said, the results for this core without the departed co-captains are two seasons outside of the playoffs and two seasons of getting bounced in the first round. Granted, there are a myriad of reasons for the teams' lack of success, but the bottom line is that they didn't get it done.
The closest they came to a breakthrough year was last season with Roy out and Pominville sidelined by, and/or recovering from, injury. With Rivet on the bench as well, the leadership void seemed to be filled quite competently by Vanek.
It was still a very young team, especially on defense, and it seemed as if they played well over their heads during their playoff push.
With that being said, there are really only two choices for captain this season: Robyn Regehr or Thomas Vanek.
Either would be a good choice.
Were Regehr to be named captain, it would seem as if the team continues in it's transitionary mode and is looking to allow Tyler Myers to develop as the future captain of the team two or three years down the road.
Of the core mentioned above, Vanek seems to be the only one who's separated himself from the others and should he be named captain, it would be yet another threshold for him to breakthrough and conquer.
The choice for letters this upcoming season:
"C"--Thomas Vanek. Another step for Vanek and I think he's ready for it as he turns into the complete package. He's proven his mettle over the last two seasons and is the only Sabre to bust his way meaningfully on the score sheet in the playoffs. His willingness to play through pain and do what's necessary for team success is a strong foundation to continue to build trust in himself and of his team mates. Of Hamilton's previously mentioned extremes, I'll take the former and say that it will be a success.
"A" (home)--Jason Pominville. The team always had a tendency to get fancy at home, but Pommer helps the team dump that.
"A" (home)--Robyn Regehr. Regehr will be in charge of making sure it's F'N difficult for the opposition at The Center.
"A" (away)--Paul Gaustad. "Goose" brings it on the road to help guide the team in enemy territory.
"A" (away)--Tyler Myers. Myers will have the chance to develop into the Norris candidate that's within him. Regehr as his mentor will help with that and guide the kid as to what leadership is all about.
Oops!
I forgot about Vanek's dream. It could change everything.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)