"Let's put it this way: The most interesting thing about [the Sabres] this season will likely be seeing whether their two best players -- Thomas Vanek and Ryan Miller -- are traded away before it ends. Otherwise it figures to be a bad season in Buffalo, but that's something they are prepared for."
So wrote Brian Stubits for CBSsports.com's Eye On Hockey Atlantic Division Preview.
One can't blame him either.
Sabres beat writer Paul Hamilton was on WGR yesterday afternoon and admits that he has no idea where this team is headed. Unlike recently re-acquired Henrik Tallinder who optimistically said, "I expect the Sabres to be in the playoffs."
Stubits rightfully calls it like he sees it, "[Sabres] GM Darcy Regier finally committed to this rebuild. What you get is a very young team that doesn't have a high payroll and has the expectations to match. So this season is going to be more about learning on the fly with the team they have now and seeing how they look down the road."
When it comes to individual players, the focus is on Vanek and Miller, as it should be. Stubits takes a crack at Sabres C Cody Hodgson, "not that he's a bad player, but you're talking about Cody Hodgson being the best player not named Vanek or Miller. While Hodgson can score, his all-around game leaves something to be desired."
He mentions youngins Tyler Ennis, Marcus Foligno and Mikhail Grigorenko but, oddly enough, lays off Ville Leino (and his contract) as well as the woe's that Tyler Myers has faced since his Calder-winning season.
Perhaps he just didn't feel the need to delve too deeply into a last place team. Why put forth the effort? There are just too many question marks with this team right now.
Stubits is succinct and highlights all the major points including this about Miller and the team that played in front of him last season, "at this point they're still young and growing, not ready to challenge in this division. They can start by cleaning up the fact that they gave up more shots against than any team in the league last season. No wonder Miller got frustrated at times."
Well said.
Showing posts with label 2013-14 Predictions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2013-14 Predictions. Show all posts
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Puck Daddy chimes in on the Sabres
Yahoo's Puck Daddy, aka Greg Wyshynski, is doing his 2013-14 NHL previews using an Olympic theme and yesterday he covered the Buffalo Sabres in his Gold Medal Preview.
After rehashing a 2013 season that saw Thomas Vanek carry the team early on and Lindy Ruff getting fired, Puck Daddy puts the puck where it belongs with the Sabres clearly in rebuild-mode.
As he goes through the progression from Ruff's exit to Ron Rolston's promotion to the departure of Jason Pominville, the lingering questions concerning veterans Vanek and Ryan Miller remain as both were on the block but remain with the team.
The Sabres had a relatively quiet off season considering they're rebuilding. Andrej Sekera was traded, Jamie McBain was brought in. Some moves for Rochester. And there's the return of Hank Tallinder to the Sabres blueline.
Tallinder is and always will be tied in to the performance of defenseman Tyler Myers, who's play has been declining since his Calder-winning debut, a debut that featured Tallinder as his defense partner. "Tallinder coming back to Buffalo," writes Puck Daddy, "means Myers should be reunited with a veteran that brought out his best. The Sabres hope so."
Christian Ehrhoff is pointed out as having played the most minutes in his career at 25:11 per game. Ehrhoff was clearly the team's best d-man last season and the question heading into the season is who will be his partner on the top pairing. McBain is mentioned but clearly, in this bloggers eyes, Myers needs to be the one to step fully into that role and begin his ascension to the top-pairing talent that lies within his grasp.
Barring a trade, the defense will be relying on Miller in net, with back-up Jhonas Enroth probably taking on a bigger role.
Puck Daddy pulls the Olympic card with Miller saying, "The best news for the Sabres isn’t that Miller is back, it’s that he’s back in a year where he’s trying to make the Olympic team. The last time that happened, Miller played like a Vezina winner for the first three months of 2009, earning the starting job."
Fact is, Miller had a serious chip on his shoulder that season because he was snubbed for the 2006 Olympics. This season will be different.
As per usual with these team overviews, there's the mention of forward Drew Stafford and his six goals in 46 games for $4M/season as well as the token shot at Ville Leino's contract, "[Stafford's deal] which compared to Leino’s $4.5 million through 2017 boondoggle looks like a steal."
Puck Daddy takes it a step further by taking a shot at enforcer John Scott who was re-signed for another year, "Scott will beat up someone smaller than him and then get beat up by Shawn Thornton."
Someone needs to remind "the daddy" that not many players are Scott's size and that he so thoroughly whooped Thorton that he was genuinely worried about the health of the Bruins tough-guy. It should also be noted that the Sabres toppled the Bruins in that game 7-4, as Scott's role on the team was clearly defined, and went on to post a 3-2 record vs. their long-time nemesis.
The bottom line is that Puck Daddy rightfully predicts the Sabres out of the playoffs this season and more of a youth movement with the probable departures of Miller and Vanek.
Maybe he should have added, with the departures of those two vets as well as a rookie coach heading into his first full season, the Sabres are more than likely headed towards their highest first-round pick since nabbing Thomas Vanek #5 in the 2003 draft. Possibly even top-three.
After rehashing a 2013 season that saw Thomas Vanek carry the team early on and Lindy Ruff getting fired, Puck Daddy puts the puck where it belongs with the Sabres clearly in rebuild-mode.
As he goes through the progression from Ruff's exit to Ron Rolston's promotion to the departure of Jason Pominville, the lingering questions concerning veterans Vanek and Ryan Miller remain as both were on the block but remain with the team.
The Sabres had a relatively quiet off season considering they're rebuilding. Andrej Sekera was traded, Jamie McBain was brought in. Some moves for Rochester. And there's the return of Hank Tallinder to the Sabres blueline.
Tallinder is and always will be tied in to the performance of defenseman Tyler Myers, who's play has been declining since his Calder-winning debut, a debut that featured Tallinder as his defense partner. "Tallinder coming back to Buffalo," writes Puck Daddy, "means Myers should be reunited with a veteran that brought out his best. The Sabres hope so."
Christian Ehrhoff is pointed out as having played the most minutes in his career at 25:11 per game. Ehrhoff was clearly the team's best d-man last season and the question heading into the season is who will be his partner on the top pairing. McBain is mentioned but clearly, in this bloggers eyes, Myers needs to be the one to step fully into that role and begin his ascension to the top-pairing talent that lies within his grasp.
Barring a trade, the defense will be relying on Miller in net, with back-up Jhonas Enroth probably taking on a bigger role.
Puck Daddy pulls the Olympic card with Miller saying, "The best news for the Sabres isn’t that Miller is back, it’s that he’s back in a year where he’s trying to make the Olympic team. The last time that happened, Miller played like a Vezina winner for the first three months of 2009, earning the starting job."
Fact is, Miller had a serious chip on his shoulder that season because he was snubbed for the 2006 Olympics. This season will be different.
As per usual with these team overviews, there's the mention of forward Drew Stafford and his six goals in 46 games for $4M/season as well as the token shot at Ville Leino's contract, "[Stafford's deal] which compared to Leino’s $4.5 million through 2017 boondoggle looks like a steal."
Puck Daddy takes it a step further by taking a shot at enforcer John Scott who was re-signed for another year, "Scott will beat up someone smaller than him and then get beat up by Shawn Thornton."
Someone needs to remind "the daddy" that not many players are Scott's size and that he so thoroughly whooped Thorton that he was genuinely worried about the health of the Bruins tough-guy. It should also be noted that the Sabres toppled the Bruins in that game 7-4, as Scott's role on the team was clearly defined, and went on to post a 3-2 record vs. their long-time nemesis.
The bottom line is that Puck Daddy rightfully predicts the Sabres out of the playoffs this season and more of a youth movement with the probable departures of Miller and Vanek.
Maybe he should have added, with the departures of those two vets as well as a rookie coach heading into his first full season, the Sabres are more than likely headed towards their highest first-round pick since nabbing Thomas Vanek #5 in the 2003 draft. Possibly even top-three.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Let the predictions begin. The Hockey News has Buffalo finishing...
7th in the new Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.
THN's puck panel bases this upon the Sabres "installing a new young core." Although growing pains will come with this transition, they think that Buffalo is "in better position to do a relatively quick turnaround than some (coughCalgarycough.)"
A "relatively quick turnaround" after this season is very possible for this team. As for this season, if the Sabres move on from veteran goalie Ryan Miller and veteran winger Thomas Vanek, who represent the best two players on the roster, it could get ugly in 2013-14.
Miller, says THN, "is a plus though his numbers haven't been quite as good the last three seasons" since winning the Vezina Trophy. Even so, they think Miller gives the Sabres the "comfort level of a reliable goaltender."
That "comfort level" will be needed on the back end.
Even though the Sabres will have nine or 10 NHL d-men heading into camp, quantity does not always beget quality as they proved last season.
The group of defensemen has vets like Christian Ehrhoff, Henrik Tallinder and Alexander Sulzer and they have a couple heading into their prime in Mike Weber and Jamie McBain
The charge of the younins on the back-end begins with 23 yr. old Tyler Myers. THN points to his declining production since winning the Calder Trophy and they, like everyone else in the hockey world, will be watching his play closely. Most think that his play will improve.
All-in-all, this is still a pretty vanilla group with only Weber showing signs of aggression on a regular basis.
Although the success of the forwards rests upon Vanek's shoulders, THN rightfully points out transition down the middle.
Cody Hodgson is a top-six lock, if and when he signs, and is slated to take on top-line responsibilities. After that they're looking at 19 yr. old Mikhail Grigorenko to transition into a second-line center and fellow 2012 first round draft pick Zemgus Girgensons to make his way on to the team later in the season in a bottom-six role.
The Sabres aren't as thin at center as they once were, but they're a lot younger than "the core" days. That alone indicates more growing pains.
Other forwards to note: Drew Stafford who's coming off of an abysmal 2013 season; Steve Ott who will be thrust into a spot that's just above where he should be; Marcus Foligno who needs to find his niche.
Look for Girgensons' line-mate in Rochester, Johan Larsson, to make some waves by possibly making the team out of camp.
Lastly, THN takes a poke at Ville Leino and his signing two seasons ago with their peripheral prediction that he "will continue to under-produce for his $4.5 million cap hit and earn $500,000 for each goal he scores."
Yowch!
Quick reaction to the prediction:
Seventh place in the Atlantic is not all that far-fetched, simply based upon the strength of the division. As long as Ryan Miller is in net, the team shouldn't finish lower than that and will probably be looking at finishing somewhere around the bottom-quarter of the league next season.
Take away Miller and Vanek and one could easily see a top-three draft pick next year.
But, like the boys at THN mentioned, with the depth the Sabres have and the cap room that they'll have moving forward, they are positioned for a quick turnaround.
How quick a turnaround will rest squarely on the shoulders of head coach Ron Rolston and his staff.
Rolston has been developing young players througout his coaching career although this will be his first full season behind an NHL bench.
He has a diverse group of players with varying degrees of talent at his disposal and it will be interesting to see where he takes them.
THN's puck panel bases this upon the Sabres "installing a new young core." Although growing pains will come with this transition, they think that Buffalo is "in better position to do a relatively quick turnaround than some (coughCalgarycough.)"
A "relatively quick turnaround" after this season is very possible for this team. As for this season, if the Sabres move on from veteran goalie Ryan Miller and veteran winger Thomas Vanek, who represent the best two players on the roster, it could get ugly in 2013-14.
Miller, says THN, "is a plus though his numbers haven't been quite as good the last three seasons" since winning the Vezina Trophy. Even so, they think Miller gives the Sabres the "comfort level of a reliable goaltender."
That "comfort level" will be needed on the back end.
Even though the Sabres will have nine or 10 NHL d-men heading into camp, quantity does not always beget quality as they proved last season.
The group of defensemen has vets like Christian Ehrhoff, Henrik Tallinder and Alexander Sulzer and they have a couple heading into their prime in Mike Weber and Jamie McBain
The charge of the younins on the back-end begins with 23 yr. old Tyler Myers. THN points to his declining production since winning the Calder Trophy and they, like everyone else in the hockey world, will be watching his play closely. Most think that his play will improve.
All-in-all, this is still a pretty vanilla group with only Weber showing signs of aggression on a regular basis.
Although the success of the forwards rests upon Vanek's shoulders, THN rightfully points out transition down the middle.
Cody Hodgson is a top-six lock, if and when he signs, and is slated to take on top-line responsibilities. After that they're looking at 19 yr. old Mikhail Grigorenko to transition into a second-line center and fellow 2012 first round draft pick Zemgus Girgensons to make his way on to the team later in the season in a bottom-six role.
The Sabres aren't as thin at center as they once were, but they're a lot younger than "the core" days. That alone indicates more growing pains.
Other forwards to note: Drew Stafford who's coming off of an abysmal 2013 season; Steve Ott who will be thrust into a spot that's just above where he should be; Marcus Foligno who needs to find his niche.
Look for Girgensons' line-mate in Rochester, Johan Larsson, to make some waves by possibly making the team out of camp.
Lastly, THN takes a poke at Ville Leino and his signing two seasons ago with their peripheral prediction that he "will continue to under-produce for his $4.5 million cap hit and earn $500,000 for each goal he scores."
Yowch!
Quick reaction to the prediction:
Seventh place in the Atlantic is not all that far-fetched, simply based upon the strength of the division. As long as Ryan Miller is in net, the team shouldn't finish lower than that and will probably be looking at finishing somewhere around the bottom-quarter of the league next season.
Take away Miller and Vanek and one could easily see a top-three draft pick next year.
But, like the boys at THN mentioned, with the depth the Sabres have and the cap room that they'll have moving forward, they are positioned for a quick turnaround.
How quick a turnaround will rest squarely on the shoulders of head coach Ron Rolston and his staff.
Rolston has been developing young players througout his coaching career although this will be his first full season behind an NHL bench.
He has a diverse group of players with varying degrees of talent at his disposal and it will be interesting to see where he takes them.
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