In looking at the Sabres defense in the last blog, the preview had an opening day group that will feature two rookies in the top-six defenders and a total of three players 23 or younger on the back-end.
That movement towards youth continues up-front featuring two teenagers and a total of six players 23 or younger.
In looking at the forwards, it all begins with recently named co-captain Thomas Vanek, the team's best player.
Vanek is coming off of another solid year that featured a typical ebb and flow to his season. He's in the last year of his contract and the specter of a possible trade will be hovering over him until the deadline.
He has said time and again that he will wait and see how the things unfold with the Sabres rebuild before he makes any decision about re-signing. The Sabres clearly want him back, but will probably move him before he has the opportunity to walk at the end of the season.
His partner on the top line will be center Cody Hodgson. He recently inked a six-year extension.
Hodgson is second only to Vanek in terms of talent right now. And his off-season work-ethic is second to none. Will that work-ethic and talent equal a true #1 center?
From the Sabres standpoint, he'll have six years to work on that. Even so, Hodgson is a bonafide top-six center who should be good for at least 50 points a season.
After those two, question marks abound in the top-nine with youth and inconsistency being their defining traits.
At 27 yrs. old and entering his prime, RW Drew Stafford should be a lock for the top-line. Unfortunately the former 30-goal scorer is the poster-child for inconsistency. He had a poor season last year and it comes down to effort. He has the size, skill and talent to be a top-line player, but it seems as if he floats way too often.
Maybe that's why he had the "A" taken from him.
The antithesis of Stafford is Marcus Foligno.
The 4th-round pick is a bit bigger than Stafford, has less pure talent but plays hard. Foligno is only 22 and just finding out what style of game suits him. Hubris hit him last season as he thought he was a scorer. Towards the end of the season he found out a formula that works for him and it earned him the opportunity to play with Vanek and Hodgson in the preseason. That trio looked real strong.
He will start the year on the injured list, but upon his return, should Stafford stumble, Foligno could find himself on the top-line.
The fate of the top-six, and the alignment of the centers rested with Tyler Ennis and where the coaching staff wanted to place him.
The smallish Ennis is a water bug and is much better when he has more ice to work with, which the center position offers him, and that's where he'll start the season.
For some reason, Ennis' production has gone unheralded. In 187 games he had 48 goals and 75 assists which averages out to 20 goals and 32 assists over a 82 game season. And he's only 23.
Ennis got the #2 center spot because 2012 first-round pick Mikhail Grigorenko failed to grab hold of the spot.
Grigorenko is only 19 and had a 25 game introduction to the NHL last season. It didn't go as well as everyone hoped, but GM Darcy Regier said that he will remain with the big club this season.
That approach provided a "foot-in-mouth" moment as Grigorenko progressed slowly this summer. It's been said that the Sabres asked for an exemption to send him to Rochester and Regier mentioned that there's a possibility that he could be sent to the AHL on a 14-day "conditioning" stint.
Grigorenko had his best success having veterans Steve Ott and Ville Leino on the wings. Those two will start the season with Ennis between them.
Yesterday, Ott was named co-captain of the Sabres. He will wear the "C" on the road.
Everyone knows what Ott brings to the table: grit, leadership, bloody knuckles and around 30-35 points per season.
As the antithesis of Regier's "core," he immediately became a fan favorite an hearkened in the transition of the Sabres from "soft-but-skilled" to (hopefully) "tougher to play against."
The fate of the Sabres could rest partly in the hands of Leino.
His well documented $27m signing two years ago is a running joke around the NHL and he gets the opportunity to start the year in the top-six.
He understands where he is and has said that everything is in place for him to have a strong season. No excuses.
The Sabres probably feel the same way and should he falter, a buyout next off season is in the offing.
Two rookies with top-six potential will be looking to stick with the big club this season.
19-yr old Zemgus Girgensons was picked two slots behind Grigorenko in the 2012 draft after the Sabres traded up for him and will get the first crack.
Girgensons went directly from the draft to the AHL last season and grew steadily throughout the year. He's a gritty, two-way forward in constant motion. He has size, skill and grit and can play any forward position.
Known as the "Latvian Locomotive," Girgensons had three goals in three playoff games for the Amerks last year. That pretty much punched his ticket to the NHL.
His partner down in Rochester last season was gritty, two-way center Johan Larsson. He assisted on all three of Girgensons goals in the playoffs.
Larsson is ready for the NHL. Sabres coach Ron Rolston had said that he may have been the best player throughout camp and the preseason. Yet Larsson will take a back seat to Grigorenko and Girgensons when the Sabres hit the ice in Detroit tonight.
Regardless of whether or not it's justified, one would think that when Larsson hits the ice with the team, he'll be there to stay.
Right now, rookie Brian Flynn is slated for third-line RW duties on a line with Girgensons and Grigorenko.
Rolston liked Flynn in Rochester and when he was named interim coach, he brought Flynn with him.
Flynn isn't big, but he's a heady, two-way player with skill who's a hard worker. Those traits lead to six goals and five assists in 26 games with the Sabres last season. He was also tied for the team plus-minus lead with a plus-six.
Another player Rolston brought with him from Rochester was Kevin Porter.
Porter's slated for fourth-line duties with veterans Cody McCormick and Patrick Kaleta to start the season and will probably be swapping spots with enforcer John Scott.
Corey Tropp is injured and will be out 5-6 weeks, when he returns, he'll have an inside track for inclusion on the fourth line. He has size, grit and attitude. All traits that the Sabres want in their players moving forward.
The Outlook
WGR's Paul Hamilton is right when he wrote that this team could be real bad or make a run to the playoffs.
This is one of the youngest teams in the league with a coach who's entering his second NHL season with a mere 31 NHL games under his belt.
Rolston is known as "the professor," and this is a good match for him. He's had a full training camp to work with a roster that features three teenagers, six rookies and nine players 23 or younger.
If the Sabres were to start out the year slow as this young group tries to catch up to the speed of the NHL game, no one would be surprised.
Nor would it be surprising if this group of players, one that features nine first-round picks, found their legs and began to play better as the season wore on.
An overall philosophical transition from the "soft-but-skilled" old core to a "tougher to play against," two-way oriented "new core" is in full transition with the addition of the rookies on the roster.
There are still flaws on the back-end, mainly a lack of grit and toughness, and they're still lacking bonafide top-line talent outside of Vanek, but they're solid in net.
As long as Miller and Vanek are in the lineup, they will have an outside chance to make the playoffs in the East.
Without them, a top-five pick is a strong possibility.
It should be a rough start followed by a steady climb up until the trade deadline. At the deadline, if neither is signed, one should expect both Miller and Vanek to be moved leading to a precipitous drop down the standings.
That drop should see them finish in the bottom quarter of the league.
Which isn't a bad thing.
Sabreland is prepared for a drop like that and the focus will be on the charge of the youngins.
Showing posts with label 2013-14 Season Preview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2013-14 Season Preview. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
2013-14 Buffalo Sabres preview, Part 2--A better defense, but grit and toughness still lacking
Last season the Buffalo Sabres allowed the most shots against in all of hockey and they were 22nd in goals against average.
But that doesn't tell the whole story of a defense that might have been much worse than those numbers showed.
Were it not for some strong performances from goalie Ryan Miller, as well as back-up Jhonas Enroth in the second half of the shortened season, the Sabres might have found themselves in the running for a top-five or higher draft pick.
The defense was that bad.
Good news for the Sabres, though. Ever since Ron Rolston took over for Lindy Ruff behind the bench, the defense has gotten better. He stripped it down, got them back to basics--stressing defense first--and has them on the upswing.
This season the lessons will continue as the team sends a very young defense to the ice with three of their top-six 23 or younger, including a teenager.
The teenager is one Rasmus Ristolainen, the 8th overall pick in this year's draft.
The book on Ristolainen is that he's a smart, steady, positional d-man with a bit of an edge to his game.
He played two years in the Finnish Elite League against men and acquitted himself very well leading the "experts" to declare him the most NHL-ready draft pick (other than Seth Jones) in the draft.
As the preseason progressed, Ristolainen proved all the experts right and the best part was that he progressed with every game played.
"Risto," who's play in the preseason had Sabreland abuzz, will be paired with his antithesis--25 yr. old Mike Weber.
Weber's strong and gritty, has a serious edge and has worked his way into the starting lineup after playing in 174 NHL games over a five year span. He paid his dues in Rochester before making an impact in the NHL for the last portion of the 2007-08 season.
The following year everyone had great expectations, but he was sent to Rochester, was injured half-way through the AHL season and spent the next full year in Rochester basically rehabbing.
Weber has been the 7th (or 8th) d-man to start the year the last two seasons and each time he earned himself a steady gig on the bottom pairing.
He earned his top-six spot this year and will provide a tough, gritty compliment to Risto.
Last season 2010 first round draft pick Mark Pysyk was given an NHL opportunity. And he took advantage of it.
The 21-yr. old, took his 19 game audition and coupled it with a strong training camp this summer to earn himself a top-four spot.
Pysyk is another heady player who plays the game seemingly unfazed. He's a sponge and will be soaking up all the knowledge the elder statesmen of the defense-corps--Christian Ehrhoff and Hank Tallinder--have to offer.
He's worth keeping an eye on.
Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com has this to say about the former Edmonton Oil King captain, "Pysyk's smooth skating and simple execution make him a steady, stabilizing piece of the future defensive core. He's smart and extremely diligent with his footwork, has a high panic threshold and the Edmonton native proved to be one of Ron Rolston's more trusted options throughout his 19-game NHL stint to close out his rookie season."
Ehrhoff was the Sabres best defensemen last season logging a career-high 25 minutes of ice-time. He lead the team in plus-minus as well.
Goals and points, especially on the powerplay, have been harder to come since landing in Buffalo. There's no question he has the shot, but the problem has been a skater to get him the puck in scoring situations.
Methinks as the team gets better, points for him will begin to make there way back up.
Tallinder was acquired from New Jersey this summer. Who he'll be paired with remains to be seen, but it's expected that whomever it is will benefit greatly.
At 33 yrs. old he's no spring chicken and anything more than a top-four role with spot duty on the top-pairing might be a little too much. One must remember that Tallinder is coming off of probably his worst NHL season in Jersey, so there are still question marks as to just what he'll have to offer the Sabres.
It was suspected that Tallinder was brought back to help guide Myers out of his doldrums but Pysyk benefited greatly when paired with him early in the preseason. It might be best if those two paired again with Ehrhoff and Myers getting top-pairing minutes.
Last season might have been Myers worst as a pro. Much has been expected of him since his Calder-winning season four years ago. The last two seasons really haven't gone well. Much of it could be attributed to the lockout as well as a poor training regiment. Maybe even Ruff could have been a detriment to success.
But this year came into camp in possibly the best shape of his career and it showed on the ice this preseason. Myers displayed a boatload of confidence and showed his Calder winning form at times dominating the competition.
Of course, it was only preseason. We'll see how he fares when it counts.
Jamie McBain, acquired in a trade with Carolina at the draft, is slotted for a reserve role. He is another one who's coming off of a terrible 2013 season.
McBain made the team with some solid play on defense and a flair for offense, especially jumping into the play and burying his opportunities.
The Sabres defense is well stocked and has tremendous upside. And that's not even counting 2013 first round pick Nikita Zadorov who looks like he'll be on the team next year.
The only weakness on the back end might be lack of strength, grit and toughness. It still looks like a Darcy Regier "soft-but-skilled" group who may have trouble clearing the front of the net.
Weber has those attributes. Risto seems to have a little of it. Myers likes to think he has it but hasn't shown it since the playoffs vs. the Flyers in 2011.
This defense corps has such an atrocious season last season, a little improvement will go a long way, and one senses that they will be improving greatly this season.
But that doesn't tell the whole story of a defense that might have been much worse than those numbers showed.
Were it not for some strong performances from goalie Ryan Miller, as well as back-up Jhonas Enroth in the second half of the shortened season, the Sabres might have found themselves in the running for a top-five or higher draft pick.
The defense was that bad.
Good news for the Sabres, though. Ever since Ron Rolston took over for Lindy Ruff behind the bench, the defense has gotten better. He stripped it down, got them back to basics--stressing defense first--and has them on the upswing.
This season the lessons will continue as the team sends a very young defense to the ice with three of their top-six 23 or younger, including a teenager.
The teenager is one Rasmus Ristolainen, the 8th overall pick in this year's draft.
The book on Ristolainen is that he's a smart, steady, positional d-man with a bit of an edge to his game.
He played two years in the Finnish Elite League against men and acquitted himself very well leading the "experts" to declare him the most NHL-ready draft pick (other than Seth Jones) in the draft.
As the preseason progressed, Ristolainen proved all the experts right and the best part was that he progressed with every game played.
"Risto," who's play in the preseason had Sabreland abuzz, will be paired with his antithesis--25 yr. old Mike Weber.
Weber's strong and gritty, has a serious edge and has worked his way into the starting lineup after playing in 174 NHL games over a five year span. He paid his dues in Rochester before making an impact in the NHL for the last portion of the 2007-08 season.
The following year everyone had great expectations, but he was sent to Rochester, was injured half-way through the AHL season and spent the next full year in Rochester basically rehabbing.
Weber has been the 7th (or 8th) d-man to start the year the last two seasons and each time he earned himself a steady gig on the bottom pairing.
He earned his top-six spot this year and will provide a tough, gritty compliment to Risto.
Last season 2010 first round draft pick Mark Pysyk was given an NHL opportunity. And he took advantage of it.
The 21-yr. old, took his 19 game audition and coupled it with a strong training camp this summer to earn himself a top-four spot.
Pysyk is another heady player who plays the game seemingly unfazed. He's a sponge and will be soaking up all the knowledge the elder statesmen of the defense-corps--Christian Ehrhoff and Hank Tallinder--have to offer.
He's worth keeping an eye on.
Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com has this to say about the former Edmonton Oil King captain, "Pysyk's smooth skating and simple execution make him a steady, stabilizing piece of the future defensive core. He's smart and extremely diligent with his footwork, has a high panic threshold and the Edmonton native proved to be one of Ron Rolston's more trusted options throughout his 19-game NHL stint to close out his rookie season."
Ehrhoff was the Sabres best defensemen last season logging a career-high 25 minutes of ice-time. He lead the team in plus-minus as well.
Goals and points, especially on the powerplay, have been harder to come since landing in Buffalo. There's no question he has the shot, but the problem has been a skater to get him the puck in scoring situations.
Methinks as the team gets better, points for him will begin to make there way back up.
Tallinder was acquired from New Jersey this summer. Who he'll be paired with remains to be seen, but it's expected that whomever it is will benefit greatly.
At 33 yrs. old he's no spring chicken and anything more than a top-four role with spot duty on the top-pairing might be a little too much. One must remember that Tallinder is coming off of probably his worst NHL season in Jersey, so there are still question marks as to just what he'll have to offer the Sabres.
It was suspected that Tallinder was brought back to help guide Myers out of his doldrums but Pysyk benefited greatly when paired with him early in the preseason. It might be best if those two paired again with Ehrhoff and Myers getting top-pairing minutes.
Last season might have been Myers worst as a pro. Much has been expected of him since his Calder-winning season four years ago. The last two seasons really haven't gone well. Much of it could be attributed to the lockout as well as a poor training regiment. Maybe even Ruff could have been a detriment to success.
But this year came into camp in possibly the best shape of his career and it showed on the ice this preseason. Myers displayed a boatload of confidence and showed his Calder winning form at times dominating the competition.
Of course, it was only preseason. We'll see how he fares when it counts.
Jamie McBain, acquired in a trade with Carolina at the draft, is slotted for a reserve role. He is another one who's coming off of a terrible 2013 season.
McBain made the team with some solid play on defense and a flair for offense, especially jumping into the play and burying his opportunities.
The Sabres defense is well stocked and has tremendous upside. And that's not even counting 2013 first round pick Nikita Zadorov who looks like he'll be on the team next year.
The only weakness on the back end might be lack of strength, grit and toughness. It still looks like a Darcy Regier "soft-but-skilled" group who may have trouble clearing the front of the net.
Weber has those attributes. Risto seems to have a little of it. Myers likes to think he has it but hasn't shown it since the playoffs vs. the Flyers in 2011.
This defense corps has such an atrocious season last season, a little improvement will go a long way, and one senses that they will be improving greatly this season.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Buffalo Sabres 2013-14 season preview Part-1. Goaltending and...
The charge of the youngins.
The Buffalo News' Bucky Gleason has every right to whine about the Buffalo Sabres and their long-time GM, Darcy Regier.
He has every right to veil his unprofessional hatred for Regier in snarky little snippets.
And he has every right to dredge up the past for an "I told you so moment" as well.
Mike Zigomanis and the fax machine. Michael Peca and Gleason's rumor that had him and a goalie headed to Atlanta for the #1 overall pick which would have been Ilya Kovalchuck. Chris Drury/Daniel Briere and Thomas Vanek.
All dredgeable stories that are at least six years old.
Blah, Blah, Blah.
Gleason, because Regier is still in charge, isn't very optimistic and with the aforementioned mistakes from a GM who's "inexplicably in charge" as a backdrop, he sees a future that will be the same as the past and it isn't pretty for him. "I suppose [the Sabres] kiddie corps could come together and turn things around this season," he writes, "but there's a greater chance for failure. Fans are left with little hope."
The "kiddie corps" he's referring to is a Sabres roster that will have two rookies on the back-end in Mark Pysyk and Rasmus Ristolainen while four rookies--Mikhail Grigorenko (#12 overall, 2012,) Zemgus Girgensons (#14, 2012,) Johan Larsson (#56, 2010) and 2012 free agent Brian Flynn will be up front.
The rooks will be joining three 23 yr. olds from the 2008 draft class--top-line center Cody Hodgson, top-six forward Tyler Ennis and top-pairing defenseman Tyler Myers.
Marcus Foligno (#104 overall, 2009) will start the year on IR, but will be back in the line-up soon thereafter.
That's nine players 23 and under. As the roster stands right now, even with Ryan Miller (33 yrs. old) and Vanek (30,) they will have one of the youngest teams in the league.
The rebuild is on and there's a new core rising.
"You wonder how we’ll look back on the Sabres 10 years from now," writes Gleason as he ends his article.
We'll let him set himself up for that. Maybe it will be of use when Gleason pens one of his self-righteous, "GM for a Day" fantasy pieces which he and his fellow knitting-society members relish so much.
For me, the future is now and although it could be painful early on, this team seems to be headed in the right direction.
That being said, here's Part-1 of the 2013-14 season preview.
As always we start in goal.
Miller's in goal. But, for how long?
Since emerging from the 2004-05 lockout, back-up goalies have come and gone while watching from the bench as Ryan Miller has been the unquestioned starter.
This year he is in the final year of his contract. Trade rumors were rampant at the deadline but have since subsided, and it would look as if Miller will be here until either a #1 goalie is felled by injury or the trade deadline comes and a team with a need for an upgrade in net for the stretch-run or playoff run comes calling.
There's never been a doubt as to Miller being a #1 goalie. The argument is whether or not he is elite.
And after nine seasons, it's still up in the air.
Miller has been outstanding in net for the team. Post 2004-lockout, he had the burden of covering for the "Ferrari" Sabres who flew up and down the ice saying, "catch me if you can."
Time and again Miller was exposed to a barrage of odd-man rushes and breakaways. Time and again his defensemen couldn't figure out how to defend and left the opposition with easy "layups" for goals.
It's a trend that continued--save for Miller's 2009-10 Vezina season--up until last season when Ron Rolston took over as head coach. Rolston has been stressing fundamentals and it would seem as if defending a two-on-one properly is beginning to take hold.
Despite his mental lapses (which have diminished over the years) and despite his stats (which don't tell the whole story) Miller can be counted on to both intimidate and stifle the opposition.
As long as Miller is in net, the team will always have a chance to win. Which is a fact that has kept the Sabres from securing a top-five pick.
Once again, Jhonas Enroth will be backing Miller up.
At one point, Enroth had a 12-game losing streak and it looked as if the clock struck midnight.
He came back and looks as if he not only could be a reliable back-up, but also could handle starting duties as well.
Although Enroth is on the smaller side he's very agile and moves in the crease very well. Perhaps most important, though, is his mental approach. He's got a very good head on his shoulders and isn't intimidated by too much. Mano-y-Mano in the shootout, Enroth is money.
Regardless of where Miller ends up, the defense will be the key to the success of the Sabres netminders. If the defense can tighten things up, and embrace "defense-101," Buffalo should have much better numbers than their league-worst 33.5 shots-against and their 22nd ranked, 2.90 goals-against average last season.
No matter who's in net.
The Buffalo News' Bucky Gleason has every right to whine about the Buffalo Sabres and their long-time GM, Darcy Regier.
He has every right to veil his unprofessional hatred for Regier in snarky little snippets.
And he has every right to dredge up the past for an "I told you so moment" as well.
Mike Zigomanis and the fax machine. Michael Peca and Gleason's rumor that had him and a goalie headed to Atlanta for the #1 overall pick which would have been Ilya Kovalchuck. Chris Drury/Daniel Briere and Thomas Vanek.
All dredgeable stories that are at least six years old.
Blah, Blah, Blah.
Gleason, because Regier is still in charge, isn't very optimistic and with the aforementioned mistakes from a GM who's "inexplicably in charge" as a backdrop, he sees a future that will be the same as the past and it isn't pretty for him. "I suppose [the Sabres] kiddie corps could come together and turn things around this season," he writes, "but there's a greater chance for failure. Fans are left with little hope."
The "kiddie corps" he's referring to is a Sabres roster that will have two rookies on the back-end in Mark Pysyk and Rasmus Ristolainen while four rookies--Mikhail Grigorenko (#12 overall, 2012,) Zemgus Girgensons (#14, 2012,) Johan Larsson (#56, 2010) and 2012 free agent Brian Flynn will be up front.
The rooks will be joining three 23 yr. olds from the 2008 draft class--top-line center Cody Hodgson, top-six forward Tyler Ennis and top-pairing defenseman Tyler Myers.
Marcus Foligno (#104 overall, 2009) will start the year on IR, but will be back in the line-up soon thereafter.
That's nine players 23 and under. As the roster stands right now, even with Ryan Miller (33 yrs. old) and Vanek (30,) they will have one of the youngest teams in the league.
The rebuild is on and there's a new core rising.
"You wonder how we’ll look back on the Sabres 10 years from now," writes Gleason as he ends his article.
We'll let him set himself up for that. Maybe it will be of use when Gleason pens one of his self-righteous, "GM for a Day" fantasy pieces which he and his fellow knitting-society members relish so much.
For me, the future is now and although it could be painful early on, this team seems to be headed in the right direction.
That being said, here's Part-1 of the 2013-14 season preview.
As always we start in goal.
Miller's in goal. But, for how long?
Since emerging from the 2004-05 lockout, back-up goalies have come and gone while watching from the bench as Ryan Miller has been the unquestioned starter.
This year he is in the final year of his contract. Trade rumors were rampant at the deadline but have since subsided, and it would look as if Miller will be here until either a #1 goalie is felled by injury or the trade deadline comes and a team with a need for an upgrade in net for the stretch-run or playoff run comes calling.
There's never been a doubt as to Miller being a #1 goalie. The argument is whether or not he is elite.
And after nine seasons, it's still up in the air.
Miller has been outstanding in net for the team. Post 2004-lockout, he had the burden of covering for the "Ferrari" Sabres who flew up and down the ice saying, "catch me if you can."
Time and again Miller was exposed to a barrage of odd-man rushes and breakaways. Time and again his defensemen couldn't figure out how to defend and left the opposition with easy "layups" for goals.
It's a trend that continued--save for Miller's 2009-10 Vezina season--up until last season when Ron Rolston took over as head coach. Rolston has been stressing fundamentals and it would seem as if defending a two-on-one properly is beginning to take hold.
Despite his mental lapses (which have diminished over the years) and despite his stats (which don't tell the whole story) Miller can be counted on to both intimidate and stifle the opposition.
As long as Miller is in net, the team will always have a chance to win. Which is a fact that has kept the Sabres from securing a top-five pick.
Once again, Jhonas Enroth will be backing Miller up.
At one point, Enroth had a 12-game losing streak and it looked as if the clock struck midnight.
He came back and looks as if he not only could be a reliable back-up, but also could handle starting duties as well.
Although Enroth is on the smaller side he's very agile and moves in the crease very well. Perhaps most important, though, is his mental approach. He's got a very good head on his shoulders and isn't intimidated by too much. Mano-y-Mano in the shootout, Enroth is money.
Regardless of where Miller ends up, the defense will be the key to the success of the Sabres netminders. If the defense can tighten things up, and embrace "defense-101," Buffalo should have much better numbers than their league-worst 33.5 shots-against and their 22nd ranked, 2.90 goals-against average last season.
No matter who's in net.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
On NHL.com's 30-in-30 series--Buffalo Sabres
NHL.com is gearing up for the regular season covering 30 teams in 30 days.
On August 16, they took a look at the Buffalo Sabres.
In their overview, they touched upon the tumultuous 2013 lockout shortened season with the departures of long time coach Lindy Ruff as well as veterans Robyn Regehr, Jordan Leopold and homegrown captain Jason Pominville.
Author Davis Harper points that GM Darcy Regier iced the youngest roster in the league at the trade deadline as the aforementioned three vets were traded for picks and prospects. And he rightfully gives Regier his due for landing a first-rounder and second-rounder for Pominville, two seconds for Regehr and a second for Leopold. Regier also landed two very good prospects--C, Johan Larsson and G, Matthew Hackett in the Pominville trade to Minnesota.
The purge of the Regier's "core," or as Team President Ted Black calls them--"the Rochester Guys"--is in full-force with only two homegrown "core" players remaining--F, Thomas Vanek and G, Ryan Miller.
In looking at the team, which presently stands as the third youngest in the league according to NHL Numbers.com, the Buffalo Sabres are putting the charge of the youngins in the hands of head coach Ron Rolston.
Rolston had been part of an extremely successful US National Team Development Program from 2004-11 and was credited with being, "Perhaps the most decorated coach in NTDP history, Rolston-led teams have never missed the championship game in either of the major NTDP tournaments--the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and International Ice Hockey Federation World Under-18 Championship. In the 4 IIHF U-18 Championships that his teams competed in, they brought home 3 golds and a silver medal."
"The first professor at the University of Sabres" hits the real world full-time this season with what will probably be the youngest team in the NHL.
As a teacher, he will have the benefit of a full training camp with which to teach and evaluate. And with such a young group of players, he will have the opportunity to mold them into players that fit the new identity of the Buffalo Sabres.
That identity was defined early when new owner Terry Pegula stated at his first presser in 2011 that he wanted "not only statistically good players, but winners, gritty players."
At the 2012 Draft Assistant GM/Head Amateur Scout Kevin Devine hearkened "bigger, stronger, faster."
Leading up to the draft this season we heard Pegula on WGR saying that he likes "players who will not be outworked."
In an interview with GR a few days later, Regier acknowledged (finally?) that "the game is getting bigger and you [need] to have people who are willing to compete and you [need] to have size in your lineup." he said. "There's a shift in that general direction over what we saw coming out of the [2004-05] lockout."
At the 2013 NHL Draft, Devine asked the question, "Do you want to get tougher to play against?" as hulking defenseman Nikita Zadorov kept falling to them at #16. The answer was a resounding yes. They did not hesitate picking the hard-hitting d-man.
Devine himself was a gritty, two-way forward in his pro hockey career and his picks, especially this year, are laden with those traits.
As the team moves forward this season, it will be up to Rolston to mold this group of young players into the team envisioned by the Sabres hierarchy.
After taking over for Ruff last season, Rolston proceeded to stabilize an ugly situation in Buffalo. The team he inherited was a sieve on defense and their effort was inconsistent at best.
His attention to detail and focus upon fundamentals pulled the team up from the depths of the Eastern Conference. Although it wasn't quite enough to get them in to the playoffs, the team ended up a very respectable 15-11-5 during his tenure.
Said Regier of taking the "interim" moniker off of Rolston's title, "seeing Ron's interaction with the team, both as a teacher and a motivator ... for me personally, it became more and more evident that he was a very good fit not only for the present but for the future."
As the team heads into the 2013/14 season, the future is now for Rolston and his charges.
Just how, or even if, his teachings and motivation will result in wins at the NHL-level is to be determined. The Sabres have two big question marks heading into the season in Vanek and Miller who should be looked at as keys to immediate success on the ice.
Without one or both, there could be much more darkness before the dawn.
As Harper concludes, "the overhauled Sabres enter their first full season, [the] future remains uncertain, but the plan is fully in motion."
Which is fine.
The rebuild is on. Let's get the suffering over and done with.
On August 16, they took a look at the Buffalo Sabres.
In their overview, they touched upon the tumultuous 2013 lockout shortened season with the departures of long time coach Lindy Ruff as well as veterans Robyn Regehr, Jordan Leopold and homegrown captain Jason Pominville.
Author Davis Harper points that GM Darcy Regier iced the youngest roster in the league at the trade deadline as the aforementioned three vets were traded for picks and prospects. And he rightfully gives Regier his due for landing a first-rounder and second-rounder for Pominville, two seconds for Regehr and a second for Leopold. Regier also landed two very good prospects--C, Johan Larsson and G, Matthew Hackett in the Pominville trade to Minnesota.
The purge of the Regier's "core," or as Team President Ted Black calls them--"the Rochester Guys"--is in full-force with only two homegrown "core" players remaining--F, Thomas Vanek and G, Ryan Miller.
In looking at the team, which presently stands as the third youngest in the league according to NHL Numbers.com, the Buffalo Sabres are putting the charge of the youngins in the hands of head coach Ron Rolston.
Rolston had been part of an extremely successful US National Team Development Program from 2004-11 and was credited with being, "Perhaps the most decorated coach in NTDP history, Rolston-led teams have never missed the championship game in either of the major NTDP tournaments--the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and International Ice Hockey Federation World Under-18 Championship. In the 4 IIHF U-18 Championships that his teams competed in, they brought home 3 golds and a silver medal."
"The first professor at the University of Sabres" hits the real world full-time this season with what will probably be the youngest team in the NHL.
As a teacher, he will have the benefit of a full training camp with which to teach and evaluate. And with such a young group of players, he will have the opportunity to mold them into players that fit the new identity of the Buffalo Sabres.
That identity was defined early when new owner Terry Pegula stated at his first presser in 2011 that he wanted "not only statistically good players, but winners, gritty players."
At the 2012 Draft Assistant GM/Head Amateur Scout Kevin Devine hearkened "bigger, stronger, faster."
Leading up to the draft this season we heard Pegula on WGR saying that he likes "players who will not be outworked."
In an interview with GR a few days later, Regier acknowledged (finally?) that "the game is getting bigger and you [need] to have people who are willing to compete and you [need] to have size in your lineup." he said. "There's a shift in that general direction over what we saw coming out of the [2004-05] lockout."
At the 2013 NHL Draft, Devine asked the question, "Do you want to get tougher to play against?" as hulking defenseman Nikita Zadorov kept falling to them at #16. The answer was a resounding yes. They did not hesitate picking the hard-hitting d-man.
Devine himself was a gritty, two-way forward in his pro hockey career and his picks, especially this year, are laden with those traits.
As the team moves forward this season, it will be up to Rolston to mold this group of young players into the team envisioned by the Sabres hierarchy.
After taking over for Ruff last season, Rolston proceeded to stabilize an ugly situation in Buffalo. The team he inherited was a sieve on defense and their effort was inconsistent at best.
His attention to detail and focus upon fundamentals pulled the team up from the depths of the Eastern Conference. Although it wasn't quite enough to get them in to the playoffs, the team ended up a very respectable 15-11-5 during his tenure.
Said Regier of taking the "interim" moniker off of Rolston's title, "seeing Ron's interaction with the team, both as a teacher and a motivator ... for me personally, it became more and more evident that he was a very good fit not only for the present but for the future."
As the team heads into the 2013/14 season, the future is now for Rolston and his charges.
Just how, or even if, his teachings and motivation will result in wins at the NHL-level is to be determined. The Sabres have two big question marks heading into the season in Vanek and Miller who should be looked at as keys to immediate success on the ice.
Without one or both, there could be much more darkness before the dawn.
As Harper concludes, "the overhauled Sabres enter their first full season, [the] future remains uncertain, but the plan is fully in motion."
Which is fine.
The rebuild is on. Let's get the suffering over and done with.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
First power rankings of the year has the Sabres at...
No. 28
Out of 30 NHL teams the Buffalo Sabres are ranked above only Calgary and bottom-ranked Florida.
Here's what Brian Stubits of CBSsports.com had to say about the team in his first power rankings of the season:
The Sabres will have a coach entering his first full season and his two best players may not be on the team at the start of camp.
Rolston will have his hands full. No question about it. But unlike last year's lockout-shortened season, he'll have a full training camp to work with and a full preseason schedule to work out the kinks. He's a teacher who will have numerous players on the roster with whom he's worked with over the course of his two seasons with the organization.
That continuity certainly will strengthen his system. But, then again, will his system work at the NHL level over the course of a full NHL season?
His two key players, Miller and Vanek, single-handedly kept the team from the bottom of the league last year. Despite Miller's numbers, he's still regarded as a top-10 goalie in the league while Vanek is a bonafide top-line winger.
After that, there are question-marks throughout the lineup.
With Vanek still on the team, here's what Rolston might be looking at to start the season up-front:
--Vanek, Cody Hodgson, Drew Stafford
--Steve Ott, Mikhail Grigorenko, Ville Leino
--Marcus Foligno, Tyler Ennis, Brian Flynn
--John Scott/Corey Tropp, Kevin Porter, Patrick Kaleta
--Cody McCormick
On defense, there's a logjam. Nine d-men have NHL experience and there's a chance that the Sabres first-round pick, Rasmus Ristolainen, might make the team.
Here's the potential pairings:
--Tyler Myers, Christian Ehrhoff
--Mark Pysyk, Henrik Tallinder
--Chad Ruwhedel, Mike Weber
--Alexander Sulzer
On paper that group of skaters looks like a 28th place team, with or without Vanek.
The difference between a top-3 pick in the draft and a top-10 pick might very well be between the pipes.
Despite his pedestrian numbers over the course of the last three seasons, without Miller in net, the Sabres would have finished much lower than 15th in the league in 2010-11, 19th in 2011-12 and 23rd last season.
Were it not for Miller (and to an extent Vanek) last season, Buffalo fans might be talking about the players surrounding #1-overall pick (COL) Nathan MacKinnon this season.
There's a long time to go before the team heads to Detroit for their opener on Oct. 2, and there are a number of roster variables as well.
But as of right now Stubits is pretty much right on. This roster, on paper, looks to have a high draft pick written all over it.
Out of 30 NHL teams the Buffalo Sabres are ranked above only Calgary and bottom-ranked Florida.
Here's what Brian Stubits of CBSsports.com had to say about the team in his first power rankings of the season:
"Big loss: Nathan Gerbe. Big addition: Henrik Tallinder. The Sabres are going into rebuilding mode, so it's going to get worse before it gets better, especially if they move Thomas Vanek and/or Ryan Miller. Ron Rolston was able to get something out of the group at the end of the season but he'll have his hands full over a full schedule."Of course, anything more than a shrug at this point in the year is an overreaction to these rankings, but it's a good starting point as we look towards the upcoming 2013-14 season.
The Sabres will have a coach entering his first full season and his two best players may not be on the team at the start of camp.
Rolston will have his hands full. No question about it. But unlike last year's lockout-shortened season, he'll have a full training camp to work with and a full preseason schedule to work out the kinks. He's a teacher who will have numerous players on the roster with whom he's worked with over the course of his two seasons with the organization.
That continuity certainly will strengthen his system. But, then again, will his system work at the NHL level over the course of a full NHL season?
His two key players, Miller and Vanek, single-handedly kept the team from the bottom of the league last year. Despite Miller's numbers, he's still regarded as a top-10 goalie in the league while Vanek is a bonafide top-line winger.
After that, there are question-marks throughout the lineup.
With Vanek still on the team, here's what Rolston might be looking at to start the season up-front:
--Vanek, Cody Hodgson, Drew Stafford
--Steve Ott, Mikhail Grigorenko, Ville Leino
--Marcus Foligno, Tyler Ennis, Brian Flynn
--John Scott/Corey Tropp, Kevin Porter, Patrick Kaleta
--Cody McCormick
On defense, there's a logjam. Nine d-men have NHL experience and there's a chance that the Sabres first-round pick, Rasmus Ristolainen, might make the team.
Here's the potential pairings:
--Tyler Myers, Christian Ehrhoff
--Mark Pysyk, Henrik Tallinder
--Chad Ruwhedel, Mike Weber
--Alexander Sulzer
On paper that group of skaters looks like a 28th place team, with or without Vanek.
The difference between a top-3 pick in the draft and a top-10 pick might very well be between the pipes.
Despite his pedestrian numbers over the course of the last three seasons, without Miller in net, the Sabres would have finished much lower than 15th in the league in 2010-11, 19th in 2011-12 and 23rd last season.
Were it not for Miller (and to an extent Vanek) last season, Buffalo fans might be talking about the players surrounding #1-overall pick (COL) Nathan MacKinnon this season.
There's a long time to go before the team heads to Detroit for their opener on Oct. 2, and there are a number of roster variables as well.
But as of right now Stubits is pretty much right on. This roster, on paper, looks to have a high draft pick written all over it.
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