Should he stay or should he go?

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-30-2019

Preseason ended for the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday with a 3-2 shootout win against the Penguins in Pittsburgh. Yesterday the team had a very early practice so they could be at New Era Field in Orchard Park, NY to watch the Buffalo Bills take on the New England Patriots (which turned out to be a defensive struggle with the Pats coming out on top 16-10.)

Today the powers that be are huddled in Sabres offices trying to figure out who should stay and who should go. Yes, we know Sabreland, if it was up to the most vociferous of the fan base Kyle Okposo and Rasmus Ristolainen would have been traded by now, Vladimir Sobotka bought out, Zemgus Girgensons, Johan Larsson and Scott Wilson all waived with Marco Scandella given a one-way ticket to anywhere in the world and every one of those fans willing to drive him to the airport. 

Ain't gonna happen.

Scandella, Girgensons lead comeback in Pittsburgh last night. Training camp closes.

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-29-2019


That headline was a fun to write because it will draw the ire from a number of fans in Sabreland who see Buffalo Sabres defenseman Marco Scandella and forward Zemgus Girgensons, among others, as utter deplorables. Having both players score to help Buffalo overcome a 2-0 deficit at Pittsburgh before the Sabres eventual 3-2 win in the shootout was satisfying in a way. About the only thing better would have been for Vladimir Sobotka to score the shootout winner instead of Casey Mittelstadt, which would have a medal-sweep by "The Deplorables." 

Of course, it's only preseason, unless you're talking about 18 yr. old Dylan Cozens whom many believe should have a spot on the Sabres roster based upon one very strong preseason game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Or Rasmus Asplund who performed very well in his role as a two-way forward to the point where a case could be made for him to be in a fourth-line role in Buffalo. Asplund outperformed fourth-line/depth players on the Sabres as well as Mittelstadt and there was a groundswell calling for Mittelstadt to be cut and Asplund up with the big club. Both Cozens and Asplund would be welcome faces to replace a group we've seen plenty of the past two-plus seasons. And they will be in Buffalo, just not now.

As we head towards the final cuts this year, fans in Sabreland are tired of seeing the likes of Scandella, Girgensons, Johan Larsson and Vladimir Sobotka on the team and would gladly throw the likes of Mike Card and Michael Funk in there if just for a change of faces. Last year young players Alexander Nylander and Tage Thompson were pined for as replacements for some in that group even though Nylander wasn't ready. Nor was Thompson, as we found out after watching him for a couple months.

Last shot to make a preseason impression as Buffalo travels to Pittsburgh

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-28-2019

A few Sabres players will have one last shot to make an impression as Buffalo takes on the Penguins in Pittsburgh for their final preseason game. Whether that will be enough for any individual player to unseat a veteran on this team is another story but how they grasp what new head coach Ralph Krueger and his staff are trying to do will go a long way in determining their organizational status this season. 

The Sabres are loaded with veteran players in lower roles, especially up front, who look to have one more season to prove themselves in the Blue and Gold. Vladimir Sobotka, Zemgus Girgensons, Johan Larsson and Scott Wilson are all bottom-line/reserve players who are all pending unrestricted free agents. They also play the same style game, are interchangeable and, it would seem, ultimately have the spots to lose. 

Dylan Cozens sent to Lethbridge (WHL,) Sabres top-six taking shape

Published by hockeybuzz,com, 9-26-2019


There was huge groundswell of emotion touting at least a nine-day trial-run for 2019 first round draft pick Dylan Cozens as he showed very well in training camp this year. However, it was for naught as the Buffalo Sabres announced today that the 18 yr. old center will be headed back to the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League to further his development in Canadian Junior.

At 6'3" 191 lbs., Cozens has a good NHL frame and he displayed some great skating ability and skills while throughout training camp. However, this is how Sabres head coach framed the decision while talking with the gathered media today (via John Vogl tweets):

"This decision today is about the development and future of an outstanding young man and athlete. It's maybe some pain for him at the moment, but there's a pace and there's an intensity to the National Hockey League season that we just didn't feel he was quite ready for. We believe he's going to come back and make a very hard push for being part of this team next year."

Routsalainen and 14 other Sabres get cut plus some quick notes

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-22-2019


The Buffalo Sabres finished a home-and-home with the Toronto Maple Leafs with a split after a 5-3 win at KeyBank Center last night. A Sabres squad that will look very much like the one they'll be icing on opening night took care of business against that was minus the likes of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Morgan Reilly and No. 1 goaltender, Frederik Andersen.

Even without those top Leafs players, Toronto looked extremely sharp led by John Tavares and Mitch Marner along with defensive anchor, Jake Muzzin. Head coach Mike Babcock has had his system in place for four seasons and he's running it with a talent pool that's deep and high on skill and speed.

For their part, the Sabres are on their third coach since Babcock was hired in Toronto and by the looks of it, they've taken to a system that pushes the pace and allows for plenty of creativity.

BUF/TOR Part II tonight plus putting the breaks on rushing prospects

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-21-2019


Buffalo's roster for the second of a home-and-home preseason matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs was released and it has the look of what the Sabres may be icing come October 3, their season opener. Last night a Sabres B-squad went out against the likes of the Leafs Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Morgan Reilly, Codi Ceci and goalie Frederik Andersen and played well despite being shutout 3-0 in Toronto. Buffalo head coach Ralph Krueger was more interested in his teams overall play really liked the way his team played.

"They really pressed hard early," said the coach of his team, "they played and aggressive, pressure game. I thought that Toronto had to make adjustments for the pressure we were giving. We're practicing hard, we're practicing without any eye on the game."

With the team down 2-0 in the third Krueger urged his team to press. "We were obviously pushing," he said, "we were asking everybody to push, push. We gave the green-light for risk and one bounced in the other way."

Evaluation time as the Sabres players get a day off

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-18-2019

Whelp, it wasn't the best of performances last night at Columbus against the Blue Jackets. At best it could be described as a group of players still grappling with chemistry and structure while hitting the ice against real competition for the first time. At worst it was a throwback to some pretty dismal times in Sabreland as the team looked outclassed and disjointed and generally looked flat-footed until they found themselves down by two goals late in the third period.

Then again, it's best to remember this was game No. 2 of the preseason.

"It looked a little sluggish at the start," new Sabres bench boss, Ralph Krueger said in his post-game interview, "The first period I thought were a little bit flat but we did like some things that developed in the second period. There were moments where we found our game, we created some nice o-zone time. In the third [period] we put up a good fight but in the end didn't really do enough to deserve to win here."

Plenty of Sabres players to watch as Buffalo visits Columbus tonight

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-17-2019



Last night the Buffalo Sabres displayed some star-power in their opening preseason game at Pegula Ice Arena on the campus of Penn State University. The 'Pegula' mentioned above is the Pegula family lead by patriarch Terry who sold interests in his East Resources Energy company and donated over $100 million dollars to his alma mater to start a NCAA Division I hockey program. The crown jewel of Terry's generous donation is the 6,000-plus seat multi purpose arena that began hosting Sabres preseason games in 2016 with a game versus the Minnesota Wild. For the past three years Buffalo has opened up the home portion of the preseason against the Pittsburgh Penguins, an organization that Pegula also has ties to.

So it's not surprising that the Sabres trotted out captain Jack Eichel, 2018 first-overall pick Rasmus Dahlin, 40-goal scorer Jeff Skinner and 2019 first round pick Dylan Cozens for last nights game in the hopes of some fireworks, especially with a new head coach in Ralph Krueger. The Sabres dominated the first two periods outshooting the Penguins a whopping 37-9 and took a 4-1 lead into the third period. That would dissipate, however, as Pittsburgh scored three unanswered goals to send the game to overtime. Eichel saved the day as he scored the overtime winner with only eight seconds left in the extra session.

Sabres haul out the big names for tonight's preseason opener

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-16-2019


Preseason begins tonight for the Buffalo Sabres as they make their annual visit to Pegula Ice Arena to face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins at 7 p.m.

Among the marquis names to hit the ice for the Sabres tonight will be captain Jack Eichel, 40-goal scorer Jeff Skinner and 2018 first-overall pick, defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. Joining that star-studded trio will be forward Jimmy Vesey along with defensemen Colin Miller and Henri Jokiharju, all three of whom were traded for in the off season. Also on the ice will be 2019 first round pick, forward Dylan Cozens.

The Sabres had 52 players at training camp (28 forwards, 18 defensemen and six goalies,) four of which are on the injured list--defensemen Zach Bogosian, Matt Hunwick and Lawrence Pilut plus goaltender Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen. They were broken into two groups, Blue and Gold, with the Gold Group first up tonight and the Blue Group set to face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena tomorrow night.