Published by hockeybuzz.com, 2-27-2017
To rehash the events of the last couple of weeks, the Sabres started out a three-game winning streak with a sweet 3-2 win at Ottawa with one game left to go before their bye week. At the time they were enjoying a productive month going 6-3-1 to that point and were two points behind the Florida Panthers for third place in the division and only two points out of the second wild-card spot as well.
Unfortunately the teams around them had games in hand that were mostly made up during the Sabres bye week . After getting shellacked 5-2 by the Chicago Blackhawks before their hockey hiatus Buffalo sat on the sidelines and watched as deficit swelled to six points in both races.
On tap for the Sabres was a back-to-back roadie beginning Saturday against the two worst teams in the league--the Colorado Avalanche and the Arizona Coyotes. Teams coming our of their bye weeks had struggled mightily combining for a meager 4-12-4 combined record and when Buffalo fell behind 3-0 in the first period against the last place Avalanche, it looked as if they were going down in flames as well. The Sabres did claw their way back in a game that most had them losing and made it interesting but couldn't overcome a number of factors, including some egregious non-calls very late in the game, and went on to lose.
For a follow up the Sabres travelled to Arizona to take on the 29th place Coyotes who just traded away top-six center Martin Hanzal. A displeased and somewhat disjointed Coyotes club entered the third period down 2-0 against the Sabres but proceeded to score three unanswered goals to come away with the win.
With that loss, and the three-game losing streak the Sabres are on right now, their playoff hopes are about as slim as can be as they're seven points out of the second wild card spot and eight points out of third place in the division. It would take a herculean winning streak for Buffalo to get into the playoffs and we're pretty sure they don't have the horses to get there as they're longest winning streak of the season is three games.
The post-mortem on the season may simply read that this just wasn't going to be their year. From the injury to Jack Eichel the day before opening night which to an injury to Evander Kane on opening night, to Ryan O'Reilly's back-spasms and Dmitry Kulikov's unlucky fall into an open bench door, the Sabres barely clung to their senses early in the season. With Jack back and Kane on a tear, the team rose from the ashes but could never put together a sustainable run to get them to the top of a clump of teams in the middle of the conference.
It was also a season that clearly exposed some glaring weaknesses on the team. We'll never know what could've been with Kulikov healthy to start the season and playing in the World Cup of Hockey didn't help his transition to Buffalo either, but we do know that he's one of four defensemen on Buffalo that have looked below average.
This season also exposed problems between coach and players. Last night's loss was yet another where the Sabres tried to protect a lead only to give it up. This is a fragile Sabres team at times and last night after Rasmus Ristolainen's turnover lead to Arizona's first goal, Buffalo went into a shell and from there it was all down hill.
GM Tim Murray has a couple of problems on his hands right now, most notably the defense-corps. With his team too far out of a playoff spot and very little defensive help to be had at the trade deadline, he's more apt to unload what free agent contracts he has on hand and be a seller at this year's trade deadline. Kulikov and Cody Franson are both rentals that could add defensive depth for playoff teams at a very reasonable rate. There's no need to keep them as they don't look to be part of the future for Buffalo. If Murray could land a third or fourth rounder for either player, he'll have done well.
Another player the Sabres might be interested in moving is backup goalie Anders Nilsson who's having the best season of his career. Nilsson is 9-8-4 with a 2.69 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage. Perhaps he could fetch a fourth or fifth rounder.
The player that teams may want most is the one that doesn't want to be traded. Sabres captain Brian Gionta is a 38 yr. old veteran with a Stanley Cup to his resume. With 12 goals and 15 assists, Gionta is on pace to have his best season since signing in Buffalo back in 2014. He has publicly stated his desire to stay with the club and it's assumed that the Sabres would respect his wishes by not trading him.
Those were the pending UFA's but Kane's name keeps cropping up. Kane will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of next season and has been on a tear lately. There have been rumors linking him to the Los Angeles Kings and Minnesota Wild, the latter of which has a strong, deep defense pool from which to tap into.
Buffalo has one more game left before the trade deadline as they kick off a three-game home stand against the Nashville Predators tomorrow night. Between now and then we'll see just how fixated on the future Murray is.
Showing posts with label Cody Franson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cody Franson. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Monday, January 23, 2017
Lehner, Bogosian star in Revenge of the Whipping Boys
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 1-22-2017
Perhaps only Robin Lehner knew what to expect from himself heading into last night's game against the Montreal Canadiens. Lehner was pulled in his last game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday after giving up three goals on 16 shots and wasn't happy about it. As he left the Air Canada Center ice in favor of backup Anders Nilsson, he said something to his coach then proceeded to take out his frustrations on his equipment, most notably his goalie mask, and unleash his death stare.
All the right words were said the next two days between games with Lehner saying he was upset because he's a competitor and Bylsma in turn stating that a pulled goalie should be upset. Lehner was on the bench for Friday's home game against the Detroit Red Wings as Bylsma went with Nilsson's 5-1-1 home record with a sparkling 1.84 goals-against average and .948 save percentage. It worked. Not without drama, however, as the Sabres came from behind to win the game with :26 seconds left in overtime.
Lehner faced the unenviable task of starting against the top team in the division after getting pulled his previous start. Not only were the Canadiens comfortably ahead by 10 points in the division, but 200' from Lehner stood one of the best goalies in the league in Montreal's Carey Price. Add in that the Sabres already weakened defense-corps sustained another blow with the loss of No. 2 d-man Jake McCabe in the Detroit game of Friday, and their top d-man, Rasmus Ristolainen, was coming off of a 35 minute game the previous night, and odds weren't in Buffalo's favor.
Everything was set for Lehner and the Sabres to fail, but he didn't fail his team and his team came through.
Lehner looked calm, cool and collected in net for Buffalo early on and after the Sabres fell behind 2-1, he made numerous saves to keep it close until defenseman Cody Franson tied the score 11:53 into the third period. And then there was this "Save of the Year" candidate in overtime (via sabres.com):
That was huge and he actually managed to outshine Price who had received a standing ovation for completely robbing Ristolainen with 6.3 seconds left in regulation with this stop (via HabsTV):
Of all the whipping boys on this team, Lehner has consistently gotten the most grief. No matter what he does, someone will find something wrong with his play or how he ended up in Buffalo. It's either he's not good enough despite his solid numbers or he just doesn't look like a true No. 1 goalie and if all else fails the fall-back barb comes in the form of the first round pick GM Tim Murray gave up for him.
He's in a no win situation for a lot of fans, similar to what Ryan Miller went through when he was in Buffalo, but for one night at least, the hecklers and negative Nancy's were kept at bay as he without a doubt stole this one for the Sabres.
*****
Also on the list of top whipping boys these days is defenseman Zach Bogosian who came to Buffalo in Evander Kane/Tyler Myers blockbuster trade in February, 2014.
Bogosian plays a big, heavy game who's flaws include giving up a scoring opportunity after missing on a big check. With the game hitting another gear over the past two seasons, Bogosian has struggled to match that gear despite his wheels and at times he looks more like a muscle car in a Formula-1 race. It's not his fault for that, nor is it his fault that his time in Buffalo has been plagued by injuries and with every injury it seems like it takes him weeks to get up to speed.
But what's been forgotten and/or lost in his inconsistent play on an inconsistent team is one of the attributes that made him the fourth-overall pick in the 2008 NHL Draft--his shot--and he uncorked one last night that just blew by one of the best goalies in the league (via sabres.com):
Ping! In off the post, blocker side for his first of the season. Bogosian finished with the goal and was a plus-1 in 25:12 of work last night. Perhaps this will get
*****
At on time Kane was the preeminent whipping boy on the Sabres as injuries, sketchy production and off-ice issues made him reviled and a rumored trade-bait candidate for anyone who had a bag of pucks to offer.
Kane was injured in the season opener against these same Canadiens and came back from four broken ribs to an 11-game goal-less drought. One would think he wasn't fully healed as he wasn't playing his powerforward game then beginning December 3, Kane started heating up. He has 12 goals in his last 23 games, 11 of them at even strength which places him near the top of the league in that category during that stretch.
Although he didn't score last night, he and linemate Zemgus Girgensons did the dirty work on Brian Gionta's goal.
Girgensons and Gionta are two other players who've been on the crap list for Buffalo fans. It was rather easy to hate on Girgensons as the former first-rounder has struggled mightily with Bylsma's system, but the hate on 38 yr. old captain Gionta is very curious. In addition to his 10 goals (tied for third on the team) he makes his linemates better. Just ask Johan Larsson who was having his best season as a Sabre before being lost for the season, and Marcus Foligno who played so well on Gionta's line that he now skates alongside Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart, two second-overall draft picks.
Kane finished with two assists last night and if you noticed in the Lehner video above, he was the player putting his body in front of Alex Galchenyuk's overtime shot.
****
Franson is another player that's been whipped about in Sabreland. Analytics fans go a bit easier on him while the eye-test often reveals a defenseman with a propensity for a brain fart that ends up in the back of the Sabres net. One thing both sides heartily agree upon is that Franson is slow. Very slow.
Yet last night he sent a seeing-eye shot through four players and past Price blocker side to tie the game at 2-2. It was Franson's second goal of the season and there was a little poetic justice involved.
Early in the third period Galchenyuk worked his way into the Buffalo zone with a head of steam. As he was trying to get around Franson, Galchenyuk got his stick up and butt-ended Franson in the face. Neither ref saw it and play went on with Franson obviously in pain with no penalty called.
Franson scored six minutes later and Galchenyuk was robbed in overtime by Lehner.
Touche', Monsieur.
*****
And finally, we can't forget Bylsma.
Bylsma has been vilified left and right for his tactics, especially late in the game when he "parks the bus" while trying to hold the lead. After Franson tied the game last night he put the Ryan O'Reilly-Tyler Ennis-Kyle Okposo line on the ice and had the Sabres playing on their toes which lead to a delay of game penalty less than two minutes later.
Although I still don't understand why Jack Eichel is on the point on the powerplay, especially on the right side when a goalie like Price has such a wicked glove, Bylsma's team has now won two games in a row, in overtime with a severely depleted defense-corps.
Playing Nilsson against the Wings at home and Lehner in Montreal after pulling him worked to perfection and the four points Buffalo earned got them out of the basement of the Atlantic Division.
Today the team has a day off before they get ready for Tuesday's tilt at Nashville against the Predators. Buffalo then heads to Dallas to take on the Stars in their last game before the All-Star break.
After the big win against Montreal, what will they do for an encore?
Perhaps only Robin Lehner knew what to expect from himself heading into last night's game against the Montreal Canadiens. Lehner was pulled in his last game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday after giving up three goals on 16 shots and wasn't happy about it. As he left the Air Canada Center ice in favor of backup Anders Nilsson, he said something to his coach then proceeded to take out his frustrations on his equipment, most notably his goalie mask, and unleash his death stare.
All the right words were said the next two days between games with Lehner saying he was upset because he's a competitor and Bylsma in turn stating that a pulled goalie should be upset. Lehner was on the bench for Friday's home game against the Detroit Red Wings as Bylsma went with Nilsson's 5-1-1 home record with a sparkling 1.84 goals-against average and .948 save percentage. It worked. Not without drama, however, as the Sabres came from behind to win the game with :26 seconds left in overtime.
Lehner faced the unenviable task of starting against the top team in the division after getting pulled his previous start. Not only were the Canadiens comfortably ahead by 10 points in the division, but 200' from Lehner stood one of the best goalies in the league in Montreal's Carey Price. Add in that the Sabres already weakened defense-corps sustained another blow with the loss of No. 2 d-man Jake McCabe in the Detroit game of Friday, and their top d-man, Rasmus Ristolainen, was coming off of a 35 minute game the previous night, and odds weren't in Buffalo's favor.
Everything was set for Lehner and the Sabres to fail, but he didn't fail his team and his team came through.
Lehner looked calm, cool and collected in net for Buffalo early on and after the Sabres fell behind 2-1, he made numerous saves to keep it close until defenseman Cody Franson tied the score 11:53 into the third period. And then there was this "Save of the Year" candidate in overtime (via sabres.com):
That was huge and he actually managed to outshine Price who had received a standing ovation for completely robbing Ristolainen with 6.3 seconds left in regulation with this stop (via HabsTV):
Of all the whipping boys on this team, Lehner has consistently gotten the most grief. No matter what he does, someone will find something wrong with his play or how he ended up in Buffalo. It's either he's not good enough despite his solid numbers or he just doesn't look like a true No. 1 goalie and if all else fails the fall-back barb comes in the form of the first round pick GM Tim Murray gave up for him.
He's in a no win situation for a lot of fans, similar to what Ryan Miller went through when he was in Buffalo, but for one night at least, the hecklers and negative Nancy's were kept at bay as he without a doubt stole this one for the Sabres.
*****
Also on the list of top whipping boys these days is defenseman Zach Bogosian who came to Buffalo in Evander Kane/Tyler Myers blockbuster trade in February, 2014.
Bogosian plays a big, heavy game who's flaws include giving up a scoring opportunity after missing on a big check. With the game hitting another gear over the past two seasons, Bogosian has struggled to match that gear despite his wheels and at times he looks more like a muscle car in a Formula-1 race. It's not his fault for that, nor is it his fault that his time in Buffalo has been plagued by injuries and with every injury it seems like it takes him weeks to get up to speed.
But what's been forgotten and/or lost in his inconsistent play on an inconsistent team is one of the attributes that made him the fourth-overall pick in the 2008 NHL Draft--his shot--and he uncorked one last night that just blew by one of the best goalies in the league (via sabres.com):
Ping! In off the post, blocker side for his first of the season. Bogosian finished with the goal and was a plus-1 in 25:12 of work last night. Perhaps this will get
*****
At on time Kane was the preeminent whipping boy on the Sabres as injuries, sketchy production and off-ice issues made him reviled and a rumored trade-bait candidate for anyone who had a bag of pucks to offer.
Kane was injured in the season opener against these same Canadiens and came back from four broken ribs to an 11-game goal-less drought. One would think he wasn't fully healed as he wasn't playing his powerforward game then beginning December 3, Kane started heating up. He has 12 goals in his last 23 games, 11 of them at even strength which places him near the top of the league in that category during that stretch.
Although he didn't score last night, he and linemate Zemgus Girgensons did the dirty work on Brian Gionta's goal.
Girgensons and Gionta are two other players who've been on the crap list for Buffalo fans. It was rather easy to hate on Girgensons as the former first-rounder has struggled mightily with Bylsma's system, but the hate on 38 yr. old captain Gionta is very curious. In addition to his 10 goals (tied for third on the team) he makes his linemates better. Just ask Johan Larsson who was having his best season as a Sabre before being lost for the season, and Marcus Foligno who played so well on Gionta's line that he now skates alongside Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart, two second-overall draft picks.
Kane finished with two assists last night and if you noticed in the Lehner video above, he was the player putting his body in front of Alex Galchenyuk's overtime shot.
****
Franson is another player that's been whipped about in Sabreland. Analytics fans go a bit easier on him while the eye-test often reveals a defenseman with a propensity for a brain fart that ends up in the back of the Sabres net. One thing both sides heartily agree upon is that Franson is slow. Very slow.
Yet last night he sent a seeing-eye shot through four players and past Price blocker side to tie the game at 2-2. It was Franson's second goal of the season and there was a little poetic justice involved.
Early in the third period Galchenyuk worked his way into the Buffalo zone with a head of steam. As he was trying to get around Franson, Galchenyuk got his stick up and butt-ended Franson in the face. Neither ref saw it and play went on with Franson obviously in pain with no penalty called.
Franson scored six minutes later and Galchenyuk was robbed in overtime by Lehner.
Touche', Monsieur.
*****
And finally, we can't forget Bylsma.
Bylsma has been vilified left and right for his tactics, especially late in the game when he "parks the bus" while trying to hold the lead. After Franson tied the game last night he put the Ryan O'Reilly-Tyler Ennis-Kyle Okposo line on the ice and had the Sabres playing on their toes which lead to a delay of game penalty less than two minutes later.
Although I still don't understand why Jack Eichel is on the point on the powerplay, especially on the right side when a goalie like Price has such a wicked glove, Bylsma's team has now won two games in a row, in overtime with a severely depleted defense-corps.
Playing Nilsson against the Wings at home and Lehner in Montreal after pulling him worked to perfection and the four points Buffalo earned got them out of the basement of the Atlantic Division.
Today the team has a day off before they get ready for Tuesday's tilt at Nashville against the Predators. Buffalo then heads to Dallas to take on the Stars in their last game before the All-Star break.
After the big win against Montreal, what will they do for an encore?
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Building the 2016-17 Buffalo Sabres roster--D, Cody Franson
Last off season Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray was looking to
bolster his defense with a top-four, left-handed d-man who could possibly play
alongside Rasmus Ristolainen, a 20 yr. old right-handed shot who had just
finished his first full season with the club and looked as if he had all the
markings of a top-pairing defenseman. The free agent pool was mighty slim that summer and in September of 2015, Murray ended up signing veteran Cody Franson to a two-year, $6.65M contract.
It was a curious move on many fronts. Most notably that it was a two-year free agent deal but also in that Murray ended up with a right-hand shot who had said he was neither comfortable playing with, nor wanted to play on, the left side of the defense. After signing with the Sabres Franson couldn't have been more blunt about that as he talked with Kevin Sylvester and Andrew Peters on Sabres Hockey Hotline. "I don't play the left side," he told the hosts, "I actually struggle over there."
That he did.
After having some banner years with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Franson was traded back to the franchise that drafted him in the third-round of the 2005 NHL Draft, the Nashville Predators. Things had changed immensely on defense in Nashville since his first go-round with the Preds as they now boasted a deep blueline featuring an entrenched right side of the corps. Franson found himself on his off hand and in a reduced role which had him going from over 21 minutes per game in Toronto to under 16 minutes in Nashville.
Predators GM David Poile made the trade for Franson to add blueline depth as well as add his powerplay acumen which Franson displayed to the tune of four goals and 15 assists in 55 games for the Maple Leafs. None of it came to fruition in his short 23-game regular season stint and Franson's slow demise in Nashville ended with him being a healthy scratch in their final playoff game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
In Buffalo, Murray was intent upon adding a veteran presence to a very young Sabres blueline heading into last season and he was also looking for a player who could contribute significantly to an abysmal 2014-15 powerplay. Enter Franson.
The 28 yr. old got a break when the Sabres entered the season minus Zach Bogosian, a right-handed shot who ended up anchoring the second-pairing with left-handed rookie Jake McCabe last season. In the absence of Bogosian, Franson got his opportunity and was averaging about 20 min/gm, complete with ample powerplay time, through the first 14 games but he was unable to make an impact offensively. He had zero goals and five assists (three on the powerplay) and soon his minutes decreased with the return of Bogosian to the lineup. Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma gradually pared Franson's minutes to the point where he was averaging slightly more ice-time than he had with Nashville. Franson suffered what was originally diagnosed as a concussion in a February 19, 2016 game at Columbus and his season was done.
For the year Franson played in 59 games for Buffalo scoring four goals (one on the powerplay) and adding 13 assists (seven on the powerplay) while logging the second-most PPTOI amongst Sabres defensemen. With those stats, this is a big training camp for Franson as he heads into the final year of his contract.
Franson faces challenges on a couple levels as he not only needed to recover from his injury, but he also needs to make a strong impression and so far he's got the attention of head coach Dan Bylsma. “He needed to have a good summer,” said Bylsma to the gathered media last week. “He needed to get cleared, get fresh and then have a good summer working out. He came back with a little bit different body composition. He’s a little leaner. He’s moving better as a result of the summer he had, and it’s just got to translate to his play on the ice.”
The injury he suffered was eventually diagnosed as a vestibular disorder, as mentioned by Jon Vogl of the Buffalo News. Vogl wrote that it involves the parts of the inner ear and brain that control balance and eye movements and that Franson needed to wear special goggles and work with specialists all summer (for a link to the piece click here.)
Regardless of the injury, Franson has a long, hard hill to climb in Buffalo as he's buried on the depth-chart on the third pairing. The defense he joined last season is a year older and although he'll probably get another shot at manning the point on the second powerplay unit, Franson will need to do something with that opportunity. Last year he played a rather passive game which seemed to be his nature but one would have thought that he'd ratchet things up a bit when his ice-time was on the line. Or that maybe he'd have went in with the attitude that he would do whatever it took, most notably playing on his off hand, instead of coming off as privileged when he said "I don't play the left side."
It reminded this blogger too much of the dismantled core who's country-club approach had those in Sabreland wading through years of mediocrity. Franson, like some of the players from that era, doesn't seem to have the temperament nor the drive to make an impact with this new group of Sabres. Nor does it seem like he has the skating to keep up with Bylsma's up-tempo system. That said, he can still play defense and is able to make some pretty good passes on the powerplay so a third-pairing, powerplay specialist seems to be in the cards for him. He's a bit pricey for that role, but for now it will suffice.
For now.
Building the 2016-17 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Evander Kane / C, Ryan O'Reilly / RW, Kyle Okposo
LW, Tyler Ennis / C, Jack Eichel / RW, Sam Reinhart
LW, Matt Moulson / C, Zemgus Girgensons / RW, Justin Bailey
LW, Marcus Foligno / C, Johan Larsson / RW, Brian Gionta
D, Rasmus Ristolainen / Dmitry Kulikov
D, Zach Bogosian / D, Jake McCabe
D, Cody Franson
G, Robin Lehner
.
It was a curious move on many fronts. Most notably that it was a two-year free agent deal but also in that Murray ended up with a right-hand shot who had said he was neither comfortable playing with, nor wanted to play on, the left side of the defense. After signing with the Sabres Franson couldn't have been more blunt about that as he talked with Kevin Sylvester and Andrew Peters on Sabres Hockey Hotline. "I don't play the left side," he told the hosts, "I actually struggle over there."
That he did.
After having some banner years with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Franson was traded back to the franchise that drafted him in the third-round of the 2005 NHL Draft, the Nashville Predators. Things had changed immensely on defense in Nashville since his first go-round with the Preds as they now boasted a deep blueline featuring an entrenched right side of the corps. Franson found himself on his off hand and in a reduced role which had him going from over 21 minutes per game in Toronto to under 16 minutes in Nashville.
Predators GM David Poile made the trade for Franson to add blueline depth as well as add his powerplay acumen which Franson displayed to the tune of four goals and 15 assists in 55 games for the Maple Leafs. None of it came to fruition in his short 23-game regular season stint and Franson's slow demise in Nashville ended with him being a healthy scratch in their final playoff game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
In Buffalo, Murray was intent upon adding a veteran presence to a very young Sabres blueline heading into last season and he was also looking for a player who could contribute significantly to an abysmal 2014-15 powerplay. Enter Franson.
The 28 yr. old got a break when the Sabres entered the season minus Zach Bogosian, a right-handed shot who ended up anchoring the second-pairing with left-handed rookie Jake McCabe last season. In the absence of Bogosian, Franson got his opportunity and was averaging about 20 min/gm, complete with ample powerplay time, through the first 14 games but he was unable to make an impact offensively. He had zero goals and five assists (three on the powerplay) and soon his minutes decreased with the return of Bogosian to the lineup. Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma gradually pared Franson's minutes to the point where he was averaging slightly more ice-time than he had with Nashville. Franson suffered what was originally diagnosed as a concussion in a February 19, 2016 game at Columbus and his season was done.
For the year Franson played in 59 games for Buffalo scoring four goals (one on the powerplay) and adding 13 assists (seven on the powerplay) while logging the second-most PPTOI amongst Sabres defensemen. With those stats, this is a big training camp for Franson as he heads into the final year of his contract.
Franson faces challenges on a couple levels as he not only needed to recover from his injury, but he also needs to make a strong impression and so far he's got the attention of head coach Dan Bylsma. “He needed to have a good summer,” said Bylsma to the gathered media last week. “He needed to get cleared, get fresh and then have a good summer working out. He came back with a little bit different body composition. He’s a little leaner. He’s moving better as a result of the summer he had, and it’s just got to translate to his play on the ice.”
The injury he suffered was eventually diagnosed as a vestibular disorder, as mentioned by Jon Vogl of the Buffalo News. Vogl wrote that it involves the parts of the inner ear and brain that control balance and eye movements and that Franson needed to wear special goggles and work with specialists all summer (for a link to the piece click here.)
Regardless of the injury, Franson has a long, hard hill to climb in Buffalo as he's buried on the depth-chart on the third pairing. The defense he joined last season is a year older and although he'll probably get another shot at manning the point on the second powerplay unit, Franson will need to do something with that opportunity. Last year he played a rather passive game which seemed to be his nature but one would have thought that he'd ratchet things up a bit when his ice-time was on the line. Or that maybe he'd have went in with the attitude that he would do whatever it took, most notably playing on his off hand, instead of coming off as privileged when he said "I don't play the left side."
It reminded this blogger too much of the dismantled core who's country-club approach had those in Sabreland wading through years of mediocrity. Franson, like some of the players from that era, doesn't seem to have the temperament nor the drive to make an impact with this new group of Sabres. Nor does it seem like he has the skating to keep up with Bylsma's up-tempo system. That said, he can still play defense and is able to make some pretty good passes on the powerplay so a third-pairing, powerplay specialist seems to be in the cards for him. He's a bit pricey for that role, but for now it will suffice.
For now.
Building the 2016-17 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Evander Kane / C, Ryan O'Reilly / RW, Kyle Okposo
LW, Tyler Ennis / C, Jack Eichel / RW, Sam Reinhart
LW, Matt Moulson / C, Zemgus Girgensons / RW, Justin Bailey
LW, Marcus Foligno / C, Johan Larsson / RW, Brian Gionta
D, Rasmus Ristolainen / Dmitry Kulikov
D, Zach Bogosian / D, Jake McCabe
D, Cody Franson
G, Robin Lehner
.
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
On the 2nd annual Prospects Challenge, Cody Franson and Jack Eichel
With Labor Day weekend close at hand bid adieu to a rather uneventful summer of 2016 and gear up for the beginning of hockey season. The National Hockey League is staging their World Cup of Hockey slated for September 17th to October 1st as two divisions comprised of four teams each will battle it out for "world" supremacy in the game of hockey.
While the biggest and brightest stars will be on display at the WCOH, including a North American team featuring Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel and Auston Matthews anchoring a 23-and-under squad, various prospect tournaments will be taking place to highlight younger talent not quite at the WCOH-level. Among them is the Traverse City Tournament celebrating its 17th year, a tournament in Coral Springs, Florida and the 2nd annual Buffalo Sabres Prospect Challenge.
The Sabres attended Traverse City from 2011, the off season after Terry Pegula bought the team until 2014. They won the tournament in 2011 and after the NHL lockout scrapped the 2012 tourney, the Sabres found themselves back in the finals dropping the championship game to the host Detroit Red Wings. The 2014 tournament was a disaster for the Sabres featuring this quote from former Buffalo d-man Nikita Zadorov, "Maybe it wasn't our tournament." after the team finished 0-3-1, were outscored a combined 17-6 and scored more than one goal only one time.
While the biggest and brightest stars will be on display at the WCOH, including a North American team featuring Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel and Auston Matthews anchoring a 23-and-under squad, various prospect tournaments will be taking place to highlight younger talent not quite at the WCOH-level. Among them is the Traverse City Tournament celebrating its 17th year, a tournament in Coral Springs, Florida and the 2nd annual Buffalo Sabres Prospect Challenge.
The Sabres attended Traverse City from 2011, the off season after Terry Pegula bought the team until 2014. They won the tournament in 2011 and after the NHL lockout scrapped the 2012 tourney, the Sabres found themselves back in the finals dropping the championship game to the host Detroit Red Wings. The 2014 tournament was a disaster for the Sabres featuring this quote from former Buffalo d-man Nikita Zadorov, "Maybe it wasn't our tournament." after the team finished 0-3-1, were outscored a combined 17-6 and scored more than one goal only one time.
Thursday, May 5, 2016
Impressions of, and questions concerning--D, Cody Franson
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Defenseman--Cody Franson
DOB: August 8, 1987 (age, 28)
Draft: 2005, 3rd round (79th overall,) NSH
How acquired: Free agent signee (NSH,) 2015
Last contract signed: 2015--2yr./$6.65M
Final year of contract: 2016-17
2015-16 Stats: 59 games played, 4 goals, 13 assists, 17 points, -5
What we wrote preseason: After making waves at the 2015 NHL Draft, Sabres GM Tim Murray went in search of a veteran, left-handed defenseman. He ended up signing right-handed d-man, Cody Franson and the new Sabre laid it out as to which side of the ice he prefers to play on, 'I don't play the left side,' he told the Hotline's Kevin Sylvester and Andrew Peters, 'I actually struggle over there.'
In 2014-15 Franson was traded by the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Nashville Predators at the trade deadline. Although the Preds acquired depth, it wasn't a good fit as Franson struggled. "Just what is the perfect fit for Franson? It would seem to be on the right side with plenty of powerplay time. That should work for the time being in Buffalo, and with the Sabres defense short on powerplay specialists, he'll have plenty of opportunity to excel in that role."
What we wrote mid-season: "when he tries to step into one from the point oft-times it sails ten feet wide and has players ducking for cover all over the zone. He's got the intensity of Thomas Vanek and can skate just about as fast, neither of which are good things. Although he has some pretty good skills and I understand why he was signed, he doesn't seem to fit the mold of what GM Tim Murray wants out of his players. All said, he serves his purpose as a very affordable 3rd-pairing d-man with some powerplay acumen."
Impressions on his play this year: From the get-go, I never really understood why the Sabres signed the big-bodied, rather soft Franson as he reminded me too much of the core they just dismantled. But he did grow on me as the year went on and an individual stats recap highlighted his strong third-pairing play with d-partner Mike Weber as the duo lead the team in the plus/minus category for December.
But that's not what he ultimately was brought on board for. In addition to adding a veteran presence, Franson was to help anchor the powerplay and contribute from the point. He finished an injury shortened season with only one goal and six assists in 2:08 average powerplay time per game. Franson suffered a concussion on February 19 and would not play the rest of the season. In his absence, a number of players took his spot in the lineup including Casey Nelson who was signed out of Minnesota State and looked the part of a point-man on the second powerplay unit.
Questions moving forward: Does he fit in beyond this season, the last year of his contract?
Defenseman--Cody Franson
DOB: August 8, 1987 (age, 28)
Draft: 2005, 3rd round (79th overall,) NSH
How acquired: Free agent signee (NSH,) 2015
Last contract signed: 2015--2yr./$6.65M
Final year of contract: 2016-17
2015-16 Stats: 59 games played, 4 goals, 13 assists, 17 points, -5
What we wrote preseason: After making waves at the 2015 NHL Draft, Sabres GM Tim Murray went in search of a veteran, left-handed defenseman. He ended up signing right-handed d-man, Cody Franson and the new Sabre laid it out as to which side of the ice he prefers to play on, 'I don't play the left side,' he told the Hotline's Kevin Sylvester and Andrew Peters, 'I actually struggle over there.'
In 2014-15 Franson was traded by the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Nashville Predators at the trade deadline. Although the Preds acquired depth, it wasn't a good fit as Franson struggled. "Just what is the perfect fit for Franson? It would seem to be on the right side with plenty of powerplay time. That should work for the time being in Buffalo, and with the Sabres defense short on powerplay specialists, he'll have plenty of opportunity to excel in that role."
What we wrote mid-season: "when he tries to step into one from the point oft-times it sails ten feet wide and has players ducking for cover all over the zone. He's got the intensity of Thomas Vanek and can skate just about as fast, neither of which are good things. Although he has some pretty good skills and I understand why he was signed, he doesn't seem to fit the mold of what GM Tim Murray wants out of his players. All said, he serves his purpose as a very affordable 3rd-pairing d-man with some powerplay acumen."
Impressions on his play this year: From the get-go, I never really understood why the Sabres signed the big-bodied, rather soft Franson as he reminded me too much of the core they just dismantled. But he did grow on me as the year went on and an individual stats recap highlighted his strong third-pairing play with d-partner Mike Weber as the duo lead the team in the plus/minus category for December.
But that's not what he ultimately was brought on board for. In addition to adding a veteran presence, Franson was to help anchor the powerplay and contribute from the point. He finished an injury shortened season with only one goal and six assists in 2:08 average powerplay time per game. Franson suffered a concussion on February 19 and would not play the rest of the season. In his absence, a number of players took his spot in the lineup including Casey Nelson who was signed out of Minnesota State and looked the part of a point-man on the second powerplay unit.
Questions moving forward: Does he fit in beyond this season, the last year of his contract?
Sunday, January 3, 2016
2015-16 Individual Stats--December
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
"Just the facts, Ma'am," was a classic Joe Friday line from the 1950's TV crime series, Dragnet, and the cool part about doing these month by month stats, is that oft times our preconceived notions about a player and/or how he's been playing is either propped up or derailed by "just the stats."
Case in point No. 1--Evander Kane.
Nary a Sabres fan out there would disagree that Ryan O'Reilly is the MVP of the team right now as he leads Buffalo in goals (15) and points (33,) and is tied for the lead in assists (18) while leading all forwards in average time on ice. Nor would they argue that after hitting the rookie wall in December, Jack Eichel has begun to assert himself on the scoresheet with two goals and seven assists in his last six games. Both are extremely good players who don't rock the boat (O'Reilly's off-season escapade at Tim Hortons not withstanding.)
Kane, however, is cut from a different cloth. He's been vilified for a non-criminal (as of yet) off-ice issue that occurred last month while on the ice Sabres fans have been chastising his play to the point where some seem ready to tie a noose around GM Tim Murray's neck for making that trade with Winnipeg.
After a slow start upon his return from injury midway through the month of November (zero points in three games) he proceeded to end the month with three points (1+2) in three games. In December he would bump it up a notch to six goals in 14 games for the Sabres placing him second behind O'Reilly's seven.
"Just the facts, Ma'am," was a classic Joe Friday line from the 1950's TV crime series, Dragnet, and the cool part about doing these month by month stats, is that oft times our preconceived notions about a player and/or how he's been playing is either propped up or derailed by "just the stats."
Case in point No. 1--Evander Kane.
Nary a Sabres fan out there would disagree that Ryan O'Reilly is the MVP of the team right now as he leads Buffalo in goals (15) and points (33,) and is tied for the lead in assists (18) while leading all forwards in average time on ice. Nor would they argue that after hitting the rookie wall in December, Jack Eichel has begun to assert himself on the scoresheet with two goals and seven assists in his last six games. Both are extremely good players who don't rock the boat (O'Reilly's off-season escapade at Tim Hortons not withstanding.)
Kane, however, is cut from a different cloth. He's been vilified for a non-criminal (as of yet) off-ice issue that occurred last month while on the ice Sabres fans have been chastising his play to the point where some seem ready to tie a noose around GM Tim Murray's neck for making that trade with Winnipeg.
After a slow start upon his return from injury midway through the month of November (zero points in three games) he proceeded to end the month with three points (1+2) in three games. In December he would bump it up a notch to six goals in 14 games for the Sabres placing him second behind O'Reilly's seven.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Some changes are needed on the Sabres powerplay
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
After seeing the Buffalo Sabres get shutout at Dallas vs. the league's No. 1 team, the overall feeling I got was that the Stars schooled 'em. Not so much in an overpowering, in your face trampling, but more like schooled them on how the little things matter in a big way.
The Sabres played the Stars fairly tough. Dallas has an extremely fast team that plays in overdrive the entire game. On a few occasions the Sabres were able to nullify the Stars' speed by putting a body on the man while at other times they were able to disrupt the play with good defense and proper angles. There were also times where Buffalo was able to show off some of their own speed and skate right with them. But, most of the time the Sabres were just trying to keep up and often times the Stars went into overdrive on the transition after gaining possession of the puck by great stickwork and/or beating Buffalo to loose pucks-- the little things that vets will do to a young team like Buffalo has.
Yet, the Sabres were in it most of the game until the Stars' Jamie Benn scored on the powerplay at the 7:11-mark of the third period. Benn's quick marker off the rush less than two minutes later sealed the 3-0 victory for Dallas.
As mentioned in the last blog, entering last night's game the Stars were 9-1-0 when leading after one period, 6-0-0 when leading after two. Buffalo would fall behind in the first period once again for the fourth game in a row (0-2-2 during that stretch,) but had a glorious opportunity to tie the score in the second as they had yet another 5-on-3 for :54 to begin the period. All for naught as they couldn't get anything going.
Perhaps they had too much time to strategize between periods or perhaps they just didn't have it together. For the first 1:06 of the Stars first penalty, Buffalo registered zero shots on goal as the Stars 20th-ranked penalty kill unit bottled them up pretty well. The Sabres started the second period with :54 left on their two-man advantage and registered...you guessed it, zero shots on goal.
After seeing the Buffalo Sabres get shutout at Dallas vs. the league's No. 1 team, the overall feeling I got was that the Stars schooled 'em. Not so much in an overpowering, in your face trampling, but more like schooled them on how the little things matter in a big way.
The Sabres played the Stars fairly tough. Dallas has an extremely fast team that plays in overdrive the entire game. On a few occasions the Sabres were able to nullify the Stars' speed by putting a body on the man while at other times they were able to disrupt the play with good defense and proper angles. There were also times where Buffalo was able to show off some of their own speed and skate right with them. But, most of the time the Sabres were just trying to keep up and often times the Stars went into overdrive on the transition after gaining possession of the puck by great stickwork and/or beating Buffalo to loose pucks-- the little things that vets will do to a young team like Buffalo has.
Yet, the Sabres were in it most of the game until the Stars' Jamie Benn scored on the powerplay at the 7:11-mark of the third period. Benn's quick marker off the rush less than two minutes later sealed the 3-0 victory for Dallas.
As mentioned in the last blog, entering last night's game the Stars were 9-1-0 when leading after one period, 6-0-0 when leading after two. Buffalo would fall behind in the first period once again for the fourth game in a row (0-2-2 during that stretch,) but had a glorious opportunity to tie the score in the second as they had yet another 5-on-3 for :54 to begin the period. All for naught as they couldn't get anything going.
Perhaps they had too much time to strategize between periods or perhaps they just didn't have it together. For the first 1:06 of the Stars first penalty, Buffalo registered zero shots on goal as the Stars 20th-ranked penalty kill unit bottled them up pretty well. The Sabres started the second period with :54 left on their two-man advantage and registered...you guessed it, zero shots on goal.
Saturday, November 21, 2015
The Bogosian effect.
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Prior to defenseman Zach Bogosian stepping on the ice for the first time this season, the Sabres blueline didn't look complete. Not that it does right now as there are still holes to fill, especially now that Mark Pysyk is sidelined because of injury, but adding a No. 2/3 minute-eater helps solidify things up-top on defense.
"To have [Josh] Gorges and Risto (Rasmus Ristolainen) as a pair, Zach and Jake [McCabe] as a pair, it increases our ability to skate and play at that [top-level] speed," said head coach Dan Bylsma to the media on Wednesday prior to the Dallas Stars game.
Bylsma didn't hesitate giving Bogosian minutes upon his return. In his first game since April and against the western conference-leading Dallas Stars, he skated 21:03, second amongst defenseman to Ristolainen's 22:09 and last night Bogosian's 23:43 TOI trailed only Risto's 26:51 in their shootout loss to the St. Louis Blues.
What wasn't mentioned by Bylsma about Bogosian's presence is how he will probably be helping out the penalty kill. Before the Stars game the Sabres were 28th in the league with a 75% kill rate (11/44.) The top pairing on the PK remains intact with Ristolainen and Gorges but Bogosian bumps Cody Franson out of the picture and now slips into the second PK-unit with McCabe. After watching Franson screen his own goalie for the Blues' second powerplay goal of the night, I was left to wonder why Franson was even out there on the penalty kill.
The Sabres have allowed 13 goals against while shorthanded and these are the number of goals scored while each of the top-five penalty-killing d-men were on the ice (Bogosian and his two games excluded) along with the total penalty kill minutes played by each:
Ristolainen--6 goals...47:19 PK TOI
Gorges--6...40:51
Franson--6..22:03
McCabe--1...22:23
Mike Weber--2....12:33
Franson is on the ice for a PK goal-against almost every two minutes. Ristolainen who leads the team in PK TOI is on the ice for a goal every (approximately) four minutes. McCabe a goal every 11 minutes or so.
Simple math, simple numbers.
In a crucial five-minute kill thanks to a boarding major by Tyler Ennis, Sabres in-game host Brian Duff pointed out that Bogosian skated 2:45 of it. And after the Blues scored just :34 into the major penalty, Bogosian had a shift of 1:45, took a :37 break then followed up with another :45 shift. St. Louis was held to only one goal.
The only other Buffalo penalty of the game was McCabe's two-minute hooking minor. With him in the box, Franson was forced into PK duty and soon the Blues had their second goal of the game. One :22 PK shift by Franson, one goal.
Although this isn't a knock against Franson, as he was signed by GM Tim Murray to be more of a powerplay specialist, one should question why he was on the PK more than a player like Pysyk who's forte is smart, defensive work.
That said, with Bogosian back in the lineup, Franson's number probably won't be called for PK duty as long as the d-corps is healthy. Which is a good thing.
It should also be pointed out , however, that the PK unit dropped a notch to 29th in the league with a 72.9% kill rate since Bogosian's return two games ago.
Prior to defenseman Zach Bogosian stepping on the ice for the first time this season, the Sabres blueline didn't look complete. Not that it does right now as there are still holes to fill, especially now that Mark Pysyk is sidelined because of injury, but adding a No. 2/3 minute-eater helps solidify things up-top on defense.
"To have [Josh] Gorges and Risto (Rasmus Ristolainen) as a pair, Zach and Jake [McCabe] as a pair, it increases our ability to skate and play at that [top-level] speed," said head coach Dan Bylsma to the media on Wednesday prior to the Dallas Stars game.
Bylsma didn't hesitate giving Bogosian minutes upon his return. In his first game since April and against the western conference-leading Dallas Stars, he skated 21:03, second amongst defenseman to Ristolainen's 22:09 and last night Bogosian's 23:43 TOI trailed only Risto's 26:51 in their shootout loss to the St. Louis Blues.
What wasn't mentioned by Bylsma about Bogosian's presence is how he will probably be helping out the penalty kill. Before the Stars game the Sabres were 28th in the league with a 75% kill rate (11/44.) The top pairing on the PK remains intact with Ristolainen and Gorges but Bogosian bumps Cody Franson out of the picture and now slips into the second PK-unit with McCabe. After watching Franson screen his own goalie for the Blues' second powerplay goal of the night, I was left to wonder why Franson was even out there on the penalty kill.
The Sabres have allowed 13 goals against while shorthanded and these are the number of goals scored while each of the top-five penalty-killing d-men were on the ice (Bogosian and his two games excluded) along with the total penalty kill minutes played by each:
Ristolainen--6 goals...47:19 PK TOI
Gorges--6...40:51
Franson--6..22:03
McCabe--1...22:23
Mike Weber--2....12:33
Franson is on the ice for a PK goal-against almost every two minutes. Ristolainen who leads the team in PK TOI is on the ice for a goal every (approximately) four minutes. McCabe a goal every 11 minutes or so.
Simple math, simple numbers.
In a crucial five-minute kill thanks to a boarding major by Tyler Ennis, Sabres in-game host Brian Duff pointed out that Bogosian skated 2:45 of it. And after the Blues scored just :34 into the major penalty, Bogosian had a shift of 1:45, took a :37 break then followed up with another :45 shift. St. Louis was held to only one goal.
The only other Buffalo penalty of the game was McCabe's two-minute hooking minor. With him in the box, Franson was forced into PK duty and soon the Blues had their second goal of the game. One :22 PK shift by Franson, one goal.
Although this isn't a knock against Franson, as he was signed by GM Tim Murray to be more of a powerplay specialist, one should question why he was on the PK more than a player like Pysyk who's forte is smart, defensive work.
That said, with Bogosian back in the lineup, Franson's number probably won't be called for PK duty as long as the d-corps is healthy. Which is a good thing.
It should also be pointed out , however, that the PK unit dropped a notch to 29th in the league with a 72.9% kill rate since Bogosian's return two games ago.
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Building the 2015-16 Buffalo Sabres roster--D, Cody Franson
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Which makes it strange that Sabres GM Tim Murray would sign the veteran unrestricted free agent, and it’s a little bit stranger that he would do so for more than a one-year contract.
For all intents and purposes, Murray is finished with the forward ranks this off season, unless something comes along that blows him away. In a matter of six months he added forwards Evander Kane and Ryan O'Reilly through trades and drafted center Jack Eichel with the second-overall pick in June. Add those three to some of the players already on the team and it's a pretty strong, albeit young, nucleus with plenty of upside.
Unfortunately, in the process of bolstering the forwards Murray had to trade away defensemen. When Tyler Myers and Nikita Zadorov were traded in the Kane and O'Reilly trades, respectively, the depth chart flipped and by the time the 2015 Draft was in the books, Murray was in the market for a veteran defenseman, “I probably need a veteran UFA defenseman or I have to trade for one,” he said post-draft. “I’ve been talking to teams about a left-shot D.”
Let's get right to the point when it comes to new Buffalo Sabres defenseman, Cody Franson, he's really not interested in playing the left side on defense. He said so himself on Hockey Hotline, "I don't play the left side," he told the Hotline's Kevin Sylvester and Andrew Peters, "I actually struggle over there."
Which makes it strange that Sabres GM Tim Murray would sign the veteran unrestricted free agent, and it’s a little bit stranger that he would do so for more than a one-year contract.
For all intents and purposes, Murray is finished with the forward ranks this off season, unless something comes along that blows him away. In a matter of six months he added forwards Evander Kane and Ryan O'Reilly through trades and drafted center Jack Eichel with the second-overall pick in June. Add those three to some of the players already on the team and it's a pretty strong, albeit young, nucleus with plenty of upside.
Unfortunately, in the process of bolstering the forwards Murray had to trade away defensemen. When Tyler Myers and Nikita Zadorov were traded in the Kane and O'Reilly trades, respectively, the depth chart flipped and by the time the 2015 Draft was in the books, Murray was in the market for a veteran defenseman, “I probably need a veteran UFA defenseman or I have to trade for one,” he said post-draft. “I’ve been talking to teams about a left-shot D.”
Friday, September 11, 2015
Building the 2015-16 Buffalo Sabres roster--D, Rasmus Ristolainen
Free agent defenseman Cody Franson has signed a 2-yr. contract with the Buffalo Sabres. There will be a press conference at 11:30 today.
Sabres GM Tim Murray had been looking at signing a left-handed veteran to play top-four minutes and to take some pressure off of some of the youngins on the back-end, but what he got was a veteran righty who may be more of a powerplay specialist.
Originally drafted by the Nashville Predators in the 3rd round (79th overall,) Franson has spent the bulk of his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs where he's had the most production including six points (3+3) in seven 2013 playoff games. Nashville traded for him to bolster their defense corps, but Franson faltered big-time.
I'm not sure why Murray was so intent upon signing Franson, but as AGM in Ottawa he had plenty of opportunity to watch him play with for Leafs so there's something he saw pre-Nashville that piqued his interest. Or perhaps he sees Franson as a stop-gap that can be moved at the 2017 trade deadline as a rental. But for this year it's a signing that almost guarantees prospect Jake McCabe spends one more year developing in Rochester while players like Mike Weber and Matt Donovan may be seeing a lot of time in the pressbox this season.
What the signing won't affect, however, is Rasmus Ristolainen's spot on the top-pairing.
Sabres GM Tim Murray had been looking at signing a left-handed veteran to play top-four minutes and to take some pressure off of some of the youngins on the back-end, but what he got was a veteran righty who may be more of a powerplay specialist.
Originally drafted by the Nashville Predators in the 3rd round (79th overall,) Franson has spent the bulk of his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs where he's had the most production including six points (3+3) in seven 2013 playoff games. Nashville traded for him to bolster their defense corps, but Franson faltered big-time.
I'm not sure why Murray was so intent upon signing Franson, but as AGM in Ottawa he had plenty of opportunity to watch him play with for Leafs so there's something he saw pre-Nashville that piqued his interest. Or perhaps he sees Franson as a stop-gap that can be moved at the 2017 trade deadline as a rental. But for this year it's a signing that almost guarantees prospect Jake McCabe spends one more year developing in Rochester while players like Mike Weber and Matt Donovan may be seeing a lot of time in the pressbox this season.
What the signing won't affect, however, is Rasmus Ristolainen's spot on the top-pairing.
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