Buffalo bench-boss Ralph Krueger and the Sabres, via general manager Jason Botterill prior to the Vegas Golden Knights game, said that the goal is to win two of three games for a playoff push. Going back to the beginning of 2020, the Sabres had 41 points in 41 games to start the new year and using the Krueger formula, garnering four points per three games would give them 52 points in 39 games for a 93-point total with two games left to play. One of those games is on the road against the New Jersey Devils with the season finale' coming at home against the Philadelphia Flyers, whom they could be battling for a playoff spot.
So far so good in 2020 as they went won two of three in the first three games and replicated it the next three.
Showing posts with label Colin Miller. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Colin Miller. Show all posts
Sunday, January 19, 2020
Friday, September 13, 2019
Building the 2019-20 Buffalo Sabres roster--RHD, Colin Miller
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-12-2019
In this series we build the 2019-20 Buffalo Sabres roster one by one leading up to the season opener on October 3.
RHD, Colin Miller
26 yrs. old
6'1" 196 lbs.
2012, 5th-round pick (151st-overall, LAK)
Career Stats: 250 games | 22 goals | 77 assists | 99 points | -4
Where Colin Miller ultimately ends up in the lineup for the Buffalo Sabres is dependent upon a number of things, including the status of fellow right-handed defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. With plenty roster decisions up in the air right now, Miller should get the opportunity to skate next to top defenseman Rasmus Dahlin at training camp, which begins today, before eventually settling into his role on the Sabres.
Miller started last season on the top-pairing in Vegas while Golden Knights d-anchor Nate Schmidt served his 20-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policies. He struggled next to Schmidt's top-pairing partner, Brayden McNabb, while playing against the league's best (0 goals, 6 assists, minus-4 rating) during that time and fell down the depth chart and back into his usual third-pairing role when Schmidt returned. Although Dahlin and McNabb are totally different players in style and caliber, it would be tough to see Miller in a top-pairing role as his offensive-minded game and struggles defensively against the league's best players may not translate well. However, new head coach Ralph Krueger is looking for chemistry up and down the lineup and if it works, he'll go with it.
In this series we build the 2019-20 Buffalo Sabres roster one by one leading up to the season opener on October 3.
RHD, Colin Miller
26 yrs. old
6'1" 196 lbs.
2012, 5th-round pick (151st-overall, LAK)
Career Stats: 250 games | 22 goals | 77 assists | 99 points | -4
Where Colin Miller ultimately ends up in the lineup for the Buffalo Sabres is dependent upon a number of things, including the status of fellow right-handed defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. With plenty roster decisions up in the air right now, Miller should get the opportunity to skate next to top defenseman Rasmus Dahlin at training camp, which begins today, before eventually settling into his role on the Sabres.
Miller started last season on the top-pairing in Vegas while Golden Knights d-anchor Nate Schmidt served his 20-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policies. He struggled next to Schmidt's top-pairing partner, Brayden McNabb, while playing against the league's best (0 goals, 6 assists, minus-4 rating) during that time and fell down the depth chart and back into his usual third-pairing role when Schmidt returned. Although Dahlin and McNabb are totally different players in style and caliber, it would be tough to see Miller in a top-pairing role as his offensive-minded game and struggles defensively against the league's best players may not translate well. However, new head coach Ralph Krueger is looking for chemistry up and down the lineup and if it works, he'll go with it.
Sunday, July 21, 2019
A mid-July look at the Buffalo Sabres NHL depth-chart on defense
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 7-19-2019
Please note the hyphenated word, "mid-July" as things could change with training camp still two months away. It also should be noted that the Buffalo Sabres traded for Jeff Skinner (CAR) on August 2 which goes to show that trades can happen at any time.
Buffalo's roster for 2019-20 will (must) change. As we saunter through the dog days of summer the Sabres have a full roster if you include the probable signings of three restricted free agents and two defensemen, Zach Bogosian and Lawrence Pilut, eventually coming back from off-season surgery. Bogosian is expected to be back for the start of the season while Pilut will take a little longer and will probably be spending time in Rochester before trekking into his sophomore campaign.
A crowded Sabres d-corps has eight NHL players already signed, another in Jake McCabe who's unsigned and filed for arbitration, and two more in Pilut and recently acquired Henri Jokiharju (CHI,) who played a significant time in the NHL last season. It's a good situation to be in as it's never a bad idea to have an overabundance of NHL-caliber defensemen but it will also force Buffalo to make some decisions.
For the sake of the following exercise we're going to move ahead under the premise that McCabe will re-sign with Buffalo.
Please note the hyphenated word, "mid-July" as things could change with training camp still two months away. It also should be noted that the Buffalo Sabres traded for Jeff Skinner (CAR) on August 2 which goes to show that trades can happen at any time.
Buffalo's roster for 2019-20 will (must) change. As we saunter through the dog days of summer the Sabres have a full roster if you include the probable signings of three restricted free agents and two defensemen, Zach Bogosian and Lawrence Pilut, eventually coming back from off-season surgery. Bogosian is expected to be back for the start of the season while Pilut will take a little longer and will probably be spending time in Rochester before trekking into his sophomore campaign.
A crowded Sabres d-corps has eight NHL players already signed, another in Jake McCabe who's unsigned and filed for arbitration, and two more in Pilut and recently acquired Henri Jokiharju (CHI,) who played a significant time in the NHL last season. It's a good situation to be in as it's never a bad idea to have an overabundance of NHL-caliber defensemen but it will also force Buffalo to make some decisions.
For the sake of the following exercise we're going to move ahead under the premise that McCabe will re-sign with Buffalo.
Sunday, June 30, 2019
Of the trade for Colin Miller, plus who to watch 3-on-3 this morning
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 6-29-2019
Much to the relief of many in Sabreland, Buffalo general manager Jason Botterill made a move yesterday when he acquired right-handed defenseman Colin Miller from the Vegas Golden Knights for a 2021 second round pick (acquired from St. Louis and a 2022 fifth rounder. The well-traveled Miller was drafted in the fifth round (151st-overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft by the Los Angeles Kings and won a Calder Cup with the Manchester Monarchs in 2015 before being traded to the Boston Bruins that off-season. Miller played two seasons in the Bruins organization and was left exposed in the 2017 expansion draft where Vegas picked him up.
The Golden Knights took the league by storm becoming the first team in league history to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals in their inaugural season and they came to within an overtime goal in a controversial Game-7 to advancing in this year's playoffs. The by-product of this immediate success, as well as smart, yet expensive, front office moves, has been cap-issues this off season and Vegas has been forced to makes some tough decisions. The cap itself came in a bit lower than anticipated and the Golden Knights have been over it all off season. They traded Erik Haula and his $2.75 million hit earlier in the week and moved Miller's $3.875 million AAV to Buffalo yet are still about $900K over the cap with five roster spots to fill, according to CapFriendly.
Miller's acquisition adds more depth to the Sabres top-six on defense. Last season Vegas head coach Gerrard Gallant had him on the top-paring while Nate Schmidt was serving a 20-game suspension for violating the league's PED policy and was eventually dropped down the depth chart. Miller also served some time in Gallant's doghouse including a press box stint for Game-1 of the San Jose Sharks series but it looks as if he'll be in at least a solid 4/5 role for Buffalo dependent upon how these next few months shake out.
Much to the relief of many in Sabreland, Buffalo general manager Jason Botterill made a move yesterday when he acquired right-handed defenseman Colin Miller from the Vegas Golden Knights for a 2021 second round pick (acquired from St. Louis and a 2022 fifth rounder. The well-traveled Miller was drafted in the fifth round (151st-overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft by the Los Angeles Kings and won a Calder Cup with the Manchester Monarchs in 2015 before being traded to the Boston Bruins that off-season. Miller played two seasons in the Bruins organization and was left exposed in the 2017 expansion draft where Vegas picked him up.
The Golden Knights took the league by storm becoming the first team in league history to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals in their inaugural season and they came to within an overtime goal in a controversial Game-7 to advancing in this year's playoffs. The by-product of this immediate success, as well as smart, yet expensive, front office moves, has been cap-issues this off season and Vegas has been forced to makes some tough decisions. The cap itself came in a bit lower than anticipated and the Golden Knights have been over it all off season. They traded Erik Haula and his $2.75 million hit earlier in the week and moved Miller's $3.875 million AAV to Buffalo yet are still about $900K over the cap with five roster spots to fill, according to CapFriendly.
Miller's acquisition adds more depth to the Sabres top-six on defense. Last season Vegas head coach Gerrard Gallant had him on the top-paring while Nate Schmidt was serving a 20-game suspension for violating the league's PED policy and was eventually dropped down the depth chart. Miller also served some time in Gallant's doghouse including a press box stint for Game-1 of the San Jose Sharks series but it looks as if he'll be in at least a solid 4/5 role for Buffalo dependent upon how these next few months shake out.
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