Time for the Buffalo Sabres to strip it down...again

It's the perpetual question in Sabreland, how many failures will we go through before this organization to finally gets it right? It gets tiring having to revisit the amount of turnover that's existed since Terry Pegula bought the Buffalo Sabres in 2011 so we'll make it as quick as possible: numerous changes in upper management including a very brief, four-month stint for a hockey operations vice president, a fourth general manager, this one with no pro hockey administrative experience and after a recent firing of their head coach, the Sabres are on their seventh bench boss who is interim status means (we suspect) an eighth one is coming soon.

Then there's figuring out the identity of the team which, seemingly, will transform again (if there ever really was a fully conceptualized one to begin with). Again, we'll try to keep it brief: two tank years followed by a focus on a western conference, heavy style, which was followed up by an eastern conference stretch-the-ice, offensive style and, most recently, a defense-will-lead-to-offense philosophical approach.

Got that?

The Covid-19 shortened 2021 hockey season may go down as the worst season in Buffalo Sabres history. This despite a small core of upper-end talent augmented by the signings a former League MVP and and aging, but still productive (until this season) Stanley Cup winner. 

It was an epic fail.

As written here, this Sabres team was not built for the rugged 2021 MassMutual East Division which was part of an NHL restructuring with coronavirus travel limitations in mind. The sad part about this team as constructed is that even if they were in their regular Atlantic Division instead of the rugged east as constructed this for this season, they'd be bottom-three at best and undoubtedly barreling towards a 10 consecutive season outside the playoffs and yet another high draft choice.

Sabres news, some good and not so good.

First off, some really good news for NHL fans as the league is targeting a January 13th start to a 56-game NHL season. Whether or not there will be fans in the seats in any capacity remains to be seen as Coronavirus vaccine manufacturing and distribution is just beginning but there is light at the end of a tunnel and even though it's long and dark, the first steps back to a sense of normalcy have been taken.

The National Hockey League has been hit hard by the pandemic and with that we'll lead into the not-so-good news for the Buffalo Sabres this long off season before ending on some happier notes.

Financial health of the NHL and Sabres

NHL franchises took a tough hit in the Spring as the normal season was cancelled in March, but the league managed to scrape out some TV revenue with an alternative end to the regular season and a full slate of playoff games in two bubbles. The toll it took on some franchises, including the Buffalo Sabres, was pretty harsh. In it's annual listing of team values Forbes outlined the impact of the pandemic on the league:

--the average team value dropped by 2%

--the $4.4 billion in revenue from a season that was 85% completed was 14% below the prior year

--operating income was down a whopping 68% ($250 million)

The rich/poor disparity was glaring as well in a pandemic-ravaged 2019-20 season. "The league’s five most valuable teams—the New York Rangers ($1.65 billion), the Toronto Maple Leafs ($1.5 billion), the Montreal Canadiens ($1.34 billion), the Chicago Blackhawks ($1.085 billion) and the Boston Bruins ($1 billon)," wrote Forbes, "accounted for almost a quarter of the league’s revenue. Without them, the league would have lost $50 million."

Unfortunately the Sabres aren't amongst those big-market, money-machines even though they have big-money ownership in Terry and Kim Pegula. The Pegula's saw the current value of their team drop 4% to $385 million on an initial investment of $189 million in 2011. There were seven other teams in Buffalo's boat at -4% and five who fared worse at -5%.

According to Forbes, revenue for the Sabres last season was $120 million with only 10 teams below them (the NY Rangers led the league with $225 million in revenue) while operating income for Buffalo was $-11 million, which was seventh-worst in the league (the Montreal Canadiens led with $87 million on revenue of $215 million.)

Possible NHL realignment for 2020-21

Those are some big losses for Buffalo but in a tribute to the commitment the Pegula's made at their 2011 introductory press conference, management has been given the financial resources to ice a roster that will hopefully end their league long, nine-year playoff drought.

Unfortunately for the Sabres, the pandemic has forced the NHL to temporarily realign their divisions. International travel restrictions are probably giving us an all-Canadian division with the league leaning towards three regional divisions in the States. Preliminary indications has the Sabres in a group with Boston, New Jersey, NY Islanders, NY Rangers, Philadelphia and Washington along with Pittsburgh or Carolina. Only two of those teams, Buffalo and New Jersey, failed to make the expanded playoffs last year while Boston, Washington and Pittsburgh have been perennial playoff teams. Add in the Islanders, Philadelphia and Carolina as teams on the upswing and the Sabres are in a bit of a pickle.

Should the league be looking at another expanded playoff scenario of 24 teams (six from each division,) the Sabres will need to get into the top six. Boston hasn't missed the playoffs since 2015-16 and have a Stanley Cup finals appearance since then while Washington has the 2018 Stanley Cup and hasn't missed the post season since 2013-14 so putting those two at or near the top of the division isn't much of a reach. The NY Islanders made a run to the 2020 eastern conference finals while Philadelphia lost a seven-game, second round series to those same Islanders and either Pittsburgh, with their long history of making the playoffs during the entirety of the Sidney Crosby-era (2006-present, including three Cups) or an upstart Carolina franchise (two consecutive playoff appearances,) seem poised to take the fifth spot.

That leaves three teams vying for one playoff spot--the New Jersey Devils, NY Rangers and Buffalo Sabres.

Does Buffalo have the wherewithal to take that spot? Adding 2018 league MVP Taylor Hall helps, and so does trading for top-six center Eric Staal but they may need to upgrade goaltending and/or their defense corps if they want to make it.

Three Sabres make IIHF World Junior Team Canada and Team USA  squads

On a positive note, Buffalo's prospect pool is getting stronger. As noted in the previous blog their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, should see a sizeable influx of homegrown talent this upcoming season and behind them is another group that's making it's way through the system.

Center Dylan Cozens leads the way with the 2019, seventh-overall pick set to make his second consecutive IIHF World Junior Championship skating for Team Canada. Cozens posted nine points (2+7) in a subdued role for the tournament champion Canadian team last year and will play a larger role this year. Joining him on the squad is Buffalo's 2020, eighth-overall pick Jack Quinn. There were questions concerning Quinn and whether or not he'd make the team but he did and early projections have him skating in a top-six role for the high-profile, talent-laden Canadians.

In addition to those two forwards, it was announced today that defenseman Ryan Johnson has made Team U.S.A. Johnson, a 2019 first round pick (31st-overall) plays in the NCAA for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. 

Sabres scouting staff growing incrementally

Those three draft picks were from an amateur scouting staff that was definitively hacked in the spring as management decided to get more efficient and/or rebuild the scouting department. After going through the 2020 NHL Entry Draft with a skeleton crew, The Buffalo News reported yesterday that Anders Forsberg will rejoin the Sabres as their scout in Sweden. Forsberg had been a scout for the club from 2015-17 and is back in the fold, albeit in more of a "consulting" role, according to the News, while the also wrote that "his work will have a heavy emphasis on video."

Forsberg is the second scout brought in since the spring purge bringing their total to eight. He joins Tristan Musser, who was hired October 7 as both an amateur and pro scout, as new adds under director of scouting Jeremiah Crowe and assistant director Jason Nightingale. 

Checking in on the Sabres prospect pool with Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com, Part II

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 11-5-2019


This is the second of a two part series looking at the Sabres prospect pool with Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com. Part I can be found by clicking here. 



As laid out in the previous blog, what Buffalo Sabres general manager Jason Botterill has been able to do on the blueline for his team the last three years has been pretty impressive and that's without landing a franchise-type defenseman in Rasmus Dahlin with the first overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. Botterill fortified and modernized his D-corps through some savvy trades while he and his scouting staff focused on the blueline at the draft using eight of their 18 picks on defensemen.

That's the good part of the prospect pool. The not so good part comes into play when we take a look at the forwards and goalie situation.

There's a two-fold reason for the not so good part when it comes to the forwards in the system. Botterill inherited a pool bereft of forward talent because a.) they were still recovering from the scorched-earth rebuild of his predecessor and b.) the Sabres top prospects were picked high in the draft and quickly made their way into the NHL lineup. Second-overall picks Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel were playing for the Sabres as teenagers, while 2017 eighth-overall pick, Casey Mittelstadt also started out his rookie season as a teenager. Which is fine as those top picks are expected to be on a fast-track to the NHL.

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."

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."

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.

Hockey's back. Quick notes from the Prospects Challenge

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-7-2019


When you look at the starting lineup for last night's Buffalo Sabres/New Jersey Devils Prospects Challenge game, one of the things that stands out for Buffalo is the number of mid to lower-round picks and free agents on the roster. It was a pleasant surprise to see 2019 first round pick (7th-overall) Dylan Cozens on the ice after undergoing thumb surgery just after development camp and Sabres fans got their first taste of defenseman Henri Jokiharju (2017, 10th, CHI) in the Blue and Gold. Jokiharju was obtained by Buffalo in July for former first rounder, Alexander Nylander.

The next highest draft pick was center Rasmus Asplund who was picked in the second round (33rd) of the 2016 NHL Draft after the Sabres traded up for him. After that Buffalo's roster consisted of three third-rounders, five fourth-rounders, one sixth round pick, one seventh round pick and six undrafted players.

A 6-4 win, after jumping out to a 6-0 lead is pretty good for a group with so little top-end draft picks.

Star power and intrigue at the 5th annual Sabres Prospects Challenge

Published by hockkeybuzz.com, 9-6-2019

The 5th annual Buffalo Sabres Prospects Challenge begins tonight. Prospects from the Sabres, Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins will get the opportunity to show what they've got against their peers in the round-robin tournament that ends on Monday. The event will be held at Harborcenter in downtown Buffalo adjacent to KeyBank Center and admission is $10.

Sabres fans get to see their prospect pool in a competitive environment, some of whom will be donning the Blue and Gold for the first time. And for those attending tonight's game at 7:30 pm, they'll have the added bonus of seeing 2019 first-overall pick Jack Hughes in action as he'll be skating for the Devils.

Hughes is the marquis name at the tournament and one can expect a heavy dose of the 5'10" 166 lb. Orlando, Florida native as he'll be bringing his speed, vision and skill-set to the rink for the first time in a Devils sweater. Fans of all four teams will be watching their own prospects but Hughes is the player that should grab the attention of every fan base.

Dylan Cozens could have had a legit NHL shot w/o thumb injury

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 7-17-2019


The Buffalo Sabres walked up to the podium in Vancouver, BC in June and selected Lethbridge Hurricanes center Dylan Cozens with the seventh-overall pick in the NHL Draft. The 6'3" 183 lb. Yukon native has the NHL frame, skating, skill-level and two-way game to make the jump from draft prospect to NHLer quickly and it was possible that he could've at least got a nine-game run with the Sabres before they had to decide whether or not he should go back to junior.

However, a development camp injury may have scuttled that possibility.

Buffalo still has two holes in the top six up-front. They could really use a No. 2 center to give 20 yr. old Casey Mittelstadt some protection as he grows into that role and they also need a top-six right wing behind Sam Reinhart. As of now there are no legit options on the team at that center spot save for Mittelstadt, who struggled in that role as a rookie last season, and putting Cozens in that role as an 18 yr. old is not an option either.

However, Cozens has the ability to play right win and despite Buffalo's stated plan to let prospects properly develop before bringing them to the big club, there can be exceptions and Cozens may have fit that mold.

In a case of talent meeting need, Cozens has an NHL frame already as well as the skating, which is the big prerequisite in today's NHL. He's very quick on his skates which allows him to get to open ice, he's got enough speed to get into the play on the backcheck and his balance allows him to pivot in and out of situations at a moment's notice. Cozens can use his NHL-level shot to score and has the panache to set up as evidenced by his 34 goals and 50 assists in 68 WHL games. The fact that he was very aggressive in a tough Western Hockey League also bodes well for his powerforward projections and it not unusual for a center prospect to move to the wing at the NHL-level while he gets acclimated to the NHL game.

With the market for top-six right wingers very thin, the trade route could be a possibility but finding a top-six forward takes capital and the Sabres only viable trade chip for that job will more than likely  be spent on a center.

Right-handed defenseman Rasmus Ristolianen's name has been in the rumor mill for months and his name is still being bantered around at the national level as a top trade candidate. As a top-four d-man with size, skating and offensive ability (four consecutive 40-point seasons) who has snarl and can eat up big minutes, Ristolainen certainly has a package of attributes that could be very enticing to a team in need of a top-four defender. Hell, even Buffalo could use that although if the right offer comes along, he's not untouchable. And that "right offer" more than likely revolves around a top-six center.

Ristolainen is signed for three more seasons with at a very manageable $5.4 million cap-hit and he will have a fresh start in Buffalo under new head coach Ralph Krueger. Whether that's appealing to him is another story as there have been rumors of him wanting to be traded.

The Tampa Bay Lightning were said to be very interested in Ristolainen at the trade deadline and into this early part of the summer as they have a lot of talented forwards but could use a righty on defense. Ristolainen's name has been mentioned with a couple other teams but one that makes a lot of sense is the Edmonton Oilers.

The Oilers and the Sabres have been on parallel paths for years now and they both have what the other might need. Edmonton has Connor McDavid as their No. 1 center and have been playing center Leon Draisaitl on the wing. What they're lacking is defensemen and Ristolainen could pair with either Oskar Klefbom or Darnell Nurse in the top-four. Coming back in the deal for Buffalo would be Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, a 26 yr. old center with two-years left on his contract at a $6 million AAV. After eight seasons in Edmonton where he fluctuated between solid and potential breakout, "RNH" had himself a real nice season scoring 69 points (28+41) in 82 games for the Oilers in 2018-19.

In a scenario like that, RNH would be behind Jack Eichel on the depth chart and the Sabres would have three of their wings covered with 40-goal scorer Jeff Skinner and free agent signee Marcus Johansson on the left and Reinhart on the right. Using 31 yr. old Johansson and 26 yr. old young vet Nugent-Hopkins on the second line would provide plenty of skill, saavy and experience to offer up a sheltered landing spot for a player like Cozens who has top-six, or even top-line, potential.

Cozens' major hurdle right now is recovering from a development camp thumb injury. In the final day of camp during the 3-on-3 tournament, an attempted hip check by defenseman Brandon Hickey went array and dislocated Cozens' thumb to the point where he needed surgery. Recovery time is expected to be about three months which would take him right to the start of the season. All that potential for the upcoming season pretty much went out the window as lot of his off-season workouts will be tempered and training camp might be out of reach as well.

No doubt things needed to fall into place for Cozens to have a serious shot to make the team as an 18 yr. old and Sabres general manager Jason Botterill heavily favors proper development, but were it not for that thumb injury one never knows. Cozens just inked his three-year entry-level deal two days ago and should he go back to junior (which is likely) Buffalo will have a slide-year before his deal kicks in.

That said, they may not have minded losing that extra year if things fell into place and he fit into the lineup beginning in 2019-20.

Botterill picks Cozens and Johnson and NHL Draft, builds around Eichel and Dahlin

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 6-22-2019


While those of us in Sabreland may have been screaming for Buffalo to draft an elite-playmaker like Trevor Zegras or a pure goal-scorer in the diminutive Cole Caufield with the seventh-overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, general manger Jason Botterill went in a little different direction by drafting center Dylan Cozens. Although his skill-set lacks the dynamics of the other two, Cozens has the traits the Sabres are looking for in a future top-six player. His skating is exceptional, he has a high compete level, he has great size, plays a 200' game and does his scoring 5v5 which has been a focus of Botterill's since he took the Sabres GM position (see Jeff Skinner.)

As fans it’s pretty easy to get caught up in immediate needs of a bottom-feeding team at the draft and as we look at the Sabres they need certain things right now, like scoring. And, as is often the case, we the fanbase of a team that hasn't made the playoffs in eight seasons scoff at patience while forgetting that players drafted outside the top-three or so usually take while to incubate and most won't hope to have an impact for at least a few years. Although it doesn't offer immediate relief, Sabres fans should take solace in, and be reminded of, the fact that they have two premier pieces in place and that the future holds great promise if Botterill builds this thing properly.

Buffalo's window is just beginning to open again after it was shut on the fingers some two years ago. Coming out of the tank years and taking a couple steps back from where they want to be is going to take some time regardless of how quickly we want it. Yes, we know, the clock is ticking on Jack Eichel's contract and a three-year build into (hopefully) a Stanley Cup contender means that half of it will have been wasted. However, should everything fall into place in the latter part of his contract, methinks Eichel will have no problem leading the parade down Delaware Avenue after captaining Buffalo’s first Cup-winning team.

That’s the dream and as we found out with the previous general manager there are no short-cuts, as a host of Cup-winning teams this decade have proven.

2019 NHL Mock Draft--Picks 6-10

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 6-14-2019


The 2019 NHL Draft will be held in Vancouver, B.C. June 21-22

6. Detroit Red Wings--RW, Cole Caufield

Steve Yzerman is back where he belongs, in Detroit, after finding huge success with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bolts have been an Eastern Conference powerhouse for a number of years due in large part to Yzerman's vision of how he wants them to play and his eye for talent. To Yzerman, talent is talent and it can come in many shapes and sizes and can be found in many countries. At 5'7" 162 lbs. Caufield isn't the biggest of prospects but his USNTDP single season record of 72 goals in 64 games screams for attention. Yzerman's predecessor Ken Holland,who is Edmonton's GM, left the Red Wings with some pretty good pieces to build upon and now the former Detroit captain under Holland takes the helm after bringing his front office talents to the Motor City. Stevie Y's first pick as Wings GM might be the best pure goal scorer in the draft and there's no hesitation on his part. Not a bad way for Yzerman to start his tenure while also continuing the legacy of Hockeytown that began when they drafted him 4th overall sone 35 years ago.


7. Buffalo Sabres--C, Trevor Zegras

One thing that seems to get lost in all of the mocks and rankings and team needs at draft time is the fact that most players drafted outside the top-five or so are at least a year or two away from making the NHL and even further away from having an impact. Sabres director of amateur scouting Ryan Jankowski told the Athletic, "I think you're talking five to seven years out for these players really to make a huge impact; maybe a little bit sooner if you're picking higher such as [Rasmus] Dahlin last year." In saying that the Sabres take the best player available approach and Zegras is that player. The 6'0" 168 lb. center from sleepy Bedford, NY just outside the City has the skating, puck skills and high hockey IQ that the Sabres are looking for. The Athletics' Corey Pronman said that Zegras' "pure offensive skill" is "the best in the draft class" while Guillaume Lepage at NHL.com said that 'Zegras  is "one of the most complete centers available in the draft because of his speed and skill." The Sabres seem to be smitten by him as well as he was the only prospect they interviewed twice in the whole pre-draft process. Zegras can play either center or wing, another aspect the Sabres really like in their players.


8. Edmonton Oilers--D, Philip Broberg

Is it a surprise to anyone that the Oilers would select a defenseman that has elite skating ability and already has an NHL-ready 6'3" 203 lb. frame? Me neither. Sure there are forwards available like centers Kirby Dach and Dylan Cozens but talent-wise Broberg is close to their level, the Oilers forward group will be anchored by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for years to come and they really need to build their blue line. Holland has no problem drafting the big, speedy Swede who's transition game can get the puck where it belongs, in the hands of players like McDavid and Draisaitl.

9. Anaheim Ducks--C, Dylan Cozens

Ducks feel a strong pull to draft a Ryan Getzlaf-type in Kirby Dach but pass on the Saskatoon Blade in favor of another WHL'er. At 6'3" 185 lbs Cozens certainly has the projectable size of a budding power forward and unlike Dach he plays with more of an edge. Cozens also has the skills and skating, plays a 200' game and can play in all situations. Come to think of it, Cozens sounds a bit like Getzlaf too. Either way Anaheim gets themselves a big forward to their liking and Cozens dropping to No 9. pretty much gives them a mistake-free choice.

10. Vancouver Canucks--LW, Matthew Boldy

The 'Nucks hit a home run when they selected center Elias Petterson fifth-overall in 2017 and they also have another first rounder down the middle in Bo Horvat (2013.That duo will be anchoring the Canucks for years to come so enter winger Matthew Boldy in 2019. His pro-ready frame (6'2" 196 lbs.) along with elite hockey sense, very capable skating and a solid skill set makes for a very enticing prospect to add to a forward group that's getting stronger.