Post-NHL trade deadline, Sabres add, subtract and hit the road.

Buffalo Sabres general manager Jason Botterill had the difficult task of walking a tightrope at the 2020 NHL trade deadline. His Sabres team hadn't really given him a clear direction as to where they were headed this season and prior to the trade deadline they posted a 7-6-1 record in 13 games between the All-Star break and the deadline. The beginning of that stretch started out rough with two home losses against very beatable teams and had everyone leaning towards selling at the deadline. It ended with two very diverse and convincing wins against two playoff teams. In the middle there were highs and lows.

Moving forward Buffalo will need to put together an impressive final 20 games to land the only spot they have a shot at. The Sabres are 29-25-8 right now which puts them on a pace for 87 points. They'll need to up that pace as 96 points might be the benchmark they'll need to shoot for to land the third spot in the Atlantic Division, which is somewhere akin to a 14-4-2 record.

Five-game Sabres recap Jan. 2-12

You couldn't have ended 2019 on a worse note. The Buffalo Sabres rang out the old with a very disappointing loss to the surging Tampa Bay Lighting by the score of 6-4. Tampa scored an empty-netter for the final which capped off a five goal run that erased a 4-1 Buffalo lead.

The set-up to the Tampa game had some weird circumstances as the Sabres didn't forget what Nikita Kucherov and Eric Cernak did to their players in previous meetings. While over in Stockholm, Sweden for the 2019 Global Series, Kucherov submarined an unsuspecting Vladimir Sobotka and sent him to injured reserve. He probably won't be back this season. Just over two weeks later, a high elbow from Cernak connected with Rasmus Dahlin's head resulting in a concussion for the 19 yr. old defenseman. Neither hit was penalize and neither was taken care of on the ice by the Sabres. The Kucherov hit wasn't looked at by the NHL Department of Player Safety while Cernak received a two-game suspension for an illegal hit to the head on Dahlin. 

Building the 2019-20 Buffalo Sabres roster--C, Evan Rodrigues

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-4-2019


In this series we build the 2019-20 Buffalo Sabres roster one by one leading up to the season opener on October 3.

C--Evan Rodrigues
26 yrs. old
5'10" 176 lbs.
Undrafted free agent, 2015

Career Stats: 154 games | 21 goals | 41 assists | 62 points | -22

Forward Evan Rodrigues, who rode shotgun on Jack Eichel's line at Boston University in 2015, has carved himself out a pretty good professional hockey career thus far. Many, if not most, believed that riding Eichel's coattails got him a pro contract with the Buffalo Sabres but so far he's proved them wrong. Step by step Rodrigues made his way up the ranks and now finds himself a legit NHL player, which is a feather in the cap of both player and team in terms of development.

Arbiter nails E-rod case, three more to go for Sabres

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 7-26-2019

Just how much is an NHL utility forward worth in this day an age? 

Perhaps Buffalo Sabres forward Evan Rodrigues is a prime case.

Rodrigues was an undrafted free agent out of Boston University signed by the Sabres in 2015. The former Terrier had just complete his fourth and final season at BU posting 21 goals and 41 assists in 40 games while riding shotgun alongside 2015 second overall pick, Jack Eichel. Everybody and their brother knew that the Eichel-effect was in play when projecting Rodrigues' upside with many feeling as if he'd be one of those AHL/NHL tweeners. 

Rodrigues can skate and maneuver in and out of trouble, he has hockey smarts, is a very capable set-up man and has a very good shot of his own, all of which he proved as he made his way up the ranks sans Eichel. However, it was his versatility that got him to this point thus far in his NHL career. Rodrigues can play all positions up-front and play on most lines save for maybe the top line and he was used on the penalty kill and powerplay last season. With the Sabres devoid of centers after Eichel, Rodrigues saw plenty of action there taking the third-most faceoffs on the team (655) albeit  with a sub-par 46.4 win percentage.

Last season the soon to be 26 yr. old Rodrigues established himself as an NHL who looks as if he'll fit in as a bottom-six forward who can be used in the top-six when needed. In 74 games he scored nine goals and added 20 assists for 29 points which was tied for sixth on the team (Kyle Okposo.) 

The numbers are out for Evan Rodrigues arbitration case set for Tues.

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 7-21-2019


According to Elliotte Friedman, Buffalo forward Evan Rodrigues is headed towards a arbitration date on Tuesday with a number he's shooting for--$2.65 million per. The Sabres will be headed towards the arbitration table in Toronto with a different figure--$1.5 million per. Rodrigues and the Sabres are coming off of a two-year contract agreed upon under the watch of present Buffalo manager Jason Botterill that paid the 25 yr. old forward an average of $650K/year which means that he should at least double his salary this year.

If the case makes it to the arbitrator, which doesn't happen very often, he or she will need to decide just how much a utility forward like Rodrigues is worth.

The numbers last season weren't overwhelming for the player known as "E-rod" as he managed nine goals and 20 assists in 74 NHL games. His 29 points ranked him tied for eighth on the Sabres in 2018-19 while his minus-7 rating placed him fifth on the team for players playing at least half the season. His top-nine minutes included 12:48/game at even-strength, 1:22 on the powerplay and 1:40 on the penalty which ranked him fourth amongst Sabres forwards. Rodrigues can play any forward position on almost any line outside of top-line center but he's best suited in a bottom-six role and seems to work well as a pivot there.

In looking at his numbers since signing with the Sabres organization in 2015, Rodrigues has shown quietly acclimated himself to the pro game. His first season in Rochester he scored nine goals and 30 points in 71 games and the following season he had those exact same numbers in only 48 games. In his first partial season with Buffalo in 2016-17 Rodrigues had six points (2+4) in 30 games and his next partial season he was good for 25 points (7+18) in 48 games for the Sabres. 2018-19 was his first full NHL season and he played for a coach that ended up getting fired.

Girgensons signs, four Sabres RFA's are in a group of 40 to file for arbitration

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 7-6-2019


Restricted free agent forward Zemgus Girgensons and the Buffalo Sabres reached an agreement yesterday on a one-year, $1.6 million deal, the same dollar amount he played for last season. The former first round pick (2012, 14th-overall) is the longest tenured Sabres player on the roster and will be entering his seventh season with the Blue and Gold. During his six years the organization has seen major changes which include the dismantling of owner Terry Pegula's inner circle, the dismissal of two team presidents, a six-month stint for a vice president of hockey operations, two general managers and five head coaches.

Both he and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (2013, eighth-overall) have endured a lot of changes since being selected by the Sabres in the NHL Draft yet the full force of fan disenchantment has been directed at these two players. The gist of the consternation,which has also been started by and/or fostered by local media, is that both have a part of a losing culture and that if the team wants to start turning their fortunes around, moving on from either or both would really get the team moving in the right direction.

Such is the life of a whipping boy.

Impressions of, and questions concerning--F, Evan Rodrigues

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-26-2019

Forward--Evan Rodrigues DOB: July 28, 1993 (Age, 25)
Draft: Undrafted
How acquired: Signed by Buffalo April 22, 2015
Last contract signed: July 27, 2017, 2yr./$1.3 million
Final year of contract: 2018-19 (arbitration-eligible RFA)

2018-19 Stats:  74 games | 9 goals | 20 assists |  29 points | -7 |  15:49 ATOI

Buffalo Career Stats:  154 games | 21 goals | 41 assists | 62 points | -22 | 14:37 ATOI

What we wrote preseason:  Rodrigues is entering his fourth pro season after leaving Boston University and signing with the Sabres as a free agent. The versatile forward has worked his way up the pro ranks and has showed definitive year-over-year progress in both Rochester and Buffalo.

Last season was yet another step forward for Rodrigues. After suffering an injury in camp which derailed his NHL plans, Rodrigues hit Rochester for an eight-game stint and scored 10 points (5+5.) He was with Buffalo for 48 games scoring seven goals and adding 18 assists.

Sabres coach Phil Housley has a player in Rodrigues that he can play up and down the lineup at either left wing or center and will be consistent game-in, game-out. The demotion of Asplund means that Rodrigues might find himself in a two-way winger role on the third-line. Although he's played better at center, right now Jack Eichel, Casey Mittelstadt and veteran Patrik Berglund look to be locks there which means Rodrigues could start out on the wing. And we're pretty sure he doesn't care as long as he plays.

What we wrote mid-season:  Although he hasn't had a great season, Rodrigues' 10 points (2+8) is still ahead of first round picks Thompson (2016, 26th) and Girgensons in scoring and although it might not be saying much, it is what it is. The versatile, undrafted college free agent (2015) has been moved around in the bottom-nine by Housley as he tries to find a working combination and some chemistry for the second and third lines. For as much 5v5 trouble as he, and the team, has had, Rodrigues has been a constant on Buffalo's penalty kill and he's also been used on the second powerplay unit. In a year of struggles for any forward outside the top trio, Rodrigues needs to find consistency to his game no matter what line he's on.

Impressions on his play this year:  Rodrigues has been Buffalo's Swiss-army knife, or a Jack of all trades, or  utility forward up front, but whatever way you cut it he's played his role admirably under two coaches. In his first full season with the Sabres, Rodrigues has nearly doubled the number of  career games played while nearly doubling his career production as well and he continued an upward trend in average time on ice.  

Rodrigues doesn't have a particular trait that stands out but he does a lot of things well and at a $650K cap-hit the last two seasons, he represents a real value for the club. He can skate well and dart around the ice, he has the capacity to score and set up and he has a strong enough hockey IQ to play in in all situations and not look out of place. Continued development is the key for the 25 yr. old who's on a development curve that's fairly long and still evolving but there will always be injuries and Rodrigues proved last season that he can hold down a bottom-six role on a good team and can be moved in and out of the top-six as a decent stop-gap. 

Questions moving forward:  Can he excel in a third-line role and continue to be an all-situations player? If the Sabres upgrade their forward ranks (which includes re-signing Jeff Skinner,) will his powerplay time evaporate? If the Sabres land a top-nine center, is Rodrigues better suited to a fourth-line center role or a third-line winger role? Can he up his production to the 15g/25a area next season? What type of contract is in his future? Would a 3 yr./$3 million deal be too far-fetched? 

Contract info via CapFriendly, stats via sabres.com and hockey reference.com.

a Swiss-army knife up-front, or if you wish, a Jack of all trades

Can Buffalo replicate in Dallas what they did in Columbus?

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 1-30-2019


Sure, the Buffalo Sabres had a rough patch last night in Columbus where the Blue Jackets tied the score on two goals with just over three minutes left in the second period. It certainly was a rough patch and something we've seen with regularity all season. Sometimes you have to give the other team credit for sensing apprehension and jumping all over the opportunities they present. The NHL is a league with plenty of parity and when two similar teams meet, like Buffalo and Columbus, breakdowns are going to happen.

However, what matters most is how a team rebounds from that and the Sabres did just that. Just 2:12 into the third period Connor Sheary pounce on a rebound in the crease to put Buffalo up 5-4 and they held the fort the rest of the way. Once again, there were some tense moments, especially when the Jackets pulled their goalie for the extra attacker, but these are the moments where Buffalo's goaltending needs to shine and Carter Hutton did that for the Sabres. Columbus sent shots his way, none got by, and the Sabres headed to Dallas last night with a win pocket and some wind in their sails.

Sabres recap

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 1-20-2019

The Sabres just finished a three-game western Canada road swing that pretty much turned the Corsi-loving faction of the analytics community on it's head. In Buffalo's 4-3 OT win at Calgary, they were outshot 33-23 and sent only 37 shots the Flames' way while seeing 61 shots attempts at them. Their two losses were just the opposite.

The Sabres got smoked in Edmonton 7-2 to kick off the road trip but were sending all kinds of rubber the Oilers way. Buffalo peppered Edmonton's goalie with 43 shots on goal and sent a total of 72 shots their way while the Oilers managed only 23 shots on goal and 37 total shots. In the Sabres final game of the trip in Vancouver, a 4-3 loss, they had 70 total shots and 39 on goal while the Canucks had 40 total shots and only 23 on goal.

And so it goes.

The only number that really matter revolve around the final score and the Sabres came out on the losing end twice. Props to them for a gutty effort in Calgary where they pulled out a win after getting embarrassed in Edmonton and they should also take heart in knowing that they played a strong game in Vancouver but were victims of their own mistakes. 

*****

Another number that is important right now is 54 and that's the number of points the Sabres have accumulated this season with 34 games to play.

Minimal changes for a Sarbes team on a three-game winless streak.

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 11-3-2018


The Buffalo Sabres hit the ice today for a 2 pm matinee game against the Ottawa Senators at KeyBank Center. It's the second game of a home-and-home against Ottawa with the Senators defeating Buffalo 4-2 at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday night. In losing that game the Sabres had a five-game point-streak turned into a three-game winless streak. After winning three in a row, the Sabres lost consecutive games in overtime and followed up with the loss against the Sens.

Buffalo is looking for secondary scoring...again...still. The line of Jack Eichel flanked by Jeff Skinner and Jason Pominville has been carrying the weight of even strength scoring and it hasn't been enough during their three-game winless streak. The trio have accounted for five of the Sabres six even strength goals the last three games and 37 of Buffalo's 115 shots on goal (32%.) The only player to score at even strength for the Sabres during that time was winger Kyle Okposo.

It was pointed out by a media member yesterday at coach Phil Housley's post-practice presser that there are 10 forwards on the team who are struggling with scoring. Players like Sam Reinhart (1 goal,) Patrik Berglund (1 goal,) Conor Sheary (0 even strength goals) and even rookie Casey Mittelstadt (0 even strength goals) have the skill and/or veteran savvy to be contributing more in a secondary scoring role and for various reasons they have not. Overall, Housley attributes the lack of secondary scoring to an aversion to play in front of the opposition net.

"You look at where we're scoring our goals," said Housley, "you look at the two goals we scored last night. They're right in front of the net. That's one thing they can learn. It might not be pretty, it might just be going to the net. [The puck] might hit you, it might go off of a shin pad, you might get a second opportunity."

A 5-game point streak is now a 3-game winless streak after OTT loss

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 11-2-2018


It was Jason Pominville's 1,000th game last night and even the hometown Ottawa Senators acknowledged that with a little video commemorating his milestone. Which was very classy, especially when you consider Pominville's most famous goal knocked the Senators out of the playoffs in that very same building back in 2006.

As the Ottawa Sun put it, Pominville "returned to the scene of the crime" last night for his milestone and then he even proceeded to score a goal for the Buffalo Sabres, but it wasn't quite enough as they lost to the Sens 4-2.

The Sabres team that hit the ice last night couldn't have looked more different than the '06 Buffalo team that advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals on Pominville's shorthanded, overtime winner. In fact they've only played three good periods the last three games an were lucky to come away with two loser points. Prior to the game last night, some leaned towards the thought process that the very fact that the Sabres were able to get points while not playing their best was a sign of progress as opposed to years past when they folded.

However, a team just can't continue doing what Buffalo has been doing the last three games and hope to consistently win or even get a point. The Sabres pulled into Columbus last Saturday night on a three-game winning streak and looked like they found their game leaving the first period with a 2-1 lead over the Blue Jackets. But old habits die hard. They succumbed to an aggressive Columbus team and gave up three unanswered goals in the second period before coming back to tie the game in the third period. Buffalo quickly lost in overtime and the overriding theme afterward was that the Sabres showed some gumption in coming back in the third to tie it.

Fair enough. But what transpired in the next game was cause for concern as they were dominated by the Calgary Flames who were at the tail-end of an eight-game, 14-day crisscross between their Mountain Time Zone and the Eastern Time Zone. Buffalo was their last destination and they allowed only one Sabres goal before tying it late in the third period and winning it in overtime.

Building the 2018-19 Buffalo Sabres roster--The field

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-28-2018


The Buffalo Sabers head up to Oshawa, Ontario to take on the NY Islanders in their final preseason game.

Yes, you read that right, Oshawa, Ontario.

The city of about 160,000 is home to the Oshawa Generals of the OHL which boasts a long lineage of great players that have played for the club including Bobby Orr, Alex Delvecchio, Dave Andreychuk and Eric Lindros. Another big name, and more recent, is that of John Tavares, who was a member of the Islanders up until this off season when he signed a free agent contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Other Generals alum who were with the Islanders but have moved on are defenseman Calvin de Haan, who signed with the Carolina Hurricanes and prospect Michael del Colle, who was sent to Bridgeport (AHL.) Such was the impetus behind the 2017 planning of the game, but fans looking to see a Generals/Islanders connections will have to settle for Cal Clutterbuck.

It's and awkward situation overall but for the Sabres it's just another preseason game on the road in a different venue. The Sabres were tabbed for the Kraft Hockeyville USA game earlier this week in Clinton, NY which has a population of roughly 1,900. Buffalo played the Columbus Blue Jackets at Clinton Arena which is akin to playing a preseason game at HarborCenter save for the shorter ice and corners that were more square than an NHL rink. It might be safe to say that it was a great experience as the Sabres and Jackets brought the NHL to an intimate setting while also tapping into their early hockey roots playing in a "barn" like that.

The atmosphere should be similar at Tribute Communities Center in Oshawa tonight. Although the Center holds just over 6,000 when standing room is included, it's still a much smaller venue for an NHL team and the smaller city should make for an event similar to what took place in Clinton.

Regardless of the venue, there are 32 players that remain with the Sabers and only a few roster spots up for grabs. All but one player that is on the projected roster we began building in August are still either entrenched in the lineup or are in the mix for a couple of openings. Center Rasmus Asplund was sent to Rochester in a move that wasn't too surprising as the rookie played solid hockey but really didn't do much to separate himself from the crowd. Injuries to projected top-nine winger Conor Sheary and defenseman Zach Bogosian have opened up a couple more spots all of which will be filled by players from this group, with those just outside the top-three looking at reserve roles.


LW, Alexander Nylander

When Nylander was drafted with the eight-overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, his skating and skills were never in doubt as most felt that he had possibly the best skill-set of any player in his draft class. The knock on him has always been compete and that followed him into the pros as he made the jump directly to AHL as an 18 yr. old.

That same profile followed him into camp this year although Buffalo GM Jason Botterill reminded everyone that Nylander was still only 20 yrs. old and that most players are just hitting the pro ranks at his age. We were also reminded that a preseason injury pretty much scuttled much of his 2017-18 season and heard that he was determined to make an impact at camp this year.

That he did.

He's been one of Buffalo's best forwards this preseason and with Sheary sidelinded, as of right now Nylander looks to have a spot in the top-six to lose for Thursday's opener against the Boston Bruins. Even if Sheary were healthy, Nylander looks to have had the type of camp that would put him on the roster opening night. Good for him and good for the Sabres.


F, Evan Rodrigues

Rodrigues is entering his fourth pro season after leaving Boston University and signing with the Sabres as a free agent. The versatile forward has worked his way up the pro ranks and has showed definitive year-over-year progress in both Rochester and Buffalo.

Last season was yet another step forward for Rodrigues. After suffering an injury in camp which derailed his NHL plans, Rodrigues hit Rochester for an eight-game stint and scored 10 points (5+5.) He was with Buffalo for 48 games scoring seven goals and adding 18 assists.

Sabres coach Phil Housley has a player in Rodrigues that he can play up and down the lineup at either left wing or center and will be consistent game-in, game-out. The demotion of Asplund means that Rodrigues might find himself in a two-way winger role on the third-line. Although he's played better at center, right now Jack Eichel, Casey Mittelstadt and veteran Patrik Berglund look to be locks there which means Rodrigues could start out on the wing. And we're pretty sure he doesn't care as long as he plays.


D, Lawrence Pilut

The 22 yr. old Swedish defenseman has been making some waves at camp and has caught the eye of Housley. "I think it's just his calmness and poise with the puck," Housley told the media at practice the other day. "He attacks the game the right way. He gets into the play, he'll make those moves on the blue line. It shows the confidence he has in his abilities."

Pilut has never seen a play he wasn't ready to jump into which is the way Housley played the game. However, it looks as if Pilut may have a little more going for him on the defensive side of the equation.

The injury to Bogosian is a huge opportunity for one of the remaining defensemen still with the club and Pilut may have had the best camp thus far amongst a group that includes Nathan Beaulieu, Brendan Guhle and Brandon Hickey.


D, Nathan Beaulieu

Beaulieu has all the skating and puck-moving abilities that Housley and Co. love from their defenseman. The 17th-ovearll pick in 2011 came to Buffalo last year in a trade with the Montreal Canadians and Sabres fans were curious as to why he fell from a top-pairing spot with Shea Weber all the way to the pressbox. Last season they got a pretty good look as to why that happened.

For all the great skills and qualities Beaulieu has, he has a brain fart on the ice seemingly almost every game and it's why the 25 yr, old young vet of 284 NHL games sees himself in a battle with an undrafted rookie like Pilut who is making his North American debut this year.


F, Justin Bailey

Bailey is one of two players drafted in 2013 who hit Rochester in 2015-16. The 23 yr. old has played in 159 games AHL games and 52 NHL games making some solid progress along the way.

Drafted as a powerforward with a good scoring touch, Bailey has yet to have offensive skills translate to the NHL-level and it looks as if his ceiling is that of a bottom-six role player. He still has great size (6'4" 214 lbs) and has tremendous speed which has been on display all camp. Bailey is no longer waiver-exempt which could have put the Sabres in a very difficult position. However, a foot injury to Johan Larsson, who's considered day-to-day looks to have put that decision on hold.


F, Nicholas Baptiste

Is the second of the 2013 draft picks who was with the Amerks beginning in 2015-16. Like Bailey, Baptiste has spent the majority of his time with Rochester (157 games) while also getting a good taste of the NHL game with Buffalo (47 games.)

Baptiste also has speed and size but seems to have little more offensive acumen a higher ceiling than Bailey. However, he's yet to stand out this camp and it will be an interesting decision for Buffalo as Baptiste has also lost his waiver-exempt status.


RW, Tage Thompson

When you see a young guy like Thompson pull off a play like he did against Leafs a week ago, the wow-factor of a 6'5" 205 lb. forward who can create separation like that and finish with a wicked shot whets your appetite to see him skating in a Sabres uniform this year.

Thompson was a 2016 first-rounder (26th-overall) of the St. Louis Blues and has spent nearly the same number of games (41) in the NHL as he has in the AHL (46.) As it stands right now, Thompson is behind at least two right wingers on the club--Sam Reinhart and Kyle Okposo--and because of Jason Pominville's status both contractually and as a vet on the team, Thompson might only see fourth-line duty with the Sabres at this juncture.

Although it doesn't mean he's worse than a player like Pominville, it wouldn't seem as if Housley will want too many question marks heading into the season as he wants to get off to a fast start. Thompson still has waiver-exempt status and could use more seasoning in the AHL to develop consistency to his game. He's got top-six talent but right now for Buffalo there's really no need to rush him.


D, Brendan Guhle

Might be the most disappointing Sabre at camp this year. That said, perhaps expectations were a little too high for the 21 yr. old second-rounder (51st overall, 2015) entering camp as he's wowed us ever since his first camp three years ago. Guhle's skating and athleticism are top-notch, he has some excellent on-ice vision and can lay the body on people. Although he was never touted as a scorer, Guhle has been able to put up solid point totals in the AHL.

Consistency is the big issue with him at this point in his very young career. With an organization that's steadfast in proper development, the emergence of Pilut as a roster possibility to start the season and Guhle's waiver-exempt status, he could be due for another year of seasoning in the AHL with intermittent call-ups as needed.


F, Johan Larsson

Prior to his foot injury against the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier this week, Larsson seemed like a bubble player. He had a rough season last year and despite coming to camp with a different attitude and a sharper focus, Larsson hasn't had an impact in a bottom-six role. Add to that his lack of speed, which most other bubble forwards have, and it looked as if he was on the way out prior to his injury.


D, Brandon Hickey

Hickey was acquired in the Hudson Fasching trade with Arizona. The Boston University product who signed with the Sabres after the trade has had a solid camp in a steady, stay-at-home defenseman role for the club. Although still raw for the pro ranks, Hickey plays the game with a lot of poise. He was a very long shot to make the club but should be a strong addition to an already strong Amerks blueline.


D, Matt Tennyson

Last year Tennyson was the beneficiary of a rash of blueline injuries in Buffalo and ended up playing in 15 games for the Sabres. Unfortunately things didn't go well for him or the team last season in Buffalo and he was sent to Rochester. This year he's behind quite a few players in the pecking order.


F, Sean Malone

It's a shame that Malone was injured as he was having an eye-brow raising camp. The 2013 sixth-rounder (159th overall) relishes his role as a checking line center that does all the dirty work and he was performing every bit the part until suffering a knee injury a week-and-a-half ago. The West Seneca, NY native will have a six week recovery time before heading to Rochester once deemed healthy.


D, Matt Hunwick

Acquired from the Penguins along with Sheary, Hunwick suffered a neck injury in camp that have some thinking that it might be career threatening for the 33 yr. old.



Building the 2018-19 Buffalo Sabres roster:

LW, Conor Sheary / C, Jack Eichel / RW, Sam Reinhart
LW, Jeff Skinner / C, Casey Mittelstadt / RW, Kyle Okposo
LW, Patrik Berglund / C, Rasmus Asplund / RW, Jason Pominville
LW, Scott Wilson / C, Zemgus Girgensons / RW, Vladimir Sobotka

Alexander Nylander, Evan Rodrigues, Justin Bailey


LHD, Marco Scandella / RHD, Rasmus Ristolainen
LHD, Rasmus Dahlin / RHD, Zach Bogosian
LHD, Jake McCabe / RHD, Casey Nelson

Lawrence Pilut, Nathan Beaulieu


G, Carter Hutton
G, Linus Ullmark

Impressions of, and questions concerning--F, Evan Rodrigues

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-23-2018


Forward--Evan Rodrigues
DOB:  July 28, 1993 (Age, 24)
Draft:  Undrafted
How acquired:  Signed by Buffalo April 22, 2015
Last contract signed:  July 27, 2017, 2yr./$1.3 million
Final year of contract:  2018-19


2017-18- Stats:  48 games played | 7 goals | 18 assists | 25 points | -10 | 13:56 ATOI

Buffalo Career Stats:  80 games | 12 goals | 21 assists | 33 points | -15 | 13:30 ATOI

Plenty of questions for Jason Botterill when he hits the podium tomorrow.

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-10-2018


Buffalo Sabres GM Jason Botterill should have a ton of tough questions to answer about his team at his year-end press conference. A dismal season like the Sabres just went through took it's toll on a number of players and a lot of emotions came out yesterday as the players talked to the gathered media during locker cleanout day. Not only did they clean out their lockers, but some also cleaned out some pretty deep thoughts that lay deep in the recesses of their minds.

The big bombshell came from Ryan O'Reilly when he said there were times he lost his love for the game. That quote and others from him created a firestorm. On the one hand, his brutal honesty was refreshing but on the other, he was roundly chastised him for feeling that way.

O'Reilly accused the team of "being OK with losing."

"It's crept into all of our games. Yeah, it's disappointing. It's sad," he said. "I feel throughout the year I've lost the love of the game multiple times and just need to get back to it because it's eating myself up and eats the other guys up too."

WGR550 radio host Howard Simon offered up a rebuttal and rebuke of the Sabres second-leading scorer and assistant captain, with an opinion piece entitled "O'Reilly needs to suck it up, add him to the list of Sabres problems."

"You are supposed to be one of the leaders of this team," wrote Simon of O'Reilly. "I can’t have one of my team leaders moping around and feeling sorry about the sad state of affairs that is the Sabres franchise.

"No one wants to be on a losing team. I’d imagine coming to the rink these last two seasons hasn’t been much fun for anyone associated with the team, but that’s when you dig a little deeper and find a way to persevere. More so for a player of O’Reilly’s stature since many in the locker room could end up following his lead.

"But as the saying goes, when the going gets tough the tough get going."

To his credit, Simon did not bring up O'Reilly's salary and he did include the positives that the 27 yr. old brings to the table. However, the cliché's were flowing in his piece.

There were a ton of things wrong with the on-ice product starting at the top with an inexperienced head coach and stretching all the way to goaltending, but the overriding theme seems to be the lack of a professional mindset, of bringing it every day, not just on game day, or should we say, occasionally on game day.

Scott Wilson was with the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017. Botterill was an AGM with the Pens that year and he traded for Wilson early this season. Both have seen what it takes for a team to take it to that level and the theme of Wilson's interview yesterday centered around the proper mindset.

"We made some strides in the right direction in certain games and playing good teams," he said, "but the (proper) mindset is bringing that every time you're in the hockey rink, not just on the ice either."

Forward Evan Rodrigues played 48 games for the Sabres in the back portion of the season. The second year pro was injured in the preseason and spent eight games with Rochester before being recalled for good and he also mentioned mindset. "When we were committed to doing the right things and playing on the right side of the puck and doing the little things right," he said, "we were successful. And when we played those good teams, we kind of knew we had to do that.

"When we had the right mindset to do those things, I think that's when we won a lot of our games. We just have to find a way to make sure we're bringing that day-in, day-out."

"I think just overall our mindset's got to change," said Jason Pominville, who's on his second tour with in Buffalo. The former Sabres captain struggled to find the best way to put it when he continued by saying, "It's become kind of noticeable, when you lose and you lose so much over the course of three/four years, guys that have been here a while have been accustomed to that.

"I know everyone wants to wing, no one wants to lose, but you kind of have those habits where it becomes acceptable (to lose) almost without realizing it."

The losing aspect of the equation has been brought up numerous times over the course of the season and it's probably best to remember that ownership and management set their team on this course with consecutive tank seasons. Granted, after a season and a half of mostly positives with the team looking like it was headed in the right direction, the losing element pulled this club back into the abyss.

"Nobody's gonna be happy with a losing record or losing night in, night out," said Wilson citing that sometimes negativity rolls through the team. The way to break that cycle, he believes, may center around "just being positive, and coming together (as a team)."

Defenseman Zach Bogosian has played 10 years in the league and never made the post season. The 27 yr. old has never played a healthy season in Buffalo and underwent surgery after only 18 games this year. Bogosian said that he wasn't around the locker room that much this past season but still brought it back to pulling out as a team.

"When your in a losing environment where we were losing quite a bit, it's tough to pull yourself out. As a group we have to do it together."

Wilson echoed those thought when he was asked if they need to learn how to win. "I think it's a big confidence thing," he said. "A lot of guys struggled with confidence issues in this locker room, but we showed signs of good things.

"I think the winning aspect comes when you're rolling as a team and not playing as individuals."

There really are no saviors in a team sport like hockey. You have your great ones, legends who's skill and drive can carry much of the weight, but it's still up to the supporting cast to do their part. For evidence of that, look no further than this year's Edmonton Oilers lead by Connor McDavid, a player who is considered one of the best in the game at only 21 yrs. old. After an playoff adrenaline rush last season, the Oilers fell back to 23rd in the league despite McDavid leading the league with 108 points.

If it's not true in Edmonton, it isn't true in Buffalo either. Eichel was selected second overall behind McDavid in the 2015 NHL Draft. Although he's not quite at McDavid's level, his speed and skill package is up there with some of the best in the league. Eichel has been with the Sabres for three seasons and he hasn't tasted much success on a team basis despite leading Buffalo in scoring the last two seasons and finishing second his rookie season.

After his locker cleanout interview, many consider him to be the next captain of the Buffalo Sabres as he stood there answering all questions in a most mature, thoughtful and respectful way. He knows there are problems with mindset and consistency that have negatively affected the team. It's time to change that and he said it will begin with him.

"What we've been doing as a team hasn't been working," he said. "All you can really do is focus on yourself and changing yourself and I think that's what helps change the culture, change the team. It starts every day at practice, your work ethic, coming to work ready to compete, ready to get better.

"When you look at the good teams, they bring it every night."

Perhaps that drive was there early on a team basis, but with every loss in October, any fire and positivity this group had to begin the season ended up in a downward spiral as their poor start got worse and their playoff hopes ended early. "When you put yourself out of it a lot sooner than you'd like," said Eichel, "it's tough.

"We need to find a way to have a good start, come out in October and not be behind the 8-ball."

That's where Botterill comes into play. He's heard where his players heads have been this season and he knows he needs to add talent. Last off season he focused on the Rochester Americans in order to incubate his prospects in a positive environment. It's working as the team is in the playoffs for the first time in three years.

Of course, it's a lot more difficult doing that in the NHL. Establishing a leadership pecking order may help that and if that's the case, Eichel will probably be atop. Adding talent will help immensely while adding character and mental toughness may also be of supreme importance. They'll also need to bring in a goaltender to work the crease either as a backup to Linus Ullmark or as a starter until he can get himself anchored in NHL play.

Botterill will also need to take a good look at his coaching staff. Although Phil Housley's job as head coach looks safe for now, he may need more of a veteran presence from his assistants.

Tomorrow may be the most important end of season presser in Buffalo and Botterill will have plenty of hard questions to answer about his team. What he says will carry a lot of weight but it will be what he does in the off season that will really set the tone.

It was a long season for everyone, Botterill included, but it's over and time to move on.

Battle for the basement as either BUF or OTT will finish last this seaosn

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-4-2018


The title to Bruce Garrioch penned article for the Ottawa Sun pretty much sums it up, "Draft lottery odds on the line as Senators face Sabres." Both teams are assured of finishing no higher than 30th this season with the odds of winning the lottery only slightly different between the two finishes. The odds of the last place team picking first overall has been set at 18.5% by the NHL while the 30th place team has a 13.5% chance.

If five percentage points doesn't seem like a lot, it really isn't. Picks two and three are also up for grabs in the NHL and that's where the odds start getting a little bit better overall for the last place team. According to Tanknation.com, the last place team has a combined 35% chance of picking first or second overall as opposed to 26.5% for the 30th place team. And as we stretch it out, the 31st place team has about a 50/50 chance of landing a top-three pick while the 30th place team has a 38.6% chance of landing it the top-three, a 33.3% chance of picking fourth and a 27.9% chance of landing the fifth overall pick which means they only have a one in three shot of picking top-three.

Since we're on odds and the NHL Draft Lottery, let's give a spin of the wheel at nhllotterysimulator.com  to see what we get this time:

1.  Arizona (presently 28th in the league)
2.  Vancouver (27th)
3.  Florida (18th)

The Buffalo Sabres, who are presently in last place, would be bumped to fourth and the Ottawa Senators, who are second-last, would draft fifth-overall.

It's a unanimous conclusion this year that Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin is not only the best player in the draft, but that he's also looked at as a franchise cornerstone. Behind him in the second tier of prospect rankings are two wingers, Filip Zadina and Andrei Svechnikov. There may be a bit of a debate as to whether or not winger Brady Tkachuk is in that second tier with those two but if not, most place him at the top of the third tier very close to them.

What we're not too sure of is the gap between Tkachuk and those behind him in the rankings. Jeff Marek of sportsnet.com sees defenseman Adam Boqvist as the fifth best player writing that Boqvist is "fantastic skater and playmaker who isn’t afraid to shoot. If you don’t end up with Dahlin, getting Boqvist is more than just a consolation prize."

When you're talking about "more than just a consolation prize" in comparison to a player who many have compared to Niklas Lidstrom and Erik Karlsson, said consolation prize could be a top-pairing defenseman with a high offensive ceiling. It would be very interesting to see what the Sabres would do if they landed fourth and had a decision to make between Tkachuk or Boqvist, the latter of which would fit perfectly into what Sabres head coach Phil Housley likes in a d-man while also filling a position of need in the prospect pool.

The focus tonight, however, is Buffalo's final home game of the season and it happens to be against the 30th place Ottawa Senators. It wouldn't be that much of a stretch to say that neither team will win again this season after tonight. Then again, Buffalo loses in regulation, they'll have secured last place and may actually win one (or maybe even two) of their final games which will be on the road against Tampa on Friday and Florida on Saturday.

Buffalo comes into tonight's game three points behind Ottawa for 30th place icing a team filled with rookies and young players looking to make an impact. The Sabres called up Alexander Nylander from Rochester yesterday and he'll be joining recently signed 19 yr. old Casey Mittelstadt in the lineup. Both were selected eighth overall in their respective drafts--Nylander in 2016 and Mittelstadt last year.

According to the Sabres, Mittelstadt was centering the third line with Nylander on his left and veteran Kyle Okposo on his right. The other lines were:

Rodrigues-Eichel-Pominville
Wilson-O'Reilly-Reinhart
Nolan-Larsson-Baptiste

Interesting to note that Housley moved Evan Rodrigues on to Jack Eichel's line this game. The two played at Boston University together in 2015 and lead the Terriers to the NCAA Championship game that year. Eichel lead D-1 Men's Hockey in scoring that season with 71 points while Rodrigues was second with 61. Housley also kept intact the Ryan O'Reilly line with Scott Wilson on his left and Sam Reinhart on his right.

Perhaps that's what the top-nine will look like next season (sans Jason Pominville) and the Sabres are just giving their fans a little preview.

Rasmus Ristolainen and Marco Scandella have been back toghether as the Sabres top-pair on defense and that's where they'll be again. Rookies Brendan Guhle and Casey Nelson look to be on the second pairing while Nathan Beaulieu and Justin Falk round out the defense-corps.

It looks like Chad Johnson will be in net for Buffalo.


*****

Tonight is Fan Appreciation Night in Buffalo as the Sabres play their final home game of the 2017-18 season and they're in a bit of a dilemma. As mentioned earlier, a regulation loss would guarantee a last place finish but it is Fan Appreciation Night, in which one might think that the Sabres would want to close out the home portion of the schedule with a win.

Housley was on WGR550 radio this morning for his weekly appearance and brought up putting forth a good effort for the home fans. "This game tonight is really meaningful in a lot of ways," Housley told hosts Howard Simon and Jeremy White. "One, we haven't really been very good at home, and number two, we've got to leave the Buffalo people with a good feeling after this game and three, it's Fan Appreciation Night.

"So we're going to look at this game as very meaningful and important game," continued Housley, "and we want to send the right message as our last game (of the season) comes to an end here in Buffalo."

It probably doesn't matter too much to many (most?) Sabres fans whether they win or lose at this point in the season, even with an assured fourth-place league finish on the line. Those in Sabreland have been yearning for good hockey all season and have gotten very little of that from a team that has a league-worst 11-24-5 home record.

The time for playing meaningful games for the fans was early in the season and this edition of the Sabres was awful through the 2017 portion of the season (5-10-2) while being outscored by a combined 51-34 margin. It's been even worse in 2018 but most fans had already packed it in and showed their emotion by generally displaying apathy at the morgue known as KeyBank Center.

However, as dismal as this year has been, there will be some good talent on display tonight wearing the Blue and Gold and it's a glimpse into what next year might have to offer.

Hopefully fans can at least appreciate that.

The Sabres future got a little brighter yesterday.

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 3-18-2018


Perhaps it might be best to qualify that statement by saying that the near-term future of the Buffalo Sabres might be tied to how well their top two centers mesh beginning now and into next season.

Jack Eichel was back on the ice for the Sabres after missing over a month. The third-year pro was having another good season--22 goals and 31 assists in 55 games--until he was felled by a high-ankle sprain. In Eichel's absence center Ryan O'Reilly upped his game to 15 points (4+11) and was a plus-4 in those 16 games.

Eichel and O'Reilly are two very different hockey players. One is a highly fast, skilled, offensive-minded superstar in the making who was picked second-overall and came from the NCAA D-1 Men's hockey ranks. The other has definitive offensive skills is strong on the puck, great on the faceoff dot and is known for a consistent, two-way game. A simplistic view would have the former in Eichel in a top-line scoring role with the latter, O'Reilly, doing what he does anchoring the second line in a two-way role.

After Eichel's rookie season, things seemed headed in that direction. However, internal discord cast a pall over their particular roles on the team, which included who was the better fit for the vacant captaincy. The season went down hill, there were rumors of sides being taken, and it eventually lead to the firing of head coach Dan Bylsma.

This season has been a disaster under rookie coach Phil Housley, although there are some signs of light at the end of the tunnel. Yet, with the captaincy still open, definitive roles still haven't been fully defined. There's no doubt that when Eichel was drafted the Sabres were considered his team, but as of yet he hasn't shown the maturity of his counterpart in O'Reilly. And for his part, although he may fully believe, and justifiably so, that he does have leadership qualities that Eichel lacks, O'Reilly's overall maturity level should be tied to how he handles playing second fiddle.

The team needs to iron this out this off season and one would hope that both players can move on in their respective roles. The center position is extremely important and Buffalo has a legit one-two punch down the middle, which is something we haven't seen here since Chris Drury and Daniel Briere were co-captains for the Sabres. Having a legit top-two center combo was the reason for Buffalo's tank in 2014-15 and then GM Tim Murray's trade for O'Reilly at the 2015 NHL Draft.

Yesterday afternoon Eichel was on the ice and everything was back to normal as the team faced off against the Chicago Blackhawks. He dazzled with his speed and stickwork, which is something that O'Reilly mentioned after the game. O'Reilly scored a gritty goal on the powerplay by muscling in an Eichel rebound that was sitting in the blue paint and he was also forced a turnover with Buffalo ahead 4-3 and fed Sam Reinhart for the easy empty-netter.

There's an old saying, "check your egos in at the door," which is a simple way of saying that the team comes first. If the team wants one player or the other as their captain, or even if they want to go the co-captain route, something that this blogger doesn't mind at all, then let it be. But it needs to be done this off season.


*****

Forward Evan Rodrigues has been back in the lineup for two games and Housley has used him as a third-line center. Rodrigues is best known for riding shotgun on Eichel's wing at Boston University but the organization had been using him a lot at center throughout most of his time in Rochester and Buffalo. Housley had used him on the wing with thoughts of keeping him there, but it sure looks like Rodrigues could be a No. 3 center behind Eichel and O'Reilly.

In his last four games at center, two games each on either side if his injury, Rodrigues has five points (2+3) playing with the likes of Kyle Okposo, Scott Wilson, Jason Pominville, Benoit Pouliot, Zemgus Girgensons and Nicolas Baptiste.


*****

Speaking of Baptiste, the 22 yr.old rookie showed some nice stickwork yesterday when he connected on two tip-ins for his third an fourth goals of the season.

Baptiste was selected with the 69th pick in the 2013 NHL Draft and one of the first things that Murray did after taking over as Buffalo's GM in January 2014 was to sign him to his three-year entry-level deal. That deal will finish at season's end and with him being out of waiver exemptions next season, he'll either be with the Sabres or somewhere else.

At 6'1" 205 lbs., Baptiste has NHL size and he also has plenty of speed to play at today's fast pace. What has gone mostly unnoticed while he's been paying his dues at the AHL level for the last three seasons, is his hands. Baptiste has an array of shots he uses to score from anywhere on the ice and yesterday he showed deft hand-eye coordination on those two tips.

What he hasn't been able to figure out at the NHL level, at least on a consistent basis, is the how and where he'll be able to score with those skills.

Although he shouldn't be christened as the next top-six winger on Buffalo, Baptiste seems to be progressing well while getting consistent minutes. With the Amerks virtually a lock for the playoffs and the Sabres being able to take a good long look at some of their prospects with an eye towards next season, Baptiste is one of those players who can almost secure a spot in the top-nine if he continues with good habits and develops some consistency.


*****

The Minnesota Golden Gophers only needed one of six NCAA D-1 teams to win their title game to make the tournament. Unfortunately for the college, "victories by Boston University (Hockey East), Princeton (ECAC), Air Force (Atlantic Hockey), Michigan Tech (WCHA), Denver (NCHC) and Notre Dame (Big Ten) for automatic spots dropped the Gophers to No. 13," according to Randy Johnson of the Star Tribune.

What's bad for the college may be good for the Buffalo Sabres and/or Rochester Americans.

The Sabres selected center Casey Mittelstadt with the eighth-overall pick in last year's draft and the Minnesota freshman had a very solid campaign for the Gophers with 30 points (11+19) in 34 games. In addition to that success, Mittelstadt was also named MVP of this year's World Junior Championship which was held in Buffalo.

The World Juniors was particularly intriguing as the 19 yr. old scored four goals and added seven assists for the bronze medal winning USA team while on his way to MVP honors, but what might really have stood out was his work in adverse conditions during the outdoor game against rival Team Canada.

With the US down 3-1 in the third period and Mittelstadt already with a primary assist, the Minnesota native used deft work in snow to set up two more goals as Team USA tied the game before winning it in the shootout. Here are the highlights via USA HOCKEY:





There's a lot of discontent in Minnesota as the Gophers were left out of the tournament. According to Johnson's article, "the future of coach Don Lucia will be a hot topic. The Gophers have missed the NCAA tournament in two of the past three years and haven't won an NCAA game since the 2014 national semifinals. Lucia has one year left on his contract, and athletic director Mark Coyle last week wouldn't say whether Lucia would be back."

A turnover in the coaching staff could have an adverse affect on Mittlestadt's future at Minnesota and could be what puts him in the NHL as soon as this season.

It's something to keep an eye on and for Sabres fans, something definitely to look forward to.

Notes while enjoying Buffalo's 1000th home win...finally

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 2-9-2018


Well, this edition of the Buffalo Sabres finally did it. After losing the first four games (0-3-1) of their five-game homestand, the Sabres 4-3 win over the NY Islanders finally got them to 1000 home wins for the franchise. And they did so while wearing their 2018 Winter Classic sweaters, which brings us to our first note on last night's game.


***

While growing up as a kid, the home team always wore white, for me it was like the good cowboy wore the white hat while the bad cowboy wore black. Simple enough. But the NHL got a stick up their butt and changed it. Why they did it is up for debate, as some think it had to do with finances and/or the use of a third sweater at home. Personally I never liked the idea, but the NHL stuck with it and beginning in 2003-04 the home team wore the dark sweaters.

Last night the Sabres thread here was full of comments in favor of the Sabres making the white Winter Classic their home sweater, and I couldn't agree more. In order to do that, the NHL would need to change their tune concerning the home colors. It's the opinion here that they never should have switched and I'd hazard to guess that a large majority of fans feel they should switch back.

Perhaps it's time.


*****

From the game:

--Sam Reinhart's roll continued last night as he had a 1-goal, 2-assist stat-line for his second multi-point night in a row. For some reason the light went on this calendar year and after an extremely poor 2017 portion of the season (5+6 in 39 games,) Reinhart has scored 15 points (6+9) in 15 games since the beginning of 2018. You could say it's mainly because he's on Jack Eichel's line, which is true, although Reinhart had been there before and didn't get the job done. We might also point to a powerplay that looks like it's back to their No.1 form from last season, and no doubt he's contributed there (3+4) which also helps his stats. But somewhere along the line Reinhart got a kick in the ass and he's playing his best hockey of the season. Perhaps he realizes that it's a contract year and as a restricted free agent, he has no real say in what his next contract will be.

--How many times have we heard recent Sabres coaches say that they need to pare back defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen's ice-time? Often, and present coach Phil Housley said it again before last night's game while indicating that Ristolainen, ideally, should be in the 23-24 minute range. Ristolainen, in part because of a weak performance the previous game, was dropped down to the second pairing last night, yet when it came down to it, Ristolainen skated a game-high 27:37 and a game-high 21:30 at even strength. In the third period he skated nine shifts for a total of 10:39 most of it (8:33) at even strength. Just sayin'.

--Defenseman Casey Nelson played a solid game on the top pairing with 21:47 of ice-time, a secondary assist on Eichel's game-opening goal and he finished with an even rating. The 25 yr. old has made great strides in his development since being signed as a free agent in 2015. Nelson and Scandella had the difficult task of manning up against the Islanders John Tavares for much of the game and did a standup job. Said Housley to the gathered media post game about Nelson, "I thought he was one of  our better defensemen. He kept the game simple. There's nothing flashy about his game but he get's the job done."

--Housley changed up his lines for yesterday putting forward Evan Rodrigues with Eichel and Reinhart, and boy did that line look good. The trio combined for three goals, four assists and were a combined plus-5. With his goal and assist, Rodrigues increased his career totals to eight goals and nine assists in 57 NHL games. A free agent signee out of Boston University had tore up the NCAA along with fellow Terrier Eichel in 2014-15 and many had wondered how long it would take for a coach to put them on the same line. Although it has happened in the past, it will be interesting to see if they can build upon what they were able to accomplish last night.

--Housley is a rookie coach and he's made many questionable decisions with the lineup and the powerplay as well as in-game decisions this season, something that hasn't helped this 15-29-10 team. His early preference of forcing Reinhart to play center when he clearly was ineffective there probably set the player and the team back. Rodrigues is another forward he (along with, possibly, GM Jason Botterill) tried to force into a center's role. Rodrigues had played, and succeeded at, center in Rochester but was having a difficult time in Buffalo. Reinhart and Rodrigues had separately played on Eichel's wing before bringing a different skill-set to the line and both have shown the ability to play off of Eichel. Which is a good thing.

--Speaking of the franchise center, No. 15 had a two-point night last night. He scored the opener and sent a bank-shot off the back wall on a designed play to get the secondary assist on the game-winner. After a four-game scoring lull, Eichel has managed four points in his last two games (2+2) bringing his season total to 22 goals and 31 assists in 54 games. His 53 points tie him for 18th in the league while his 19 even-strength goals tie him for ninth. Too bad the Sabres powerplay was so atrocious for the first half of the season.

--There's a movement in Sabreland that wants to see Eichel as "Captain Jack," and he definitely looks as if he's ready to take over as team captain. From the moment he was drafted as the face of the franchise, it was going to be his team. What we've seen from him lately on the ice and what we've heard from him in interviews, is sure seems like he's matured to the point where that 'C' should be sewn on his sweater and it will happen next season. I just wish it was the Winter Classic home white sweater beginning next season.

Some lineup changes for tonight's Buffalo/NY Islanders matchup

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 2-8-2018


According to reports from the rink this morning, Buffalo Sabres head coach Phil Housley made some lineup changes after falling to the Anaheim Ducks 4-3 at home in overtime. With that overtime loss the Sabres still have only six wins at KeyBank Center (6-15-4) all season and they're still stuck on 999 home wins for the franchise.

The Anaheim game represented some extreme emotional swings that began with Zemgus Girgensons' shorthanded goal to open the scoring and finished with a long shot from just inside the blueline that beat Sabres goalie Robin Lehner in overtime. In between we saw Lehner tip a clearing pass from Ryan O'Reilly into his own goal and saw O'Reilly score the game-tying goal with just 14.5 seconds left in regulation and Lehner pulled for the extra attacker. In addition to Girgensons' shortie, his second in three games, Buffalo scored on the powerplay in textbook fashion as Sam Reinhart sent a tip-pass across the crease to Jack Eichel who buried the puck into a yawning cage.

The Sabres lost defenseman Jake McCabe in the Anaheim game as he left with an upper-body injury in the first period and did not return. Having McCabe out meant more minutes for the five other defensemen with workhorse Rasmus Ristolainen skating 32:39 in the game. Ristolainen became somewhat of a goat as his pass to a streaking Eichel was way off course giving all important overtime, 3-on-3 puck-possession to Anaheim. The Ducks held the puck for :51 seconds before Adam Henrique buried a long-snap shot over the shoulder of what looked like a surprised Lehner.

After the game Housley talked about his teams woes to the gathered media, “Execution. We did have possession of the puck. We don’t make a pass, it’s not on the tape," while also critiquing Ristolainen's overall game. “Rasmus didn’t have a very good game tonight overall," said Housley, "not just because of that pass. He wasn’t making the usual tape-to-tape passes for him."

John Vogl of The Buffalo News tweeted out this from Ristolainen post-game, "They scored one more, so they won the game."

Reports from the rink today have McCabe out 3-4 weeks with a broken thumb. That makes two Sabres defenseman out long-term as McCabe joins Zach Bogosian on the sidelines. Buffalo is riding with seven defensemen and Victor Antipin looks to be McCabe's replacement for tonight's game. On the heels of the disappointing loss and with injuries hitting the defense corps, according to those at practice today, Housley really juggled his defense pairings:

Marco Scandella-Casey Nelson
Nathan Beaulieu-Ristolainen
Josh Gorges-Victor Antipin

Apparently Housley didn't like what he saw from his d-corps, especially with Ristolainen. Nelson, who has been playing some very good hockey as of late, takes Ristolainen's spot on the top pairing. Beaulieu who'd been on the third pairing with Nelson the last two games will have even more of an opportunity for egregious turnovers while skating second-pairing minutes and Antipin gets back into the lineup with veteran, stay-at-home d-man, Gorges.

With the Sabres in the midst of a four-game losing streak (0-3-1,) at home no less, lineup changes seems to be Housley's preferred method for trying to get his team out of their funk and he mixed things up a little bit in the forward ranks as well.

Girgensons, who was in former head coach Dan Bylsma's doghouse for two seasons, continues being moved up and down the lineup by Housley. He drops down to the third line to make room for forward Evan Rodrigues on the Eichel/Reinhart line. Both Housley and Eichel had talked about execution problems following the Ducks loss and apparently Girgensons was the problem on Eichel's line.

Rodrigues had skated on Eichel's wing at Boston University in 2014-15 and the duo tore up D-1 NCAA Men's Hockey. Eichel was first in scoring with 61 points (20+41) while Rodrigues was second with 54 points (18+36.) Eichel went immediately to the NHL after being selected second-overall in the 2015 NHL Draft while Rodrigues has spent the last 2 1/2 seasons working his way up the ranks after signing a free agent contract on July 27, 2015.

Johan Larsson is back in the lineup after serving his two-game suspension for a high sticking incident that resulted in a match penalty. He'll be back in his third line center role with Girgensons and Jason Pominville on the wings. Scott Wilson looks to be the odd man out tonight.

The projected lines for tonight:

Rodrigues-Eichel-Reinhart
Kane-O'Reilly-Okposo
Girgensons-Larsson-Pominville
Pouliot-Josefson-Nolan

Robin Lehner looks to get the nod for the Sabres. The 26 yr. old has been hot for the Sabres lately allowing only six goals on 155 shots in his last five games which includes back-to-back shutouts on the road prior to the All-Star break. He's 2-2-1 in that stretch.

The Islanders are just outside the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference with the same amount of points as the Columbus Blue Jackets but having played one more game. Last season they missed the playoffs after making them in three of the previous four years.

Franchise center John Tavares and his pending free agency is the big news coming out of the Burroughs of New York City. Another piece to that puzzle, however, is news that the Islanders will be playing up to half their home games at their old Nassau Coliseum home for the next three seasons while their new arena in Belmont, NY is being built. It's something that certainly adds some intrigue to the Tavares negotiations.

This is the third and final meeting between the Sabres and Islanders this season with Buffalo coming out on the wrong end twice (0-1-1) so far. The Islanders trounced the Sabres at KeyBank Center in Buffalo's second game of the season 6-3 which included two shorthanded goals by NY in 50 seconds amongst a three-goal in 1:47 barrage. The third Islanders goal was seconds away from another shortie. The two teams met again at the Barclay Center in late December with the Islanders pulling out a 3-2 overtime win as Matthew Barzal connected just 1:08 into the extra session.

This is the final game of Buffalo's five-game homestand and their four-game losing streak is the fifth such streak of four games or more this season. Twice the Sabres have gone on five-game losing streaks, one to begin the season (0-4-1) and another one to start the 2018 calendar year (0-4-1.) The other four-game losing streak straddled October and November (0-4-0.)

Buffalo's longest winning streak in 2017-18 is three games, which they did once, and they've managed only one additional two-game winning streak all season.

The future looks brighter amidst the shadow of losses

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 12-16-2017


Their record is what it is, that of the Eastern Conference's last place team. But the Buffalo Sabres have shown marked improvement in their game lately, and although it hasn't gotten them two points on most nights, the door to success they've been beating on is beginning to show cracks.

Buffalo's game last night against the Carolina Hurricanes seemed to be the kind of game that head coach Phil Housley and his players wanted to play going back to the beginning of the season. However, the differences between playing a responsible, up-tempo game now as opposed to then begin with health, a slight up-tick in talent and players with a better understanding of who they are, where they fit in and what they need to do.

The Sabres and 'Canes combined for nine goals on 75 shots in a game that was played a little tight to begin with, but opened up as it went along culminating with a combined six goals less than 10 minutes into the third period. It ended up being a very exciting game for the fans to watch, which included a breakaway in overtime that could've sent the KeyBank Center crowd home in a frenzy. Yet, as games have gone so many times, especially as of late, it was not to be for Buffalo and they lost to Carolina in overtime, 5-4.

It was the third time in the last five games that Buffalo went to overtime and lost, and it was the second time that they overcame a two-goal, third-period deficit to force the extra session. Last Sunday Evan Rodrigues scored two goals, one early in the third and the other with 1:27 left, to force overtime against the St. Louis Blues but the Sabres lost 3-2. Last night Jack Eichel scored two goals a mere 10 seconds apart in the third period to tie the game at 4-4 after the Sabres gave up three unanswered goals.

With the overtime loss last night, the Sabres are now 1-6 in overtime (plus 0-1 in the shootout) and seem to be very close to breaking through. Evander Kane was stopped on a breakaway last night as he lost control of the puck in tight. Eight days prior, Jack Eichel had an overtime breakaway in Chicago but was stopped as he tried to go five-hole. In both instances the puck wound up going the other way and ending up in Buffalo's net.

Eichel was a beast last night as he scored the a trick, the first of his career, and added the primary assist on Jake McCabe's early third period goal that put Buffalo up 2-1. He had 11 shots on goal and was dominant as the 'Canes could not corral him on any of his three goals:

(Thx to the Buffalo Sabres for the vid and to Dan Dunleavy for "Jack-trick")

It was as dominant a game as we've seen from the 21 yr. old and is the type of game we've been expecting for a while now.

Although he's been playing well and covering the entire ice surface with his long strides and unique skating style, Eichel hasn't been producing like he's capable of. In Thursday's 2-1 loss at Philadelphia, he played a strong game, but was held off the score sheet. The official tally against the Flyers had him with zero shots on goal but he did clank two shots off the post.

We're not sure if his breakout, four-point night will lead to Connor McDavid-type numbers in the future, but one would think that after playing the way he did, Eichel will realize that he, like the McDavids, Crosby's and Matthews' of the league, can scare the crap out of the opposition.

Which is one of the reasons why this team future is looking brighter.

The holes in the Sabres lineup are still there as are the mental lapses and the missed opportunities (see Philadelphia game,) but Buffalo has been playing much better hockey since their back-to-back losses to Pittsburgh to begin the month of December. It began with a 4-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche to begin a three-game road trip and they've now gotten points in five of their last six games (2-1-3.)

The addition of Rodrigues to the lineup has helped immensely as he's been able to anchor the third line at center. Both he and Eichel are in their third pro season with Rodrigues climbing his way up to the Sabres squad.

Rodrigues came up from the Rochester Americans who entered last night's game second in the
AHL's North Division, fourth-overall in the league. Last night they had a big matchup against the division-leading Toronto Marlies but fell short by a 3-2 score.

Buffalo GM Jason Botterill focused upon turning the Amerks fortunes around this season and thus far he's been highly successful. It's much easier to complete a turnaround at the AHL-level than it is in the NHL and what Botterill and his staff have been able to do is change the culture and get those players playing the right way. Although Rodrigues was ready for full-time NHL duty prior to this season while playing an aggressive, up-tempo game, upon return from injury he worked right into what the Amerks were doing. After eight games where he scored 10 points (5+5,) Rodrigues got the call to Buffalo and continued that same type of play to help lead the bottom-six.

Along with the Sabres' Eichel and Rodrigues, Rochester defenseman Brendan Guhle is tearing it up for the Amerks. The 20 yr. old former second-round pick (51st-overall, 2015) is in his first full pro season logging top-pairing/all-situations minutes and is fourth on the team in scoring with 16 points (6+10) which ranks him third in the league amongst rookie defensemen. Last night Guhle scored a goal while joining the rush and wiring a shot from the top of the circle that beat Toronto goalie Calvin Pickard glove-side.

Rochester's Alexander Nylander (2016, 8th-overall) started the play by jumping on a turnover in his own zone and moving it up-ice. The 19 yr. old former first round pick (2016, 8th-overall) has been struggling since making the move to North America last season but shined last night against the league's best team. In addition to the secondary assist on Guhle's goal, Nylander added his own tally as he pounced on his own rebound in the slot and buried it.

One would be remiss not to mention rookie C.J. Smith, a free agent signee by Botterill this past spring. Smith leads the Amerks, by far, with 27 points (9+18) which is also tops in the AHL amongst rookies.

Despite the Sabres early woes and the desperate need for speed on the big club, Botterill stuck to his guns and kept some of his faster,more talented players in Rochester developing. It kept the Amerks strong and let the Sabres figure it out mostly on their own. Last night both teams lost but some of their bright spots shined through, lead by Eichel.

The Sabres are off until December 19 which happens to coincide with the NHL's holiday trade freeze. Botterill's been fielding calls on some of his players, which is what the GM of the league's second-worst team should be doing, but he's got to be a bit satisfied knowing that his vision of how he'd like to see his teams play, is beginning to take hold. It was ugly for a while in Buffalo, but his patience is beginning to pay off with some continuity stretching from Rochester up to Buffalo and in the process, some players are beginning to grab the spotlight.