Published by hockeybuzz.com, 10-20-2019
Who would have thought?
Coming into the 2019-20 season most pundits looked at the Buffalo Sabres lineup and it didn't look as if they'd made enough significant changes to even get close to their goal of ending an NHL-long, eight-year playoff drought. Some of the more rabid Sabres fans even called for the head of general manager Jason Botterill for not doing enough while hanging on to a list of what they considered hockey deplorables. Vladimir Sobotka was the king of the list with names like Johan Larsson, Zemgus Girgensons, Kyle Okposo and Marco Scandella deemed terrible. Many couldn't wait until defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen finally got traded for top-six help up-front even though in some fans eyes he rivaled Sobotka for the dubious distinction as most deplorable Sabre.
Although it's still way too early in the season to uncork the champagne in celebration of finally making it to the post-season, there are plenty of signs that this team will at least be able to make a run if they continue to play they way they have and their 7-1-1 start to the season most certainly helps. New head coach Ralph Krueger has each player believing in themselves and in their intrinsic value to the team. He's found four trios up front that he can roll and his pairings on the back-end have in the very least been solid but maybe more importantly, he's got this team playing as a five-man unit with support in every zone.
Showing posts with label Jimmy Vesey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jimmy Vesey. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Saturday, August 31, 2019
Building the 2019-20 Buffalo Sabres roster--LW, Jimmy Vesey
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 8-30-2019
In this series we build the 2019-20 Buffalo Sabres roster one by one leading up to the season opener on October 3.
LW--Jimmy Vesey
26 yrs. old
6'3" 199 lbs.
2012, third round (66th, NSH)
Career stats: 240 games | 50 goals | 40 assists | 90 points | -37
The Buffalo Sabres ultimately traded two third round picks for Jimmy Vesey. The first time they did it was on June 20, 2016 when then general manger Tim Murray sent a third rounder to the Nashville Predators for exclusive negotiating rights. However, the Harvard graduate and 2016 Hobey Baker winner was steadfast in his wish to test the free agent market and the Preds gladly took a third-rounder for him.
Murray, who was loaded with picks and prospects at the time, thought it a calculated gamble to trade the pick for Vesey and felt that the Sabres could convince him to sign in Buffalo. It didn't work out that way as Vesey signed a two-year deal with the NY Rangers in August after he became a free agent. The forward would go on to sign another two-year deal with the Rangers in July 2018 and on July 1, 2019 they traded their pending unrestricted free agent to the Sabres for a 2020 third round pick.
So Jimmy Vesey cost the Sabres two third round picks and what will they be getting from him as a player?
In this series we build the 2019-20 Buffalo Sabres roster one by one leading up to the season opener on October 3.
LW--Jimmy Vesey
26 yrs. old
6'3" 199 lbs.
2012, third round (66th, NSH)
Career stats: 240 games | 50 goals | 40 assists | 90 points | -37
The Buffalo Sabres ultimately traded two third round picks for Jimmy Vesey. The first time they did it was on June 20, 2016 when then general manger Tim Murray sent a third rounder to the Nashville Predators for exclusive negotiating rights. However, the Harvard graduate and 2016 Hobey Baker winner was steadfast in his wish to test the free agent market and the Preds gladly took a third-rounder for him.
Murray, who was loaded with picks and prospects at the time, thought it a calculated gamble to trade the pick for Vesey and felt that the Sabres could convince him to sign in Buffalo. It didn't work out that way as Vesey signed a two-year deal with the NY Rangers in August after he became a free agent. The forward would go on to sign another two-year deal with the Rangers in July 2018 and on July 1, 2019 they traded their pending unrestricted free agent to the Sabres for a 2020 third round pick.
So Jimmy Vesey cost the Sabres two third round picks and what will they be getting from him as a player?
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Sabres new No. 13 says Jack is ready to lead. Plus Summer Showcase news
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 7-29-2019
The Buffalo Sabres will have a new No. 13 when they hit the ice for the 2019-20 season. Recently acquired winger Jimmy Vesey tweeted out that he will be wearing that number for the Blue and Gold. Vesey, a former college free agent who shunned the Nashville Predators and the Sabres when he signed with the NY Rangers in 2016, wore No. 26 for the Blueshirts but unfortunately for him that number is taken by 18 yr. old defenseman Rasmus Dahlin.
The Buffalo Sabres will have a new No. 13 when they hit the ice for the 2019-20 season. Recently acquired winger Jimmy Vesey tweeted out that he will be wearing that number for the Blue and Gold. Vesey, a former college free agent who shunned the Nashville Predators and the Sabres when he signed with the NY Rangers in 2016, wore No. 26 for the Blueshirts but unfortunately for him that number is taken by 18 yr. old defenseman Rasmus Dahlin.
Of note, only six other players in Sabres fancies history have worn the No. 13: defenseman Jim Schoenfeld, on his second go-round with the Sabres; winger Yuri Khmylev; Vyacheslov Koslov, the disenchanted winger who came to Buffalo in the Dominik Hasek-forced trade with the Detroit Red Wings; first round pick Jiri Novotny; Buffalo native Tim Kennedy; and the most recent, Nicholas Baptiste in 2017-18.
Friday, July 5, 2019
A light, semi-productive opening to free agency for the Sabres
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 7-2-2019
The Buffalo Sabres went into the start of free agency with some holes to fill up front and left with those holes mostly still there. There's a need at No. 2 center that needs to be filled and another top-six spot or two on the wing as well. Buffalo did nothing to address those with a free agent signing but were able to pull off a trade for top-nine forward Jimmy Vesey.
If that name sounds familiar, it should as the rights to Vesey were acquired by then Sabres GM Tim Murray for a third round pick. Vesey was drafted 66th overall by the Nashville Predators in the 2012 NHL Draft and finished his four-years stint at Harvard by winning the Hobey Baker Award as NCAA's top player. Upon finishing up he let the Predators know of his intention to become a free agent in August. Nashville then sent his rights to the Sabres for a well-traveled third round pick that was originally Minnesota's but changed hands five other times before Nashville used it on center Rem Pitlick (76th-overall.)
Murray conceded it was "a gamble" at the time but also asked, "Why not us? Why not give it a shot?" The team just spent the prior four years drafting 34 players including 10 first rounders and were also seen as a team on the rise with a young core bolstered by a trio of young vets. However, Vesey's camp had repeated time and again that they would be testing the market come August 15. Vesey's father Jim, who had played for the Boston Bruins ever so briefly, said he was "surprised the deal went down.
"It's still my understanding that he's going to free agency," the elder Vesey said of his son. "The gameplan was to have a list of possible teams ready, get to Aug. 15 and then decide. I know nothing has changed. I bet Jimmy's surprised by [Buffalo trading for him] too."
Sure enough, Vesey tested the market and signed with the NY Rangers. Three years later the Sabres sent another third-round pick, this time to New York to acquire Vesey.
The Buffalo Sabres went into the start of free agency with some holes to fill up front and left with those holes mostly still there. There's a need at No. 2 center that needs to be filled and another top-six spot or two on the wing as well. Buffalo did nothing to address those with a free agent signing but were able to pull off a trade for top-nine forward Jimmy Vesey.
If that name sounds familiar, it should as the rights to Vesey were acquired by then Sabres GM Tim Murray for a third round pick. Vesey was drafted 66th overall by the Nashville Predators in the 2012 NHL Draft and finished his four-years stint at Harvard by winning the Hobey Baker Award as NCAA's top player. Upon finishing up he let the Predators know of his intention to become a free agent in August. Nashville then sent his rights to the Sabres for a well-traveled third round pick that was originally Minnesota's but changed hands five other times before Nashville used it on center Rem Pitlick (76th-overall.)
Murray conceded it was "a gamble" at the time but also asked, "Why not us? Why not give it a shot?" The team just spent the prior four years drafting 34 players including 10 first rounders and were also seen as a team on the rise with a young core bolstered by a trio of young vets. However, Vesey's camp had repeated time and again that they would be testing the market come August 15. Vesey's father Jim, who had played for the Boston Bruins ever so briefly, said he was "surprised the deal went down.
"It's still my understanding that he's going to free agency," the elder Vesey said of his son. "The gameplan was to have a list of possible teams ready, get to Aug. 15 and then decide. I know nothing has changed. I bet Jimmy's surprised by [Buffalo trading for him] too."
Sure enough, Vesey tested the market and signed with the NY Rangers. Three years later the Sabres sent another third-round pick, this time to New York to acquire Vesey.
Saturday, November 26, 2016
Black Friday notes as Buffalo visits Washington tonight
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 11-25-2016
The Buffalo Sabres are in DC tonight to take on the Washington Capitals. Here's what we've got for today:
--An extra inch is needed around the waist after a Thanksgiving feast all the deliciousness one could imagine. *thumbs up!*
--Jack Eichel was on the ice practicing with the team for the first time since injuring his ankle. Head coach Dan Bylsma said Eichel will not be with the team in Washington telling the gathered media, "[Eichel] returned to practice yesterday, that was the first attempt, the morning skate. He won't go with us tomorrow, he'll get a better skate here and then he'll return to practice with us on Sunday." The other day WGR's Paul Hamilton tweeted that Eichel circled a date for his return but wouldn't reveal it. Methinks a December 1st return against the NY Rangers and ol' buddy Jimmy Vesey might be a good one. Kinda gets him primed for the following game vs. his hometown Boston Bruins too.
--Speaking of Vesey. Sabres GM Tim Murray sent a third round pick to the Nashville Predators for Vesey's rights. The former Harvard Crimson star and 2016 Hobey Baker winner opted for the bright lights of New York City when he signed with the Rangers. At one point a good number of fans in Buffalo wondered why Murray would spend a third round pick trying to lure Vesey to the Sabres. The former third rounder has seven goals so far this season which would tie him with Matt Moulson as Buffalo's leading goal scorer.
--Speaking of goals and scoring, the Sabres haven't done very much of it so far this season. As of right now they're averaging 1.85 goals/game, or as John Vogl of The Buffalo News pointed out, the exact same 1.85 goals/game the team averaged over the two seasons when they were at the bottom of the league. For proper contrast (and probably one of the main reasons why Vesey signed in NY) the Rangers are averaging a league-leading 3.90 goals/game.
--Moulson's seven goals ties him for 34th in the league with the likes of Cam Atkinson (CBJ,) Rickard Rakell (ANA) and former Buffalo Sabre, Paul Byron (CGY.) Buffalo's points-leader is Kyle Okposo with 12 which ties him with 24 other players for 92nd in the leagued. There are 17 players in the NHL who are producing at a point/game clip or higher lead by Sidney Crosby at 1.36 and Connor McDavid, 1.29. The nearest Buffalo Sabres are Ryan O'Reilly (0.64) and Okposo (0.63) who rank tied for 105th and tied for 108th, respectively.
--"Disco Dan" Bylsma is juggling his lines once again. He promoted Marcus Foligno to the top line saying with R. O'Reilly and Okposo, "I thought we needed a little spark with some speed and some physicality on that line," Not sure where the speed is coming from but Foligno has been playing some pretty good hockey as of late. Bylsma's also keeping Johan Larsson and Evander Kane together saying, "I thought with Larsson and Kane, they've had some brief times together - they've had some time together last year; they had a few games earlier in the year together - and I thought that gave us some good speed up front." Captain Brian Gionta was on their wing. And he finally gave William Carrier a promotion putting him on a line with Sam Reinhart and Moulson. "Carrier stepped in in the third period (against Detroit) and added [speed] as well," Bylsma told the media.
--Dropping down in the lineup is Zemgus Girgensons. The "Lioneater" has been eating anything but this season as he once again is having trouble establishing himself in Bylsma's system (the same one that has this team at a 1.85 goals/game clip.) Girgensons started the season as a third-line center and played much of the year there before being bounced to the wing. He was on Cal O'Reilly's left wing on the third line during the short two-game win streak for Buffalo last week but was moved to right wing on that line against Detroit. Bylsma's new configuration has him playing right wing on the fourth line and, as has been the trend all season, without any special teams time.
--Maybe Bylsma wants Girgensons in a purely defensive role as he's only managed to produce one goal this season, which places him in a category that all but seven Sabres currently on the roster are in. Of the many players parading through Buffalo this season because of injuries, only Moulson (7,) Okposo (6,) O'Reilly, Gionta and Foligno (4 each,) Reinhart and Larsson (3 each) have lit the lamp more than once. Girgensons joins three others with one goal each while 12 have yet to score their first goals of the season.
--After some pretty shoddy defensive work where the Sabres were giving up four goals a game, Bylsma worked with his players on playing better defense. From the 4-1 Tampa Bay loss through the Detroit game on Wednesday, the Sabres have given up only eight goals against yet only two players who played in all four games were not on the ice when an opposition player scored--Foligno and Girgensons.
--At 19 points in 20 games, the Sabres aren't deep in the abyss this season, but neither are they hawking a playoff sport right now and it has Bylsma lamenting lost points in he overtime and shootout. He has only himself to blame for the early overtimes struggles. After blowing a third period lead in Calgary early in the year, Bylsma's system of trying to change from defense to offense on the fly in OT was a disaster and they lost to the Flames. In their other overtime loss against the New Jersey Devils, the Sabres were the victim of a rare overtime penalty shot that Devils' defenseman Andy Greene scored on just 0:29 into the extra session.
--That goal by Greene, who has scored 37 goals in 660 NHL games, went five-hole on Sabres backup goalie Anders Nilsson. The 6'6" Nilsson was left in disbelief after the goal but redeemed himself just over a week later when he stymied Pittsburgh's Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang in a 2-1 shootout win for the Sabres. The win over the Penguins stopped a six game winless/three-game losing streak for Buffalo and was their first and only win in the extra sessions so far this year.
The Sabres will face the Capitals for the first of three times this season. The Sabres managed to pull off a 4-1 victory over the Caps last season. Former Sabres' Phil Varone and Tim Schaller opened the scoring in the first period while former Buffalo goalie Chad Johnson stopped 33 of 34 shots in the victory.
Buffalo has played Washington rather well over the course of the last few seasons going 4-3-3 in their last 10 vs. the Caps and are 3-6-1 in their last 10 at Verizon Center.
Things you should know from Sabres PR:
The Buffalo Sabres are in DC tonight to take on the Washington Capitals. Here's what we've got for today:
--An extra inch is needed around the waist after a Thanksgiving feast all the deliciousness one could imagine. *thumbs up!*
--Jack Eichel was on the ice practicing with the team for the first time since injuring his ankle. Head coach Dan Bylsma said Eichel will not be with the team in Washington telling the gathered media, "[Eichel] returned to practice yesterday, that was the first attempt, the morning skate. He won't go with us tomorrow, he'll get a better skate here and then he'll return to practice with us on Sunday." The other day WGR's Paul Hamilton tweeted that Eichel circled a date for his return but wouldn't reveal it. Methinks a December 1st return against the NY Rangers and ol' buddy Jimmy Vesey might be a good one. Kinda gets him primed for the following game vs. his hometown Boston Bruins too.
--Speaking of Vesey. Sabres GM Tim Murray sent a third round pick to the Nashville Predators for Vesey's rights. The former Harvard Crimson star and 2016 Hobey Baker winner opted for the bright lights of New York City when he signed with the Rangers. At one point a good number of fans in Buffalo wondered why Murray would spend a third round pick trying to lure Vesey to the Sabres. The former third rounder has seven goals so far this season which would tie him with Matt Moulson as Buffalo's leading goal scorer.
--Speaking of goals and scoring, the Sabres haven't done very much of it so far this season. As of right now they're averaging 1.85 goals/game, or as John Vogl of The Buffalo News pointed out, the exact same 1.85 goals/game the team averaged over the two seasons when they were at the bottom of the league. For proper contrast (and probably one of the main reasons why Vesey signed in NY) the Rangers are averaging a league-leading 3.90 goals/game.
--Moulson's seven goals ties him for 34th in the league with the likes of Cam Atkinson (CBJ,) Rickard Rakell (ANA) and former Buffalo Sabre, Paul Byron (CGY.) Buffalo's points-leader is Kyle Okposo with 12 which ties him with 24 other players for 92nd in the leagued. There are 17 players in the NHL who are producing at a point/game clip or higher lead by Sidney Crosby at 1.36 and Connor McDavid, 1.29. The nearest Buffalo Sabres are Ryan O'Reilly (0.64) and Okposo (0.63) who rank tied for 105th and tied for 108th, respectively.
--"Disco Dan" Bylsma is juggling his lines once again. He promoted Marcus Foligno to the top line saying with R. O'Reilly and Okposo, "I thought we needed a little spark with some speed and some physicality on that line," Not sure where the speed is coming from but Foligno has been playing some pretty good hockey as of late. Bylsma's also keeping Johan Larsson and Evander Kane together saying, "I thought with Larsson and Kane, they've had some brief times together - they've had some time together last year; they had a few games earlier in the year together - and I thought that gave us some good speed up front." Captain Brian Gionta was on their wing. And he finally gave William Carrier a promotion putting him on a line with Sam Reinhart and Moulson. "Carrier stepped in in the third period (against Detroit) and added [speed] as well," Bylsma told the media.
--Dropping down in the lineup is Zemgus Girgensons. The "Lioneater" has been eating anything but this season as he once again is having trouble establishing himself in Bylsma's system (the same one that has this team at a 1.85 goals/game clip.) Girgensons started the season as a third-line center and played much of the year there before being bounced to the wing. He was on Cal O'Reilly's left wing on the third line during the short two-game win streak for Buffalo last week but was moved to right wing on that line against Detroit. Bylsma's new configuration has him playing right wing on the fourth line and, as has been the trend all season, without any special teams time.
--Maybe Bylsma wants Girgensons in a purely defensive role as he's only managed to produce one goal this season, which places him in a category that all but seven Sabres currently on the roster are in. Of the many players parading through Buffalo this season because of injuries, only Moulson (7,) Okposo (6,) O'Reilly, Gionta and Foligno (4 each,) Reinhart and Larsson (3 each) have lit the lamp more than once. Girgensons joins three others with one goal each while 12 have yet to score their first goals of the season.
--After some pretty shoddy defensive work where the Sabres were giving up four goals a game, Bylsma worked with his players on playing better defense. From the 4-1 Tampa Bay loss through the Detroit game on Wednesday, the Sabres have given up only eight goals against yet only two players who played in all four games were not on the ice when an opposition player scored--Foligno and Girgensons.
--At 19 points in 20 games, the Sabres aren't deep in the abyss this season, but neither are they hawking a playoff sport right now and it has Bylsma lamenting lost points in he overtime and shootout. He has only himself to blame for the early overtimes struggles. After blowing a third period lead in Calgary early in the year, Bylsma's system of trying to change from defense to offense on the fly in OT was a disaster and they lost to the Flames. In their other overtime loss against the New Jersey Devils, the Sabres were the victim of a rare overtime penalty shot that Devils' defenseman Andy Greene scored on just 0:29 into the extra session.
--That goal by Greene, who has scored 37 goals in 660 NHL games, went five-hole on Sabres backup goalie Anders Nilsson. The 6'6" Nilsson was left in disbelief after the goal but redeemed himself just over a week later when he stymied Pittsburgh's Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang in a 2-1 shootout win for the Sabres. The win over the Penguins stopped a six game winless/three-game losing streak for Buffalo and was their first and only win in the extra sessions so far this year.
The Sabres will face the Capitals for the first of three times this season. The Sabres managed to pull off a 4-1 victory over the Caps last season. Former Sabres' Phil Varone and Tim Schaller opened the scoring in the first period while former Buffalo goalie Chad Johnson stopped 33 of 34 shots in the victory.
Buffalo has played Washington rather well over the course of the last few seasons going 4-3-3 in their last 10 vs. the Caps and are 3-6-1 in their last 10 at Verizon Center.
Things you should know from Sabres PR:
- The Sabres have won on the day after Thanksgiving in each of the last three seasons.
- Girgensons has three points (1+2) in his last three games against the Capitals.
- Kane has six career two-point games against Washington, including a goal and an assist in his last meeting with the Capitals on Jan. 16.
- Okposo has 10 points (5+5) in 12 career visits to Washington.
Thursday, August 25, 2016
Vesey picking Rangers is a bummer, but c'est la vie
Frank Sinatra is known singing, New York, New York. He's also known for the title track to an album called "That's Life." Such is the juxtaposition of Jimmy Vesey's decision to sign with the the NY Rangers as the highly coveted free agent started "spreading the news" about "leaving today" to "be a part of it" in New York City. For the Buffalo Sabres and their fans, we flip to the other side of the coin with Sinatra singing, "that's life" while fully knowing that despite another miss, the Sabres will take the approach that "each time I find myself layin' flat on my face, I just pick myself up and get back in the race."
Let's get this out of the way right now, it sucks not being able to land Vesey. The Sabres offered the highly sought after Hobey Baker winner the opportunity to be apart of their future but it seems as if the allure of the NY Rangers and a chance to live in the Big Apple was too much for Vesey to pass up. "One of the things I definitely liked about New York was the top-notch lifestyle that the city offers,” Vesey was quoted as saying at his conference call last night.
Let's get this out of the way right now, it sucks not being able to land Vesey. The Sabres offered the highly sought after Hobey Baker winner the opportunity to be apart of their future but it seems as if the allure of the NY Rangers and a chance to live in the Big Apple was too much for Vesey to pass up. "One of the things I definitely liked about New York was the top-notch lifestyle that the city offers,” Vesey was quoted as saying at his conference call last night.
Monday, August 22, 2016
V-Z Day. Probably tomorrow? More time for erroneous conclusions.
The Jimmy Vesey watch continued today much to the dismay of many. Nothing has been leaked out that can be deemed concrete although some claiming to have sources inside Vesey's circle have tweeted their supposed info on his decision.
Vesey heard pitches from a number of teams, mostly in the northeast region of the country close to his hometown of Boston. Some examples of teams bringing out the big guns were the Pittsburgh Penguins brought Sidney Crosby, the New Jersey Devils--Corey Schneider, the NY Islanders--John Tavares and the Chicago Blackhawks--Patrick Kane in the room. Of course the NY Rangers not only had their contingent in person but also had the backing of celebrity tweets from the likes of Susan Sarandon, Justin Tuck, Boomer Esiason, Linda Cohn and Run DMC, among others, putting their two cents into the Vesey sweepstakes. It's New York.
Vesey heard pitches from a number of teams, mostly in the northeast region of the country close to his hometown of Boston. Some examples of teams bringing out the big guns were the Pittsburgh Penguins brought Sidney Crosby, the New Jersey Devils--Corey Schneider, the NY Islanders--John Tavares and the Chicago Blackhawks--Patrick Kane in the room. Of course the NY Rangers not only had their contingent in person but also had the backing of celebrity tweets from the likes of Susan Sarandon, Justin Tuck, Boomer Esiason, Linda Cohn and Run DMC, among others, putting their two cents into the Vesey sweepstakes. It's New York.
Friday, August 19, 2016
Where will Jimmy Vesey land? The odds.
True to his word all along, at 12:01 a.m. coveted college winger Jimmy Vesey hit the open market hell-bent upon finding a home. Vesey and his agents have said all along that there are a number of factors that the 23 yr. old will weigh while making his decision including the opportunity to maximize his post entry-level deal (2 yrs.) via top-six/top-nine ice-time and time on the powerplay. And not to be dismissed is the pull of possibly playing for his hometown Boston Bruins.
Vesey had said from the start that he's interested in staying in the East (more specifically the northeast) and that he's also very much interested in a team's overall philosophy and their depth chart as well as how ownership takes care of it's own. The first part of staying closer to home was reiterated this morning as agent Peter Fish (via WEEI, Boston,) but he also did not completely rule out the Chicago Blackhawks who, with their recent record, three Stanley Cup rings and organizational quality from top to bottom usually has them at the top of anyone's list.
To their credit the Vesey camp has kept things close to the vest this summer with virtually no leaks. Some rumors have surfaced but none of them had any direct links to Vesey. "I think there’s a lot of things out there that either aren’t true or people are just searching to say things," Fish told Yahoo's Puck Daddy last week.
Vesey had said from the start that he's interested in staying in the East (more specifically the northeast) and that he's also very much interested in a team's overall philosophy and their depth chart as well as how ownership takes care of it's own. The first part of staying closer to home was reiterated this morning as agent Peter Fish (via WEEI, Boston,) but he also did not completely rule out the Chicago Blackhawks who, with their recent record, three Stanley Cup rings and organizational quality from top to bottom usually has them at the top of anyone's list.
To their credit the Vesey camp has kept things close to the vest this summer with virtually no leaks. Some rumors have surfaced but none of them had any direct links to Vesey. "I think there’s a lot of things out there that either aren’t true or people are just searching to say things," Fish told Yahoo's Puck Daddy last week.
Sunday, August 14, 2016
Charge of the youngins--The first wave
It's been a little over four years since the Buffalo Sabres ushered in their rebuild by trading core player Paul Gaustad, and just over three years since they hastened the teardown by trading away Jason Pominville.
The 2012 and 2013 drafts would represent the beginning of the future for the team and. Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (2013, 8th-overall) has made the biggest impact on the team thus-far as he anchored the top-pairing last season. Jake McCabe (2012, 44th) hit the pros after his junior season at Wisconsin and looks to have solidified a spot in the top-four on defense. And despite coming off of a very poor 2015-16 NHL campaign, forward Zemgus Girgensons (2012, 14th) is still considered a top-nine forward with enough upside to possibly crack the top-six.
Those three young players essentially held the fort, along with longer-term Sabres Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno during this period of transition with the youngest of that group, Girgensons, playing in 202 NHL games through the two bottom-dwelling seasons and last year's rise from the ashes. Buffalo GM Tim Murray's goal after taking the reigns in January, 2014 (other than dismantling what was left of the former core group of players) was to begin laying a foundation by adding seasoned vets into the mix. Through the next three drafts he was able to add to the stable of quality prospects he inherited and with the volume of picks and prospects that Buffalo had acquired over the course of the rebuild he was able to use them to acquire young-vets.
Through it all the Sabres were able to finish 8th in the league last season with one of the youngest teams in the league.
The 2012 and 2013 drafts would represent the beginning of the future for the team and. Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (2013, 8th-overall) has made the biggest impact on the team thus-far as he anchored the top-pairing last season. Jake McCabe (2012, 44th) hit the pros after his junior season at Wisconsin and looks to have solidified a spot in the top-four on defense. And despite coming off of a very poor 2015-16 NHL campaign, forward Zemgus Girgensons (2012, 14th) is still considered a top-nine forward with enough upside to possibly crack the top-six.
Those three young players essentially held the fort, along with longer-term Sabres Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno during this period of transition with the youngest of that group, Girgensons, playing in 202 NHL games through the two bottom-dwelling seasons and last year's rise from the ashes. Buffalo GM Tim Murray's goal after taking the reigns in January, 2014 (other than dismantling what was left of the former core group of players) was to begin laying a foundation by adding seasoned vets into the mix. Through the next three drafts he was able to add to the stable of quality prospects he inherited and with the volume of picks and prospects that Buffalo had acquired over the course of the rebuild he was able to use them to acquire young-vets.
Through it all the Sabres were able to finish 8th in the league last season with one of the youngest teams in the league.
Saturday, July 16, 2016
Takeaways from the Vesey vid. On the Foligno signing. Plus...
While Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray isn't losing any sleep knowing that the team made a solid pitch to Jimmy Vesey, the hockey world is still interested in the 23 yr. old who is locked in on an August 15th date with free agency. CSN Boston's Joe Haggerty met with a somewhat uncomfortable Vesey for a nine minute interview yesterday after a workout session in Foxboro.
Haggerty tried to keep it light throughout, but it's a pretty heavy subject for a guy who shunned the team that drafted him (Nashville) and has the most important career decision of his life coming in mid-August. Vesey touched on free agency, his respect for the Buffalo contingent he met with, on Boston definitely being on his short list of teams, and how he's taking advantage of a loophole in the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement that allows him this unique opportunity.
Being in Boston with a Bruins beat writer naturally brought out the homerism as Haggerty asked Vesey if there were any favorite players he'd heard from to, you know, give Bruins GM Don Sweeney a heads-up on who he might want to attend the eventual meeting. Haggerty even invoked the name Tom Brady, the patron saint of chowdah heads, as a reference point. Vesey could've gone number of ways from Milan Lucic to Raymond Borque to Team President Cam Neely but none of those were came out.
Vesey mentioned Joe Thornton as his favorite Boston Bruin and that he wears No. 19 because of him. That had to be a bit awkward.
Other than that, the only other thing worth noting is that Vesey likes Italian food. It's a homebody staple.
Just a head's up to the Sabres, should they get another sit-down with Vesey this time in Buffalo, they might want to reserve a table at Chef's in Buffalo or Como in Niagara Falls or a homey spot like Frank's Sunny Italy. You know, just to make Vesey feel at home.
**********
The Sabres signed forward Marcus Foligno to a 1 yr./$2.25M contract yesterday which is the same salary he had last season.
Foligno came on rather strong later in the season while playing on the team's most consistent line with Johan Larsson at center and captain Brian Gionta on the other wing. It's pretty obvious this is a show-me year for Foligno as he'll need to start bringing every facet of his power forward game to the ice night-in/night-out.
As mentioned in his player re-cap for 2015-16, "Foligno is what he is, so there aren't too many questions save for, how far can he take his role? Can he become like a "Mule," ala Detroit's Johan Franson, and up his intensity-level to the point where he and his 6'3" 222lb. frame simply won't be denied? Will his stick-work around the net improve to the point where he can reach and maintain a 15-goal/30-point level? Is he prepared to take on more of the big bruisers in the league like Radko Gudas and Tom Wilson when necessary? "
**********
I'd assumed he'd get a raise, but the contract Murray and assistant GM Mark Jakubowski signed him to is even better as it helps the team with their cap this season. As mentioned before, the Sabres haven't had to keep the NHL's salary cap in mind for quite some time but this year, they'll be butting up against it.
A quick take on their status using various cap-sites put them at just under $60M before the Foligno signing. With him in the fold the Sabres have two more restricted free agents to sign--Rasmus Ristolainen and Zemgus Girgensons--and are now at about $62M, or $11M under the league's $73M salary-cap ceiling.
Which leaves plenty of room to sign Risto, Gus and Vesey and add two depth players at the league minimum.
Haggerty tried to keep it light throughout, but it's a pretty heavy subject for a guy who shunned the team that drafted him (Nashville) and has the most important career decision of his life coming in mid-August. Vesey touched on free agency, his respect for the Buffalo contingent he met with, on Boston definitely being on his short list of teams, and how he's taking advantage of a loophole in the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement that allows him this unique opportunity.
Being in Boston with a Bruins beat writer naturally brought out the homerism as Haggerty asked Vesey if there were any favorite players he'd heard from to, you know, give Bruins GM Don Sweeney a heads-up on who he might want to attend the eventual meeting. Haggerty even invoked the name Tom Brady, the patron saint of chowdah heads, as a reference point. Vesey could've gone number of ways from Milan Lucic to Raymond Borque to Team President Cam Neely but none of those were came out.
Vesey mentioned Joe Thornton as his favorite Boston Bruin and that he wears No. 19 because of him. That had to be a bit awkward.
Other than that, the only other thing worth noting is that Vesey likes Italian food. It's a homebody staple.
Just a head's up to the Sabres, should they get another sit-down with Vesey this time in Buffalo, they might want to reserve a table at Chef's in Buffalo or Como in Niagara Falls or a homey spot like Frank's Sunny Italy. You know, just to make Vesey feel at home.
**********
The Sabres signed forward Marcus Foligno to a 1 yr./$2.25M contract yesterday which is the same salary he had last season.
Foligno came on rather strong later in the season while playing on the team's most consistent line with Johan Larsson at center and captain Brian Gionta on the other wing. It's pretty obvious this is a show-me year for Foligno as he'll need to start bringing every facet of his power forward game to the ice night-in/night-out.
As mentioned in his player re-cap for 2015-16, "Foligno is what he is, so there aren't too many questions save for, how far can he take his role? Can he become like a "Mule," ala Detroit's Johan Franson, and up his intensity-level to the point where he and his 6'3" 222lb. frame simply won't be denied? Will his stick-work around the net improve to the point where he can reach and maintain a 15-goal/30-point level? Is he prepared to take on more of the big bruisers in the league like Radko Gudas and Tom Wilson when necessary? "
**********
I'd assumed he'd get a raise, but the contract Murray and assistant GM Mark Jakubowski signed him to is even better as it helps the team with their cap this season. As mentioned before, the Sabres haven't had to keep the NHL's salary cap in mind for quite some time but this year, they'll be butting up against it.
A quick take on their status using various cap-sites put them at just under $60M before the Foligno signing. With him in the fold the Sabres have two more restricted free agents to sign--Rasmus Ristolainen and Zemgus Girgensons--and are now at about $62M, or $11M under the league's $73M salary-cap ceiling.
Which leaves plenty of room to sign Risto, Gus and Vesey and add two depth players at the league minimum.
Friday, July 15, 2016
2016 Development Camp in the books. Notes plus Murray on Vesey
Published by hockeybuzz.com 7-13-2016
Sabres LW, William Carrier came to Buffalo in the Ryan Miller trade with the St. Louis Blues on February 28, 2014. It was Tim Murray's first trade as the Sabres new GM and his focus seemed to be on "bigger, faster, stronger" players with skill and the pugnacity to go to the dirty areas of the ice to score. Carrier was originally touted as a late first-round pick in the 2013 NHL Draft because of his size, skating and hands as well as an all-in mentality. An injury caused him to miss half the season his draft year and he dropped to the second round where the Blues took him with the 57th selection.
Carrier's first two seasons as a pro began with struggles and an injury. Mid-way through last season, however, he was ready to break out. In a stretch beginning in January, Carrier posted a line of nine goals and 11 assists in 24 games before an injury sidelined him for the final 12 games of the season. Not only did the injury derail a strong finish to his second Amerks season, it also kept him off the First Niagara Center ice as he surely was ticketed to make his NHL debut for the Sabres last season.
With that done, Carrier came into Sabres Development Camp this season and was by and large considered the best player on the ice. Although he didn't register a point during the Blue and Gold Scrimmage on Saturday, he was noticeable for his physicality and his edge while being strong on the puck. He continued with that theme during the annual French Connection 3-on-3 Tournament, which closes out D-Camp, as his team took home the trophy.
As he enters the final year of his entry-level contract, Carrier moved himself up the prospect depth-chart to a spot where he could get the call to Buffalo sometime in the first half of the year. But, like Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com/sabres.com stated after the scrimmage, "if he can stay healthy."
**********
LW, Brandon Hagel was a 6th round pick of the Sabres in the draft this year. He came into camp as an unknown and left a huge impression. Not bad for a 17 yr. old who was the youngest player on the ice.
As noted after the Blue and Gold Scrimmage, the 6'0" 160 lb. Hagel played big in that came as a tenacious contributor to the best line on the ice. He's a long shot to make it to the NHL, but you know what they say about first impression. WGR 550's Paul Hamilton quoted Murray as saying about 159th pick in the draft, "he was almost transparent, he’s competitive, he’s got better instincts than I was led to believe, so he’s got skill, he’s got good instincts for the game, he’s highly competitive, I liked his game.”
The development curve for Hagel will be a long one, which is fine for both player and team but being an intense puck-hound with skill and "good instincts for the game" should keep him on the Sabres radar for the next few years.
**********
Buffalo had a number of lower-round picks like Hagel at D-Camp who looked like they could be quality contributors in the future. Having assets like that will allow the team to move towards the Chicago Blackhawks model for sustainable contention. The Hawks have an extremely talented core locked up for big dollars long-term but are able to maintain a championship-caliber team through a farm system that keeps them stocked with quality.
With their core of Jonathan Towes, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Duncan Keith and Keith Seabrook taking up a huge chunk of their cap-space (a total cap-hit of $36.65M or just over 50% of the salary cap this year,) it's inevitable that quality players will be squeezed out in a cap-crunch. Yet they manage to fill those roles with players in the system, Calder Trophy winner Artemi Panarin being the exception.
Obviously the Sabres aren't anywhere near the Hawks, but as they build for the future with 38 players drafted over the course of the last five years who are still with the club, picks outside the first round become extremely important not only to nearer-term success, but sustainable success down the road.
Players to keep an eye on:
D, Jake McCabe (2012, 44th-overall)--solid NHL'er with No. 2/3 upside
G, Linus Ullmark (2012, 163rd)--has the size and showed well as a rookie last year No. 1 potential
C, Judd Peterson (2012, 204th)--in a quality NCAA program on a long curve, got noticed at camp
C, Connor Hurley (2013, 38th)--highly-skilled play-maker, top-nine potential, gaining confidence
RW, Justin Bailey (2013, 52nd)--powerforward w/speed ready to make the jump to the NHL
RW, Nicolas Baptiste (2013, 69th)--looks to be a solid bottom-six NHL'er with more seasoning
G, Cal Petersen (2013, 159th)--tops Sabres goalie prospects
D, Anthony Florentino (2013, 143rd)--could make for a very solid depth defenseman with bite
F, Eric Cornel (2014, 44th)--two-way acumen places him in bottom-six/top-nine role
RW, Victor Oloffson (2014, 181st)--just gets better every year, top-six skills and potential
D, Brendan Guhle (2015, 51st)--top-four NHL d-man, question is, when?
D, William Borgen, (2015, 92nd)--quietly learning his trade, lower-pairing NHL'er might be his floor
C, Giorgo Estephan (2015, 152nd)--his NHL-caliber skills are starting to shine through
C, Rasmus Asplund (2016, 33rd)--Johan Larsson with much more to offer on offense
There are a few others (like Hudson Fasching who was traded for and has top-nine potential) and undoubtedly there will be surprises along the way but this is a group that the Sabres will be tapping into over the course of the next three or four years for sustainable contention. Whether it's contending for a playoff spot, conference supremacy or a Stanley Cup is to be determined, but this is what the scouting staff brought in and what the coaches will develop for the Blue and Gold.
**********
Murray addressed the Jimmy Vesey question at the end of camp this week and seems to be tired of talking about it. "I’ve talked about this literally less than anybody else in Buffalo," Murray told the gathered media. "I hear the guys on the radio and people are mad and this is like top end news and I’m like, it is what it is."
It's not only the guys on the radio, but in print as well and us bloggers too.
Murray has always understood the media and it's role and has always been accommodating. Oft-times he'll qualify a statement by saying something like "I know you guys have a job to do," before offering what information he can and setting the record as straight as he can set it. It should be a very endearing quality to not only those whose livelihood is directly tied to the team he runs, but to us fans who are left with a sense of sincerity coming from his matter-of-fact approach.
The whole Vesey saga makes for a lot of hypotheses and plenty of speculation, but the simple fact of the matter is, said Murray, "we traded one of our four 3rd round picks to be able to talk to him. If he doesn't [sign with Buffalo], it's going to be obviously not the decision we want and you guys will call me a dummy for trading away a third-round pick. I've got all the scenarios and I'm ready for it all but it's up to him. It's his time."
Vesey's time indeed. He finished his four years of college and opted to become a free agent on August 15th as per NHL rules. The Sabres feel as if they have a very compelling situation for Vesey to fit into and presented it as such when they met with him last week. It's assumed that they did so in a very matter-of-fact way as well, leaving the bells and whistles to another organization in the hope of landing Vesey.
"We went down there. We spoke to him," said Murray. "I told him he doesn't owe anybody anything. He went to school for four years and he became a free agent so now he's got to make the right decision for him. There's no timetable.
"If he wants to come in here or he wants to reach out to us and have another meeting then we're there. But for me, this is in his court."
I'm still of the opinion that it's 65/35 he lands in Buffalo. Although I highly doubt they offered him an iron-clad guarantee he'd be in the top-six for the Sabres, I'm pretty sure offered him the opportunity to play on Ryan O'Reilly's or Jack Eichel's wing and what he does with that opportunity is up to him. He'll be surrounded by a core group of players very close to his own age on an up-and-coming team with at least one superstar (Eichel) in the mix.
"I don't sit at home and speculate about this," Murray said. "He's either going to sign here or he's not.
End of story...for now.
Sabres LW, William Carrier came to Buffalo in the Ryan Miller trade with the St. Louis Blues on February 28, 2014. It was Tim Murray's first trade as the Sabres new GM and his focus seemed to be on "bigger, faster, stronger" players with skill and the pugnacity to go to the dirty areas of the ice to score. Carrier was originally touted as a late first-round pick in the 2013 NHL Draft because of his size, skating and hands as well as an all-in mentality. An injury caused him to miss half the season his draft year and he dropped to the second round where the Blues took him with the 57th selection.
Carrier's first two seasons as a pro began with struggles and an injury. Mid-way through last season, however, he was ready to break out. In a stretch beginning in January, Carrier posted a line of nine goals and 11 assists in 24 games before an injury sidelined him for the final 12 games of the season. Not only did the injury derail a strong finish to his second Amerks season, it also kept him off the First Niagara Center ice as he surely was ticketed to make his NHL debut for the Sabres last season.
With that done, Carrier came into Sabres Development Camp this season and was by and large considered the best player on the ice. Although he didn't register a point during the Blue and Gold Scrimmage on Saturday, he was noticeable for his physicality and his edge while being strong on the puck. He continued with that theme during the annual French Connection 3-on-3 Tournament, which closes out D-Camp, as his team took home the trophy.
As he enters the final year of his entry-level contract, Carrier moved himself up the prospect depth-chart to a spot where he could get the call to Buffalo sometime in the first half of the year. But, like Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com/sabres.com stated after the scrimmage, "if he can stay healthy."
**********
LW, Brandon Hagel was a 6th round pick of the Sabres in the draft this year. He came into camp as an unknown and left a huge impression. Not bad for a 17 yr. old who was the youngest player on the ice.
As noted after the Blue and Gold Scrimmage, the 6'0" 160 lb. Hagel played big in that came as a tenacious contributor to the best line on the ice. He's a long shot to make it to the NHL, but you know what they say about first impression. WGR 550's Paul Hamilton quoted Murray as saying about 159th pick in the draft, "he was almost transparent, he’s competitive, he’s got better instincts than I was led to believe, so he’s got skill, he’s got good instincts for the game, he’s highly competitive, I liked his game.”
The development curve for Hagel will be a long one, which is fine for both player and team but being an intense puck-hound with skill and "good instincts for the game" should keep him on the Sabres radar for the next few years.
**********
Buffalo had a number of lower-round picks like Hagel at D-Camp who looked like they could be quality contributors in the future. Having assets like that will allow the team to move towards the Chicago Blackhawks model for sustainable contention. The Hawks have an extremely talented core locked up for big dollars long-term but are able to maintain a championship-caliber team through a farm system that keeps them stocked with quality.
With their core of Jonathan Towes, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Duncan Keith and Keith Seabrook taking up a huge chunk of their cap-space (a total cap-hit of $36.65M or just over 50% of the salary cap this year,) it's inevitable that quality players will be squeezed out in a cap-crunch. Yet they manage to fill those roles with players in the system, Calder Trophy winner Artemi Panarin being the exception.
Obviously the Sabres aren't anywhere near the Hawks, but as they build for the future with 38 players drafted over the course of the last five years who are still with the club, picks outside the first round become extremely important not only to nearer-term success, but sustainable success down the road.
Players to keep an eye on:
D, Jake McCabe (2012, 44th-overall)--solid NHL'er with No. 2/3 upside
G, Linus Ullmark (2012, 163rd)--has the size and showed well as a rookie last year No. 1 potential
C, Judd Peterson (2012, 204th)--in a quality NCAA program on a long curve, got noticed at camp
C, Connor Hurley (2013, 38th)--highly-skilled play-maker, top-nine potential, gaining confidence
RW, Justin Bailey (2013, 52nd)--powerforward w/speed ready to make the jump to the NHL
RW, Nicolas Baptiste (2013, 69th)--looks to be a solid bottom-six NHL'er with more seasoning
G, Cal Petersen (2013, 159th)--tops Sabres goalie prospects
D, Anthony Florentino (2013, 143rd)--could make for a very solid depth defenseman with bite
F, Eric Cornel (2014, 44th)--two-way acumen places him in bottom-six/top-nine role
RW, Victor Oloffson (2014, 181st)--just gets better every year, top-six skills and potential
D, Brendan Guhle (2015, 51st)--top-four NHL d-man, question is, when?
D, William Borgen, (2015, 92nd)--quietly learning his trade, lower-pairing NHL'er might be his floor
C, Giorgo Estephan (2015, 152nd)--his NHL-caliber skills are starting to shine through
C, Rasmus Asplund (2016, 33rd)--Johan Larsson with much more to offer on offense
There are a few others (like Hudson Fasching who was traded for and has top-nine potential) and undoubtedly there will be surprises along the way but this is a group that the Sabres will be tapping into over the course of the next three or four years for sustainable contention. Whether it's contending for a playoff spot, conference supremacy or a Stanley Cup is to be determined, but this is what the scouting staff brought in and what the coaches will develop for the Blue and Gold.
**********
Murray addressed the Jimmy Vesey question at the end of camp this week and seems to be tired of talking about it. "I’ve talked about this literally less than anybody else in Buffalo," Murray told the gathered media. "I hear the guys on the radio and people are mad and this is like top end news and I’m like, it is what it is."
It's not only the guys on the radio, but in print as well and us bloggers too.
Murray has always understood the media and it's role and has always been accommodating. Oft-times he'll qualify a statement by saying something like "I know you guys have a job to do," before offering what information he can and setting the record as straight as he can set it. It should be a very endearing quality to not only those whose livelihood is directly tied to the team he runs, but to us fans who are left with a sense of sincerity coming from his matter-of-fact approach.
The whole Vesey saga makes for a lot of hypotheses and plenty of speculation, but the simple fact of the matter is, said Murray, "we traded one of our four 3rd round picks to be able to talk to him. If he doesn't [sign with Buffalo], it's going to be obviously not the decision we want and you guys will call me a dummy for trading away a third-round pick. I've got all the scenarios and I'm ready for it all but it's up to him. It's his time."
Vesey's time indeed. He finished his four years of college and opted to become a free agent on August 15th as per NHL rules. The Sabres feel as if they have a very compelling situation for Vesey to fit into and presented it as such when they met with him last week. It's assumed that they did so in a very matter-of-fact way as well, leaving the bells and whistles to another organization in the hope of landing Vesey.
"We went down there. We spoke to him," said Murray. "I told him he doesn't owe anybody anything. He went to school for four years and he became a free agent so now he's got to make the right decision for him. There's no timetable.
"If he wants to come in here or he wants to reach out to us and have another meeting then we're there. But for me, this is in his court."
I'm still of the opinion that it's 65/35 he lands in Buffalo. Although I highly doubt they offered him an iron-clad guarantee he'd be in the top-six for the Sabres, I'm pretty sure offered him the opportunity to play on Ryan O'Reilly's or Jack Eichel's wing and what he does with that opportunity is up to him. He'll be surrounded by a core group of players very close to his own age on an up-and-coming team with at least one superstar (Eichel) in the mix.
"I don't sit at home and speculate about this," Murray said. "He's either going to sign here or he's not.
End of story...for now.
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Buffalo, and anyone outside the hockey dept., needs to chill on the Vesey courtship
A Die By the Blade blog posted a picture of a billboard in Buffalo that was eventually picked up by Yahoo's Sean Leahy and spread to a much larger audience. On it were the words "Buffalo Loves Vesey." The Vesey, of course, is in regards to Jimmy Vesey, the recent Harvard graduate whom the Sabres own the rights to until August 15 when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
A lot has been said and written about the left winger with an NHL-ready frame and two strong developmental years for the Crimson that lead to 56 goals and 104 points in his last 70 games as a junior and senior. There's no question that he'd fit right into what Buffalo is doing and spot in the top-nine is legit at this point in time with the strong possibility that he'd have an opportunity as either Jack Eichel or Ryan O'Reilly's wingman in the top-six.
The Sabres just met with Vesey in Boston last week as Sabres GM Tim Murray, head coach Dan Bylsma and assistant director of scouting Jerry Forton, who helped recruit Vesey when he was an assistant coach at Harvard, all headed to Beantown to make their pitch. The trio represented hockey and the organization and presumably had answers to the questions Vesey had concerning where he fit into the grand scheme of things.
That was important as Vesey is looking at the next two years, his entry-level contract years, as a springboard to a longer, and presumably a more lucrative, NHL contract coming out on the other side. One of Vesey's agents, Peter Fish told the Buffalo News that "the meeting went very well" while also telling WGR550 that Vesey felt "very comfortable" with Murray and Bylsma. "However," continued Fish, "until we sit down with Jimmy and fully digest everything we heard [Thursday], I can’t really comment on how it might affect Aug. 15th.”
The Sabres did well in their sales pitch. Murray, whose known to keep it brief and to the point, said of the meeting to The News, “We went down there, we talked to him about the city and the organization, then we came home.”
That would be the proper amount of pitch without any overwhelming pressure being put on a young man staring down the first big decision of his professional career. What's not proper is the over-the-top "Buffalo Loves Vesey" billboard from Northtown Automotive. Although it attracts attention, in the end, smothering affection like that hurts the process.
As an example, take the Toronto Maple Leafs pitch for then unrestricted free agent Steven Stamkos, a Toronto-area native.
Rare is the time when a free agent of his caliber hits the open market and there was no small amount of interest from a number of teams including the Buffalo Sabres who talked with the Stamkos camp during the open period on draft weekend. The Montreal Canadians were also said to have talked to them and Stamkos also had meetings with Toronto and then Detroit lined up.
But Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun wrote today that the heavy hand of the Leafs soured Stamkos not only on Toronto, but on the process as well. Simmons cites "numerous NHL people who attempted to woo Stamkos" as the basis for his piece.
"The availability of [Stamkos] all but ended after a Monday night meeting in Toronto that included Maple Leafs ownership, front office executives, Toronto Mayor John Tory, Canadian Tire CEO Michael Medline and others from the corporate community," wrote Simmons. "It was apparently an impressive sell with all kind of bells and whistles — just not impressive to Stamkos."
Even though the 26 yr. old Stamkos is an eight-year NHL veteran, facing that kind of crush from Toronto had to be startling. I'm not sure any player could come out of meeting like that expecting to perform even to the lowest of his own expectations were he to sign with any team much less his hometown team. According to Simmons, "He left the meeting with the Leafs, and apparently turned to his advisors and said: 'No more meetings.'"
Sorry Detroit.
The gist of this, other than the utter absurdity at the Center of the Hockey Universe for deploying an army like this to woo Stamkos, is that players want to play hockey where they feel comfortable and the best pitch is simply to lay out what there is to offer and let the chips fall where they may. No amount of bells and whistles and/or socio-political dignitaries and/or money-figures and/or billboards will change a player's perception of what's inside the hockey department and how he'll reach his potential as a hockey player.
The Northtown Auto Group, the Mayor of Toronto and others outside the hockey community needed to back off and let hockey people do their jobs. Although Vesey is no Stamkos, they are both humans and will go somewhere else if the pressure's too much. That's what free agency, or in these two cases, impending free agency, allows a player, the choice of where he wants to play.
Why suffocate them?
A lot has been said and written about the left winger with an NHL-ready frame and two strong developmental years for the Crimson that lead to 56 goals and 104 points in his last 70 games as a junior and senior. There's no question that he'd fit right into what Buffalo is doing and spot in the top-nine is legit at this point in time with the strong possibility that he'd have an opportunity as either Jack Eichel or Ryan O'Reilly's wingman in the top-six.
The Sabres just met with Vesey in Boston last week as Sabres GM Tim Murray, head coach Dan Bylsma and assistant director of scouting Jerry Forton, who helped recruit Vesey when he was an assistant coach at Harvard, all headed to Beantown to make their pitch. The trio represented hockey and the organization and presumably had answers to the questions Vesey had concerning where he fit into the grand scheme of things.
That was important as Vesey is looking at the next two years, his entry-level contract years, as a springboard to a longer, and presumably a more lucrative, NHL contract coming out on the other side. One of Vesey's agents, Peter Fish told the Buffalo News that "the meeting went very well" while also telling WGR550 that Vesey felt "very comfortable" with Murray and Bylsma. "However," continued Fish, "until we sit down with Jimmy and fully digest everything we heard [Thursday], I can’t really comment on how it might affect Aug. 15th.”
The Sabres did well in their sales pitch. Murray, whose known to keep it brief and to the point, said of the meeting to The News, “We went down there, we talked to him about the city and the organization, then we came home.”
That would be the proper amount of pitch without any overwhelming pressure being put on a young man staring down the first big decision of his professional career. What's not proper is the over-the-top "Buffalo Loves Vesey" billboard from Northtown Automotive. Although it attracts attention, in the end, smothering affection like that hurts the process.
As an example, take the Toronto Maple Leafs pitch for then unrestricted free agent Steven Stamkos, a Toronto-area native.
Rare is the time when a free agent of his caliber hits the open market and there was no small amount of interest from a number of teams including the Buffalo Sabres who talked with the Stamkos camp during the open period on draft weekend. The Montreal Canadians were also said to have talked to them and Stamkos also had meetings with Toronto and then Detroit lined up.
But Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun wrote today that the heavy hand of the Leafs soured Stamkos not only on Toronto, but on the process as well. Simmons cites "numerous NHL people who attempted to woo Stamkos" as the basis for his piece.
"The availability of [Stamkos] all but ended after a Monday night meeting in Toronto that included Maple Leafs ownership, front office executives, Toronto Mayor John Tory, Canadian Tire CEO Michael Medline and others from the corporate community," wrote Simmons. "It was apparently an impressive sell with all kind of bells and whistles — just not impressive to Stamkos."
Even though the 26 yr. old Stamkos is an eight-year NHL veteran, facing that kind of crush from Toronto had to be startling. I'm not sure any player could come out of meeting like that expecting to perform even to the lowest of his own expectations were he to sign with any team much less his hometown team. According to Simmons, "He left the meeting with the Leafs, and apparently turned to his advisors and said: 'No more meetings.'"
Sorry Detroit.
The gist of this, other than the utter absurdity at the Center of the Hockey Universe for deploying an army like this to woo Stamkos, is that players want to play hockey where they feel comfortable and the best pitch is simply to lay out what there is to offer and let the chips fall where they may. No amount of bells and whistles and/or socio-political dignitaries and/or money-figures and/or billboards will change a player's perception of what's inside the hockey department and how he'll reach his potential as a hockey player.
The Northtown Auto Group, the Mayor of Toronto and others outside the hockey community needed to back off and let hockey people do their jobs. Although Vesey is no Stamkos, they are both humans and will go somewhere else if the pressure's too much. That's what free agency, or in these two cases, impending free agency, allows a player, the choice of where he wants to play.
Why suffocate them?
Saturday, July 9, 2016
On Rasmus Asplund's leadership and , of course, Jimmy Vesey
Buffalo Sabres prospect Rasmus Asplund was a projected first-round draft pick in the 2016 who fell to the second round. As the 5'11" 176 lb. native of Flilipstad, Sweden fell Buffalo GM Tim Murray kicked it in gear and made a trade that moved the Sabres up to the third pick at the top of the second round and with that pick they took Asplund.
The deal Murray made with Florida centered around Panthers d-man Dmitry Kulikov and Sabres defenseman Mark Pysyk. "I knew it was going to be Mark [Pysyk] as the main component of the deal," said Murray to the gathered media post-draft. "It was originally going to be our first 3rd-round pick. We continued to negotiate and I went back to them told them we need to flip-flop our second round picks because Asplund was still on the board."
The Sabres went heavy with skill and speed at this year's draft. In the first round they selected Alexander Nylander, a highly-skilled Swede whom Central Scouting's Dan Marr described as "a dynamic player who is an elite skater with a creative skill-set." Marr had Asplund ranked as the fourth best European skater in the draft while the Sabres, according to Murray, had him ranked as the only '5' left on the board in their rating system that goes as high as seven.
The deal Murray made with Florida centered around Panthers d-man Dmitry Kulikov and Sabres defenseman Mark Pysyk. "I knew it was going to be Mark [Pysyk] as the main component of the deal," said Murray to the gathered media post-draft. "It was originally going to be our first 3rd-round pick. We continued to negotiate and I went back to them told them we need to flip-flop our second round picks because Asplund was still on the board."
The Sabres went heavy with skill and speed at this year's draft. In the first round they selected Alexander Nylander, a highly-skilled Swede whom Central Scouting's Dan Marr described as "a dynamic player who is an elite skater with a creative skill-set." Marr had Asplund ranked as the fourth best European skater in the draft while the Sabres, according to Murray, had him ranked as the only '5' left on the board in their rating system that goes as high as seven.
Friday, July 8, 2016
Okposo meets the media, Murray jet-sets, Kane's non-criminal charges
New Buffalo Sabres winger Kyle Okposo met the media today sporting his new No. 21 jersey. If that number sounds familiar it recently belonged to Okposo's friend Drew Stafford, a much-maligned right-winger who played all or parts of nine seasons in the Blue and Gold before becoming a part of the Tyler Myers/Evander Kane blockbuster deal in February, 2015.
When asked by a member of the local media if he talked to Stafford about the number Okposo said he had then quipped, "I told him I'd take it down from the rafters for him."
This is a man in his prime, fully confident in his capabilities with a keen eye towards the future, one that he believes will be a Stanley Cup during his tenure. "There's so much skill [on the Sabres] and their future is bright," he said this morning. "I really believe we can win here and that's what sold me.
"That's why you play the game. To win a Stanley Cup, to win a championship, to raise banners and I think this team has the ability to do that."
When asked by a member of the local media if he talked to Stafford about the number Okposo said he had then quipped, "I told him I'd take it down from the rafters for him."
This is a man in his prime, fully confident in his capabilities with a keen eye towards the future, one that he believes will be a Stanley Cup during his tenure. "There's so much skill [on the Sabres] and their future is bright," he said this morning. "I really believe we can win here and that's what sold me.
"That's why you play the game. To win a Stanley Cup, to win a championship, to raise banners and I think this team has the ability to do that."
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Why I think Jimmy Vesey ultimately signs with Buffalo...after August 15.
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
I'm putting the odds of LW Jimmy Vesey signing with the Buffalo Sabres at 65/35.
That said, if he wants to stay in his hometown and play for the Boston Bruins, good luck. If he wants to spend his first couple of years in a metropolis like Toronto, go right ahead. Or even if he ends up in Detroit or, God forbid (being a Boston-boy,) in New York with the Rangers, have at it. The Sabres took a shot and may have thrown away a third round pick, but they'll still have 26 forwards in the system right now and five picks in the top-three rounds of the 2017 NHL Draft should they not be able to sign him..
Vesey has said all along that he wants to explore his options and that means heading towards August 15th when he will become a free agent. The biggest option he's considering is where he'd slot into on an NHL lineup. He's looking to land with a club that will give him the opportunity to play in a top-six role for the length of his two-year, entry-level contract. Money's no object in the matter as he'll be getting a maxed-out contract from whomever signs him so his focus is on playing time and the opportunity to put up big numbers for his next contract, "one that will be all the more lucrative if he has goals and assists as bona fides," wrote Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe in a recent article.
Vesey spoke to Dupont prior to the opening of free agency last week saying that after the dust settles he'll be able to "really sit back and start looking at roster depth charts" to figure out which team he thinks will meet his needs. The big reason he wants to go to August 15th is to be able to discuss his options face-to-face with teams other than the Buffalo Sabres, who own his rights. "I’ll talk to the coach, the GM, stuff like that, then weigh my options," he said in the piece.
He also said he's got it down to a select few teams. "I have a couple of teams in mind, but my dad’s said he is going to let me make the decision," said Vesey to Dupont. “I think that’s fair. I am 23 years old at this point, so I am a man on my own."
I'm putting the odds of LW Jimmy Vesey signing with the Buffalo Sabres at 65/35.
That said, if he wants to stay in his hometown and play for the Boston Bruins, good luck. If he wants to spend his first couple of years in a metropolis like Toronto, go right ahead. Or even if he ends up in Detroit or, God forbid (being a Boston-boy,) in New York with the Rangers, have at it. The Sabres took a shot and may have thrown away a third round pick, but they'll still have 26 forwards in the system right now and five picks in the top-three rounds of the 2017 NHL Draft should they not be able to sign him..
Vesey has said all along that he wants to explore his options and that means heading towards August 15th when he will become a free agent. The biggest option he's considering is where he'd slot into on an NHL lineup. He's looking to land with a club that will give him the opportunity to play in a top-six role for the length of his two-year, entry-level contract. Money's no object in the matter as he'll be getting a maxed-out contract from whomever signs him so his focus is on playing time and the opportunity to put up big numbers for his next contract, "one that will be all the more lucrative if he has goals and assists as bona fides," wrote Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe in a recent article.
Vesey spoke to Dupont prior to the opening of free agency last week saying that after the dust settles he'll be able to "really sit back and start looking at roster depth charts" to figure out which team he thinks will meet his needs. The big reason he wants to go to August 15th is to be able to discuss his options face-to-face with teams other than the Buffalo Sabres, who own his rights. "I’ll talk to the coach, the GM, stuff like that, then weigh my options," he said in the piece.
He also said he's got it down to a select few teams. "I have a couple of teams in mind, but my dad’s said he is going to let me make the decision," said Vesey to Dupont. “I think that’s fair. I am 23 years old at this point, so I am a man on my own."
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Steal of the century?
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Stephen Harris of the Boston Herald said of the trade by the Buffalo Sabres for the rights to forward Jimmy Vesey, "It would be the steal of the century if Buffalo can sign Vesey."
The 2016 Hobey Baker winner as college's top player was a 2012 draft pick of the Nashville Predators (66th overall) and opted not to join the playoff-bound club this spring even after Preds GM David Poile kept a spot open for him in the top-nine/six through the trade deadline. The hope was that the 6'2" 201 lb. winger would bring his 80 career NCAA goals and 144 points to Nashville for an extended playoff run. It didn't work out that way, however, as Vesey informed the team he would not sign with them and was looking towards August 15 when he would become an unrestricted free agent.
By trading for Vesey, the Sabres now have exclusive negotiating rights him.
It's been quite the soap opera lately when it comes to Vesey. His decision to spurn Nashville and opt for free agency has him being pulled in three different directions. There's the natural pull from Boston as the North Reading, MA native hunkered down in the area while playing college hockey at Harvard. His father Jim was drafted and played briefly in the NHL for Boston and is now a scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs. And Vesey is also a "longtime buddy," according to Harris, of Sabres center and fellow Hobey Baker winner Jack Eichel who grew up in North Chelmsford, MA (also in the Boston area) and was the second-overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft.
Stephen Harris of the Boston Herald said of the trade by the Buffalo Sabres for the rights to forward Jimmy Vesey, "It would be the steal of the century if Buffalo can sign Vesey."
The 2016 Hobey Baker winner as college's top player was a 2012 draft pick of the Nashville Predators (66th overall) and opted not to join the playoff-bound club this spring even after Preds GM David Poile kept a spot open for him in the top-nine/six through the trade deadline. The hope was that the 6'2" 201 lb. winger would bring his 80 career NCAA goals and 144 points to Nashville for an extended playoff run. It didn't work out that way, however, as Vesey informed the team he would not sign with them and was looking towards August 15 when he would become an unrestricted free agent.
By trading for Vesey, the Sabres now have exclusive negotiating rights him.
It's been quite the soap opera lately when it comes to Vesey. His decision to spurn Nashville and opt for free agency has him being pulled in three different directions. There's the natural pull from Boston as the North Reading, MA native hunkered down in the area while playing college hockey at Harvard. His father Jim was drafted and played briefly in the NHL for Boston and is now a scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs. And Vesey is also a "longtime buddy," according to Harris, of Sabres center and fellow Hobey Baker winner Jack Eichel who grew up in North Chelmsford, MA (also in the Boston area) and was the second-overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft.
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