Buffalo Sabres general manager Jason Botterill gave his inconsistent, middling team a shot in the arm when he traded for a skill-forward in Dominik Kahun. The 24 yr. old Kahun is on his third team after being signed by the Chicago Blackhawks, who then traded him to the Pittsburgh Penguins last June. Kahun was then traded tot he Sabres at the 2020 trade deadline this past Monday.
Although Kahun played center in Germany he has been on the wing in the NHL and it raises the question of can he play center in the best hockey league in the world? Sabres bench boss Ralph Krueger hasn't ruled it out, but for now Kahun will be riding shotgun somewhere in the middle-six of the lineup.
Showing posts with label Marcus Johansson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marcus Johansson. Show all posts
Friday, February 28, 2020
Friday, November 15, 2019
"Twenty-one games to Christmas"
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 11-14-2019
That was Buffalo Sabres head coach Ralph Krueger talking to the gathered media post practice yesterday concerning their upcoming schedule. His Sabres squad had just come back from participating in the 2019 Global Series which featured a somewhat compact schedule in October and early November, five days to travel and acclimate to Stockholm, Sweden for their back-to-back against the Tampa Bay Lightning last weekend and another four days to reacclimate to North America. Sunday was a travel day with Monday and Tuesday being mandated days off. The Sabres resumed practice yesterday and will have a game tonight at home against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Krueger said that the team will have a pregame skate this morning because they haven't been on the ice and mentioned how he and his club will be approaching 21 games in 39 days leading up until the Christmas break. "The reality is we have the 21 games 'til Christmas and we're breaking it up into little groups. We've got five games, two-day pause; six games, two-day pause; six games, two-day pause; four games."
That was Buffalo Sabres head coach Ralph Krueger talking to the gathered media post practice yesterday concerning their upcoming schedule. His Sabres squad had just come back from participating in the 2019 Global Series which featured a somewhat compact schedule in October and early November, five days to travel and acclimate to Stockholm, Sweden for their back-to-back against the Tampa Bay Lightning last weekend and another four days to reacclimate to North America. Sunday was a travel day with Monday and Tuesday being mandated days off. The Sabres resumed practice yesterday and will have a game tonight at home against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Krueger said that the team will have a pregame skate this morning because they haven't been on the ice and mentioned how he and his club will be approaching 21 games in 39 days leading up until the Christmas break. "The reality is we have the 21 games 'til Christmas and we're breaking it up into little groups. We've got five games, two-day pause; six games, two-day pause; six games, two-day pause; four games."
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Dylan Cozens sent to Lethbridge (WHL,) Sabres top-six taking shape
Published by hockeybuzz,com, 9-26-2019
There was huge groundswell of emotion touting at least a nine-day trial-run for 2019 first round draft pick Dylan Cozens as he showed very well in training camp this year. However, it was for naught as the Buffalo Sabres announced today that the 18 yr. old center will be headed back to the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League to further his development in Canadian Junior.
At 6'3" 191 lbs., Cozens has a good NHL frame and he displayed some great skating ability and skills while throughout training camp. However, this is how Sabres head coach framed the decision while talking with the gathered media today (via John Vogl tweets):
"This decision today is about the development and future of an outstanding young man and athlete. It's maybe some pain for him at the moment, but there's a pace and there's an intensity to the National Hockey League season that we just didn't feel he was quite ready for. We believe he's going to come back and make a very hard push for being part of this team next year."
There was huge groundswell of emotion touting at least a nine-day trial-run for 2019 first round draft pick Dylan Cozens as he showed very well in training camp this year. However, it was for naught as the Buffalo Sabres announced today that the 18 yr. old center will be headed back to the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League to further his development in Canadian Junior.
At 6'3" 191 lbs., Cozens has a good NHL frame and he displayed some great skating ability and skills while throughout training camp. However, this is how Sabres head coach framed the decision while talking with the gathered media today (via John Vogl tweets):
"This decision today is about the development and future of an outstanding young man and athlete. It's maybe some pain for him at the moment, but there's a pace and there's an intensity to the National Hockey League season that we just didn't feel he was quite ready for. We believe he's going to come back and make a very hard push for being part of this team next year."
Thursday, September 26, 2019
This is a roster that looks to be in tune-up mode for the season opener
With only two preseason games left and less than 10 days until the Buffalo Sabres open up the regular season at Pittsburgh against the Penguins, head coach Ralph Kreuger is icing a lineup tonight that will be very similar to the one he'll be using on October 3. At least up front.
Although injuries have been a huge factor on the blueline, the forwards look to be pretty set with maybe a few question marks, and here are the projected lines for tonight's game against the Columbus Blue Jacktes (from sabres.com):
Victor Olofsson - Jack Eichel - Sam Reinhart
Jeff Skinner - Marcus Johansson - Kyle Okposo
Jimmy Vesey - Casey Mittelstadt - Evan Rodrigues
Zemgus Girgensons - Vladimir Sobotka - Tage Thompson
Sunday, September 1, 2019
Building the 2019-20 Buffalo Sabres roster--RW, Marcus Johansson
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 8-31-2019
In this series we build the 2019-20 Buffalo Sabres roster one by one leading up to the season opener on October 3.
RW--Marcus Johansson
28 yrs. old
6'1" 205 lbs.
2009, 24th-overall, NSH
In this series we build the 2019-20 Buffalo Sabres roster one by one leading up to the season opener on October 3.
RW--Marcus Johansson
28 yrs. old
6'1" 205 lbs.
2009, 24th-overall, NSH
Career stats: 588 games | 120 goals | 214 assists | 334 points | -5
Landing Marcus Johansson was a bit of a coup for the Buffalo Sabres as he brings tons of experience, including 94 games of playoff experience. But even more important for Sabres general manager Jason Botterill was getting Johansson on a short, two-year deal at a reasonable $4.5 million cap hit. Johansson was an unrestricted free agent and was coming off of an excellent playoff run with the Boston Bruins who came just short of winning the Stanley Cup.
Johansson's play was lauded after slow start with the B's who acquired him from the New Jersey Devils at the trade deadline. "a bit of an incomplete at the end of the regular season turned into a great postseason performance," wrote Adam Denhard for SB Nations, Stanley Cup of Chowder. "Johansson more than earned his keep on the Bruins long post season run [and although] 11 points in 22 post season games might not sound like a torrential outpouring of points, his patience and vision with the puck made for lots of free space around him as he seemed to draw an extra defender's attention when driving play."
What's that worth financially to a team looking to sign him? Apparently what Buffalo got him for. What's it worth to the Sabres? Plenty.
Wednesday, July 10, 2019
New Sabre Marcus Johansson looking for a fit, regardless of position
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 7-8-2019
Is he a center? Is he a winger? That's what fans in Buffalo want to know about new Sabres forward Marcus Johansson. With Buffalo's top-six bereft of talent outside of their top line, and with the trade of No. 2 center Ryan O'Reilly last season virtually eliminating the middle-six in a scoring role, Sabres general manager Jason Botterill had some huge holes to fill. Yes, they need help at right wing behind Sam Reinhart but the biggest hole on the team to fill is that of a second line center behind Jack Eichel.
If you have a strong feeling of deja vu with the signing of Johansson as a possible center, welcome to the club. Back in 2011 the Sabres were in the same predicament heading into the off season needing to fill a top-six center spot and but couldn't land the big fish--Brad Richards. This year Matt Duchene was the prize center catch and he opted for a very team-friendly deal in Nashville. With Buffalo out of the Richards running (with some even saying they never were to begin with,) the Sabres turned their attention to winger Ville Leino, who was coming off a strong 53-point season for the Philadelphia Flyers. Buffalo's brass witnessed a strong performance by Leino in the playoffs against the Sabres that year and convinced themselves they could turn him into a center. Then GM Darcy Regier laid a 6yr./$27 million contract on Leino that they're still paying for it after buying him out in 2014.
The parallels between Johansson and Leino really aren't that strong and end there, however, but the Leino signing and the position change will always stick in the craw of Sabreland.
Is he a center? Is he a winger? That's what fans in Buffalo want to know about new Sabres forward Marcus Johansson. With Buffalo's top-six bereft of talent outside of their top line, and with the trade of No. 2 center Ryan O'Reilly last season virtually eliminating the middle-six in a scoring role, Sabres general manager Jason Botterill had some huge holes to fill. Yes, they need help at right wing behind Sam Reinhart but the biggest hole on the team to fill is that of a second line center behind Jack Eichel.
If you have a strong feeling of deja vu with the signing of Johansson as a possible center, welcome to the club. Back in 2011 the Sabres were in the same predicament heading into the off season needing to fill a top-six center spot and but couldn't land the big fish--Brad Richards. This year Matt Duchene was the prize center catch and he opted for a very team-friendly deal in Nashville. With Buffalo out of the Richards running (with some even saying they never were to begin with,) the Sabres turned their attention to winger Ville Leino, who was coming off a strong 53-point season for the Philadelphia Flyers. Buffalo's brass witnessed a strong performance by Leino in the playoffs against the Sabres that year and convinced themselves they could turn him into a center. Then GM Darcy Regier laid a 6yr./$27 million contract on Leino that they're still paying for it after buying him out in 2014.
The parallels between Johansson and Leino really aren't that strong and end there, however, but the Leino signing and the position change will always stick in the craw of Sabreland.
Monday, July 8, 2019
Where might Johansson slot in plus a look at Buffalo's forward depth chart
Buffalo's new forward, Marcus Johansson, just finished a 3yr./$13 million contract signed in 2016 while he was with the Washington Capitals. The Caps selected Johansson 24th-overall in the 2009 NHL Draft and traded him to the New Jersey Devils in 2017 (for a 2018 second and 2018 third round pick) to alleviate cap-problems. This past spring Johansson was on the move again as he was sent to the Boston Bruins as a rental for a 2019 second rounder and a 2020 fourth. After performing very well for the Bruins in their run to the 2019 Stanley Cup Final he became a free agent it was assumed that he'd be getting a nice bump from the $4.583 million AAV he was running with on his last contract.
It didn't happen like that as Johansson signed a two-year deal with the Sabres for an AAV of $4.5 million.
Monday, July 1, 2019
We probably shoudn't count on any big fish when the Sabres go FA shopping
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 6-30-2019
Anyone who's against having pending UFA center Matt Duchene on the Buffalo Sabres is pretty much crazy. Having him anchor the second line for years to come behind Jack Eichel would be a formidable one-two punch. What's not crazy is having to pay the price he'll be commanding come July 1, the start of free agency.
The Sabres have been mentioned to be in the running for top free agents ever since Terry Pegula bought the team. The summer after he bought the team Buffalo was said to be one of the team's vying for the services of 2011's premier free agent, center Brad Richards. They fell short as Richards signed with the NY Rangers a 9yr./$60 million deal. Buffalo went with their backup plan that year and decided winger Ville Leino could move to center and with their playoff loss to Leino's Philadelphia Flyers still fresh in their memory, signed him to a 6yr./$24 million deal. Both teams are still paying for those mistakes. The Rangers bought out Richards in 2014 at a total cost of over $20 million until 2025-26 and Buffalo bought out Leino that same year paying him $7.333 million until the end of next season not to play for them.
Regardless of a dubious track record, NHL general managers still go all in on July 1 dishing out huge contracts for UFA's and most time end up regretting it.
Duchene's contract is probably going to land somewhere in the $11-12 million/season range and adds another dimension to the premise we opened up with. Whereas one would be crazy not to want him on the team, Buffalo would be crazy to dish out that kind of money and term (seven years) for a second-line center.
Such is the start of free agency which begins tomorrow.
Anyone who's against having pending UFA center Matt Duchene on the Buffalo Sabres is pretty much crazy. Having him anchor the second line for years to come behind Jack Eichel would be a formidable one-two punch. What's not crazy is having to pay the price he'll be commanding come July 1, the start of free agency.
The Sabres have been mentioned to be in the running for top free agents ever since Terry Pegula bought the team. The summer after he bought the team Buffalo was said to be one of the team's vying for the services of 2011's premier free agent, center Brad Richards. They fell short as Richards signed with the NY Rangers a 9yr./$60 million deal. Buffalo went with their backup plan that year and decided winger Ville Leino could move to center and with their playoff loss to Leino's Philadelphia Flyers still fresh in their memory, signed him to a 6yr./$24 million deal. Both teams are still paying for those mistakes. The Rangers bought out Richards in 2014 at a total cost of over $20 million until 2025-26 and Buffalo bought out Leino that same year paying him $7.333 million until the end of next season not to play for them.
Regardless of a dubious track record, NHL general managers still go all in on July 1 dishing out huge contracts for UFA's and most time end up regretting it.
Duchene's contract is probably going to land somewhere in the $11-12 million/season range and adds another dimension to the premise we opened up with. Whereas one would be crazy not to want him on the team, Buffalo would be crazy to dish out that kind of money and term (seven years) for a second-line center.
Such is the start of free agency which begins tomorrow.
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