The kids are alright in Sabreland

It's taken a few weeks, but the Buffalo Sabres have gotten rid of the stench left by former head coach Ralph Krueger. The defensive, systemic load that Krueger shoveled for the entirety of his 97 games as Buffalo's bench boss has been sent to the incinerator of extreme ineptitude and has been replaced by a refreshing dose of speed and puck control with an emphasis on driving play and creating offense. 

And Sabreland couldn't be happier.

Quick notes in light of the Sabres 7-1 win over New Jersey

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 12-3-2019


Notes after Buffalo's 7-1 win last night:

--Jack Eichel remains in beast-mode as he extended his point-streak to 10 games just 2:46 into the game as he snuck one through while camping on Louis Domingue's doorstep. Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen pinched in along the boards and sent a quick pass to Eichel who was left all alone in the crease. It was Eichel's ninth goal and 19th point during the streak which is just one shy of his career long from February 14-March 7, 2017. During that run Eichel potted five goals and 11 assists.

--Ristolainen has been playing very well lately and he extended his point-streak to three games with that assist. For years coaches have been saying that they'd like to cut down on Ristolainen's minutes and Sabres bench-boss Ralph Krueger finally began doing so. From 2015-16 up until the start of this season, "The Angry Finn" averaged 25:30 of ice-time/game which was sixth in the NHL during that span. Krueger began cutting into that this season with Ristolainen getting 23:54 ATOI (22nd in the NHL) up until a November 24 game in Florida where he, out of necessity, used 11 forwards and seven defenseman in a 5-2 win against the Panthers. Krueger hasn't deviated from that set-up since and with seven defensemen rotating in, Ristolainen's average time-on ice is 19:24/game which is less than Eichel (21:25) and Sam Reinhart (20:04) on the Sabres. In those six games the Sabres are 3-1-2 and Ristolainen's plus-5 rating is tied for third on the team behind Eichel (plus-9) and Jimmy Vesey (plus-7.)

Eichel-4 Sens-2. Plus, on the Rasmus Dahlin benching, Rasmus Asplund and more

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 11-17-2019


Jack Eichel has had some big games for the Sabres dating back to December 26, 2016 in Boston where as a rookie he led the charge (2 goals, 2 assists) in a come from behind 6-3 win against his hometown Bruins. the 23 yr. old Eichel has a had hat trick before and has had more four-point games before, which includes two already this year (both games 2+2.) However, he reached another level in last night's four-goal game in the Sabres 4-2 win over the Ottawa Senators. It's not just the fact that he scored four goals or that he outscored Ottawa himself, Eichel carried his team on his back when they needed it most.

The Sabres have been struggling since getting off to a torrid start to the season, came into the game on a six-game winless streak (0-4-2) and as a team couldn't beat Sens goalie Craig Anderson last night. It's a movie Buffalo hockey fans have seen over and over again for over a decade, one in which they played a team they could or should beat, but in the end were left to lament that they worked hard and had the chances but just couldn't finish and/or didn't have puck luck. For the Sabres other 17 skaters on the ice against last night, that part of the equation was true.

What those previous teams didn't have was a player like Eichel who has the skill-level to defy that scenario.

Now might be a good time for the Sabres to start winning

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 11-16-2019


Before we get into the nuts and bolts of tonight's matchup between the Ottawa Senators and the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center, tonight is Hockey Fights Cancer Night around the NHL. To those  who've been touched by this dreadful diseases, the millions whose stories are many and varied, prayers and best wishes to you.

The Sabres game tonight against the Senators has a definitive connection to Hockey Fights Cancer Night in the form of center Rasmus Asplund. The 2016 second round pick (33rd-overall) saw both of his grandparents succumb to cancer with his grandfather passing the day after he was selected by Buffalo. "He basically waited for me to get home from the draft and show the draft jersey and all that," said Asplund to the gathered media this morning. The 21 yr. old center was called up from Rochester yesterday and found out a bit later that he will play in his first NHL game tonight.

Asplund will take the place of an injured Johan Larsson centering Zemgus Girgensons and Kyle Okposo. He'll be the second new face up front joining Curtis Lazar who scored his first goal in his first game for Buffalo in the Sabres 5-4 overtime loss versus the Carolina Hurricanes. Larsson, it should be noted, scored the game-tying goal with just over a minute to play in the third period.

Should he stay or should he go?

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-30-2019

Preseason ended for the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday with a 3-2 shootout win against the Penguins in Pittsburgh. Yesterday the team had a very early practice so they could be at New Era Field in Orchard Park, NY to watch the Buffalo Bills take on the New England Patriots (which turned out to be a defensive struggle with the Pats coming out on top 16-10.)

Today the powers that be are huddled in Sabres offices trying to figure out who should stay and who should go. Yes, we know Sabreland, if it was up to the most vociferous of the fan base Kyle Okposo and Rasmus Ristolainen would have been traded by now, Vladimir Sobotka bought out, Zemgus Girgensons, Johan Larsson and Scott Wilson all waived with Marco Scandella given a one-way ticket to anywhere in the world and every one of those fans willing to drive him to the airport. 

Ain't gonna happen.

Plenty of Sabres players to watch as Buffalo visits Columbus tonight

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-17-2019



Last night the Buffalo Sabres displayed some star-power in their opening preseason game at Pegula Ice Arena on the campus of Penn State University. The 'Pegula' mentioned above is the Pegula family lead by patriarch Terry who sold interests in his East Resources Energy company and donated over $100 million dollars to his alma mater to start a NCAA Division I hockey program. The crown jewel of Terry's generous donation is the 6,000-plus seat multi purpose arena that began hosting Sabres preseason games in 2016 with a game versus the Minnesota Wild. For the past three years Buffalo has opened up the home portion of the preseason against the Pittsburgh Penguins, an organization that Pegula also has ties to.

So it's not surprising that the Sabres trotted out captain Jack Eichel, 2018 first-overall pick Rasmus Dahlin, 40-goal scorer Jeff Skinner and 2019 first round pick Dylan Cozens for last nights game in the hopes of some fireworks, especially with a new head coach in Ralph Krueger. The Sabres dominated the first two periods outshooting the Penguins a whopping 37-9 and took a 4-1 lead into the third period. That would dissipate, however, as Pittsburgh scored three unanswered goals to send the game to overtime. Eichel saved the day as he scored the overtime winner with only eight seconds left in the extra session.

Hockey's back. Quick notes from the Prospects Challenge

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-7-2019


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

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

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

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

Published by hockkeybuzz.com, 9-6-2019

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

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

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

Sabres in New Jersey tonight to face off against a s

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 3-25-2019


For one brief season, the New Jersey Devils were able to break out of the waning Martin Brodeur-era with a playoff appearance. The Devils were one of the darlings of the NHL last season as they rode an Adam Larsson for Taylor Hall trade with the Edmonton Oilers to the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference and their first playoff appearance five seasons.

Brodeur, of course, led New Jersey to three Stanley Cups during his 21 seasons with the Devils and almost tacked on a fourth one in 2012 before he, backup Johan Hedberg and New Jersey fell 4-2 to the Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup finals. As the luster was wearing off the first-ballot Hall of Famer's career, the Devils found themselves in a difficult period of transition while trying to find Brodeur's replacement. Eventually they traded a 2013 first round pick (9th-overall, Bo Horvat) to the Vancouver Canucks for goalie Corey Schneider. Although Schneider was no Brodeur by any means, third-year Devils head coach John Hynes used his up-tempo style to get the offense clicking enough last season and made the playoffs led by Hall's 93 points (39+54.) However they didn't have nearly enough in as they lost to the top seed in the East, the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-1 in the first round.

For as much grief as the Buffalo Sabres have gotten, and they deserve every bit of it, the Devils are at the bottom end of a group that's just above the dregs of the league since 2011-12 even with that playoff appearance. The Sabres are by far the worst team during that stretch with a measly .419 win-percentage while the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes and Oilers come in at .462 and .468, respectively. New Jersey is the only other team with a winning percentage below .500 as they come in at .496. The Devils, long known to rely upon Brodeur in net to win low-scoring games, haven't fared all that well in the goal-scoring department either during that span. Buffalo, of course, is at the bottom averaging 2.29 goals/game while New Jersey is next to last at 2.42, just a smidgeon below the Coyotes (2.43.)

Building the 2018-19 Buffalo Sabres roster--C, Rasmus Asplund

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-12-2018


C--Rasmus Asplund
20 yrs. old
5'11" 189 lbs.
2016, second round (33rd overall)


Rasmus Asplund had himself a helluva Prospects Challenge tournament and the traits he displayed while arguably being the best player on the ice for Buffalo, and possibly the entire tournament, won't all of a sudden disappear. Asplund led the tournament with six points and his lone goal was a beauty as he undressed four Pittsburgh Penguins at the blueline. The attributes that had the two-way center as a first round pick before dropping to the early second round are what have been constants throughout his professional career which includes competing against men for almost four full seasons in the Swedish Hockey League.

At 5'11" 189 lbs. Asplund doesn't have the ideal size for an NHL'er, but he isn't small and actually looks bigger on the ice. And at 20 yrs. old, with 170 SHL games under his belt, he's not a kid anymore either. The Sabres decided that it was best for him to spend one more season in the SHL last year, a decision that Asplund initially didn't agree with, but by the end of the season had warmed to. "I was a little mad that I didn't get over," he told the gathered media at the rookie showcase in Toronto last month, "but after the season, I'm happy that I stayed another year. I feel more ready than ever now to get over here and play."

That wasn't the first good move the Sabres organization made concerning Asplund. The first one was trading up to get him.

Asplund was widely considered a mid-lower first round talent but at the end of Day-1 at the 2016 NHL Draft, he was still on the board. Buffalo had the 38th pick and prior to the second round they consummated a trade with the Florida Panthers of defenseman Mark Pysyk for Dmitry Kulikov with Sabres GM Tim Murray insisting that they swap second-rounders. Buffalo had to throw in the 86th pick to get the deal done but in the end, much to the delight of their scouting department, they were able to move up to No. 33 and select Asplund.

Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com who had him ranked as the 21st best prospect in the 2016 draft. "Slippery and competitive," wrote Baker, "Asplund’s ability to hound the puck, force turnovers and quickly transition into offense with a smooth playmaking sense makes him an attractive candidate to mature into a quality NHL forward. Asplund may tote around an average frame and not appear to be the most physical player on the ice, but he’s very detail oriented with an ability to do the little things like winning faceoffs, jamming shooting lanes with his stick, and making short passes from deep in his zone to spark the transition game.

"Teams looking for a sneaky playmaker who will comfortably slot into a workmanlike role will likely have Asplund on their radar."

All of that was on display at the Prospects Challenge last weekend and what also really stood out for those in attendance was Asplund's vision and hockey sense. The Athletic's Corey Pronman noted in his 'Standout Performances at rookie camps' recap yesterday that Asplund, "showed his standard high-end hockey sense in how he can see the ice, slow the game down and make plays." His colleague at The Athletic, Joe Yerdon, said that if there was an MVP of the tournament, Asplund "would probably be a unanimous selection" while noting he was "a tenacious forechecker with speed, and a dynamite penalty killer.

"He showed aggressiveness with the puck and without it," continued Yerdon, and "his hockey IQ was also on display all weekend."

There is some danger slotting Asplund as a rookie No. 3 center for the team overall. Twenty-one year old Jack Eichel will continue as the team's top center while 19 yr. old rookie Casey Mittelstadt looks like he'll be No. 2. Having another rookie centering the third line could make for a precarious situation but that's why your have seasoned vets on the team.

Jeff Skinner and Kyle Okposo are two veteran wingers slotted for the top-six and while 26 yr. old winger Conor Sheary may not have the vast experience of those two, he's played on two Stanley Cup winning teams for Pittsburgh and was a strong contributor to the first one. Botterill traded a way veteran second line center Ryan O'Reilly who had taken many of the tough assignments for the Sabres but received two vet forwards in return--Patrik Berglund and Vladimir Sobotka--who have combined to play in over 1,100 regular season games and 111 playoff games. Plus there's 35 yr. old Jason Pominville who has nearly 1,000 regular season games and 81 playoff games.

You want experience, there it is.

The cool part about this year's roster building exercise is that there will be a lot of difficult decisions to make in the bottom-six forward group and that it probably won't be sorted out until the final game of the preseason. Slotting Asplund here as third line center might be a reach at this point when you base it upon a three-game tournament against a group of players that had many low-end prospects, AHL'ers and undrafted players. However, of the remaining centers on Buffalo, Asplund is more of a complete package than any of them, he's hungry and has a high compete-level and seems to have the smarts to be able to play and adapt as he goes along.

The SHL is no slouch league and some would argue that with the way the NHL is played today, it might be a better development league than the AHL. Asplund will be fighting against bigger, stronger, meaner opponents in North America and will be doing so on a smaller rink. Yet he seems to have the skating ability, the faculties and the mental toughness to make it work, not to mention the drive. "I've been working for the NHL," Asplund said at the showcase, "and that's the goal I'm going to go for, and we'll see how far it goes."


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
_____________ / C, Rasmus Asplund / ______________

LHD, Marco Scandella / RHD, Rasmus Ristolainen
LHD, Rasmus Dahlin / RHD, Zach Bogosian

G, Carter Hutton

Buffalo finishes 2018 Prospects Challenge strong. On to training camp.

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-11-2018


Buffalo defenseman Rasmus Dahlin did not play in the final game of the 2018 Prospects Challenge at HarborCenter in downtown Buffalo, but the Sabres still iced some star power with Casey Mittelstadt and Alexander Nylander. The two forwards were joined in the lineup yesterday by Rasmus Asplund, who made a name for himself throughout the tournament, and a group of players that featured eight undrafted players and a slew of lower-round picks.

The Pittsburgh Penguins prospect roster was that of a team only one year removed from back-to-back Stanley Cups. It featured only one player, Calen Addison  (2018, 53rd overall) drafted in the top three rounds, one player drafted in the fourth round (Sam Lafferty, 2014, 113th) and 12 undrafted players. It's the price you pay for winning Stanley Cups and there's not a person in Sabreland who wouldn't trade positions with Pittsburgh.

But as we well know, hockey in Buffalo right now is about the future, and the future looks very bright.

Dahlin had a whale of a tournament as he busted out of the gate with two goals and an assist in the first game and looked every bit as advertised against his peers. His d-partner, Will Borgen, was a beast reveling in his role as a physical, stay-at-home defenseman while forward Tage Thompson (2016, 26th, STL) looked strong wearing the Blue and Gold for the first time.

With those players out of the lineup and the Sabres playing against a weak Penguins squad, it was time for players like Mittelstadt and Nylander, a pair of eighth-overall picks (2017 and 2016, respectively) to take over the game, which they eventually did.

Mittelstadt centered Buffalo's top line with Nylander on his left wing and undrafted forward Cole Coskey on the right. Although it took Mittelstadt and Nylander two periods to click, when they did it was pretty magical. Nylander scored his first goal just :20 seconds into the third period with a nasty wrister that picked the top corner to make it 4-0 and he finished off a nifty give-and-go with Mittelstadt to make it 6-2 at the 6:21 mark. Nylander also had two assists, both primary, to finish the day with four points.

The driving force on both of Nylander's goals was Mittelstadt who admittedly wasn't at his best through the first two games and the first two periods of this one. "The first two games and a little bit of the third (game) I might have been pushing it a little bit," he said post-game yesterday. "There were times I should have been shooting it or make a quicker play but I think I'm getting back into it. Even in the third (period) I started making plays I normally make with my hands and feet."

That he did.

The first of his three consecutive primary assists came on Nylander's first goal when Mittelstadt  controlled the puck along the wall and drew two Pens defenders to him before slipping a short pass to his winger who stealthily split the d. The second came when he sent a pass through the slot right on the stick of defenseman Nicholas Welch who was pinching in on the play and the last was that give-and-go with Nylander.

Buffalo GM Jason Botterill liked a lot of what he saw over the weekend and into Monday and has been talking about having more internal competition for roster spots at training camp. This tournament was the first opportunity for players to put their names into the conversation and perhaps no one did so more than center Rasmus Asplund.

The 2016 draft pick (33rd overall) just came over from his native Sweden and impressed at the Challenge. We'd read about his strong two-way game playing in the SHL and he brought that with him this weekend but he showed off some skill and moxie on his goal yesterday as he undressed four Pens at the Pittsburgh blueline before finishing strong. Asplund also brings a very high hockey IQ to the table, some great on-ice vision and a lot of compete as well.

"You see the play he made on his goal," said Mittelstadt of Asplund, a teammate he's spoken highly of this off season. "You see him do things like that but there are a lot of other things he does that people miss. Winning faceoffs, he's always in the right spot defensively and in the neutral zone."

One of the things that you won't see on the highlight reel was his compete on Buffalo's first goal yesterday. After picking up the puck inside his own blueline he fought through a check, got through an entanglement with the ref in the neutral zone and fought off another check at the Pens blueline before hitting defenseman Devante Stephens who was trailing on the play. Stephens then sent a shot to the net with Andrew Oglevie potting the rebound.

Asplund looks bigger than his 5'11" 189 lb. frame and skates extremely well. He finished with a tournament-high six points (1+5) and may be in the mix for a bottom-six slot on the Sabres.

In addition to Dahlin, Mittelstadt (for a full season) and Asplund, there's a big wave of talented players coming into the organization this year. Forward Victor Olofsson (2014, 181st) will be making his North American debut as will defenseman, and fellow Swede, Lawrence Pilut whom the Sabres signed to a free agent contract. Borgen, who played eight games with Rochester last season after leaving school early, leads a group of college players that includes Brandon Hickey, who's rights came over in a trade with the Arizona Coyotes and who signed with Buffalo, and forward Oglevie (an FA signee) who will be battling for spots in Buffalo and/or Rochester. And, although Botterill didn't commit to any training camp invites amongst veteran players and/or Challenge invitees "right now," they have talked to players about that possibility which would further the competition for spots.

"We've talked a lot as a group about bringing in more internal competition and giving [head coach] Phil [Housley] more options at different positions," said Botterill yesterday. "We think we've done that this summer, especially at forward, bringing in some guys but also having some young guys who are going to be competing for positions."

And by the looks of it, they've done pretty good job.

The 2018 Prospects Challenge is in the books and it's on to the opening of training camp on Thursday with physicals and Friday they start practice. Here's the schedule:

Friday, Sept. 14

Session one: 9:45 – 10:20 a.m. (New Wave Energy Rink) / 10:25 – 11:15 a.m. (KeyBank Rink)

Session two: 11:45 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. (New Wave Energy Rink) / 12:25 – 1:15 p.m. (KeyBank Rink)

Saturday, Sept. 15

Session one: 9:45 – 10:20 a.m. (New Wave Energy Rink) / 10:25 – 11:15 a.m. (KeyBank Rink)

Session two: 11:45 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. (New Wave Energy Rink) / 12:25 – 1:15 p.m. (KeyBank Rink)

Sunday, Sept. 16

Practice: 9:45 – 10:15 a.m. (Both rinks)

Scrimmage: 10:30 – 11:15 a.m. (KeyBank Rink)

Buffalo's first preseason game is Monday at 7 pm in Columbus vs. the Blue Jackets.

Sabres prospecst take on Boston tonight after taking names vs. NJ

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-8-2018


It was pretty much everything a Sabres fan could want out of the first Prospects Challenge game. From Rasmus Dahlin scoring two goals and adding an assist to Victor Olofsson showing off his quick release and wicked shot to Alexander Nylander with some magic stickwork while potting one of two Sabres short handed goals to Tage Thompson getting on his horse and scoring the second shortie on a breakaway, a lot of things clicked for the youngins last night (see highlights below.)

This is the future of the Buffalo Sabres and for the 1,800 fans in attendance at HarborCenter they put on a helluva show in a 6-4 win over the New Jersey Devils last night.

With no disrespect to center Casey Mittelstadt, Dahlin leads this wave of young players. The fact Dahlin nudges out Mittelstadt, who played so well in his short six-game stint in Buffalo last season leading to a No. 2 center slot heading into this season, is an indication of just how good the prospect pool is at the top.

Dahlin was the first pick in the 2018 NHL Draft and was said to have franchise-changing qualities. At Sabres development camp Dahlin's skill level was on display as he flew through drills with ease and did everything except dominate the score sheet in the 3-on-3 tournament. However, that was against his fellow prospects and camp invitees. The Prospects Challenge would be his first taste of action against the best prospects from other NHL teams and after Round-1, the reviews were outstanding.

"Obviously he's a special player," Sabres Prospects coach Chris Taylor told the gathered media post game. On Dahlin's second goal the 18 yr. old native of Sweden jumped on a loose puck in the neutral zone and fed tournament invitee Myles Powell at the Devil's blueline before barreling towards the net. Powell sent a low shot far side that was kicked out to the right circle where Dahlin was there to blast home the rebound. Using that play as an example, Taylor said Dahlin's "instincts are amazing," and that "he's a smart player, knows when to go (on the attack) and when not to go" while also having "the confidence and ability to get back."

Sabres fans might be breathing a brief sigh of relief at Nylander's performance. Nylander was said to be engaged throughout the game and his shorthanded goal was a product of following the play and heading to open ice in front of the net. The skill Nylander showed on that goal was the type that had him labeled as possibly the most skilled player in his draft class yet his Houdini acts on the ice have him moving perilously towards bust status.

Nylander's shortie was set up by Rasmus Asplund who drew two defenders to the Devils left face off circle and outworked them to get the puck to a wide open Nylander. Asplund also set up Victor Olofsson for a one-timer on the powerplay. Olofsson used that patented one-timer on many occasions in Sweden while on his way to a league-leading 27 goals in the SHL last season, but his quick release blast from the slot wowed the fans at HarborCenter who were seeing it live for the first time.

The Svensk Brigade of Dahlin, Olofsson, Asplund and Nylander stole the headlines at this one but there were many other who made their mark. Thompson, acquired from the St. Louis Blues in the Ryan O'Reilly trade, showed great speed for a big man (6'5" 205 lbs.) as he jumped on a puck in the neutral zone while shorthanded and went in for a breakaway. He also showed off some deft stickwork with a deke and a shot that went top-shelf from in tight. Matej Pekar (2018, 94th) had two assists in the game and defenseman Will Borgen (2015, 92nd) patrolled the ice with a physicality that everyone at HarborCenter noticed.

Buffalo went into this tournament with what is widely considered one of the best, if not the best, prospect pools in the NHL and it showed. Dahlin lead the charge, the rest got their jiggy on and the Devils had no answer of which SB nation's John Fischer wrote, "On the ice, [the Sabres] were mostly a better team from start to finish. Their passes were better. Their puck control was better. They committed fewer and less costly turnovers. They appeared to have more attack time than New Jersey. They definitely had more odd-man rushes and breakaways. Their special teams were better. Most importantly, their best players on paper were the best players on the ice."

For Sabres fans the future, especially encapsulated in Fischer's last sentence, is pretty exciting.


*****

The Sabres take on the Boston Bruins tonight at 7 pm and despite The Athletic's Corey Pronman ranking
 the Bruins prospect system as 27th in the league, they still have some good quality players in the system. Boston's prospects beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 in the matinee yesterday.



2018 Prospects Challenge highlights--NJ Devils vs. Buffalo Sabres (via sabres.com)

 

 

Quick Scoresheet:

 

Rasmus Dahlin--3 pts. (2 goals, 1 assist)

Rasmus Asplund--2pts (2 assists)

Matej Pekar--2 pts. (2 assists)

Victor Olofsson--1 pt. (1 goal)

Tage Thompson--1 pt. (1 goal)

Cole Coskey--1 pt. (1 goal)

Alexander Nylander--1 pt. (1 goal)

Kevin Hancock--1 pt. (1 assist)

Oscari Laaksonen--1 pt. (1 assist)

Eric Cornel--1 pt. (1 assist)

Myles Powell--1 pt. (1 assist)

 

Primary assists:

 

Asplund--2

Hancock, Powell, Dahlin--1 each

Buffalo has a lot of talent heading into 2018 Prospects Challenge

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-5-2018


The third annual Buffalo Sabres Prospects Challenge is set to commence this Friday with the Sabres and three other teams--Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins--trotting out their prospects in a round-robin tournament. Here's the schedule:

Friday, Sept. 7

• Pittsburgh vs. Boston, 3:30 p.m.
• Buffalo vs. New Jersey, 7 p.m.

 Saturday, Sept. 8

• New Jersey vs. Pittsburgh, 3:30 p.m.
• Buffalo vs. Boston, 7 p.m.

 Monday, Sept. 10

• Boston vs. New Jersey, 9:30 a.m.
• Buffalo vs. Pittsburgh, 12:30 p.m.

All games will be HarborCenter. Tickets are $10.

The Sabres announced their Prospects Challenge roster yesterday and amongst the youngins that will be hitting the ice are center Casey Mittelstadt and defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, both of whom are expected to be in Buffalo's opening night lineup on October 4.

Mittelstadt was selected eighth-overall in 2017 by Buffalo and displayed NHL talent while playing in six games for the Sabres at the end of the last season. The 6'0" 209 lb. center left the University of Minnesota after his freshman season and scored his first NHL goal while adding four assists in six games for the Buffalo.

Dahlin was drafted first-overall at the 2018 NHL Draft and put on a skills clinic at Sabres Development Camp in June. The 6'3" 186 lb. Swedish defenseman is making the jump to the NHL as an 18 yr. old and this will be his first taste of competition against other NHL teams.

For Buffalo fans, you can't ask for much more when it comes to those two prospect headliners but there are some other intriguing names ready to hit the ice beginning Friday as an array of picks and free agents from various years compete to not only win, but also catch the attention of Buffalo's brass. In just under a year and a half, Sabres GM Jason Botterill has culled together a group of youngins that was recently dubbed the top farm system in the NHL by The Athletic's Corey Pronman. "And it wasn't even close," Pronman wrote.

Besides blue-chippers Mittelstadt and Dahlin, the Sabres Challenge roster includes defenseman Brendan Guhle (2015, 51st-overall,) who just finished his first full season with Buffalo's AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. The very athletic and smooth-skating Guhle looked poised for an opening night roster spot in Buffalo until the Sabres drafted Dahlin yet he still might force his way into the conversation come opening night. Guhle was dominant at development camp in June and there's no reason to think that he won't take all the professional experience he's gained the last year-plus and use it to make an impact at the tournament.

Two-way center Rasmus Asplund is making his North American debut this season after spending the last three seasons playing against men in the SHL, Sweden's top hockey league. The 20 yr. old said at this year's NHLPA’s Rookie Showcase in Toronto that initially he was disappointed he had to spend last season in Sweden but that afterwards he was happy that he played with Farjestad in the big role he was given for a playoff team.

The Swedish invasion continues with forward Victor Olofsson and defenseman Lawrence Pilut, both of whom were 2018 SHL award winners and acquitted themselves well at June's development camp. The 23 yr. old Olofsson is a 2014 seventh round draft pick (181st) who enjoyed a breakout season in the SHL as he sniped his way to a league high 27 goals earning the Hakan Loob Trophy given to the league's top goal scorer.

Pilut also enjoyed a breakout 2017-18 season in the SHL with career highs in goals (eight) and points (38.) The 22 yr. old lead all defensemen in points and assists (30) and was 13th in the league overall in scoring garnering him the Borje Salming Trophy as the SHL's best defenseman. He was one of only three undrafted defensemen to win the award. (For more on his game click here.)

An American duo coming from different directions will also be skating for he Sabres. Winger Tage Thompson was selected with the 26th-overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft by the St. Louis Blues. He was a part of the return when Botterill traded Ryan O'Reilly to St. Louis. The burgeoning 6'5" 196 lb. powerforward has a good skill package and has a top-six opportunity waiting for him this fall. That opportunity begins now for the 20 yr. old native of Glendale, Arizona who decided to turn pro in 2017 after two years at the University of Connecticut.

Undrafted free agent Andrew Oglevie left Notre Dame after his junior season. The 23 yr. old from Fullerton, California finished his NCAA career with 41 goals and 89 points in 107 collegiate games for the Irish. Oglevie left college after leading Notre Dame to the NCAA Finals where he scored their lone goal in a 2-1 loss to the University of Minnesota-Duluth in the championship game.

Two fan favorites will also be skating for the Sabres in the 2018 Prospects Challenge.

Seventh-round pick Vasily Glotov churned his way into the hearts of fans at development camp with his Max Afinogenov-type darting and quickness while earning himself an AHL contract with Rochester. Glotov was selected 190th-overall at the 2016 NHL Draft and finished his two-year QMJHL career with 93 points (44+49) in 128 games.

Matej Pekar was selected at the top of the fourth round (94th) in June and made his mark at development camp as a pest in the Brad Marchand mold. Pekar dished out a hit to Dahlin and received an earth-shattering one in return from the 2018 first-overall pick. He also needled Mittelstadt off his game in their first 3-on-3 matchup at D-camp to the point where sticks were raised. Not only did Pekar draw the ire of Mittelstadt he also got a physical greeting from winger Brett Murray (2016, 99th) who take kindly to what Pekar was doing to his team mate. Something that got lost in Pekar's rat-like tendencies at D-camp was him undressing Dahlin for a goal in the first game of the 3-on-3 tournament. (For more on Pekar click here for Part I and here for Part II.)

The most intriguing name for Sabres fans might be left winger Alexander Nylander. The 2016 first rounder (eighth-overall) is battling bust-status not because of his immense skill but, moreso because of his seeming lack of desire. Nylander has struggled through his first two pro seasons, first as an 18 yr. old who made the jump direct from Sweden's Junior league to the North American pro game after the draft and last season he after suffering an injury early in the off season. Although it's still a little too early to dub the 20 yr. old a bust, he's got his work cut out for him.

Other notables include well-traveled 22 yr. old defenseman Brandon Hickey, who was acquired from the Arizona Coyotes along with Mike Sislo in exchange for winger Hudson Fasching. Hickey was a 2016 third round pick (64th) of the Calgary Flames who traded his rights to the 'Yotes. Hickey finished his college career this season at Boston University as captain of the Terriers and signed with Buffalo.

Left wing Pascal Aquin, an undrafted free agent out of the QMJHL, signed an AHL contract in May and had himself a strong development camp. Another undrafted free agent to keep an eye on might be LW, Kevin Hancock who tallied 54 goals and 154 points in 121 games for the OHL's Owen Sound over the past two seasons.

And finally, goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen opted to sign with the Sudbury Wolves (OHL) rather than return to his native Finland and because of it finds himself at the Prospects Challenge. The towering (6'4" 196 lb.) Luukkonen was a 2017 second round pick (54th) of Buffalo. The Sabres other goaltender this weekend is Jonas Johansson, a third round pick (61st) in 2014. At 6'5" 214 lbs. Johansson is physically huge in net but despite that size he hasn't been able to get the job done in North America.

Here's the full roster from Sabres.com:

Number--Player, Position

Forwards

76-Pascal Aquin, LW
74--Rasmus Asplund, C
46--Eric Cornel, C
79--Cole Coskey, RW
83--Shane Eiserman, C
77--Vasily Glotov, C
86--Kevin Hancock, LW
37--Casey Mittelstadt, C
92--Alexander Nylander, LW
52--Andre Oglevie, C
41--Victor Olofsson, LW
73--Matej Pekar, C
75--Judd Peterson, RW
78--Myles Powell, C
72--Tage Thompson

Defensemen

67--Arvin Atwal, RHD
70--Tobie Bisson, LHD
33--William Borgen, RHD
26--Rasmus Dahlin, LHD
45--Brendan Guhle, LHD
44--Brandon Hickey, LHD
58--Oskari Laaksonen, RHD
24--Lawrence Pilut, LHD
61--Devante Stephens, LHD
84--Nicolas Welsh, RHD

Goaltenders

34--Jonas Johansson
01--Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

An early look at the 2018-19 Rochester Americans with Don Stevens--Pt. 2

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 8-1-2018


This is the second part of an early look at the Rochester Americans with longtime Amerks broadcaster Don Stevens. (The first part can be found here.)



Over the last year, the Rochester Americans have added a lot quality players to their roster and have a lot of depth, something that hasn't been seen in years. Thanks to the work of Sabres GM Jason Botterill, his assistant GM Randy Sexton and some help from maturing draft picks and some savvy free agent signings, the Amerks said goodbye to three years in the bottom-five of the league with a playoff appearance.

Long time Amerks broadcaster Don Stevens talked about the depth Botterill and Sexton added to the club for the 2017-18 season. "The difference in depth between last year and the year before was tremendous," said Stevens, "and I think it's going to be even that much better this year.

"The depth is growing by leaps and bounds."

No more so than on defense. The Amerks have an extremely strong defense which is so deep that they could possibly make up "two strong AHL defense-corps," according Stevens. However he qualified that by sayin that the strong d-corps might be needed to help out the goaltending.

"Probably goaltending is the biggest suspect area right now," said Stevens who will be headed into his 33rd season as "The Voice of the Rochester Americans." And he didn't limit it to the Amerks either. "The [Sabres] organization had always been near the top, as far as goaltending is concerned where now they're not quite up to where they once were."

Since Ryan Miller was traded away in 2014 there have been a parade of goalies shuffling through Buffalo which includes rookies and journeymen and a season where they set an NHL record when dressing nine goaltenders. Former GM Tim Murray thought he had the answer in net when he traded for Robin Lehner but Botterill let him walk and they're going with a duo of 32 yr. old late-bloomer Carter Hutton (138 NHL games) and rookie Linus Ullmark who was drafted by Buffalo in the sixth round (163rd-overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft.

Ullmark was the team MVP the last two years and carried a heavy weight as he was bombarded with shots in both of his full seasons in Rochester. In 2016-17 Ullmark faced the most shots in the AHL (1678) and last season he was third with 1347 shots-against while finishing those two seasons with a combined 47-39-12 record with a .915 save percentage.

However, Botterill said at the Sabres' year-end presser that the 24 yr. old two-time AHL All-Star would be with the big club this coming season leaving a big void in net for an Amerks team that finished 18th in the league last year with 221 goals against.

Sexton and the Amerks were able to re-sign backup goaltender Adam Wilcox whom Stevens said was "outstanding" both on and off the ice for the Amerks. The 26 yr. old Wilcox will be entering his fourth full AHL season and will be sharing the net, perhaps as a backup again, with Scott Wedgewood, who was signed to a one-year, two way deal on July 1.

Wedgwood was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in 2010 (third round, 84th-overall) but has been well travelled since turning pro in 2012-13. The 25 yr. old Brampton, Ontario native played in Albany for the Devils, was traded to Arizona last October and played for the 'Yotes before being moved to the Los Angeles Kings in February. He finished out the 2017-18 campaign with their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign.

In all Wedgewood has played in 24 NHL games sporting a 7-10-5 record with a 3.05 GAA and .903 Sv% highlighted by a shutout streak of 159:34 in 2015-16 as a rookie. His AHL record is 53-37-10 (eight shutouts) with a 2.38 GAA and .908 Sv%.

Jonas Johansson (2014, 61st) has been less than spectacular and could end up being the starter in Cincinnati with the Cyclones of the ECHL.

Rochester used scoring by committee last season as they finished tied for ninth in the league with 234 goals. Defenseman Zach Redmond lead the team in points with 47 which was 53rd in the league while their top goal-scorer was Sahir Gill whose 18 tallies tied him for 71st in the league.

The team lost a big contributor in Colin Blackwell whose 17 goals and 45 points placed him second on the team in each category. Blackwell was signed away by the Nashville Predators and Stevens called it a "big loss" for the Amerks. The 25 yr. old Blackwell just completed his second full pro season and had a breakout campaign but maybe more importantly, "every time you needed something on the ice," said Stevens, "he was there."

However, the good news is that despite some losses, the Amerks do have some players moving up through the system. Coming over from Sweden in the forward ranks are rookies Victor Olofsson (2014, 181st) and Rasmus Asplund (2016,33rd.) Olofsson just completed a breakout season for Frolunda of the Swedish Hockey League scoring 26 goals while on his way to the Hakan Loob Trophy as the league's top scorer. The 23 yr. old winger has a wicked shot which he uncorked on the powerplay with regularity (league-leading 14 PP goals) which should make the AHL's fourth-best powerplay last season (21%) even better.

Asplund is that 200', all-around player that should help fill some of the void left when Blackwell signed with the Predators. The two-way center reads the game well, and has a high hockey IQ who has the speed to get up ice while adding offense to his game (28 points in 50 games last year.) Despite being somewhat small at 5'11" 176 lbs, Asplund is not afraid to go to the dirty areas of the ice and is solid on the dot.

Those two, along with fellow rookie Cliff Pu, (2016, 69th) will be joining a group of forwards lead by 32 yr. old captain Kevin Porter who finished fourth on the team in scoring last season with 42 points and was tied for second in goals with 17. Also amongst 17-goal club last season was rookie C.J. Smith.

Smith finished third on the Amerks with 44 points (17+27) and 10th in the league amongst rookies. The left-winger was signed out of UMass-Lowell in 2017 and displayed acute vision and abundant smarts to adapt to, and succeed at, the pro level last season. He's one of those players, said Stevens, "who seems to be in the right place at the right time."

The Amerks got swept out of the playoffs in their first post season appearance since 2014. Rochester went into the playoffs fairly strong but Stevens said that it was a case of "the whole team sort of leveling off" with a few players not stepping up when needed. "[They] were trying to step up I don't think [they] knew how to step up far enough," said Stevens of their playoffs struggles.

That leveling off included Ullmark, defenseman Brendan Guhle and winger Alexander Nylander.

Nylander's second pro season was defined by injuries as he missed the first month of the season with a lower body injury and had nagging injuries throughout most of the rest. After an incredibly slow start upon returning in November, Nylander went on a hot streak beginning in mid-February scoring 15 points (4+11) in 15 games. That, along with some pretty good play, eventually lead to a three-game callup to Buffalo in April.

Stevens called this upcoming season "huge" for Nylander and said he's got to come around. "When you think of Nylander he said, "the first thing I think about is that somehow he's got to stay healthy."

Nylander, along with four other players didn't skate at Sabres Development but he was there and looked physically bigger according to those at the rink. The former eighth-overall pick from 2016 has been very underwhelming in his first two pro seasaons for Rochester, but as Stevens pointed out, it's best to remember that he's only 20 yrs. old. "He's the same age at those coming out of Canadian Junior at that age.," Stevens reminded us.

Second year center Sean Malone also came on strong at seasons end and he could take control of a third-line center spot this season (or at least dominate in a fourth line role) with an outside shot at making the Sabres roster out of camp, should he have a good one. The West Seneca, NY native and 2013 sixth-round pick (159th) had a strong finish to the season in a bottom-six role for the Amerks and although he doesn't have the outright skill package he's got chutzpah and good size (6'0" 196 lbs) which he uses to impact on the game in that role. And, " he still has a lot of room to grow [in his game]," according to Stevens.

With training camp more than a month away it's still early in the process but when you look at the overall roster, save for goaltending, the Rochester Americans look to be well on their way to bigger an better things. The veteran core is solid and some of the young players from last year like Smith, Guhle and Malone looked poised to take the next step. Add in some young incoming talent like Olofsson, Asplund, and Pascal Aquin who had a strong development camp along with defensemen Lawrence Pilut and Brandon Hickey, and you have the makings of a team with an upgrade in overall talent and plenty of depth that should, hopefully, take them farther.

In talking with Stevens I got the impression that they overachieved somewhat last season but it got them into the playoffs for the first time in three years. Regardless of the fact that they got swept, those returning this season will have had that taste and should have a better understanding of what it takes to succeed both in the regular season and post season. "Maybe that's one of the things that happens when you haven't been to the playoffs for a while," said Stevens, "you don't know exactly what you need to do to step up."

With the added talent and depth and the experience they gained in the playoffs, that should change.

The Sabres top-5 prospects to watch after Dahlin and Mittelstadt

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 7-27-2018


Once Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin was selected first-overall in last month's NHL Entry Draft he immediately took his place at the top of the Sabres prospect pool. The teenager just completed a full season competing against men for Frolunda of the Swedish Hockey League and was impressive. After being drafted by Buffalo he hit development camp and showed why many feel he should be considered a franchise defenseman bordering on generational talent.

He's got that much going for him.

Dahlin displaced center Casey Mittelstadt as the Sabres top prospect. Mittelstadt spent last season playing for the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the Big-10. The Minnesota native was one-and-done in the NCAA finishing with 30 points (11+19) in 34 games for the Gophers but more importantly, Mittelstadt proved he could battle through tough defenses focused almost exclusively on him and produce against many players much older than him. It was with little surprise that he came to Buffalo after signing his entry-level deal and looked like he fit right in scoring a goal and adding four assists in six NHL games.

Those two represent great news for the future of the Buffalo Sabres. Even moreso when you add them to franchise center Jack Eichel and young workhorse defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.

The cool part about the prospect pool is that it doesn't stop at Dahlin and Mittelstadt. Buffalo is emerging from a period where the system was gutted as past draft failures and underachieving prospects left the entire organization with bottom-dwelling teams. That, however, is changing. A few players like Evan Rodrigues, Casey Nelson, Nicholas Baptiste, Justin Bailey and goalie Linus Ullmark have graduated but instead of a huge void in Rochester and the other developmental leagues, a wave of prospects and free agents drafted and acquired over the last few years (and maybe a bit beyond that) are ready to step up.

General manager Jason Botterill has done a fine job augmenting decent group of prospects ready to hit the pro ranks this season and it looks as if his two drafts (2017 ands 18) will continue to strengthen the prospect pool.

For this exercise the phrase "prospects to watch" is used because they may have the most impact at the AHL or possibly NHL-level this season. Talent is definitely a criteria but also the ability/probability of them reaching their potential this season and in the future. And we begin with:


1. D, Brendan Guhle

Prior to the drafting of Dahlin, Guhle was the Sabres top d-prospect. The 2015 second round pick (51st-overall) has surprised and excited the Sabres and their fan base since his first training camp three years ago. Until he got walloped by a clean Dion Phaneuf hit in the preseason, Guhle looked as if he was headed for the opening night roster. That hit set him back but when he did make his NHL debut as an emergency call up in December, 2016 for three games, he certainly looked the part.

The 6'3" 192 lb. Edmonton, Alberta native can really get up ice and although he wasn't drafted as a scorer has shown some serious touch. Both smart and athletic, Guhle was put on the slower developmental track last season by Botterill who is a firm believer in getting prospects as much development as possible.

Guhle played top-pairing minutes for the Amerks last season and was up for 18 games with the Sabres last season. Although he and the rest of his Rochester teammates faltered in the playoffs, everything he has to offer was on display at development camp as the  20 yr. old looked like a man amongst boys.

His waivers exempt status and the fact that Buffalo is overflowing on defense right now may mean he'll start the season in Rochester, which really isn't a bad thing for any party involved and you can bet your bottom dollar that if that's the case, he'll be the first defenseman called up and will retain that status throughout the season.

NHL Projection:  Top-four defenseman


2. F, Victor Olofsson

Simply put, Olofsson has proved to be a sniper. After plying his trade in his native Sweden since Buffalo drafted him with the 181st pick of the 2014 NHL Draft, the seventh rounder had a breakout season for Frolunda of the SHL. Olofsson lead the league with 27 goals in 50 games winning the Haaken Loob Trophy for the top goalscorer in the league.

The 5'10" 176 lb. winger found his niche while being deadly on the powerplay with a scorching one-timer. Because of that he's been labeled a powerplay specialist but he's a swift skater who has a knack for finding open ice. With the offensive skill there, Olofsson was said to have been working on his defensive game and a couple of things he'll also need to work on jumping the pond to North America is the smaller ice surface and a more rugged North American game.

If he can bring his defensive game to a respectable level and learn to avoid some of the North American aggression, especially as a smaller player, the Sabres could have found themselves a real seventh-round gem.

NHL Projection:  Top-nine winger/Powerplay Specialist


3. D, Lawrence Pilut

Pilut is a very intriguing free agent signing out of Sweden by Botterill and the Sabres as they landed the reigning SHL defenseman of the year.

The 5'11" 181 lb. Pilut had a breakout season for HV71 of the SHL as he lead all defensemen with 30 assists and 38 points on his way to the Borje Salming Trophy. When describing Pilut's game, we'll let HV 71 head coach Johan Lindbom tell it. "[Pilut] he wants to be involved in the play all the time," Lindbom told me over the phone back in May. "He's not the toughest, he's not the strongest in front of the net," said the coach, "but he reads the play really well.

" Larry (as the team called him) was very talented at a young age. Maybe a little too small from the beginning but he's a fighter. He takes his hockey very seriously. He practices very hard and that's what makes him successful."

Lindbom had Pilut working on his defense last season and we're pretty sure Amerks bench boss Chris Taylor will be doing the same in Rochester. But as we saw from the 3-on-3 tourney at development camp, Pilut has too much ability to be corralled. He'll definitely need to play defense in North America but look for him to be jumping into the play often once he gets his footing.

NHL Projection:  No. 4/5, offensive-minded defenseman


4. C, Rasmus Asplund

Asplund was the draft-eligible focal point of former GM Tim Murray when he mad a draft-day trade back in 2016. On the second day of the draft Murray pulled the trigger on a deal where the Sabres would move up from No. 38 to No. 33. There was no guarantee Asplund would be there but Murray was pretty sure to the point where the swap was insisted upon.

The 20 yr. old Asplund has been developing his strong two-way game in Sweden having spent almost four full seasons in the SHL. In 170 SHL games he tallied 62 points (20+42) and was a plus-17 for Farjestad BK. But stats aren't full where it's at with him.

Asplund plays an advanced two-way game where his high hockey IQ and hard working play were relied upon throughout the game. He has all the makings of a classic third-line/two-way center who's responsible all over the ice and can chip in on offense

NHL Projection:  Third-line center.


5. LW, CJ Smith

Smith is another good free agent signing for the Sabres. Buffalo signed him out of UMass-Lowell in 2017 and he just finished a very solid rookie campaign in Rochester scoring 44 points (17+27) in 57 games for the Amerks.

Although Smith doesn't have ideal size at 5'11" 185 lbs., he's got plenty of skill and chutzpah, is a solid two-way player, has a strong work ethic and plays the game fast with plenty of determination.

NHL Projection:  Top-nine winger


Honorable Mentions:

D, Brandon Hickey--a very intriguing trade with Phoenix this off season by Botterill brought in an excellent skating defenseman with size (6'2" 201 lbs.,) some physicality, leadership qualities and some offensive acumen.

LW, Alexander Nylander--if his desire ever rises to his skill-level, he's got top-six sniper written all over him. Key word 'if''.

A Sabrecentric recap plus a little food for thought on this Fourth of July

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 7-4-2018


The Buffalo Sabres opted to follow a defense-heavy/Swede-heavy 2018 NHL Draft by jumping into development camp earlier than normal. Sabres D-Camp was usually scheduled after the Fourth of July but this year it was moved up to the last weekend in June, which happened to butt up against the start of free agency. That, along with the trade of Ryan O'Reilly made for a very busy week.

Some things may have been missed in the process so what better time to play a little ketchup today as we munch on our All-American burgers and enjoy fireworks.

A quick recap of the draft had the Sabres and GM Jason Botterill taking five defensemen out of six picks, three of them being from Sweden and one with Swedish heritage. The parade of Swedes was lead by first overall pick D, Rasmus Dahlin followed later by the picks of defensemen Linus Lindstrand Cronholm (4th round) and William Worge Kreu (7th.) Hulking defenseman Mattias Samuelsson (2nd) was born in the U.S. and played in the USHL for the National Development Program. He is the son of former NHL d-man Kjell Samuelsson who was born in Sweden.

The Sabres selected Czech-native Matej Pekar, a center who played in the USHL, with the first pick of the fourth round and with their first pick in the seventh round they took defenseman Miska Kukkonen out of Finland.

Interesting to note that for the second year in a row under Botterill, the Sabres did not select a player from the Canadian Hockey League. Botterill's reasoning was that for later round picks, players attending college or playing overseas allows for more development time. "In a scenario where you have an extended period of four years (as opposed to two years for CHL players,)" he said at the draft, "in most situations for Europeans or college players it allows you more opportunity to develop."

All six of those draft picks were on the ice last week for D-camp.

One thing we were able to see at camp right off the bat was just how great a skater Dahlin is. For those of us who couldn't make it out to HarborCenter, there were tweets galore showing Dahlin almost effortlessly glide through drills. We also had the opportunity to see Dahlin level Pekar with a check after the feisty Czech was said to have delivered a cheap shot to the franchise defenseman.

Here's a quick shot of that hit thanks to Highlight Haven:





Sabres development camp is what the name says it is as it's mainly about teaching young players how to be professionals and getting them acclimated to the work involved at the professional level. Players from five different draft classes with Eric Cornel being the farthest reaching (2014, 44th-overall.) But it isn't all about drills as they do have some competitive fun as the camp closes with the annual French Connection 3-on-3 Tournament.

Four teams with nine players each played a round-robin to determine seeding for the semi-finals with the winner of the semi-final rounds playing for the championship.

The tournament was streamed live via sabres.com.

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 7-4-2018


For the second year in a row, Casey Mittelstadt (2017, 8th) and his Team Martin (White) won the tournament. Mittelstadt must have learned something from the previous year as his team hit the win column until the final round robin game. They dismissed of Team Robert (Gray) in the semi-final and Team Perreault (Navy) in the finals.

Mittelstadt was the star of the show but it wasn't without some peril as Pekar hounded the hell out of him in their round-robin match. It got to the point where sticks were raised between the two and with a lot of in your face intensity. Pekar's focus on Mittelstadt frustrated the talented center but come the semi finals, Pekar laid off (perhaps at the insistence of management) and Mittelstadt was allowed to more fully play his game.

Pekar drew comparisons to Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand who's known as "The little ball of hate" as he's got a gadfly-like intensity that annoys the hell out of people. In addition to that, Pekar did have his moment of revenge against Dahlin in the tournament's first game as he smoked the defenseman with a nifty deek at the right dot and proceeded to send a wicked wrister far-side.

Defenseman Brendan Guhle (2015, 51st) was drafted for his skating and athleticism and was a man amongst boys as he breezed across the ice in a display of skating that was awe-inspiring. His finish wasn't quite there but he showed the type of talents that have him on the cusp of full-time NHL duty.

Other notes:

--Goalie Hunter Shepard was a camp invite and wowed the crowd with a spectacular display of goaltending in Team Robert's second game. Although the 6'0' 205 lb. Minnesota-Duluth junior is a bit small by today's goalie standards he impressed to the point where an eye should be kept on him once he finishes his college career.

--Rasmus Asplund was the object of former GM Tim Murray's desire in the second round of the 2016 NHL Draft held in Buffalo. Since selecting him 33rd overall fans in Sabreland have been getting reports about a strong two-way player who's got a great feel for what's happening around him and that's what we saw 3-on-3.

--Winger Victor Olofsson (2014, 181st) was off the radar in Sabreland for three years until his breakout season in Sweden last year. His 29 goals lead the league and we had the opportunity to see his wicked shot during the 3-on-3. It's impressive.

--When the name Max Afinogenov is invoked, one thinks of a fast, dart-like skater who make a lot happen on the ice and that's what we saw with Vasily Glotov (2016, 190th.) Glotov was a wizard with his skating and had some finish, but did a lot of chopping with not a lot of chips flying.

--Undrafted left-winger Pascal Aquin was signed by the Rochester Americans in early May. The 6'1" 185 lb. native of Le Gardeur, Quebec was consistently in the mix throughout as he displayed plenty of speed and moves while also scoring the lone shootout goal in the Championship Game.

There were others who made a strong impression from goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (2017, 54th) to free agent signee Andrew Oglevie (2018, Notre Dame) to fellow free agent Lawrence Pilut (2018, SHL) to, of course Dahlin who simply wowed even without scoring much.


French Connection Tournament Highlights via sabres.com

*****

Botterill and the Sabres have had a busy off season dating back to early June when they relinquished the rights 2016 draft picks Vojtech Budik (130th,) Brandon Hagel (159th) and Buffalo native Austin Osmanski (189th.)

Buffalo signed three players from that 2016 draft class--Alexander Nylander (8th,) Asplund and Cliff Pu (69th)--to their entry-level deals while Casey Fitzgerald (86th) and Brett Murray (99th) are still in college with Philip Nyberg (129th) continuing his development playing in Sweden.

Also signed to his entry-level deal was Luukkonen.

Botterill and company also qualified six restricted free agents:  Justin Bailey (2013, 52nd,) Nicholas Baptiste (2013, 69th,) Sean Malone (2013, 159th,) Sam Reinhart (2014, 2nd,) C.J. Smith (2017, FA) and Danny O'Regan (2012, 138th, SJS) who came over from the San Jose Sharks in the Evander Kane deal.

The Sabres did not qualify a trio lead by last year's starting goaltender. Robin Lehner was arbitration-eligible and was allowed to walk, He recently singed with the NY Islanders. Russian free agent Victor Antipin was released and after searching for a home in the NHL, will head back to the KHL. Scott Wilson wasn't qualified but the Sabres signed him to a two-year deal on July 1, the start of free agency.


*****

Speaking of free agency, Botterill went to work filling a few holes in the organization when he signed UFA goalie Carter Hutton to a team friendly three-year deal. Hutton was a starter for the St. Louis Blues last season. They also landed another goalie to take the reigns in Rochester as Scott Wedgewood signed a one-year, two-way deal with Buffalo.

Defenseman Brandon Hickey was signed to his entry-level deal on July 1 as well. Hickey came to Buffalo in a trade with the Arizona Coyotes that saw Hudson Fasching head to the desert.

Hickey was drafted by the Calgary Flames in the 3rd round (64th) of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. The 6'2" 204 lb. puck-mover spent a full four years at Boston University which included playing with present Sabres Jack Eichel, Evan Rodrigues and O'Regan. During that time his rights were traded to Arizona as part of the Mike Smith deal.

The acquisition and signing of Hickey adds more depth to the prospect pool and a quality defenseman for the Rochester Americans.


*****

Botterill did some wheelin' and dealin' in addition to the Fasching/Hickey deal as he continued to mold the Sabres to his liking. Between the draft and the start of free agency, Botterill hooked up with his former team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, to land LW Conor Sheary along with D, Matt Hunwick.

Sheary was traded for to help fill a gaping hole at left wing for the Sabres while Hunwick may end up in Rochester.

But that trades and the moves before were small change compared to the blockbuster O'Reilly trade. Botterill moved O'Reilly, a player that just didn't seem to fit with where he wanted the team to go, to St. Louis for a lottery-protected first rounder, a second rounder, prospect Tage Thompson and veterans Patrick Berglund and Vladimir Sobotka.

The trade, which was consummated on July 1, firmly put Botterill's stamp on his club.



Have a Happy and Safe Fourth of July celebration.

Dahlin-Day in Buffalo plus 7 forward prospects to keep an eye on

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 6-22-2018


It's a beautiful day, and it will be an even better night once GM Jason Botterill and the Buffalo Sabres entourage head up to the podium in Dallas, TX to select Rasmus Dahlin first-overall in the 2018 NHL Draft.

For the organization, it's the opportunity to put seven years of rebuilding angst, anger and frustration in the rear view mirror and start heading towards the future. It was a stretch that hopefully will be forgotten soon and like a bad relationship that went on way too long, time will have healed all wounds with the pain and apathy of those years reduced to an unpleasant memory.

Forgive me for waxing poetic. I know I've been there before when we thought we said goodbye to the tank years with the 2015 draft-day makeover highlighted by the selection of Jack Eichel second overall. It didn't work, and with the trades that former GM Tim Murray made to augment Eichel and 2014 second-overall pick Sam Reinhart being moved on from, it's Botterill's gig and things seem to be going very well for him.

In the last two blogs we looked at a very thin prospect pool in goal, which will be taxed even further as the Sabres will not qualify RFA starting goalie Robin Lehner, and a pretty thin collection of defensemen. Luckily for Buffalo they won the lottery and the selection of Dahlin will not only help the d-corps fall into place, the Sabres also have the option of keeping their top d-prospect, Brendan Guhle in Rochester at least for some of the season.

The forward group has been much maligned for their lack of top-level talent and overall speed. While the latter is true from a physical standpoint, they may have been more the victim of playing the game slower. Most forwards on the Sabres last season had NHL skating ability, but the mess that was the team, which included a rookie coach in Phil Housley wouldn't allow for playing the game at a faster pace.

That will change beginning this season as the forward group should see an influx of both speed and talent, albeit those two traits being mutually exclusive in some of the players that will be in Buffalo next season. Who will be a part of the opening day roster is still up in the air beginning with Ryan O'Reilly and stretching down to Zemgus Girgensons and Johan Larsson.

For as much grief as Murray got for his trades, and it's warranted as all three of his big-time acquisitions may be gone after only three years, his drafting was pretty solid. That includes the aforementioned Guhle (2015, second round) plus D, Will Borgen (2015, fourth round) and a few players that are apart of our Top-7 forwards to keep an eye on.

Having said that, the top forward prospect that has all of Sabreland quite excited is a 2017 pick from Botterill's first draft as a GM.


C, Casey Mittelstadt (2017, 8th-overall)

How many times have you heard "I can't believe he dropped to us there" when talking about a prospect at the draft. Such was the case with Mittelstadt as many viewed him as a top-five pick but the Sabres were able to land him at No. 8.

The 2017 Mr. Hockey winner from Eden Prairie High School in Minnesota joined the NCAA's Minnesota Golden Gophers for one season before signing his entry-level deal with the Sabres in March. He played in six games for Buffalo registering his first NHL goal and adding four assists.

There's a lot to be excited about when it comes to Mittelstadt and what he has to offer. He's got size (6'0" 199 lbs.) and plenty of skill (11 goals and 30 points in 34 games as a freshman for the Gophers) to go along with his excellent skating ability. Although he isn't the fastest he's pretty quick to areas and his hockey sense allows him to play the game at a faster pace. Mittelstadt faced a lot of rugged defensive hockey in the BIG 10 last season and had plenty of gumption to get where he needed to go, which were often the dirty areas of the ice, and find the player in open space.

Where he plays next year in Buffalo is wholly dependent upon O'Reilly. Should they trade the veteran center, Mittelstadt will be looked to as the team's No. 2 center but should O'Reilly stay, it's likely that he'll be moved to third-line center. Although I wouldn't completely rule out the possibility of him getting time on the wing in that scenario.

The Sabres will be adding two high-end prospects this season in Dahlin and Mittelstadt. It's a duo that has those of us in Sabreland pretty excited.


C, Sean Malone (2013, 159th)

Is Malone the No. 2 forward prospect for Buffalo? No, not by any stretch, but this isn't about ranking prospects, its about prospects to keep an eye on and he looks like he'll be knocking on the door of the NHL this coming season.

The West Seneca, NY native was more that a token local pick when the Sabres snagged him in the sixth round of the 2013 NHL Draft. The solid 6' 0" 190 lb two-way center left Nichols High School and embarked on a collegiate career at Harvard. While with the Crimson he scored 42 goals and 99 points in 115 games which included a 18-goal, 42-point breakout in his senior season. Malone got a one game taste of the NHL at the end of the 2017-17 season and spent last year in Rochester.

After adjusting to the speed of the pro game, Malone ramped up his game to the point where he said he felt like himself. That player he's talking about plays a 200' game with a lot of speed and determination. Although he doesn't have the skill-level to crack the top-six or even top-nine, once he gets up to speed at the NHL level, Malone has the ability to be a stalwart and clutch faceoff guy in a fourth-line checking role.


LW, C.J. Smith (2017, FA)

Smith is another player who isn't top-three amongst the prospect rankings, but one we should keep an eye on heading into the season.

The Sabres have no left wingers to speak of and the U-Mass Lowell product showed plenty of skill and speed to be considered for the openings on Buffalo's left side. At 5'11" 185 lbs. Smith doesn't have ideal NHL size, but he proved last season he could hang with the big boys at the pro level. Smith tied for second on the Amerks with 17 goals and was third on the team in scoring with 44 points, which tied him for 10th amongst rookies in the AHL.

In addition to his skills on offense, Smith plays a solid two-way game and is strong on the defensive side of the equation. What he has to offer at the NHL level is still unknown but he has a nice foundation with which to build upon, quite possibly in a third-line left wing role for the Sabres.


LW, Alexander Nylander (2016, 8th)

What was said about Smith's opportunity on the left side in Buffalo is also true for Nylander. So why is an eighth-overall pick behind a free agent who plays the same position? It's how the two seem to have approached the game in Rochester. As a free agent, Smith had a lot to prove whereas Nylander comes off as a player who's been in prima donna mode.

Nylander may have had the highest skill-level at the 2016 NHL Draft but the knock on him was that he disappeared, something we've seen in Rochester the last two seasons. In 116 games for the Amerks he's scored only 18 goals and 55 points. Put that up against what Smith has done in less than half the games.

Having said that, it's still a bit too early to give up on him. Nylander is an extremely gifted hockey player who has all the tools to take a spot in the top-six. But until he gets his head on straight, he's looking more like a bust than he is an NHL player.


C, Rasmus Asplund (2016, 33rd)

There has been a lot of anticipation with Asplund and when he would finally arrive in North America and the reason for it was his exceptional play at the pro level in his native Sweden.

Asplund won't wow you with his stats (8+20 in 50 games for Färjestad BK last season) but he does everything else extremely well. "He's quick and shifty, using his speed and turning ability to gaine time and space," reported The Draft Analyst, and he plays a full 200' game. Asplund is not afraid of the dirty areas on the ice and has a high compete-level.

Should he continue to develop properly, Asplund has all the attributes of a top-end, third-line center.


RW, Nicholas Baptiste (2013, 69th)

The right side of Buffalo's forward group is pretty full right now with Reinhart, Kyle Okposo and Jason Pominville in the top nine and Baptiste hasn't had much time, if any, on the left side. That makes for a pretty tough road to hoe for him.

At this point in his career, the 22 yr. old Baptiste is out of waiver options so if the Sabres want to keep him, he'll need to stay in Buffalo or they risk losing him. It's been a pretty choppy ride for Baptiste thus far in his pro career as he's spent most of it in Rochester. His AHL stats are decent (38+31 in 121 games) and he's managed seven goals (plus four assists) in 47 NHL games. But he just hasn't been able to break through quite yet.

We've seen spurts of what Baptiste can be as he has plenty of speed and can score from all areas using a wide array of shots. It's consistency that's lacking in his game, which is typical of young player and if he ever gets that ironed out, because of the speed and skill he has, Baptiste could be a force in the top-nine or even top-six.

He's got a lot riding on this season and it would behoove him to have a great camp and bust his way into the top nine.


RW, Victor Oloffson (2014, 181st)

Although there hasn't been much anticipation about Olofsson making his North American debut prior to last season, the numbers he put up in 2017-18 certainly raised some eyebrows.

Olofsson was a beast in Sweden with Frolunda as he lead the SHL with 27 goals while finishing with 43 points. It took the 5'11" 172 lb. sniper three full seasons to break out in Sweden's top league but did so in style as he finished with the Håkan Loob Trophy for most goals scored in the season.

Frolunda used him in the circle on the powerplay where Olofsson unleashed a deadly shot and there's no doubt that he's one of the most skilled shooters in the Sabres prospect pool. Can he find his place in Rochester playing on the smaller North American rink is one of the questions with Olofsson as is how he'll be able to keep his smaller frame out of trouble with the bigger, stronger, heavier competition in the AHL.

That said, having an influx of talent like his should bring good things for the Amerks and hopefully , Buffalo as well.

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.

2016 Draft Weekend Recap--Picks, Trades and Stamkos

Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com


Before we get into a busy weekend at the First Niagara Center as the NHL descended upon the First Niagara Center for the Entry Draft, big props to the Pegula's and their charges at Pegula Sports and Entertainment. Simply put, they put on a good show.

The centerpiece of the rejuvenation of downtown Buffalo is HARBORCENTER, a $190 million multi-faceted building conceived of and built by Kim and Terry Pegula, owners of the Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo Bills. The original idea designed around building a dual-rink complex complete with parking garage as a magnet for hockey, but once Kim got her hands on it the idea turned into a mult-faceted building complete with a Marriott hotel, sports bar and other amenities that make it a downtown destination.

Details of how the Pegula's helped kick in the rejuvenation of downtown Buffalo can be found in a wonderful piece from Sal Maiorana of the Rochester Democrat and Chronical. Kim Pegula states in the article how her husband wanted grass planted in the area that is now HARBORCENTER and the adjoining area known as Canalside. Maiorana aptly described it as "the depressingly unkempt space underneath the Skyway between the arena and the river." Terry was quoted by his wife at the time as saying of the area, "If they could just plant some grass. You know, at least make it look somewhat like you care," and thus it was born.

From grass to the NHL Draft and more to come.

I had the pleasure of striking up a conversation with a number of credentialed out-of-towners who were thoroughly impressed with everything in and around the F'N Center and HARBORCENTER, which is a good thing. Hopefully we won't be waiting another 18 years before the city of Buffalo hosts another NHL Draft but until then the Pegula's and Buffalo will be hosting their third consecutive NHL Combine in 2017 as well as the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championships.

Not bad for an idea that was as simple as planting grass. "We’re talking grass," said Kim in the article, "that’s all it was.”