Published by hockeybuzz.com, 10-1-2018
Sabres forward Johan Larsson is a 26 yr. old young veteran who's played in 258 NHL games in a bottom-six role for Buffalo. Last year, much like the team in general, Larsson had a terrible season and coming into camp he was anything but a lock to make the roster.
Last month as training camp was beginning to roll, head coach Phil Housley told the gathered media he liked what he'd seen from Larsson in camp to that point. "I think he’s had three really good days (of training camp),” Housley said (via Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times) after the Sabres scrimmaged Sunday morning inside HarborCenter. “He’s come into camp in really good shape, probably the best shape that he’s been in. So it’s good to say he took the words in the right way at the end of the year. But he’s been really, really good so far in camp.”
Larsson's performance on the ice during the preseason was good and he showed flashes of his better self but really wasn't standing out from amongst the many players vying for a roster spot. The acquisitions of Conor Sheary added top-nine depth and when the Sabres traded Ryan O'Reilly to the St. Louis Blues they brought back two veterans forwards in Patrik Berglund and Vladimir Sobotka who pretty much passed Larsson on the depth chart upon arrival. In August the Sabres traded for top-six forward Jeff Skinner and he pushed another player down the depth chart probably pushing Larsson out, unless the latter had a helluva camp.
That really didn't happen and this past Wednesday Larsson suffered a foot injury. He's listed as day-to-day right now and prior to yesterday, many expected that when he came off of the injured list he'd be waived. However, what looks to be a serious injury to Scott Wilson yesterday during practice may have given Larsson a brief reprieve.
Wilson, whom the Sabres traded for in December and re-signed to a two-year contract extension, looked to be slated for fourth line duties on the wing before getting tangled up with Rasmus Ristolainen yesterday. Word from the rink had him being helped off the ice and not being able to put any pressure on his right foot. It might be safe to say that he won't be ready for the season opener on Thursday and might be out for an extended period of time.
Oddly enough, Sheary had just returned to practice yesterday after suffering an injury on the first day of training camp.
Another forward who was making a strong push for the opening night roster was rookie Sean Malone who suffered a knee injury in the preseason opener against Columbus. The center is expected to be out six weeks and is expected to got to Rochester when he's cleared to play.
The injuries to Malone, Larsson and now Wilson, in addition to the waiving of winger Justin Bailey and Nicholas Baptiste have combined to allow for winger Tage Thompson and Alexander Nylander to remain with the club. As of now there are 16 forwards listed on Buffalo's roster and only 13 when you take out the injured Malone, Larsson and Wilson.
Buffalo's defense-corps is crowded right now, at least on paper. The Sabres roster on defense stands at 11 players, but three of them are injured and another, Matt Tennyson, was waived on Saturday, cleared, and is presently practicing with the team. Defenseman Matt Hunwick was acquired in the Sheary trade but has been sidelined with a neck injury that caused him to miss all of training camp, Brandon Hickey is also sideline with an undisclosed injury and, as usual, Zach Bogosian is also out with an injury.
That leaves a group of four players that were pegged as starters to begin with--Rasmus Ristolainen, Marco Scandella, Jake McCabe and Rasmus Dahlin--plus two from last year, Nathan Beauleu and Casey Nelson, also in the mix for the top-six. Twenty-one year old defenseman Brendan Guhle, who's had a good but not spectacular camp, is still with the club and may have an opportunity to get into the top six should Bogosian not be ready for Thursday's opener.
Nylander, Thompson and Guhle are all waiver's exempt and when the injured start returning any of those three can be sent down without them having to pass through waivers. And, since Bailey and Baptiste cleared, they can be brought up and sent down if the Sabres want to bring either of them up for the opener.
NHL teams well need to pare their roster to 23 players tomorrow and when six of your 27 skaters are injured, that won't be much of a problem for Buffalo. Plus they can even keep Tennyson around as an extra defenseman, if they so desire.
There will be a lot to watch come opening night including individual players like Jack Eichel, newcomer Skinner and rookie defenseman Dahlin but we'll also be keeping an eye on young players like Nylander, Thompson and Guhle. Injuries have given them opportunities but their performances will dictate where the roster stands when the injured return.
Showing posts with label Sean Malone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sean Malone. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Nylander impresses vs. Blue Jax. Dahlin and Sabres' "A-squad" at home tonight
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-18-2018
No, there's not really an 'A' squad and 'B' squad for the Buffalo Sabres right now but when you look at some of the players that will be playing for Buffalo at home tonight vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins, it sure looks that way. Although we're not sure who the headliner should be, the double-bill of Jack Eichel and defenseman Rasmus Dahlin will top this group of Sabres with Dahlin getting most of the attention because of his rookie status.
Dahlin, the No. 1 overall pick at the 2018 NHL Draft, is widely regarded as the best prospect in hockey right now while the Sabres also have the fourth best prospect, according to The Athletic's Corey Pronman, in center Casey Mittelstadt who is also scheduled to be on the ice tonight. Joining that trio is recently acquired, three-time 30-goal scorer Jeff Skinner, Buffalo's probable top-pairing on defense to start the season--Rasmus Ristolainen and Marco Scandella--as well as veteran forwards Kyle Okposo and Jason Pominville plus a host of rookies looking to make their mark amidst this group of Buffalo's high end players.
With close to 50 players in training camp hockey, like baseball, does split-squad games. As we move through the preseason the roster will be whittled down until the final opening night lineup begins practicing for the Sabres October 4 season opener at home against the Boston Bruins. In a nod to capturing the moment, Buffalo's brass decided to wait until tonight's home game for Dahlin to make his debut while it seems as if the coaching staff, based on the lineup tonight, wants to leave the fans with a huge first impression of their 2018-19 Buffalo Sabres.
The process began last night with the 'B-squad' in Columbus taking on the Blue Jackets and one player who needed to catch the attention of the Sabres certainly did.
Winger Alexander Nylander has been dogged by a number of issues since the Sabres drafted him eighth-overall at the 2016 NHL Draft. The very fact that he was taken instead of defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, who's already completed a full season and played a meaningful role in 17 playoff games for the Tampa Bay Lightning. There was the stigma of disappearing for large chunks of games, and the injury that he suffered last off season that put him behind the 8-ball in 2017-18.
Throughout it all we saw glimpses of his high-end skills and were constantly reminded that he was still young during his two pro seasons, to the point where Sabres GM Jason Botterill noted this off season that most players his age are just turning pro.
Nylander is healthy this year and he bulked up in preparation for camp. He had a strong Prospects Challenge and was fully engaged last night at Columbus. The 20 yr. old was on a line with veteran forward Patrik Berglund at center and 2016, 26th-overall pick Tage Thompson in what was the clearly the best line on the ice. The stat sheet is solid as Nylander had two assists in 19:28 of ice-time with 1:29 on the powerplay and 2:03 on the penalty kill included. Buffalo beat the Blue Jackets 4-1 with Nylander notching the primary assists on the Sabres first two goals.
But stats are nothing more than numbers to be manipulated without context and in the case of Nylander, those numbers may not have done justice to the game he had. He was making the smart plays, chipping in the puck, working the corners and the wall behind the net and on Buffalo's first goal by Berglund he made a pass that not many players can make.
"If I was Nylander," Berglund told the gathered media post-game,"I would never try to pass that puck because I could never make that play. It was a great play by him." The 30 yr. old veteran of nearly 700 NHL games also said of Nylander, "from what I saw today and at practice, I think he's been taking big steps [towards] playing the game the right way."
For Nylander it's progression and if he continues to play engaged hockey while displaying a skill-set that was considered one of the best, if not the best, of his draft class, some great things could be on the horizon for him and the Sabres.
Now for a bucket of cold water.
The Jackets, like the Sabres, did not offer up their A-team either. Although captain Nick Foligno, top-six center Pierre-Luc Dubois and forward Oliver Bjorkstrand did play, they did not have the likes of forwards Artemi Panarin, Cam Atkinson and Boone Jenner play nor did they have their top defensive pairing of Seth Jones and Zach Werenski on the ice for this one.
Jackets head coach John Tortorella expressed some concern heading into the tilt as he alluded to a tough training camp thus far for his charges. "I'm a little concerned about these two games for us, because they have skated and skated, and it's been really hard for them," he told the Columbus media. "You've got to be really careful, as far as how you evaluate [these guys], because I think we're going to have some tired players out there tonight."
Brad Shaw, who ran the Jackets bench while Tortorella watched from above, echoed that sentiment saying that his club wasn't as sharp in the defensive zone as they could have been but despite those shortcomings, Columbus still took it to Buffalo in the offensive zone outshooting the Sabres by a 37-20 margin.
Which leads us to Sabres goalie Linus Ullmark who played extremely well while stopping 20 of 21 shots in 40 minutes of ice-time. The 25 yr. old who's been steadily working his way up the ranks ever since the Sabres drafted him in the sixth round (163rd overall) of the 2012 draft, showed excellent form and a quick glove to stymie the Jackets and help Buffalo to a 3-1 lead heading into the final period. Although he still has some kinks to work out he looks to be a solid 1B for Buffalo in the crease this season.
Perhaps the second best skater on the ice for Buffalo last night was Sean Malone, albeit in a different role. Malone is a local boy (West Seneca, NY) who was taken in the sixth round (159th) of the 2013 draft and had been making great progress as he was pressing for a checking line role with the Sabres up until he came up injured last night. Malone got tangled up and left the game with what's being reported as a knee injury that will keep him out an estimated six weeks.
For those heading to tonight's game, or watching it on MSG, have a good time. The Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup in back-to-back seasons (2016-17) and depleted their organizational depth in the process. Buffalo defeated Pittsburgh at the Prospects Challenge by a score of 10-2 as they faced a team without any first or third round picks and only one second rounder playing in that game. A couple of those players will be in the lineup tonight, yet the Pens will be missing their big guns in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Kris Letang, Patric Hornqvist, Olli Maatta and goalie Matt Murray.
So enjoy, Sabreland as it should be a good time tonight. There's a lot to look forward to this season and most of that will be on display tonight.
Buffalo's lineup for today from Paul Hamilton of WGR550 Radio:
53 Skinner - 9 Eichel - 21 Okposo
71 Rodrigues - 37 Mittelstadt - 29 Pominville
49 Smith - 17 Sobotka - 95 Bailey
28 Girgensons - 74 Asplund - 13 Baptiste
26 Dahlin - 19 McCabe
6 Scandella - 55 Ristolainen
24 Pilut - 33 Borgen
40 Hutton
31 Wedgewood
No, there's not really an 'A' squad and 'B' squad for the Buffalo Sabres right now but when you look at some of the players that will be playing for Buffalo at home tonight vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins, it sure looks that way. Although we're not sure who the headliner should be, the double-bill of Jack Eichel and defenseman Rasmus Dahlin will top this group of Sabres with Dahlin getting most of the attention because of his rookie status.
Dahlin, the No. 1 overall pick at the 2018 NHL Draft, is widely regarded as the best prospect in hockey right now while the Sabres also have the fourth best prospect, according to The Athletic's Corey Pronman, in center Casey Mittelstadt who is also scheduled to be on the ice tonight. Joining that trio is recently acquired, three-time 30-goal scorer Jeff Skinner, Buffalo's probable top-pairing on defense to start the season--Rasmus Ristolainen and Marco Scandella--as well as veteran forwards Kyle Okposo and Jason Pominville plus a host of rookies looking to make their mark amidst this group of Buffalo's high end players.
With close to 50 players in training camp hockey, like baseball, does split-squad games. As we move through the preseason the roster will be whittled down until the final opening night lineup begins practicing for the Sabres October 4 season opener at home against the Boston Bruins. In a nod to capturing the moment, Buffalo's brass decided to wait until tonight's home game for Dahlin to make his debut while it seems as if the coaching staff, based on the lineup tonight, wants to leave the fans with a huge first impression of their 2018-19 Buffalo Sabres.
The process began last night with the 'B-squad' in Columbus taking on the Blue Jackets and one player who needed to catch the attention of the Sabres certainly did.
Winger Alexander Nylander has been dogged by a number of issues since the Sabres drafted him eighth-overall at the 2016 NHL Draft. The very fact that he was taken instead of defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, who's already completed a full season and played a meaningful role in 17 playoff games for the Tampa Bay Lightning. There was the stigma of disappearing for large chunks of games, and the injury that he suffered last off season that put him behind the 8-ball in 2017-18.
Throughout it all we saw glimpses of his high-end skills and were constantly reminded that he was still young during his two pro seasons, to the point where Sabres GM Jason Botterill noted this off season that most players his age are just turning pro.
Nylander is healthy this year and he bulked up in preparation for camp. He had a strong Prospects Challenge and was fully engaged last night at Columbus. The 20 yr. old was on a line with veteran forward Patrik Berglund at center and 2016, 26th-overall pick Tage Thompson in what was the clearly the best line on the ice. The stat sheet is solid as Nylander had two assists in 19:28 of ice-time with 1:29 on the powerplay and 2:03 on the penalty kill included. Buffalo beat the Blue Jackets 4-1 with Nylander notching the primary assists on the Sabres first two goals.
But stats are nothing more than numbers to be manipulated without context and in the case of Nylander, those numbers may not have done justice to the game he had. He was making the smart plays, chipping in the puck, working the corners and the wall behind the net and on Buffalo's first goal by Berglund he made a pass that not many players can make.
"If I was Nylander," Berglund told the gathered media post-game,"I would never try to pass that puck because I could never make that play. It was a great play by him." The 30 yr. old veteran of nearly 700 NHL games also said of Nylander, "from what I saw today and at practice, I think he's been taking big steps [towards] playing the game the right way."
For Nylander it's progression and if he continues to play engaged hockey while displaying a skill-set that was considered one of the best, if not the best, of his draft class, some great things could be on the horizon for him and the Sabres.
Now for a bucket of cold water.
The Jackets, like the Sabres, did not offer up their A-team either. Although captain Nick Foligno, top-six center Pierre-Luc Dubois and forward Oliver Bjorkstrand did play, they did not have the likes of forwards Artemi Panarin, Cam Atkinson and Boone Jenner play nor did they have their top defensive pairing of Seth Jones and Zach Werenski on the ice for this one.
Jackets head coach John Tortorella expressed some concern heading into the tilt as he alluded to a tough training camp thus far for his charges. "I'm a little concerned about these two games for us, because they have skated and skated, and it's been really hard for them," he told the Columbus media. "You've got to be really careful, as far as how you evaluate [these guys], because I think we're going to have some tired players out there tonight."
Brad Shaw, who ran the Jackets bench while Tortorella watched from above, echoed that sentiment saying that his club wasn't as sharp in the defensive zone as they could have been but despite those shortcomings, Columbus still took it to Buffalo in the offensive zone outshooting the Sabres by a 37-20 margin.
Which leads us to Sabres goalie Linus Ullmark who played extremely well while stopping 20 of 21 shots in 40 minutes of ice-time. The 25 yr. old who's been steadily working his way up the ranks ever since the Sabres drafted him in the sixth round (163rd overall) of the 2012 draft, showed excellent form and a quick glove to stymie the Jackets and help Buffalo to a 3-1 lead heading into the final period. Although he still has some kinks to work out he looks to be a solid 1B for Buffalo in the crease this season.
Perhaps the second best skater on the ice for Buffalo last night was Sean Malone, albeit in a different role. Malone is a local boy (West Seneca, NY) who was taken in the sixth round (159th) of the 2013 draft and had been making great progress as he was pressing for a checking line role with the Sabres up until he came up injured last night. Malone got tangled up and left the game with what's being reported as a knee injury that will keep him out an estimated six weeks.
For those heading to tonight's game, or watching it on MSG, have a good time. The Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup in back-to-back seasons (2016-17) and depleted their organizational depth in the process. Buffalo defeated Pittsburgh at the Prospects Challenge by a score of 10-2 as they faced a team without any first or third round picks and only one second rounder playing in that game. A couple of those players will be in the lineup tonight, yet the Pens will be missing their big guns in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Kris Letang, Patric Hornqvist, Olli Maatta and goalie Matt Murray.
So enjoy, Sabreland as it should be a good time tonight. There's a lot to look forward to this season and most of that will be on display tonight.
Buffalo's lineup for today from Paul Hamilton of WGR550 Radio:
53 Skinner - 9 Eichel - 21 Okposo
71 Rodrigues - 37 Mittelstadt - 29 Pominville
49 Smith - 17 Sobotka - 95 Bailey
28 Girgensons - 74 Asplund - 13 Baptiste
26 Dahlin - 19 McCabe
6 Scandella - 55 Ristolainen
24 Pilut - 33 Borgen
40 Hutton
31 Wedgewood
Friday, August 3, 2018
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.
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.
Saturday, July 14, 2018
Take him of the list. RFA Sean Malone signs a one-year deal with Buffalo.
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 7-12-2018
The Buffalo Sabres announced today that the team has reached an agreement with restricted free agent forward Sean Malone. According to the press release Malone signed a one-year, two-way deal where the NHL salary is $787,500. His AHL number hasn't been released thus far.
Malone just completed his first pro season scoring 12 goals and adding 10 assists in 73 games for the Rochester Americans. The 22 yr. old West Seneca, NY native signed his two-year entry-level deal last April 8 and made his NHL debut that same night thus burning the first year of his deal. Malone got off to a rough start in Rochester while acclimating to the pro game but picked things up in February of this year. From February 16 until the end of the regular season, a span of 26 games, Malone scored eight goals and added five assists.
A lot of positive things have been said about the Harvard grad as he began to fully get a grasp on the pro game and many had him with a decent shot at making the Sabres out of camp. Jon Vogl, who with the Buffalo News before heading to The Atlantic wrote after the Amerks were swept out of the playoffs that "[Malone's] stock went up in a hurry. The West Seneca native started on the fourth line, but he was double-shifting by the end and was the Amerks' go-to guy on faceoffs."
Kris Baker has been following the Sabres prospects well before landing a gig with The Athletic last month. He tweeted this about Malone after the rookie scored his 10th goal of the season in Rochester, "Sean Malone is going to be a excellent bottom-six forward for the Sabres, but for now he continues to grow into his role on the farm."
With Buffalo GM being a staunch supporter of players incubating in the minors for as long as necessary, and with the additions of veteran forwards Patrick Berglund and Vladimir Sobotka, along with the fact that the Sabres are deep down the middle, Malone's odds of making the Sabres out of camp are drastically reduced at this time. But like Baker said, he looks as if he'll be in the bottom-six mix for Buffalo for a long time beginning in 2019-20.
The Buffalo Sabres announced today that the team has reached an agreement with restricted free agent forward Sean Malone. According to the press release Malone signed a one-year, two-way deal where the NHL salary is $787,500. His AHL number hasn't been released thus far.
Malone just completed his first pro season scoring 12 goals and adding 10 assists in 73 games for the Rochester Americans. The 22 yr. old West Seneca, NY native signed his two-year entry-level deal last April 8 and made his NHL debut that same night thus burning the first year of his deal. Malone got off to a rough start in Rochester while acclimating to the pro game but picked things up in February of this year. From February 16 until the end of the regular season, a span of 26 games, Malone scored eight goals and added five assists.
A lot of positive things have been said about the Harvard grad as he began to fully get a grasp on the pro game and many had him with a decent shot at making the Sabres out of camp. Jon Vogl, who with the Buffalo News before heading to The Atlantic wrote after the Amerks were swept out of the playoffs that "[Malone's] stock went up in a hurry. The West Seneca native started on the fourth line, but he was double-shifting by the end and was the Amerks' go-to guy on faceoffs."
Kris Baker has been following the Sabres prospects well before landing a gig with The Athletic last month. He tweeted this about Malone after the rookie scored his 10th goal of the season in Rochester, "Sean Malone is going to be a excellent bottom-six forward for the Sabres, but for now he continues to grow into his role on the farm."
With Buffalo GM being a staunch supporter of players incubating in the minors for as long as necessary, and with the additions of veteran forwards Patrick Berglund and Vladimir Sobotka, along with the fact that the Sabres are deep down the middle, Malone's odds of making the Sabres out of camp are drastically reduced at this time. But like Baker said, he looks as if he'll be in the bottom-six mix for Buffalo for a long time beginning in 2019-20.
Saturday, June 23, 2018
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.
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.
Friday, April 6, 2018
The off season is just a weekend away.
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-5-2018
It's a sure sing of spring lately. The Augusta, GA bloom fills the Masters with the joys of spring while the Buffalo Sabres are shining up their golf clubs for yet another early off season. It will be the seventh year in a row that the Sabres have missed the playoffs and it will be the third time in the last five years that Buffalo will finish dead last. Further ignominy lies in the fact, as someone pointed out, that the Sabres will be the first team ever to finish in 31st place as the Vegas Golden Knights entered the league this year.
Having said that, most here felt a sense of "Mission Accomplished" as Buffalo secured last place with a loss vs. the 30th place Ottawa Senators last night. With that loss the Sabres will have an 18.5% chance of winning the lottery and about a 50/50 chance of landing a pick in the top three. Buffalo, like every other team in the league, would have heart palpitations at the thought of landing the first overall pick and being able to draft a franchise defenseman in Rasmus Dahlin. Yet even if they drop to second or third, they'll still be able to land an impact player at a position of need as wingers Filip Zadina and Andrei Svechnikov.
At worst the Sabres will be drafting fourth overall meaning one of forward Brady Tkachuk or defenseman Adam Boqvist or Quntin Hughes will be there for the taking. So all is not lost.
However, what's been lost in this season, is a sense of winning and it has to be affecting the players. This is Jack Eichel's third season and the Sabres have regressed to where they were when they drafted him. Sam Reinhart and Ryan O'Reilly have been here three seasons, Zemgus Girgensons the last five. In his 31 Thoughts piece for Sportsnet.ca, writer Elliotte Friedman had plenty to say about Buffalo and wrote that he talked to some players with one of them saying, “Look at Rasmus Ristolainen. He’s a really good player. But he’s been here the longest. [Losing is] all he knows.”
Friedman also said he had a long chat with Sabres GM Jason Botterill concerning teams taking advantage of Eichel's on-ice frustrations, to which Botterill replied, “You just want see him have some success. We need to win games. It’s not just Jack’s team. We need to help him. Teammates need to help him. When he is challenged, he responds in a good way. You talk about changing culture. How do you do that? You can’t always just trade for it.
"That’s why it’s so important that Rochester made the playoffs. Those young players are going to understand what it is like to play meaningful games, what it takes to win them.”
The Rochester Americans were a major emphasis for Botterill and his AGM/Amerks GM, Randy Sexton. They basically rebuilt that team from scratch with only a handful of players from the previous season and got them to the playoffs. It's the first time in three seasons Rochester has made the AHL post season.
In building that team, Botterill brought in some veteran with proven track records in scoring and/or leadership. Keving Porter, Zach Redmond (whom Botterill traded for,) Seth Griffith, Sahir Gill and Kyle Criscuolo all have had individual and/or team success at the AHL-level and were brought in to carry much of the weight as the Sabres youngins get a feel for the way Botterill wants to see them play.
Porter is the Amerks' captain and was with Botterill when they were in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization. "He's a player I'm very familiar with," said Botterill back on July 1 after signing Porter and a host of other players. "[He] was a strong leader for Wilkes-Barre over the past couple of years, but also was a player, especially two years ago, that (Penguins head coach) Mike Sullivan really trusted at the National Hockey League level."
Two years ago Sullivan took over as coach of the Penguins in mid-season and guided them to the first of two consecutive Stanley Cups.
The Sabres just called Porter up from Rochester on Tuesday but he did not dress for Buffalo's home finale', but the media caught up with him today at Key Bank Center. Porter was asked what it means to have a winning team AHL team coupled with a last place NHL team. "There's going to be four, five, six, seven guys from that team coming up here," Porter said in response. "If they're used to losing, it's going to continue up here. But if we can get down there and go on a long playoff run and hopefully win a Calder Cup, that experience for them is going to translate up here."
There will be changes for the Sabres this off season as Botterill fashions his team his way. He took over a Sabres club that seemed more geared towards a Western Conference style of player featuring big bodies and heavies. That didn't work out too well in Buffalo and we've seen first hand that there will need to be a lot of turnover for him to fashion a team based upon speed, quickness, and skill. "We’ll make some changes,” Botterill told Friedman, “because you can’t come back with the same group. We have talent, but we don’t have consistency."
*****
With the off season just around the corner, it looks as if goalie Robin Lehner may have played his last game in Buffalo as he stayed back while his Sabres teammates boarded a plane for Florida where they'll play the last two games of the season. Although it's not official, the pending restricted free agent has not had a great season by any stretch of the imagination and it seems as if Botterill and Co. might be ready to hand the team over to Linus Ullmark.
Lehner played some solid hockey for the Sabres, albeit, rather inconsistent, especially this season. The thing about the 26 yr. old, who was traded for by former GM Tim Murray, is that the team traded the 21st pick in the 2015 NHL Draft for him and there would always be that cloud hanging over him because of it. In many, if not most, fan's minds, trading a first round pick for a goalie is taboo. For the record, the player taken in that spot by the Senators was forward Colin White who has spent most of the past two seasons with the Senators AHL affiliate and has played in 21 games for the big club.
The bottom line with Lehner it just didn't work out in Buffalo. His first year with the Sabres he was injured right off the bat, was resectable upon his return, but finished the season injured. He was the designated No. 1 goalie last season playing in a career most 59 games while putting up solid numbers despite a losing record. Last off season he was an RFA and signed a one-year deal stating that he proved everything he needed to prove in 2016-17.
But this season was a mess for him as he watched his goal-against average go to 3.01 and his save percentage fall to .908. Granted, Lehner didn't get much help, but he just looked awkward on way too many occasions and gave up way too many softies. It might be safe to say that he didn't trust his teammates on defense nor did his teammates really trust him in net.
It would be surprising if Lehner re-signed with Buffalo.
*****
The Sabres have some really good prospects that are moving up the ranks. Center Casey Mittelstadt actually jumped the ranks going from college freshman to the NHL. Where the eighth-overall pick in 2017 lands next year is up in the air, but Botterill told Friedman that he likes Eichel, O'Reilly and Mittelstadt down the middle. I believe there are many in Sabreland, myself included, who like that trio of center.
Botterill also mentioned free agent signee C.J. Smith who leads the Amerks with 17 goals and West Seneca, NY native Sean Malone whom he thinks will “carve out a role here (in Buffalo,) the way he is going.” And, of note, was a quick mention of Victor Olofsson, a 2014 seventh round draft pick (181st) who led the Swedish Hockey League in goals with 27 this past year. Nothing has been heard concerning the signing of the 22 yr. old but Botterill told Friedman, “We’d like to give him a look, see if he can score here with our guys.”
Of those who've gained valuable NHL experience this season, Brendan Guhle and Casey Nelson looked to have carved out a spot on the roster next season as did winger Nicolas Baptiste and forward Evan Rodrigues.
That's seven new, full-time faces for Buffalo next season, not including Ullmark, and possibly another should they land in the top-three of this year's draft and select any of three NHL-ready players.
It's a sure sing of spring lately. The Augusta, GA bloom fills the Masters with the joys of spring while the Buffalo Sabres are shining up their golf clubs for yet another early off season. It will be the seventh year in a row that the Sabres have missed the playoffs and it will be the third time in the last five years that Buffalo will finish dead last. Further ignominy lies in the fact, as someone pointed out, that the Sabres will be the first team ever to finish in 31st place as the Vegas Golden Knights entered the league this year.
Having said that, most here felt a sense of "Mission Accomplished" as Buffalo secured last place with a loss vs. the 30th place Ottawa Senators last night. With that loss the Sabres will have an 18.5% chance of winning the lottery and about a 50/50 chance of landing a pick in the top three. Buffalo, like every other team in the league, would have heart palpitations at the thought of landing the first overall pick and being able to draft a franchise defenseman in Rasmus Dahlin. Yet even if they drop to second or third, they'll still be able to land an impact player at a position of need as wingers Filip Zadina and Andrei Svechnikov.
At worst the Sabres will be drafting fourth overall meaning one of forward Brady Tkachuk or defenseman Adam Boqvist or Quntin Hughes will be there for the taking. So all is not lost.
However, what's been lost in this season, is a sense of winning and it has to be affecting the players. This is Jack Eichel's third season and the Sabres have regressed to where they were when they drafted him. Sam Reinhart and Ryan O'Reilly have been here three seasons, Zemgus Girgensons the last five. In his 31 Thoughts piece for Sportsnet.ca, writer Elliotte Friedman had plenty to say about Buffalo and wrote that he talked to some players with one of them saying, “Look at Rasmus Ristolainen. He’s a really good player. But he’s been here the longest. [Losing is] all he knows.”
Friedman also said he had a long chat with Sabres GM Jason Botterill concerning teams taking advantage of Eichel's on-ice frustrations, to which Botterill replied, “You just want see him have some success. We need to win games. It’s not just Jack’s team. We need to help him. Teammates need to help him. When he is challenged, he responds in a good way. You talk about changing culture. How do you do that? You can’t always just trade for it.
"That’s why it’s so important that Rochester made the playoffs. Those young players are going to understand what it is like to play meaningful games, what it takes to win them.”
The Rochester Americans were a major emphasis for Botterill and his AGM/Amerks GM, Randy Sexton. They basically rebuilt that team from scratch with only a handful of players from the previous season and got them to the playoffs. It's the first time in three seasons Rochester has made the AHL post season.
In building that team, Botterill brought in some veteran with proven track records in scoring and/or leadership. Keving Porter, Zach Redmond (whom Botterill traded for,) Seth Griffith, Sahir Gill and Kyle Criscuolo all have had individual and/or team success at the AHL-level and were brought in to carry much of the weight as the Sabres youngins get a feel for the way Botterill wants to see them play.
Porter is the Amerks' captain and was with Botterill when they were in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization. "He's a player I'm very familiar with," said Botterill back on July 1 after signing Porter and a host of other players. "[He] was a strong leader for Wilkes-Barre over the past couple of years, but also was a player, especially two years ago, that (Penguins head coach) Mike Sullivan really trusted at the National Hockey League level."
Two years ago Sullivan took over as coach of the Penguins in mid-season and guided them to the first of two consecutive Stanley Cups.
The Sabres just called Porter up from Rochester on Tuesday but he did not dress for Buffalo's home finale', but the media caught up with him today at Key Bank Center. Porter was asked what it means to have a winning team AHL team coupled with a last place NHL team. "There's going to be four, five, six, seven guys from that team coming up here," Porter said in response. "If they're used to losing, it's going to continue up here. But if we can get down there and go on a long playoff run and hopefully win a Calder Cup, that experience for them is going to translate up here."
There will be changes for the Sabres this off season as Botterill fashions his team his way. He took over a Sabres club that seemed more geared towards a Western Conference style of player featuring big bodies and heavies. That didn't work out too well in Buffalo and we've seen first hand that there will need to be a lot of turnover for him to fashion a team based upon speed, quickness, and skill. "We’ll make some changes,” Botterill told Friedman, “because you can’t come back with the same group. We have talent, but we don’t have consistency."
*****
With the off season just around the corner, it looks as if goalie Robin Lehner may have played his last game in Buffalo as he stayed back while his Sabres teammates boarded a plane for Florida where they'll play the last two games of the season. Although it's not official, the pending restricted free agent has not had a great season by any stretch of the imagination and it seems as if Botterill and Co. might be ready to hand the team over to Linus Ullmark.
Lehner played some solid hockey for the Sabres, albeit, rather inconsistent, especially this season. The thing about the 26 yr. old, who was traded for by former GM Tim Murray, is that the team traded the 21st pick in the 2015 NHL Draft for him and there would always be that cloud hanging over him because of it. In many, if not most, fan's minds, trading a first round pick for a goalie is taboo. For the record, the player taken in that spot by the Senators was forward Colin White who has spent most of the past two seasons with the Senators AHL affiliate and has played in 21 games for the big club.
The bottom line with Lehner it just didn't work out in Buffalo. His first year with the Sabres he was injured right off the bat, was resectable upon his return, but finished the season injured. He was the designated No. 1 goalie last season playing in a career most 59 games while putting up solid numbers despite a losing record. Last off season he was an RFA and signed a one-year deal stating that he proved everything he needed to prove in 2016-17.
But this season was a mess for him as he watched his goal-against average go to 3.01 and his save percentage fall to .908. Granted, Lehner didn't get much help, but he just looked awkward on way too many occasions and gave up way too many softies. It might be safe to say that he didn't trust his teammates on defense nor did his teammates really trust him in net.
It would be surprising if Lehner re-signed with Buffalo.
*****
The Sabres have some really good prospects that are moving up the ranks. Center Casey Mittelstadt actually jumped the ranks going from college freshman to the NHL. Where the eighth-overall pick in 2017 lands next year is up in the air, but Botterill told Friedman that he likes Eichel, O'Reilly and Mittelstadt down the middle. I believe there are many in Sabreland, myself included, who like that trio of center.
Botterill also mentioned free agent signee C.J. Smith who leads the Amerks with 17 goals and West Seneca, NY native Sean Malone whom he thinks will “carve out a role here (in Buffalo,) the way he is going.” And, of note, was a quick mention of Victor Olofsson, a 2014 seventh round draft pick (181st) who led the Swedish Hockey League in goals with 27 this past year. Nothing has been heard concerning the signing of the 22 yr. old but Botterill told Friedman, “We’d like to give him a look, see if he can score here with our guys.”
Of those who've gained valuable NHL experience this season, Brendan Guhle and Casey Nelson looked to have carved out a spot on the roster next season as did winger Nicolas Baptiste and forward Evan Rodrigues.
That's seven new, full-time faces for Buffalo next season, not including Ullmark, and possibly another should they land in the top-three of this year's draft and select any of three NHL-ready players.
Monday, April 10, 2017
Brendan Guhle shows his stuff.
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-8-2017
When Sabres d-prospect Brendan Guhle finished his 2015-16 WHL season he went to the Rochester Americans and proceeded to score a goal and add three assists in six games for the Amerks. Expectations remained high for the 6'3" 194 lb. Sherwood Park, Alberta native coming into Buffalo's 2016 training camp, but Guhle ended up back in junior.
An emergency call-up in November when the Sabres d-corps was devastated by injuries gave Guhle his first taste of NHL action, and just like in Rochester, the 2015 second-round pick never looked out of place. Unfortunately he had to go back to junior for the remainder of the season but he's back in the pros once again skating with the Amerks.
Last night was his first game back and he proceeded to score a goal as he joined the rush and sent a quick snap-shot home. Thanks to the Rochester Americans, here's what it looked like:
Guhle possesses NHL athleticism and skating ability and although he's known more for his savvy in the defensive zone, that shot and his ability to join the rush gives him the look of a mobile, two-way puck-mover. That he can step right in to the pros after his stint in junior bodes well for both him and the Sabres. That Guhle has continued to progress at a quick pace means he could very well be on track for the NHL next season.
*****
The Sabres announced the signing of West Seneca native Sean Malone to an entry-level contract and he'll be in the lineup tonight at Florida vs. the Panthers. Malone's Harvard Crimson was eliminated in the NCAA Frozen Four on Thursday and the 6'0" 190 lb. will don No. 42 in his pro debut. According to Jourdon LaBarber of sabres. com, Malone will be on the fourth line with Zemgus Girgensons and Nicolas Deslauriers.
Malone finished his college career with 42 goals and 57 assists in 115 games for the Crimson.
*****
Only two games left for the Sabres this season--tonight at Florida, tomorrow at Tampa Bay--and only the game against the Lightning may carry any meaning.
Last night Tampa defeated the Montreal Canadians to draw within one point of the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. Toronto plays tonight at home vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins and tomorrow vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets. Should the Leafs win this evening, they're in. Should they lose it will come down to tomorrow. The Lightning take on the Sabres beginning at 5 p.m. and the Leafs and Jackets face off at 6 p.m.
And let's not forget about the NY Islanders who are also only one point behind the Leafs.
They're on a four-game winning streak riding the hot hand of Jaroslav Halak and are on the road at the New Jersey Devils tonight and then finish off the season with a home date vs. the Ottawa Senators tomorrow.
When Sabres d-prospect Brendan Guhle finished his 2015-16 WHL season he went to the Rochester Americans and proceeded to score a goal and add three assists in six games for the Amerks. Expectations remained high for the 6'3" 194 lb. Sherwood Park, Alberta native coming into Buffalo's 2016 training camp, but Guhle ended up back in junior.
An emergency call-up in November when the Sabres d-corps was devastated by injuries gave Guhle his first taste of NHL action, and just like in Rochester, the 2015 second-round pick never looked out of place. Unfortunately he had to go back to junior for the remainder of the season but he's back in the pros once again skating with the Amerks.
Last night was his first game back and he proceeded to score a goal as he joined the rush and sent a quick snap-shot home. Thanks to the Rochester Americans, here's what it looked like:
Guhle possesses NHL athleticism and skating ability and although he's known more for his savvy in the defensive zone, that shot and his ability to join the rush gives him the look of a mobile, two-way puck-mover. That he can step right in to the pros after his stint in junior bodes well for both him and the Sabres. That Guhle has continued to progress at a quick pace means he could very well be on track for the NHL next season.
*****
The Sabres announced the signing of West Seneca native Sean Malone to an entry-level contract and he'll be in the lineup tonight at Florida vs. the Panthers. Malone's Harvard Crimson was eliminated in the NCAA Frozen Four on Thursday and the 6'0" 190 lb. will don No. 42 in his pro debut. According to Jourdon LaBarber of sabres. com, Malone will be on the fourth line with Zemgus Girgensons and Nicolas Deslauriers.
Malone finished his college career with 42 goals and 57 assists in 115 games for the Crimson.
*****
Only two games left for the Sabres this season--tonight at Florida, tomorrow at Tampa Bay--and only the game against the Lightning may carry any meaning.
Last night Tampa defeated the Montreal Canadians to draw within one point of the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. Toronto plays tonight at home vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins and tomorrow vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets. Should the Leafs win this evening, they're in. Should they lose it will come down to tomorrow. The Lightning take on the Sabres beginning at 5 p.m. and the Leafs and Jackets face off at 6 p.m.
And let's not forget about the NY Islanders who are also only one point behind the Leafs.
They're on a four-game winning streak riding the hot hand of Jaroslav Halak and are on the road at the New Jersey Devils tonight and then finish off the season with a home date vs. the Ottawa Senators tomorrow.
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Ramp-up to the 2015 NHL Draft Pt. 5--Centers of attention
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
There's an old adage in baseball that ties strength up the middle to success. With the Chicago Blackhawks and the Golden State Warriors putting an end to the hockey and basketball seasons, respectively, perhaps it's fitting we use that analogy as the boys of summer are really all we have right now from a competition standpoint (no disrespect to the FIFA women.)
Strength behind the plate, at shortstop and second base and in center field is at the heart of the defense while in hockey goaltending, top-pairing defense and No. 1 center is an NHL comparable. It's a combination the Hawks were built upon and their success has the hockey world linking "dynasty" to this group. Winning three Stanley Cups in six years is about as dynastic as you can get in a salary-cap world.
Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville got the goaltending from Corey Crawford during their Cup run this year while he played his top defenseman, Conn Smythe winner Duncan Keith, a ridiculous 31 minutes per game during the playoffs. However, hockey being the team sport that it is, there were contributions up and down the lineup throughout their run from the likes of d-partner Brent Seabrook, and forwards Marian Hossa, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Teuvo Teravainen and Andrew Shaw, to name a few.
There's an old adage in baseball that ties strength up the middle to success. With the Chicago Blackhawks and the Golden State Warriors putting an end to the hockey and basketball seasons, respectively, perhaps it's fitting we use that analogy as the boys of summer are really all we have right now from a competition standpoint (no disrespect to the FIFA women.)
Strength behind the plate, at shortstop and second base and in center field is at the heart of the defense while in hockey goaltending, top-pairing defense and No. 1 center is an NHL comparable. It's a combination the Hawks were built upon and their success has the hockey world linking "dynasty" to this group. Winning three Stanley Cups in six years is about as dynastic as you can get in a salary-cap world.
Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville got the goaltending from Corey Crawford during their Cup run this year while he played his top defenseman, Conn Smythe winner Duncan Keith, a ridiculous 31 minutes per game during the playoffs. However, hockey being the team sport that it is, there were contributions up and down the lineup throughout their run from the likes of d-partner Brent Seabrook, and forwards Marian Hossa, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Teuvo Teravainen and Andrew Shaw, to name a few.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Six more picks for the Sabres in Rounds 3-7, and a quick overview
The Buffalo Sabres entered the 2013 with 10 draft picks. They left with 11 prospects.
In the first two rounds, they chose five players--two defensmen in the first round and three forwards in the second round. They followed that with a third-rounder, three fifth rounders a sixth and a seventh.
The rest of the picks:
Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com recaps the draft succintly and for more info on the picks, click here.
Bakes was also on WGR's Howard Simon Show recapping the draft. Most of the segment was dedicated to the upper picks but he did have the chance to touch upon some of lower picks.
Defenseman Anthony Florentino topped his list of most intriguing late round prospects.
Of Florentino, Baker said, "Very underated in this draft class. Can do a little bit of everything, doesn't have too many flaws to his game, a nice kid off the ice but a mean kid on it. "
"I gotta tell ya," Baker continued sequeing to his next most intriguing prospect, "this Cal Peterson kid he is old school."
Here's how Bakes described the goalie, "He's scrappy, he's a battler, he'll poke-check. He'll stop the puck, but sometimes he'll come out and want to stop the shooter. He's very aggressive."
Baker points out that Peterson will be going to Notre Dame. He's one of five players drafted this year that will be taking the college route: second round picks JT Compher (Michigan) and Connor Hurley, (Notre Dame); Florentino (Providence); Malone (Harvard.)
Nearly half of the Sabres draft haul this year will be headed to college and will have much longer to develop, up to four years, before they'll turn pro. Having five from one draft class really projects out well for the organization.
Via Bill Hoppe, Olean Times Herald, 'With so many picks and our contract situation, you don’t want to waste those picks because their contracts all come up at the same time,' amateur scouting director Kevin Devine explained Sunday on the Prudential Center floor after the Sabres finished picking. 'We wouldn’t be able to sign three or four of them. So that was a plan. We looked at the college route and Europeans for the new CBA, which now gives us four years for those guys over there.'
The odds for any player taken outside the top-five making it to the NHL, much less making an impact, aren't all that great. As you move down the draft it becomes slim to none.
But you never know what can happen with a particluar player. They obviously have enough skill to play, and something about them says there's a possibility. Having four years to allow for the player to develop is a nice cushion.
Having five picks like that, while also having six picks going the junior route where the projection is one to three years, really sets the team up nicely down the road.
The Sabres had themselves quite a haul at the 2013 NHL Draft.
In what's said to be the deepest draft in years they picked five players within the first 52 picks.
One (Rasmus Ristolainen) might be able to jump right to the NHL this season. Another (Nikital Zadorov) is only a year or two away.
They went with size and they went with character. And they looked to pick players with two-way game.
With 11 total picks the Sabres had the luxury of picking two hometown boys in Justin Bailey and Malone with the former being a legitimate power forward prospect.
After focusing upon centers last year they grabbed defense in the first round. Wingers were slightly predominant within positional balance: four wingers, three centers, three defensemen, one goalie.
A post-draft wrap with GM Darcy Regier and Assistant GM/Head Amateur Scout Kevin Devine can be seen here.
Every year, teams are very happy with their draft and this year is no different for the Sabres.
An overall grade here would be a B+. They did some great things, but the only area that they didn't seem to address was top-line scoring, which they wanted in the top-four but couldn't attain.
Other than that, it'll be three or four years before we get a full take on what Devine and his merry band of scouts accomplished at the 2013 draft.
For a list of (very positive) draft grades from various media outlets provided by sabres.com click here.
In the first two rounds, they chose five players--two defensmen in the first round and three forwards in the second round. They followed that with a third-rounder, three fifth rounders a sixth and a seventh.
The rest of the picks:
- 69th --Nicholas Baptiste, RW, 6'1" 201 lbs.
- 129th-Cal Peterson, G, 6'1" 175 lbs.
- 130th-Gustav Possler RW, 6' 0" 183 lbs.
- 143th-Anthony Florentino, RD 6'1" 227 lbs.
- 159th-Sean Malone, C 5'11" 183 lbs.
- 189th-Eric Locke, C 5'10, 183 lbs.
Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com recaps the draft succintly and for more info on the picks, click here.
Bakes was also on WGR's Howard Simon Show recapping the draft. Most of the segment was dedicated to the upper picks but he did have the chance to touch upon some of lower picks.
Defenseman Anthony Florentino topped his list of most intriguing late round prospects.
Of Florentino, Baker said, "Very underated in this draft class. Can do a little bit of everything, doesn't have too many flaws to his game, a nice kid off the ice but a mean kid on it. "
"I gotta tell ya," Baker continued sequeing to his next most intriguing prospect, "this Cal Peterson kid he is old school."
Here's how Bakes described the goalie, "He's scrappy, he's a battler, he'll poke-check. He'll stop the puck, but sometimes he'll come out and want to stop the shooter. He's very aggressive."
Baker points out that Peterson will be going to Notre Dame. He's one of five players drafted this year that will be taking the college route: second round picks JT Compher (Michigan) and Connor Hurley, (Notre Dame); Florentino (Providence); Malone (Harvard.)
Nearly half of the Sabres draft haul this year will be headed to college and will have much longer to develop, up to four years, before they'll turn pro. Having five from one draft class really projects out well for the organization.
Via Bill Hoppe, Olean Times Herald, 'With so many picks and our contract situation, you don’t want to waste those picks because their contracts all come up at the same time,' amateur scouting director Kevin Devine explained Sunday on the Prudential Center floor after the Sabres finished picking. 'We wouldn’t be able to sign three or four of them. So that was a plan. We looked at the college route and Europeans for the new CBA, which now gives us four years for those guys over there.'
The odds for any player taken outside the top-five making it to the NHL, much less making an impact, aren't all that great. As you move down the draft it becomes slim to none.
But you never know what can happen with a particluar player. They obviously have enough skill to play, and something about them says there's a possibility. Having four years to allow for the player to develop is a nice cushion.
Having five picks like that, while also having six picks going the junior route where the projection is one to three years, really sets the team up nicely down the road.
The Sabres had themselves quite a haul at the 2013 NHL Draft.
In what's said to be the deepest draft in years they picked five players within the first 52 picks.
One (Rasmus Ristolainen) might be able to jump right to the NHL this season. Another (Nikital Zadorov) is only a year or two away.
They went with size and they went with character. And they looked to pick players with two-way game.
With 11 total picks the Sabres had the luxury of picking two hometown boys in Justin Bailey and Malone with the former being a legitimate power forward prospect.
After focusing upon centers last year they grabbed defense in the first round. Wingers were slightly predominant within positional balance: four wingers, three centers, three defensemen, one goalie.
A post-draft wrap with GM Darcy Regier and Assistant GM/Head Amateur Scout Kevin Devine can be seen here.
Every year, teams are very happy with their draft and this year is no different for the Sabres.
An overall grade here would be a B+. They did some great things, but the only area that they didn't seem to address was top-line scoring, which they wanted in the top-four but couldn't attain.
Other than that, it'll be three or four years before we get a full take on what Devine and his merry band of scouts accomplished at the 2013 draft.
For a list of (very positive) draft grades from various media outlets provided by sabres.com click here.
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