After scoring 16 goals through the first three games of the Traverse City Tournament, the hard-charging Buffalo Sabres prospects were throttled by the Detroit Red Wings prospects as Buffalo lost 4-2 to Detroit.
The Sabres squad got no production from their top-two lines as only Fredrick Roy--a Rochester Amerks bottom-six pest--and Peter Trainor, who was added to the prospects team after Mark Pysyk was withdrawn from the team, scored.
For the first time all tournament Buffalo found themselves playing catch-up as Detroit took a 2-0 lead on powerplay goals by Anthony Mantha (#20-overall, 2013.) He scored at 18:29 of the first period with Zemgus Girgensons in the box for interference.
Thirty seconds later, Buffalo's Nikita Zadorov took a high sticking penalty and a mere :29 into the second period Mantha potted another powerplay goal.
Roy cut the lead only to have Detroit's Zach Nastasiuk (#48, 2013) put the Wings up by two goals once again.
With six minutes left in the game, Trainor pulled the Sabres to within one. Red Wings forward Tomas Jurco (#35, 2011) iced the game with :26 left on an empty net goal.
Players don't have a lot of time to reflect as Sabres training camp starts tomorrow.
Many will be headed there while others will be headed to their respective junior team.
Much will be said about the perfomances of Nick Baptiste, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Zadorov. All three 2013 draft picks had strong performances. Baptiste for his relentless play and work-ethic, not to mention his team-leading seven points (4g, 3a); Ristolainen for his rock-solid steadiness on the back-end; Zadorov for his goliath-like presence, hard hits and a glimpse into his offensive up-side.
Girgensons and Johan Larsson showed that they'll have a good shot at making the big club out of camp. Chad Ruhwedel was excellent until his upper body injury and will make a strong push for a spot on the Buffalo blueline. And Trainor earned himself a long look for the Amerks.
But, conspicuously absent from the score sheet as well as any mention at all in re-caps is the Sabres Joel Armia.
The 2011 16th overall pick disappeared.
The book on him is that he'll pull a Houdini for long stretches only to make pot an important goal.
None of that this tournament, even playing on the top line with Grigensons and Larsson the last two game.
The excuses will come out--he's adjusting to a smaller rink, penalties kept him on the bench, he couldn't get warmed up, etc--but the fact is, he was invisible.
That's not a good sign. Anyone who thought he could make the Sabres out of camp got a sharp dose of reality.
Armia still has camp and preseason to make a strong impression, but a ticket to Rochester may be his best hope.
If not, it's a shame the team wasted a first rounder on an highly-skilled, inconsistent forward who can't handle the rigors of a smaller rink and tough competition. All traits, by the way, that we've found with Darcy Regier's "core" over the last six seasons.
There are only two "core-like" players left, Armia and Mikhail Grigorenko.
Let's hope at least one of them can have the impact they were drafted for.
Showing posts with label Traverse City 2013. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Traverse City 2013. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Monday, September 9, 2013
Johan Larsson and Zemgus Girgensons dominate in prospects win over Carolina
Zemgus Girgensons and Johan Larsson are the two most NHL-ready forward prospects for the Buffalo Sabres at the Traverse City Tournament.
The duo had played on the same line in Rochester for the Amerks ever since Larsson came to Buffalo at the trade deadline in the Jason Pomiville trade.
For the first two games of the tournament coach Chadd Cassidy had them centering the top two lines, Larsson up top and Girgensons on the second. For yesterday's game, though, he put Girgensons up at left wing with Larsson at center and rookie Joel Armia on the right side.
One would suspect that Cassidy felt it was a pretty big game and he didn't want to experiment too much. Buffalo needed to get one point in the contest vs. Carolina to advance to the Traverse City Championship game vs. the Detroit Red Wings prospects to defend their title.
With those two on the top line, the Sabres cruised to a 4-0 lead with just over four minutes gone in the second period. Larsson scored the Sabres first goal, his first of the tournament, on the powerplay with Girgensons getting the lone assist. Girgensons would assist on Jerome Gauthier-Leduc's goal just over a minute later to put Buffalo up 2-0.
After a Nick Baptiste tally, Girgensons scored the fourth goal, his first of the tourney, with Larsson getting the lone assist.
"They control the game for us at both ends of the rink," said Cassidy.
Larsson and Girgensons had been plying their trade in a two-way role throughout the tournament with not a lot ending up on the scoresheet. But "whenever we get into trouble," said Cassidy, "they're the guys we can send out there that can steady the ship for us."
A steadying presence certainly was needed later in the game on the penalty kill.
After Buffalo jumped out to that 4-0 lead, Carolina roared back with three unanswered goals, all on the powerplay.
The Canes would have two more powerplay opportunities later in the game with the score close, but the Sabres closed the door as Cassidy shortened his penalty kill units. "The big part of [killing those penalties] was personnel. Larsson and Girgensons got a lot of time. [Daniel] Catenacci got a lot of time there. Those are three guys that do a lot of penalty killing for us. That's a role that they excell at."
That Larsson and Girgensons were able to finally get their first goals each in the tournament after being steadying forces through the first two games wasn't lost on Cassidy either, "It was great they could get some reward for that."
One would expect to see them in a prominent role again as Buffalo meets host Detroit for the Traverse City Championship tonight.
The duo had played on the same line in Rochester for the Amerks ever since Larsson came to Buffalo at the trade deadline in the Jason Pomiville trade.
For the first two games of the tournament coach Chadd Cassidy had them centering the top two lines, Larsson up top and Girgensons on the second. For yesterday's game, though, he put Girgensons up at left wing with Larsson at center and rookie Joel Armia on the right side.
One would suspect that Cassidy felt it was a pretty big game and he didn't want to experiment too much. Buffalo needed to get one point in the contest vs. Carolina to advance to the Traverse City Championship game vs. the Detroit Red Wings prospects to defend their title.
With those two on the top line, the Sabres cruised to a 4-0 lead with just over four minutes gone in the second period. Larsson scored the Sabres first goal, his first of the tournament, on the powerplay with Girgensons getting the lone assist. Girgensons would assist on Jerome Gauthier-Leduc's goal just over a minute later to put Buffalo up 2-0.
After a Nick Baptiste tally, Girgensons scored the fourth goal, his first of the tourney, with Larsson getting the lone assist.
"They control the game for us at both ends of the rink," said Cassidy.
Larsson and Girgensons had been plying their trade in a two-way role throughout the tournament with not a lot ending up on the scoresheet. But "whenever we get into trouble," said Cassidy, "they're the guys we can send out there that can steady the ship for us."
A steadying presence certainly was needed later in the game on the penalty kill.
After Buffalo jumped out to that 4-0 lead, Carolina roared back with three unanswered goals, all on the powerplay.
The Canes would have two more powerplay opportunities later in the game with the score close, but the Sabres closed the door as Cassidy shortened his penalty kill units. "The big part of [killing those penalties] was personnel. Larsson and Girgensons got a lot of time. [Daniel] Catenacci got a lot of time there. Those are three guys that do a lot of penalty killing for us. That's a role that they excell at."
That Larsson and Girgensons were able to finally get their first goals each in the tournament after being steadying forces through the first two games wasn't lost on Cassidy either, "It was great they could get some reward for that."
One would expect to see them in a prominent role again as Buffalo meets host Detroit for the Traverse City Championship tonight.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Sabres prospects continue to roll in Traverse City as Zadorov pots game-winner in OT
Defenseman Nikita Zadorov scored the second of his two goals with :22 left in OT to push the Sabres prospects to within one point of defending their title on Monday.
Nicholas Baptiste had two goals and an assist vs. the Rangers to bring his point total to a team leading four for the tournament. The 6'1" 190 winger got behind NY's defense and scored on a nifty move in the first period to tie the game at one. His second goal was a tap-in from 2013 7th-round pick (#189) Eric Locke on a two-on-one.
Baptiste and Locke would break in on goal a mere :22 later on another two-on-one. This time Locke kept the puck and went five-hole for his first goal of the tournament. He added two assists for a three-point afternoon.
Oscar Lindberg had the hat trick for the Rangers. Lindberg was drafted 57th overall in 2010 by Phoenix and was traded to NY for Ethan Werek (#47, 2009) in May, 2011. This is his first year in North America after coming over from his native Sweden.
Next up for Buffalo is Carolina on Sunday. One point will get them into the finals vs. the host Detroit Red Wings on Monday. The Wings have already secured their spot in the championship game.
***
When the Sabres drafted Zadorov with the 16th pick, many bristled with excitement at his draft presser when he said with a smile, "I really like to hit."
What got lost in the excitement of the Sabres landing the 6'5" 228 lb. defenseman who embodies "tougher to play against" is his offensive game.
In addition to his love of physicality, Zadorov called himself a two-way player who likes to "shoot and score goals." He played mostly defense on the back end in Russia, but coming over to North America opened the door for some offense and we're starting to see a glimpse of his offensive upside.
He had six goals and 25 points in 63 games for the London Knights last season after posting only two goals and six points in 41 games for HC CSKA U-18 Russia. He also had two goals in five games for the OHL Champion Knights in the 2013 Memorial Cup.
The big defenseman with a burgeoning offensive game who "loves to hit" looks to be turning into a fan favorite in Buffalo if he hasn't already.
Zadorov is very humble, a trait almost any fan (especially Buffalonians) embrace, and he's very grateful for the opportunity to play in the NHL, his stated dream.
He was genuinely thankful to those who helped him get to the draft podium back in June. And after the game yesterday, he thanked his teammates when talking about his game-winning goal, "It was my first overtime goal in North America, first overtime goal in Buffalo." he said, "I'm so excited. I want to thank every guy. Everyone played pretty good today and we won this game."
When WGR's Paul Hamilton asked him about his game-winning goal--a blast from the point on the powerplay--he said, "I just closed my eyes and shoot."
Nicholas Baptiste had two goals and an assist vs. the Rangers to bring his point total to a team leading four for the tournament. The 6'1" 190 winger got behind NY's defense and scored on a nifty move in the first period to tie the game at one. His second goal was a tap-in from 2013 7th-round pick (#189) Eric Locke on a two-on-one.
Baptiste and Locke would break in on goal a mere :22 later on another two-on-one. This time Locke kept the puck and went five-hole for his first goal of the tournament. He added two assists for a three-point afternoon.
Oscar Lindberg had the hat trick for the Rangers. Lindberg was drafted 57th overall in 2010 by Phoenix and was traded to NY for Ethan Werek (#47, 2009) in May, 2011. This is his first year in North America after coming over from his native Sweden.
Next up for Buffalo is Carolina on Sunday. One point will get them into the finals vs. the host Detroit Red Wings on Monday. The Wings have already secured their spot in the championship game.
***
When the Sabres drafted Zadorov with the 16th pick, many bristled with excitement at his draft presser when he said with a smile, "I really like to hit."
What got lost in the excitement of the Sabres landing the 6'5" 228 lb. defenseman who embodies "tougher to play against" is his offensive game.
In addition to his love of physicality, Zadorov called himself a two-way player who likes to "shoot and score goals." He played mostly defense on the back end in Russia, but coming over to North America opened the door for some offense and we're starting to see a glimpse of his offensive upside.
He had six goals and 25 points in 63 games for the London Knights last season after posting only two goals and six points in 41 games for HC CSKA U-18 Russia. He also had two goals in five games for the OHL Champion Knights in the 2013 Memorial Cup.
The big defenseman with a burgeoning offensive game who "loves to hit" looks to be turning into a fan favorite in Buffalo if he hasn't already.
Zadorov is very humble, a trait almost any fan (especially Buffalonians) embrace, and he's very grateful for the opportunity to play in the NHL, his stated dream.
 |
| Zadorov's joy at being drafted and playful smile come out at his NHL Draft presser. |
Zadorov is also having a ball right now simply living his dream. He has an infectious personality and playful, humorous side that's reminiscent of former Sabres' goalie and fan-favorite, Martin Biron.
When WGR's Paul Hamilton asked him about his game-winning goal--a blast from the point on the powerplay--he said, "I just closed my eyes and shoot."
"You didn't pick a spot?" asked Hamilton, chuckling, yet mildly bewildered.
"No, I'm kidding," beamed Zadorov. "I saw the net and just scored a goal."
 |
| 2012 first-round pick Zemgus Girgensons gets pulled into Zadorov's infectious personality and sense of humor at Sabres Development Camp. (via WGR 550) |
Friday, September 6, 2013
"I'm no scout, but those two looked beastly on the backend."
That was a quote from Aaron Portzline of BlueJackets Xtra on the pairing of Sabres defense prospects Rasmus Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov at the opening game of the Traverse City Tournament between Columbus and Buffalo.
Portzline has been covering the Blue Jackets since their inception in 2000.
The Sabres defeated the Blue Jackets 3-2 with Ristolainen scoring the game winner early in the second period on a 5-on-3. The defenseman took a cross-ice pass from Johan Larsson and snapped a shot that went through a Columbus d-man and found the back of the net.
Nicholas Baptiste and Justin Bailey also scored for the Sabres putting the team up 2-0 just over three minutes into the game.
Zadorov assisted on Baptiste's goal while Peter Trainor and Colin Jacobs assisted on Bailey's. Trainor is with the club on a tryout.
Tougher to play against has been the mantra for the Sabres moving forward and it's something that the team focused upon at the 2013 NHL Draft.
Apparently, accoring to Portzline, the Sabres prospects played a hard-hitting game. While commenting on Jackets' d-man Ryan Murray, playing his first game in nearly a year, he said that Murray's game held up well after taking "plenty of jarring hits from the physical young Sabres."
Despite having to cling to a one-goal lead for nearly a period and a half, and despite "feeling probably a little too good about [themselves]" after jumping to that early lead, according to Sabres coach Chadd Cassidy, the youngins toughed it out and came through with a win.
Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com was on the scene at Traverse City and gave his three stars for the Sabres: 1st, Nathan Leiuwen; 2nd Dan Catenacci; 3rd, Zadorov.
For more on how individual prospects fared, Baker offers up the prospects report for Sabres.com.
Next stop, the NY Rangers prospects today at 4pm.
Click here for highlights of yesterdays game.
Portzline has been covering the Blue Jackets since their inception in 2000.
The Sabres defeated the Blue Jackets 3-2 with Ristolainen scoring the game winner early in the second period on a 5-on-3. The defenseman took a cross-ice pass from Johan Larsson and snapped a shot that went through a Columbus d-man and found the back of the net.
Nicholas Baptiste and Justin Bailey also scored for the Sabres putting the team up 2-0 just over three minutes into the game.
Zadorov assisted on Baptiste's goal while Peter Trainor and Colin Jacobs assisted on Bailey's. Trainor is with the club on a tryout.
Tougher to play against has been the mantra for the Sabres moving forward and it's something that the team focused upon at the 2013 NHL Draft.
Apparently, accoring to Portzline, the Sabres prospects played a hard-hitting game. While commenting on Jackets' d-man Ryan Murray, playing his first game in nearly a year, he said that Murray's game held up well after taking "plenty of jarring hits from the physical young Sabres."
Despite having to cling to a one-goal lead for nearly a period and a half, and despite "feeling probably a little too good about [themselves]" after jumping to that early lead, according to Sabres coach Chadd Cassidy, the youngins toughed it out and came through with a win.
Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com was on the scene at Traverse City and gave his three stars for the Sabres: 1st, Nathan Leiuwen; 2nd Dan Catenacci; 3rd, Zadorov.
For more on how individual prospects fared, Baker offers up the prospects report for Sabres.com.
Next stop, the NY Rangers prospects today at 4pm.
Click here for highlights of yesterdays game.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Buffalo Sabres prospects begin their title defense in Traverse City today
Because of new owner Terry Pegula's wealth and commitment to player development, the Buffalo Sabres travelled to Traverse City, Michigan for the first time back in 2011 to face off against seven other teams' prospects.
The Sabres won that tournament.
With the tournament a lockout casualty in 2012, the Sabres begin their defense of the crown today at 4pm vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets prospects.
Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com is on the scene at the tourney and gives a quick synopsis of each team. Of Columbus he says,
"Four Big Buckeyes
With high-level talent at every position, the Blue Jackets could present the Sabres' greatest challenge in the Ted Lindsay Division. Up front, hard-nosed OHL products Boone Jenner and Kerby Rychel will set a tone with their blend of edginess and opportunistic offense to form two-thirds of the Jackets’ top forward unit. The duo will be backed by Ryan Murray, a skilled and mobile defender chosen second overall at the 2012 draft, and Erie Otters backstop Oscar Dansk, who will likely be the starter for Team Sweden at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship."As for Buffalo, who will be coached by Rochester Americans bench-boss Chadd Cassidy, the roster boasts a bevy of first round picks playing for the team (even with Mikhail Grigorenko deemed ineligible) including returnee Mark Pysyk on defense. Forward Daniel Catenacci and goalie Nathan Lieuwen were also a part of the 2011 championship team.
In addition to seeing how the team plays under Cassidy, an area to watch is if the team will be able to finish against Dansk who is one of the best goalie prospects out there.
Individually, we'll be following a few players closely to see how the fare against their peers:
- Zemgus Girgensons--mature beyond his 19 yrs. "the Latvian Locomotive" looks to build upon his stellar (albeit short) playoff performance for Rochester last season. Although it might be a bit early to dub him a man-child, one should expect a dominating performance from him as he plays against players his own age. Last year he was the youngest player in the AHL and slowly ramped up his game as the season went on. Tougher to play against is the Sabres mantra moving forward and Girgensons embodies the skill and will necessary to bring it.
- Johan Larsson--was Girgensons' center last year during the playoffs and assisted on all three of his goals. One would expect those two to be on the same line once again. At 21 yrs. old Larsson may be the Sabres' most NHL-ready forward. His two-way game is solid and he's versatile enough to play any forward position. One should expect a very strong performance from him as he gears up for his first Sabres training camp.
- Pysyk, Catenacci and Lieuwen--the vets of the tournament will be expected to lead the youngins and excel in their roles. Pysyk is gearing up for Sabres training camp and possibly his first full season with the big club. Catenacci will be looking to make an impact in Rochester as he enters his first full season and Leiuwen will be battling for the back-up goalie spot for the Amerks behind Matthew Hackett.
- Joel Armia--a few weeks ago at eliteprospects.com, he was listed at 203 lbs, a big jump from his listed 187 lbs, which is pretty exciting. A power forward in the making with a wicked release, this will be Armia's first season in North America. The knock on Armia is that he'll disappear for stretches only to come back and score a big goal. He probably has more skill than any player for the Sabres at this tourney. But does he have the will to play a North American pro-style game?
- Rasmus Ristolainen--Picked eighth-overall at the draft and a player the Sabres coveted, Ristolainen was said to be the most NHL-ready of any d-men outside of Seth Jones. He brought a steady game to the Sabres' prospect scrimmage and will be expected to do the same in Traverse City. How he handles the power of Columbus' Jenner, as well and the fiestiness of Rychel and the skill of the Rangers' Oscar Lindberg and Jesper Fast should help determine the extent of his NHL-readiness. Getting his sure shot through from the point and adding offensive production is to be expected from a player who spent the last two years playing against men overseas.
- Nikita Zadorov--"I like to hit." Maybe more telling than those four words uttered by Zadorov at his draft presser was the way he said them. The big Russian d-man had a Cheshire grin on his face and a look of steel-eyed confidence that reached deep down in his soul. He's a tough customer, just ask Brad Navin who was laid out on a nice open-ice hit courtesy of Zadorov at the Sabres Development Camp. The opposition should be well aware of what he brings, if not, someone will get hurt. One should expect a strong presence, an aggressive attitude and some glimpses of his offensive upside.
- Justin Bailey--Bailey can skate and he can weave his way through traffic. He has power forward size and room to grow. Rated #2 behind Armia on the right side, there's a bit of a gap between the two in the system. Bailey showed tremendous promise at the development camp but is extremely raw. He spent the off season training in his hometown Buffalo and should be ready to go. One should expect high energy along with some mistakes. He will score, just based upon how he moves throughout his shift and positions himself around the net.
We'll see at 4pm today as Buffalo takes on Columbus.
 |
| Buffalo Sabres lineup sheet tweeted by Kris Baker of sabersprospects.com |
Edit: Mark Pysyk will not be playing in the tournament. Although exempt from restrictions, the Sabres decided not to bring him along to allow a better look at the other youngsters.
Friday, August 23, 2013
Traverse City and an NHL-ready prospect in Johan Larsson, to keep an eye on
Buffalo Sabres youngins will be headed to Traverse City, Michigan from September 5-9 as part of the Traverse City Prospects Tournament.
Buffalo won the tournament in their first year--2011--and is the defending champion as last year's tournament was cancelled because of the NHL lockout.
The team will feature a mix of players with some NHL experience like Mark Pysyk and Mikhail Grigorenko, some AHL'ers including Jerome Gauthier-Leduc and Fredrick Roy and will feature recent draft picks like Joel Armia (2011,) Zemgus Girgensens (2012,) Rasmus Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov (2013) who will be making their first appearance.
The Sabres have one invitee, D Connor Bolland.
(for the full roster, click here)
A quick note on the roster in general: the team has some size and girth. The average numbers up-front are 6' 1/2" 192 lbs while on the back end the average is 6'2" 205 lbs.
Of the 24 prospects headed to Traverse City, two are already slated to be on the big club--Pysyk and Grigorenko. And there may be one more poised to make the team out of camp in two-way forward Johan Larsson.
Larsson is a 5'11" 200 lb. C/LW who came over from Minnesota in the Jason Pominville trade. Although not the top prospect in the Wild pool at the time, Larsson was right there just behind center Mikael Granlund and neck-in-neck center Charlie Coyle.
The 2010 second-round pick (#56) had just played his first NHL game and was preparing for his next one when the Minnesota Wild told him he was traded. He spent the rest of the season with the Rochester Americans.
Of all the Sabres forward prospects, including Grigorenko, Larsson may prove to be the most NHL ready at this stage of the game. He plays a solid two-way game, can skate and has a nice skill-set. He has a bit of grit to go along with his play-making abilities as well. Although he doesn't have the offensive up-side of Grigorenko, his defensive game is NHL-ready and as we'll see, his offensive numbers eventually come along.
Last year with the Amerks he played in 7 regular season games had one goal, three assists and was a minus-2. Before coming to the Sabres organization he had 15 goals and 22 assists in 62 games for the AHL's Houston Aeros. It was his first year of North American hockey.
From 2008 to 2012, Larsson was in his homeland of Sweden playing in their leagues.
Hockey'sFuture followed his progression through the ranks and his "eye for the game" (as they describe it) reflects in his numbers as he wrapped his hands around the game at the various levels.
Starting with the 2008-09 season, Larsson played for Byrnas at the J20 junior level. That year he recorded 4 goals and 5 assists in 33 games. The next season for the J20 Byrnas team he had 15 goals and 19 assists in 40 games.
Larsson began the 2010-11 season with J20 Byrnas and proceed to torch the league for 6 goals and 9 assists in 10 games before making the jump to the Swedish Elite League.
That season, his rookie season with Byrnas Elite he had 4 goals and 4 assists in 43 games.
His 2011-12 sophomore season for Byrnas saw a big jump in his numbers as he scored 12 goals and had 24 assists in 49 games.
All the positive traits that Larsson shows on the ice--his intelligence, hockey sense, "eye for the game" and work ethic--allowed him to methodically climb up each hockey rung producing big jumps in production as he learned at each level. Those traits also came in handy during his rather surprising April 3, 2013, the date he was traded.
Chadd Cassidy was interim coach (now head coach) with the Rochester Americans at the time of the trade and he had high praise for how Larsson handled everything. He said Larsson "plays a lot older than he is, is very smart and thinks the game very well."
It' echo's something Ryan Kennedy of the HockeyNews wrote about him (via hockeywilderness) back in 2011: "[Larsson] is a dynamic and intelligent player who works extremely hard and is beyond competitive."
Kennedy ends up comparing Larsson to fellow Swede Sammy Pahlsson. Pahlsson was one of the best defensive forwards in the game during his NHL career, but hockeywilderness author Dan Chan bumps that comparison up a notch, "So the Wild drafted a player that has tons of similarities to Sammy Pahlsson, one of the leagues premium defensive forwards, but seems to have a knack of showing up offensively as well? A bulky, versatile forward? A nineteen year old that plays regular minutes, will captain his country against top junior players, and will be relied on for his offensive game, his defensive game, his faceoff ability, and his grit and energy?
Forget Pahlsson, that sounds alot like what Mikko Koivu does for the Wild."
Some pretty good comparisons that seem to be ringing true two years later.
Larsson had good numbers for the seven games he played as an Amerk after the trade, and proceeded to kick it up a notch in the playoffs.
In three games for Rochester he had three assists and was a plus-2. He centered a line that had 2012 first-round draft pick Girgensons on the wing with the "Latvian Locomotive" cashing in three goals on Larsson's three assists. Girgensons was also a plus-2.
Interesting to note that both Larsson and Girgensons are hard-skating, two-way centers who can play the wing. Having both progressing very well may have allowed the organization to eschew two-way forwards Elias Lindholm and Bo Horvat at the 2013 Draft in favor Ristolainen and Zadorov, two big, gritty, skilled defensmen with some offensive upside.
Larsson (as well as Girgensons) is the type of two-way forwards the Sabres are centering their rebuild around and both will have a shot at the big club this season, probably in a third-line role.
At this point, Larsson probably has the upper edge being older and having worked his way up the ranks. Cassidy took a look at his pro-aspects, '[Larsson is] very good positionally. He’s got a good a good skill level. He’s probably more of a playmaker than he is a finisher. He’s very strong. He wins a lot of puck battles. He’s very well put together. He’s a guy that really helps your D corps out in terms of being able to get the puck out of your zone as a centerman.'
At some point during the 2013-14 season, Larsson will get his shot to take his game to the pro level. The Sabres want players like him. They need players like him. And it wouldn't be surprising to see Larsson bring his "Pahlsson/Koivu-like" game to the Sabres as early as Day-One.
Buffalo won the tournament in their first year--2011--and is the defending champion as last year's tournament was cancelled because of the NHL lockout.
The team will feature a mix of players with some NHL experience like Mark Pysyk and Mikhail Grigorenko, some AHL'ers including Jerome Gauthier-Leduc and Fredrick Roy and will feature recent draft picks like Joel Armia (2011,) Zemgus Girgensens (2012,) Rasmus Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov (2013) who will be making their first appearance.
The Sabres have one invitee, D Connor Bolland.
(for the full roster, click here)
A quick note on the roster in general: the team has some size and girth. The average numbers up-front are 6' 1/2" 192 lbs while on the back end the average is 6'2" 205 lbs.
Of the 24 prospects headed to Traverse City, two are already slated to be on the big club--Pysyk and Grigorenko. And there may be one more poised to make the team out of camp in two-way forward Johan Larsson.
Larsson is a 5'11" 200 lb. C/LW who came over from Minnesota in the Jason Pominville trade. Although not the top prospect in the Wild pool at the time, Larsson was right there just behind center Mikael Granlund and neck-in-neck center Charlie Coyle.
The 2010 second-round pick (#56) had just played his first NHL game and was preparing for his next one when the Minnesota Wild told him he was traded. He spent the rest of the season with the Rochester Americans.
Of all the Sabres forward prospects, including Grigorenko, Larsson may prove to be the most NHL ready at this stage of the game. He plays a solid two-way game, can skate and has a nice skill-set. He has a bit of grit to go along with his play-making abilities as well. Although he doesn't have the offensive up-side of Grigorenko, his defensive game is NHL-ready and as we'll see, his offensive numbers eventually come along.
Last year with the Amerks he played in 7 regular season games had one goal, three assists and was a minus-2. Before coming to the Sabres organization he had 15 goals and 22 assists in 62 games for the AHL's Houston Aeros. It was his first year of North American hockey.
From 2008 to 2012, Larsson was in his homeland of Sweden playing in their leagues.
Hockey'sFuture followed his progression through the ranks and his "eye for the game" (as they describe it) reflects in his numbers as he wrapped his hands around the game at the various levels.
Starting with the 2008-09 season, Larsson played for Byrnas at the J20 junior level. That year he recorded 4 goals and 5 assists in 33 games. The next season for the J20 Byrnas team he had 15 goals and 19 assists in 40 games.
Larsson began the 2010-11 season with J20 Byrnas and proceed to torch the league for 6 goals and 9 assists in 10 games before making the jump to the Swedish Elite League.
That season, his rookie season with Byrnas Elite he had 4 goals and 4 assists in 43 games.
His 2011-12 sophomore season for Byrnas saw a big jump in his numbers as he scored 12 goals and had 24 assists in 49 games.
All the positive traits that Larsson shows on the ice--his intelligence, hockey sense, "eye for the game" and work ethic--allowed him to methodically climb up each hockey rung producing big jumps in production as he learned at each level. Those traits also came in handy during his rather surprising April 3, 2013, the date he was traded.
Chadd Cassidy was interim coach (now head coach) with the Rochester Americans at the time of the trade and he had high praise for how Larsson handled everything. He said Larsson "plays a lot older than he is, is very smart and thinks the game very well."
It' echo's something Ryan Kennedy of the HockeyNews wrote about him (via hockeywilderness) back in 2011: "[Larsson] is a dynamic and intelligent player who works extremely hard and is beyond competitive."
Kennedy ends up comparing Larsson to fellow Swede Sammy Pahlsson. Pahlsson was one of the best defensive forwards in the game during his NHL career, but hockeywilderness author Dan Chan bumps that comparison up a notch, "So the Wild drafted a player that has tons of similarities to Sammy Pahlsson, one of the leagues premium defensive forwards, but seems to have a knack of showing up offensively as well? A bulky, versatile forward? A nineteen year old that plays regular minutes, will captain his country against top junior players, and will be relied on for his offensive game, his defensive game, his faceoff ability, and his grit and energy?
Forget Pahlsson, that sounds alot like what Mikko Koivu does for the Wild."
Some pretty good comparisons that seem to be ringing true two years later.
Larsson had good numbers for the seven games he played as an Amerk after the trade, and proceeded to kick it up a notch in the playoffs.
In three games for Rochester he had three assists and was a plus-2. He centered a line that had 2012 first-round draft pick Girgensons on the wing with the "Latvian Locomotive" cashing in three goals on Larsson's three assists. Girgensons was also a plus-2.
Interesting to note that both Larsson and Girgensons are hard-skating, two-way centers who can play the wing. Having both progressing very well may have allowed the organization to eschew two-way forwards Elias Lindholm and Bo Horvat at the 2013 Draft in favor Ristolainen and Zadorov, two big, gritty, skilled defensmen with some offensive upside.
Larsson (as well as Girgensons) is the type of two-way forwards the Sabres are centering their rebuild around and both will have a shot at the big club this season, probably in a third-line role.
At this point, Larsson probably has the upper edge being older and having worked his way up the ranks. Cassidy took a look at his pro-aspects, '[Larsson is] very good positionally. He’s got a good a good skill level. He’s probably more of a playmaker than he is a finisher. He’s very strong. He wins a lot of puck battles. He’s very well put together. He’s a guy that really helps your D corps out in terms of being able to get the puck out of your zone as a centerman.'
At some point during the 2013-14 season, Larsson will get his shot to take his game to the pro level. The Sabres want players like him. They need players like him. And it wouldn't be surprising to see Larsson bring his "Pahlsson/Koivu-like" game to the Sabres as early as Day-One.
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