The kids are alright in Sabreland

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for the entirety of his 97 games as Buffalo's bench boss has been sent to the incinerator of extreme ineptitude and has been replaced by a refreshing dose of speed and puck control with an emphasis on driving play and creating offense. 

And Sabreland couldn't be happier.

Three-game Sabres recap, Feb. 16-22

When we look at those three games below Sabres fans can't help but think, damn you Ottawa! Or should we really say, damn you Buffalo!

The Sabres rode a three-game winning streak into Ottawa and hit Canada's Capital after smoking Toronto 5-2. This would be great, right? Except for one thing. Buffalo was already 1-2 against the Senators and when they left Ottawa they finished the season 1-3 against a division foe who will end up near the bottom of the conference.

DOH!!!

Buffalo's win last night coupled with the Leafs  embarrassing 6-3 loss at home against the Carolina Hurricanes has the Sabres eight points back with two games in hand. They'll make up one of those games this afternoon as Buffalo hosts the Winnipeg Jets in their final game before tomorrow's trade deadline.

Should Sabres fans get excited about this recent stretch enough to get our hopes up?

Buffalo Sabres fans have been through this movie before. A team left for dead just past the midway point of the season makes a valiant run for the playoffs only to fall just short. It's nothing new. In fact this trend dates back to at least the Lindy Ruff years from 2007-2013. Ruff's Sabres generally struggled through the first half of the year only to make that run save for the 2009-10 season when they took the Northeast Division crown after being at near the top of the division the entire season. In the other years during that span Buffalo was in the middle to back of the pack and ended up finishing third in the division three times and fourth on one occasion. They closed out that span with a pre-tank fifth-place finish in 2012-13. In those six years they made the playoffs twice getting bounced in the first round both times.

We're now well into the 2020 portion of the season and once again the Sabres are in a position where they'll need to make a near miraculous run to get into the playoffs. Coming into the new year Buffalo found themselves in a tough position being five points out of third place in the Atlantic Division, eight points out of the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. A 5-3-0 record prior to their "bye-week" and the All-Star break gave fans hope for the team as they would be coming out of the break with nine of 10 games at home.

Dylan Cozens sent to Lethbridge (WHL,) Sabres top-six taking shape

Published by hockeybuzz,com, 9-26-2019


There was huge groundswell of emotion touting at least a nine-day trial-run for 2019 first round draft pick Dylan Cozens as he showed very well in training camp this year. However, it was for naught as the Buffalo Sabres announced today that the 18 yr. old center will be headed back to the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League to further his development in Canadian Junior.

At 6'3" 191 lbs., Cozens has a good NHL frame and he displayed some great skating ability and skills while throughout training camp. However, this is how Sabres head coach framed the decision while talking with the gathered media today (via John Vogl tweets):

"This decision today is about the development and future of an outstanding young man and athlete. It's maybe some pain for him at the moment, but there's a pace and there's an intensity to the National Hockey League season that we just didn't feel he was quite ready for. We believe he's going to come back and make a very hard push for being part of this team next year."

This is a roster that looks to be in tune-up mode for the season opener

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-25-2019

With only two preseason games left and less than 10 days until the Buffalo Sabres open up the regular season at Pittsburgh against the Penguins, head coach Ralph Kreuger is icing a lineup tonight that will be very similar to the one he'll be using on October 3. At least up front.

Although injuries have been a huge factor on the blueline, the forwards look to be pretty set with maybe a few question marks, and here are the projected lines for tonight's game against the Columbus Blue Jacktes (from sabres.com):

Victor Olofsson - Jack Eichel - Sam Reinhart

Jeff Skinner - Marcus Johansson - Kyle Okposo

Jimmy Vesey - Casey Mittelstadt - Evan Rodrigues

Zemgus Girgensons - Vladimir Sobotka - Tage Thompson

Evaluation time as the Sabres players get a day off

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-18-2019

Whelp, it wasn't the best of performances last night at Columbus against the Blue Jackets. At best it could be described as a group of players still grappling with chemistry and structure while hitting the ice against real competition for the first time. At worst it was a throwback to some pretty dismal times in Sabreland as the team looked outclassed and disjointed and generally looked flat-footed until they found themselves down by two goals late in the third period.

Then again, it's best to remember this was game No. 2 of the preseason.

"It looked a little sluggish at the start," new Sabres bench boss, Ralph Krueger said in his post-game interview, "The first period I thought were a little bit flat but we did like some things that developed in the second period. There were moments where we found our game, we created some nice o-zone time. In the third [period] we put up a good fight but in the end didn't really do enough to deserve to win here."

Plenty of Sabres players to watch as Buffalo visits Columbus tonight

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-17-2019



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

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

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

Published by hockkeybuzz.com, 9-6-2019

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

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

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

Building the 2019-20 Buffalo Sabres roster--LW, Victor Olofsson

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-5-2019


In this series we build the 2019-20 Buffalo Sabres roster one by one leading up to the season opener on October 3.
LW--Victor Olofsson
24 yrs. old
5'11" 181 lbs.
2014, 7th round (181st-overall)

Career Stats: 6 games | 2 goals | 2 assists | 4 points | +1


In a way, winger Victor Olofsson is a key player for the Sabres organization moving forward. Having a former seventh-round pick make an impact at the NHL level would prove to be a big step for Buffalo and makes it a tad easier to fill in other holes in the lineup without overspending for talent in free agency. 

There's no question that any big strides players like 19 yr. old Rasmus Dahlin, and 21 yr. old Casey Mittelstadt this season will be directly proportional to any success Buffalo might have in 2019-20 and we can fit Olofsson, a 24 yr. old rookie, right into that narrative as well. 

Impressions of, and questions concerning--F, Victor Olofsson

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 5-24-2019


Forward--Victor Olofsson

DOB:  July 18, 1995 (age, 23)

Draft:  2014 seventh round (181st-overall)

How acquired:  Drafted by Buffalo

Last contract signed:  April 24, 2018; 2yr. ELC/$1.85 million ($1.35million total base salary)

Final year of contract: 2019-20

2018-19 Stats:  6 games | 2 goals | 2 assists | 4 points | +1 | 18:01 ATOI

Buffalo Career Stats:  6 games | 2 goals | 2 assists | 4 points | +1 | 18:01 ATOI

What we wrote preseason:  N/A

What we wrote mid-season:  N/A

Impressions on his play this year:   There was a good level of anticipation concerning Olofsson finally coming to North America. Although the Swedish winger was a seventh-rounder he had lit up the SHL for a league-leading 27 goals before signing his entry-level deal with the Sabres in April. Buffalo was devoid of talent on the wing last summer before Jason Botterill traded for Jeff Skinner and Conor Sheary and even though Olofsson wasn't projected to play in Buffalo this past season, he brought more skill to an area in desperate need of it.

As Olofsson got off to a roaring start in Rochester with 12 points (5+7) in only six games expectations were heightened in Sabreland especially as his totals included only one powerplay goal. Of Olofssons 27 SHL goals, 14 came on the powerplay as he had plenty of space to uncork a wickedly accurate one-timer from the right faceoff circle in the Swedish league. Adjusting to a smaller North American rink was supposed to be a great hurdle for the 23 yr. old but those early numbers proved he could adapt and by the end of the season Olofsson led the Americans in all categories with 30 goals, 33 assists and 63 points in 66 AHL games with nine of his goals coming on the powerplay (2nd on the team.)

Olofsson added some bulk to his 5'11" frame this season as he was listed at 181 lbs. There were some minor concerns as to his ability to handle the tougher North American pro game but those fears were allayed as he performed extremely well in the regular season. Although he, like his Rochester teammates, struggled in the post season, his speed and maneuverability kept him out of trouble while his hockey sense got him to open ice where he could score. His 30 goals were the most for an Amerk since Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville in the 2004-05 season. 

It would seem as if Olofsson has a had plenty of seasoning with four professional seasons (one in the AHL, three in the SHL) and one would expect he has a job to lose in Buffalo at training camp. The Sabres need skill and they could really use also a sniper on the opposite half-wall across from Eichel. Like with winger Alexander Nylander (who should be up with the big club despite his waiver-exempt status,) new head coach Ralph Krueger needs to find a home for Olofsson. The former staff went heavy with vets and proved that they could lose with them, but they have skilled youth at their disposal and Lord knows this team could use an influx of that. 

Questions moving forward:  What's the status of Jeff Skinner? How will Olofsson fit in with or without Skinner in the lineup? Should Skinner re-sign with Buffalo, is there really any reason to keep Olofsson in Rochester? Would Krueger and his assistant coach use Olofsson on the top powerplay unit? Will that have the desired effect? Can he adapt in the NHL like he did in the AHL? Can the Sabres right the ship in a positive way so as not to stunt the development of their young players?

Contract info via CapFriendly, stats via sabres.com and hockey reference.com.

Olofsson scores first NHL goal. Jackets in town with a lot on the line

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 3-31-2019

Congratulations to winger Victor Olofsson scored his first NHL goal last night in a 5-1 loss against the NY Islanders at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island. The 23 yr. old native of Sweden earned the nickname "Goalofsson" for his work in Rochester this season as his 27 goals for the Americans led the team before his call-up two games ago. Forward C.J. Smith racked up two goals in Binghamton last night to tie Olofsson for the team lead.

Olofsson's goal came late in the third period with the Sabres down 5-0 and on the powerplay. Buffalo captain Jack Eichel kept the puck from leaving the Islanders zone and whipped a cross-ice pass to Olofsson who was all alone at the point. After waiting a bit for Sam Reinhart to position himself for a screen, Olofsson took a couple of steps in and sent a wrister far side to break the shutout bid by former Sabres goalie Robin Lehner.

That was all the good news for the Sabres last night as their plummet to the bottom part of the league continues. After last night's loss Buffalo is on record as losing six in a row (0-5-1,) are 1-11-2 in their last 13 games and are only 4-17-3 since a three-game point-streak in early February. They're presently 27th in the league only two points ahead of the Detroit Red Wings.

Five games left and this is the expected effort from most of the Sabres tonight

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 3-30-2019


The Buffalo Sabres, fifth-worst in the NHL, face off against the NY Islanders, who are all but assured of a playoff spot, tonight at 7 pm. Here's Buffalo's projected lineup from those at the Nassau Coliseum rink for their morning skate:

Olofsson-Eichel-Reinhart
Skinner-Mittelstadt-Pominville
Sheary-Larsson-Nylander
Wilson-Girgensons-Okposo

Dahlin-Borgen
Pilut-Montour
Scandella-Nelson Good luck to: --Victor Olofsso, get that first NHL goal --Alexander Nylander, keep the pattern going--3 straight w/o a point, points in 3 straight (2+2), 3 straight w/o a point...
--Will Borgen, keep up the good work

Thank you.

Sabres in New Jersey tonight to face off against a s

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 3-25-2019


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

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

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

Sabres off 'til tommorow. WNY can focus on Amerks at KeyBank Center tonight

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 11-7-2018


The Buffalo Sabres won't hit the ice for a game until tomorrow night when they take on the Montreal Canadians at home. Buffalo has had a good start to the season with a 7-6-2 record over the first 15 games and only a -1 goal differential that was pushed there with a 9-2 shellacking of the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night.

Although not the youngest team in the league, the Sabres have a young core that included two teenagers (18 yr. old defenseman Rasmus Dahlin and 19 yr. old center Casey Mittelstadt) and have a 22 yr. old captain in Jack Eichel. That core of the future is balanced out by three older warhorses age 30 or older with a myriad of players at various stages of their prime years. The Sabres are about the sixth youngest team in the league.

Chronological age is one thing, but perhaps their play is more indicative of a young team still trying to find it's way. This edition of the Sabres has been inconsistent and although they've not been able to string together more that three wins in a row, on the other side of the equation, they've not lost more than three in a row. Some games they're great (the Ottawa win mentioned above, at Los Angeles and Arizona last month) and some games they're not so great (Boston to start the season, vs. Colorado and at Vegas and San Jose.

What they do have going for them is a youthful core with some high-end talent and some depth that's helping them along and both of those traits stretch down to their AHL affiliate in Rochester.

After losing the first two games of the season (back-to-back at home, no-less,) the Rochester Americans went on an eight-game point streak (7-0-1) and securing 17 of a possible 20 points in their last 10 games. It was a run that propelled them to the top of the North Division. The Cleveland Monsters (CBJ,) whom the Amerks face tonight at KeyBank Center, are second in the division just two points behind Rochester.

The Amerks have a lot of skill, a lot of depth and a group of hardened AHL vets leading the way. They also can score. Presently Rochester's 45 goals ties them with the Chicago Wolves (VGK) in team-goals with the Amerks playing in one more game and they have three of the top five scorers in the league. Veteran defenseman Zach Redmond and forward Victor Olofsson are tied second in the league with 16 points each while defenseman Lawrence Pilut is tied for fourth with 15 points.

Redmond's eight goals leads all AHL defensemen and Pilut's 13 assists sits atop the AHL. Pilut's plus-11 rating leads the Amerks and is tied for fifth best in the league.

Olofsson (23 yrs. old) and Pilut (22) both came over from the Swedish Elite League and are in their first North American seasons.  They lead an influx of draft and free agent talent that came to the Amerks this season and are just two up-and-coming players of interest to the Sabres organization.

Very talented winger Alexander Nylander was drafted eighth-overall by Buffalo in the 2016 NHL Draft and has had a rough go of it in his first two AHL seasons. However there are signs that he's beginning to turn it around with a stat line of four goals, five assists and a plus-5 rating in 12 games. Defenseman Brendan Guhle (2015, 51st-overall) is third amongst Amerks d-men in scoring with six points (2+4) and has an even plus/minus rating.

Those are just a handful of players to watch tonight as the Amerks take the ice for a North Division showdown with the Monsters who, by the way, have the league's leader in points (19) and goals (12.)

Also of note, West Seneca native Sean Malone will make his season debut for Rochester tonight. There was talk of Malone making a strong pitch to make the big club out of camp but an injury squashed that. Malone was cleared by the Sabres and sent to Rochester yesterday.

Game time is 7:05 pm.

Sabres looking to match red-hot Amerks in Oct wins. Plus, notes

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 10-29-2018


The Buffalo Sabres are off to a very good 6-4-1 start so far and compared to last year's 3-6-2 record at this point it's a great start.

Buffalo went into Columbus on Saturday night looking to extend a three-game winning streak but left Nationwide Arena with a loser point, which was no small feat considering the Sabres went into the third period down by two goals. After playing a solid first period and leading 2-1, things opened up and unfortunately for Buffalo the Blue Jackets had the transition and the firepower to pot three goal and leave the period with a 4-2 lead.

Credit to the Sabres, however as they came back with goals by Jason Pominville off a nice backhand feed from Jack Eichel and Casey Mittelstadt who scored his first of the season on the powerplay. Buffalo went into the overtime session with Eichel, Jeff Skinner and Rasmus Ristolainen on the ice, lost the faceoff and found themselves in their own zone. Ristolainen temporarily stripped the puck away along the wall but the Jackets got it back and Artemi Panarin found himself alone in the right circle and he smoked it past Buffalo goalie Linus Ullmark. Panarin finished the night with 2 goals and an assist.

On the game-winner head coach Phil Housley told the gathered media afterward that his players "did all the right things there" in being aggressive to get the puck, but that "we didn't make that next play." Housley was pleased that his team was able to come back from a two-goal deficit but he did point to that second period where things got out of hand. "We were way too loose," said the coach. "We're not going to win a lot of hockey games playing like that. We know that and it's one thing we can take forward here. We'll learn from the mistakes we made, obviously, but we've got to take credit where credit's due and I think we did a terrific job battling back on the road to get a point."

The Sabres have been playing come-from-behind hockey in the last three games and they've managed five of a possible six points. Which is great that they've been able to find that will to not give up. The good point, according to Housley, is that when his team has faced adversity, "they've looked it right in the eye." But he did say that they can't keep finding themselves in those situations or "it will bite us in the you-know-what."

Buffalo has six wins this season, which is worlds ahead of last season when they didn't get their sixth win until their 23rd game on November 24. They would finish the opening two months of the 2017-18 season with a 6-15-4 record which pretty much set the tone for their last place finish.

With one more win the Sabres will match the Rochester Americans who have seven wins for the first time since 2014-15 when they went 7-1-0 in October. Rochester has been on a red-hot lately garnering 15 of a possible 16 points while on an eight-game point-streak and their 7-2-1 record has them atop the AHL's North Division.

That '14/15 team was lead by names like Phil Varone, Tim Schaller and Johan Larsson up front while Andrei Makarov, Jeff Hackett and Nathan Lieuwen were in net.


*****

Even though the Sabres winning streak was broken on Saturday night, they're still on a four-game point-streak and will be looking to extend it to five games against the Calgary Flames tomorrow night.

Buffalo hasn't had a five-game win-streak since the 2011-12 season when they posted a 7-0-2 mark from March 10-27.

Most of those seasons betwixt and between were littered with one or two ('16/17) four-game streaks and there was the 2013-14 season when they had none, but their best season in that regard was 2015-16, Eichel's first year, when they had five streaks like that.


*****

Although Eichel hasn't been scoring goals lately, he has been a force on the ice and has been setting up his team mates with six assists in his last four games, with three of them of the primary variety and one beautiful no-look backhand that sprung Pominville and Skinner for a 2-on-1 break in Anaheim where Skinner finished.

Speaking of Skinner, he's been on a tear with five goals and four assists ever since Housley put him and Pominville on the top line with Eichel four games ago. Pominville hasn't exactly been chopped liver either as he's scored four goals and added four assists and the entire line has a combined plus-15 rating in those games.


*****

The Amerks have three of the top four scorers in the AHL right now. Victor Olofsson leads the league with 15 points (5+10) while defenseman Zach Redmond is tied for second (Varone) with 14 points (6+8.) Defenseman Lawrence Pilut is fourth with 13 points (2+11.)


*****

And, finally. Ullmark spent two full seasons in Rochester paying his dues and was the Amerks team MVP those two before moving up to Buffalo. Those who follow the Amerks have mentioned that he has a unique way of approaching his post-game interviews.

In the video below via nhl.com, the 25 yr. old Swede, like he's done in the past, will ask for clarification when needed and also points out that the question as asked is actually the answer. He seems as locked in post-game as he is in game and his shy demeanor has a way of hiding just how sharp he is.

He's thoughtful, concise and well-spoken and it's refreshing.

Which Sabres team will show up tonight @ San Jose? Plus, pipeline notes

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 10-18-2018


The Buffalo Sabres are 3-3-0 in 2018-19 and it's good, especially for a team that finished dead last in the NHL last season. Within that record is a trio of wins that were solid and losses that were lopsided. Buffalo's wins were against the NY Rangers (3-1,) Vegas Golden Knights (4-2) and Arizona Coyotes (3-0.) The combined record of those three teams is 6-12-1 and their goal differential is a minus-18. The Sabres three losses were against the Boston Bruins (0-4,) Colorado Avalanche (1-6) and Golden Knights (1-4.) Their combined record is 10-7-2 and their goal differential is a plus-7.

It's not hard to figure out that in this shortened season the Sabres have been able to defeat lesser teams, or in Vegas' case a team not playing well on the road, but have had a lot of trouble with the better teams including the Golden Knights at home.

The faults we've seen in this year's edition of the Sabres is disparaging in that we've generally been seeing the same things happen for a few years now. Some of that includes getting off to slow starts and falling behind, poor passing and the inability to beat good goaltending or finish their chances. They been had difficulties with a strong forecheck and are unable and/or unwilling to go to the greasy areas of the ice when facing a collapsing defense.

"We've got to make sure our execution has to be ready when the puck drops," coach Phil Housley told the media yesterday. "Not 10 minutes into the game or at the end of the first period. The way we attack the game. Especially entering the offensive zone, getting more pucks to the net and more people there, stopping and paying a price to score some goals.

Sometimes it seems as if it's a systemic issue whereas the coaching staff is seemingly unable to make any adjustments. Other times it seems as if some (many?) individual players would rather cheat up-ice or play on the perimeter and let someone else do the dirty work. Most times it seems as if it's a combination and when they play a team like Boston or Vegas that are both strong on the forecheck, quick to the puck and collapse in the defensive zone while waiting to counterpunch on the break, it turns into an easy win for the opposition.

There's a predictability to the Sabres and we've been seeing that on the powerplay as well. It's a tale of two powerplays as Buffalo is a combined 4/9 with the man advantage in their three wins and 0/15 in their three losses which includes and 0/7 effort against the Avalanche and 0/6 last game against Vegas. Buffalo's powerplay centers around Jack Eichel where he's in the right circle ready for a one-timer or working a triangle with a man below the line and one in the slot. When neither is working, it doesn't seem as if they can generate much in the way of opportunity.

The Sabres are in the midst of a season-long, five-game road trip that continues in San Jose, CA tonight with a visit to the Shark Tank, which is one of the toughest arenas to play in. The Sharks made some moves dating back to last season's trade deadline that have many seeing them as a Stanley Cup contender. San Jose traded for Sabres winger Evander Kane at the 2018 NHL trade deadline and he helped them reach the second round of the playoffs before the upstart Golden Knights won defeated them in six games.

In the off season the Sharks added to an already solid blueline featuring former Norris Trophy winner Brent Burns by trading for Ottawa's Erik Karlsson, a Norris winner himself.

San Jose is off to a slow start and head into tonight's contest with a 2-3-1 record and will be returning home after a five-game road trip. The Sharks went 2-2-1 on the trip outscoring their opponents 15-14, although eight of those goals came in one game (Philadelphia.)

The Sabres are a surprising 6-3-1 in their last 10 games vs. the Sharks and what's even more interesting is that they won all four contests while in the throes of their tank years from 2013-15. The "Eichel-era" Sabres so far have gone 2-3-1 against San Jose with their last win coming at home in overtime on February 7, 2017. Buffalo lost both contests last season by the identical 3-2 score.

It's anybody's guess which Sabres team will show up tonight.


*****

Some notes:

--Buffalo enters tonight's game with 12 goals-for which ties them with the Florida Panthers for 26th in the league while their 2.00 goals/game ranks them 28th. They're also tied for 28th in 5v5 goals with six.

--One person not having much of a problem scoring goals is Victor Olofsson. Unfortunately for the Sabres he's in Rochester playing for the Amerks right now. The former seventh round pick (2014, 181st-overall) is second in the league with five goals while his 12 points leads the AHL. Olofsson was named the AHL player of the week for last week.

--After a rough start where they dropped back-to-back home games to begin the season, the Amerks are on a roll. Rochester is on a four-game winning streak scoring 18 goals in those games. Olofsson scored all five of his goals during that streak, defenseman Zach Redmond has lit the lamp four times with winger Alexander Nylander (2016, eighth) scoring twice. Olofsson leads the league with 12 points, Redmond is fifth with 10 and Nylander comes in tied for 10th with seven points.

--Amerks defenseman Lawrence Pilut, a Buffalo 2018 free agent signing, is tied for second in the AHL with 10 points (2+8) and has a plus-7 rating.

--In addition to Olofsson, Nylander and Pilut, all younger players looking to take the next step and have an impact at the NHL level, the Sabres pipeline is getting stronger. Goalie Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen was named OHL player of the week to start the season. Luukkonen won all five of his starts, had a 1.78 GAA and a .944 sv% during that stretch. Although he's cooled off a bit for the Sudbury Wolves, the 2017 second round pick (54th) is looking pretty strong after opting for the Canadian Hockey League over playing in his native Finland.

--Another player who made the move to the CHL was center Matej Pekar. The 18 yr. old Czech native had been in the USHL last season and it looked as if he'd be there again before entering college, but he made the move to the Barrie Colts, also of the OHL and has been playing great. Pekar has 11 points (6+5) in 11 games and was just signed to his entry-level deal by the Sabres.

--Barrie's head coach, Dale Hawerchuk, is a NHL Hockey Hall of Famer that played for the Sabres and he, loves the way the kid plays the game. "He's a gamer all the time," Hawerchuk told the press. "He lives and breathes the game."  It's not unlike what we heard from Pekar's coaches at Muskegon. His former coach John LaFontaine called him "an ultimate team player" with "a passion and work ethic that's off the charts. Lumberjacks assistant coach Mike Hamilton called him a "phenomenal young man."

There's more to Pekar than that and for a profile piece on him click here for part one and here for part two.

Some firsts for a few Sabres and some Amerks making a push

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 10-15-2018


The Buffalo Sabres are on the road for the next week playing four more games in six nights beginning tomorrow with a visit to Las Vegas. The Sabres kicked off their five game trip out west with a pretty strong 3-0 shutout win over an Arizona Coyotes team that's really struggling so far. Through their first four games (including the Buffalo loss) the 'Yotes are 1-3-0 and were shutout in all three losses.

Buffalo did a lot of good things in their win against Arizona Saturday night. They pressured the Coyotes early and got a goal just 2:26 into the game as Rasmus Dahlin scored his first career NHL goal by sneaking between three Arizona players in the slot and depositing the rebound off of a Jeff Skinner drive to the net. Skinner was exceptional on that play as he streaked in and drew all the attention while Dahlin followed the play and lifted the stick of an unsuspecting Brad Richardson before burying the rebound.

 

 

Skinner himself finally got on the board as a Buffalo Sabre when he deked 'Yotes goalie Anti Raanta before roofing a sweet backhand to seal the victory late in the third period. The former Carolina Hurricanes winger, whom the Sabres traded for, had been a little snake-bitten as he'd fail to score in his first four games but had been playing well. Buffalo bench boss Phil Housley had praised Skinner for his puck-retrieval work on the forecheck and play on backcheck and it seemed as if it was only a matter of time before he broke through with a goal.

 

Meanwhile on the defensive side of things, rookie goalie Linus Ullmark pitched the first shutout of his NHL career by stopping all 36 Arizona shots. The two-time Rochester Americans MVP got the call after watching veteran Carter Hutton usher the Sabres to a 2-2-0 start to the season. The 25 yr. old Ullmark was poised in net as he calmly took care of the crease leaving very little opportunities for the Coyotes and when they did get off a great shot, he was there to stop it. He was named the game's first star.

 

The Sabres will conclude their two-game series with the Vegas Golden Knights tomorrow night in "Sin City." Buffalo defeated Vegas 4-2 in a Monday matinee last week and is looking to even the series in the win column. The Knights beat the Sabres both times as their storybook inaugural season lead them all the way to the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals. Vegas is off to a rough 2-4-0 start this season as they've lost the magic that propelled them to an 8-1-0 start last year.

 

 

*****

 

Dahlin, Skinner and Ullmark are all locked in with the big club this season as are a number of other Sabres players, but there are a few who are fighting to stay. Young players like Tage Thompson and vets like Johan Larsson, Nathan Beaulieu and Casey Nelson are all looking to stick with the club but have some Amerks players who are making a push to replace them.

 

Unlike the past two season where the Sabres organization was devoid of quality depth, this year is different as a convergence of draft picks and free agent signings have upped the level of competition for not only roster spots but for playing time as well.

 

Rochester has six players as healthy scratches, according to Let's Go Amerks writer Keith Wozniak, which should add some urgency to those in the lineup on any given night. Amerks head coach Chris Taylor wants his team to be tough and gritty to play against with the backend joining the play. The first two games he didn't get that as they lost two games against the Charlotte Checkers (CAR) 10-4 at home to start the season. They came back with a win against the Syracuse Crunch (TBL) the team that swept them in the playoffs last season with Wozniak writing "roster changes the first two games of the season set the tone that right now there’s competition for playing time." 

 

“I tried to set the standard right off the bat if you don’t play well," Taylor told the local media last week. "The accountability is there, we’ll put someone else in the lineup."

 

The coach had to stop practice on Friday to get his point across. “It’s not just for our defensive habits out there, its for our offensive habits too. If we’re not used to playing against guys that are hitting in practice and then all of a sudden we’re in a game and not used to it. We need to push each other every day. It’s not acceptable that we don’t practice like we play. We make sure we preached that and we want to make sure we’re doing that and it’ll make us that much better.”

 

Rochester just finished taking two games from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NYI) over the weekend to give them a three-game winning streak.

 

The Amerks are beginning to gel and there are two players in particular who are turning some heads. Seventh round pick Victor Olofsson (2014, 181st overall) is leading the Amerks in scoring through five games with three goals and five assists. The 23 yr. old native of Sweden came to North America after leading the Swedish Hockey League with 27 goals last season. Olofsson is tied for third in the AHL in scoring so far.

 

Another Swede, defenseman Lawrence Pilut, is also having an impact. The undrafted free agent whom Sabres GM Jason Botterill signed in May is second amongst AHL defensemen in points with six (2+4) and is sporting a plus-5 plus/minus rating. Taylor talked of Pilut having to adjust to the smaller North American ice surface and it seems as if the 2018 SHL Defenseman of the Year is doing just that.

 

What Taylor said about having another player ready to take over a spot in the lineup goes for the organization as well. Take a player like Thompson. Although the 20 yr. old right winger has been playing well, he's yet to hit the scoresheet despite playing second line minutes for a good chunk of Buffalo's first five games. It might be a little early to call up Olofsson to replace Thompson but that possibility is there right now only five games into the season.

 

On the back end, Pilut is exactly the type of defenseman Housley and the Sabres love as he has the mobility and offensive acumen to help the Sabres score. And he's proven to be pretty sound in his own end as well. Both Nelson and Beaulieu already have the prospect of Zach Bogosian replacing one of them when he officially returns to action and to have Pilut off to this kind of start is pushing them to play better. Both have done well as Buffalo's third pairing, but there are players ready to take their spots in the lineup.

 

Internal competition is a key driver to success and after many years, the Sabres organization finally has some quality depth which will help drive that aspect.

 

It's a pleasure to be able to write about that.

 

Buffalo has a lot of talent heading into 2018 Prospects Challenge

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-5-2018


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

Friday, Sept. 7

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

 Saturday, Sept. 8

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

 Monday, Sept. 10

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

All games will be HarborCenter. Tickets are $10.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here's the full roster from Sabres.com:

Number--Player, Position

Forwards

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

Defensemen

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

Goaltenders

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

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

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 8-1-2018


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



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

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

"The depth is growing by leaps and bounds."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 7-27-2018


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

He's got that much going for him.

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

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

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

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

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


1. D, Brendan Guhle

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

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

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

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

NHL Projection:  Top-four defenseman


2. F, Victor Olofsson

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

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

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

NHL Projection:  Top-nine winger/Powerplay Specialist


3. D, Lawrence Pilut

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

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

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

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

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


4. C, Rasmus Asplund

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

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

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

NHL Projection:  Third-line center.


5. LW, CJ Smith

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

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

NHL Projection:  Top-nine winger


Honorable Mentions:

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

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