Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-8-2017
The third annual Buffalo Sabres Prospects Challenge kicks off today. The four day event features prospects and invitees from four teams that will compete in a round-robin format beginning this afternoon at HarborCenter in downtown Buffalo. At 3:30 p.m. the Boston Bruins take on the Pittsburgh Penguins and at 7 p.m. the Sabres take on the New Jersey Devils.
Tickets are $10.
Fans of the Blue and Gold will be able to watch the future of the Sabres with players like Brendan Guhle, Alexander Nylander and Cliff Pu face off against prospects from other teams in peer vs. peer competition. Although the object is to win, and there will be plenty of skill on display, Rochester head coach Chris Taylor, who will be behind the bench for Buffalo, is focused upon compete-level. "It doesn't matter their skill level. It doesn't matter anything else. Their compete is what we're looking for," he told the press. "Are they willing to go in front and take the goalie's eyes away? Are they willing to box out in front of the net? Are they willing to get pucks off the walls? How hard are they going to battle?"
Nylander is one to keep an eye on in that department. Drafted eight-overall in 2016, Nylander possesses all the skill to be an impact forward yet there were concerns about his full-game compete. "We’d like to see more of a three-zone effort and commitment in the greasy areas," wrote Kyle Woodlief's RedLineReport. "He spends far too much time on the perimeter. Rarely initiates contact, and if he’s not scoring, he’s not helping. But he’s a gamebreaker; can be invisible for 57 minutes, then win the game."
We saw that last year in Rochester. Longtime Amerks broadcaster Don Stevens attributed some of those negatives to lack of pro-ready frame which, in-turn, affects his confidence. "He's so worried about not getting killed, sometimes he's not doing the things he needs to do and stays away from the physical contact."
Adding bulk was Nylander's homework and he passed with flying colors as he's visibly bigger and thicker and seems more ready for the pro game. "He looks a little bigger," said Taylor. "Everything about him, he looks confident in what he's doing and how he's handling himself. He just looks a little more mature."
As mentioned in yesterday's blog, there's a huge hole on the left side after Evander Kane and a strong camp by Nylander, beginning with the Prospects Challenge, may give him a shot at a top-six role.
Guhle is another one to keep an eye on. The 2015 second round pick (51st-overall) just completed his junior career and heads to the pros full time after playing 12 games for Rochester in two years and appearing in three games for the Sabres last season. The 6'1" 186 lb. d-man from Edmonton, Alberta has made an impression whenever he was given a professional opportunity.
It began in the preseason in 2015 when there were thoughts that he could make the team and finished in April, 2016 when he played in six games for Rochester registering four points (1+3) and an even plus/minus rating. This past December he played for Buffalo on emergency recall (zero points, +1) and once again finished the year with the Amerks playing in another six games with two points (1+1) and a minus-3 rating.
Another player to watch is center Pu, who will eventually head back to London to skate his (probable) final season with the Knights in the OHL. Pu had a banner season while leading the team in scoring last year with 35 goals and 51 assists in 63 games. The skilled two-way forward was used in a different role during the playoffs, according to Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com/sabres.com, when "the Knights' staff used him in a match-up capacity against the opposition's top line."
Absent from the Prospects Challenge are college players and those overseas which represents a huge chunk of Buffalo's prospect pool. The breakdown, according to Baker has 12 players playing in the NCAA this season and five playing in Sweden and Finland.
Prized forward prospect Casey Mittelstadt (2017, 8th-overall) begins his college career at the University of Minnesota. Mittelstadt dazzled at Buffalo's development camp in July and caught everyone's eye at the World Junior Summer Showcase later that month and into early August. Should he progress at the level of his skill and talent, Mittelstadt could be a one and done with the Golden Gophers and end up in the pros next season. Also missing from the tournament is center Rasmus Asplund, who's entering his third season on the senior circuit in Sweden. Baker sees Asplund playing a big role for Färjestad BK this season "with his eyes set on forcing his way on to Sweden's Olympic team."
The Prospects Challenge is a place for "older" players like Justin Bailey an Nicolas Baptiste as well as invitees. It's a chance to play against peers and see how one stacks up against them. And it's a good place to make an impression.
*****
The New Jersey Devils are first up for Buffalo and fans at HarborCenter tonight will get to see 2017 first-overall pick Nico Hischier don the Devil for the first time.
Hischier was said to have taken over the Devils development camp (which he should) and tonight will be his first opportunity to show his stuff in a game situation. It should be a treat watching the Swiss center who models his game after Pavel Datsyuk.
Also on the ice for the Devils will be defenseman Will Butcher. The Denver Pioneers defenseman spurned the Colorado Avalanche, the team that drafted him 123rd overall in 2013, opted for free agency and signed with the Devils after a number of teams, including the Sabres, went hard after him.
Some fans might be inclined to boo or heckle Butcher but regardless, those in attendance will see first-hand what he has to offer in a game setting against his peers.
*****
Jason Botterill will have the opportunity to watch his own charges competing for the first time at the Prospects Challenge. The first-time general manager spent years working his way up the front office ladder soaking up everything he could along the way. He helped the Pittsburgh Penguins win three Stanley Cups under two GM's and he'll be joining two of his former bosses, Ray Shero (NJD) and Jim Rutherford (PIT,) as an equal these next four days.
Shero put together a Penguins team that went to back-to-back Stanley Cups and came out victorious in 2009. Botterill was hired by Shero in 2007 as director of hockey administration with the salary cap being a prominent focus and was moved up to assistant general manager on May 22, 2009. When Shero was relieved of his duties in May, 2014, Botterill was named interim GM before the Penguins hired Rutherford, and at his press conference, he promoted Botterill up to associate general manager.
"I owe so much of my career and where I’m at right now to Jim [Rutherford] and Ray [Shero]," Botterill told Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. “I hope Ray and Jim look at it as a situation where I’m under their tree. They’re the ones who created me. Now there’s an opportunity for me to run my own team.”
The Devils have been a part of the Prospects Challenge since it's inception three years ago while this will be Pittsburgh's first time and Botterill was the chief negotiator for the spot while he was still with the Penguins, according to Mackey. It was also pointed out that Botterill was the driving force in the preseason game between Buffalo and Pittsburgh at the Pegula Ice Arena on the campus of Penn State.
Rutherford, especially, played a key role in Botterill landing his first GM position. Prior to Rutherford taking over, Botterill was considered an up and comer and his former boss never stood in the way of his goal. In fact, Rutherford "kept pitching his top lieutenant," according to Mackey. “What I really like about what happened over the last couple of years is Jim has been very supportive of promoting me to other organizations," said Botterill. "When other job opportunities came about, I know he was behind the scenes. I always knew I had great support from Jim.”
Botterill also knew that the goal of running his own team wouldn't happen in Pittsburgh with Rutherford at the helm and he ended up in Buffalo. This weekend he'll have the opportunity to sit down with Shero and Rutherford as their peer while watching the youngins hit the ice. And like many of his players on the HarborCenter ice, Botterill will be seeing how he measures up against his equals.
*****
Buffalo's Prospects Challenge Roster:
Forwards
95 Bailey, Justin RW 6’3” 214 (2013, 52nd-overall)
13 Baptiste, Nicholas RW 6’1” 206 (2013, 69th)
65 Blackwell, Colin C 5’9” 190 Invitee
46 Cornel, Eric RW 6’2” 194 (2014, 44th)
70 Danforth, Justin C 5’9” 181 (2017 FA, Rochester)
24 Fasching, Hudson RW 6’2” 209 (2013, 118th, LAK)
83 Glotov, Vasily C 5’11” 158 (2016, 190th)
62 Hagel, Brandon LW 6’0” 160 (2016, 159th)
64 Karabacek, Vaclav RW 6’0” 196 (2014, 49th)
81 Kile, Alex LW 6’0” 194 (2017 FA, Rochester)
37 Malone, Sean C 6’0” 190 (2013, 159th)
85 Muzito-Bagenda, Daniel LW 6’1” 205 (2016 FA, Rochester, re-signed)
92 Nylander, Alexander LW 6’1” 180 (2016, 8th)
59 Pu, Cliff RW 6’2” 192 (2016, 69th)
49 Smith, C.J. LW 5’11” 185 (2017 FA, Buffalo)
Defense
76 Atwal, Arvin D 6’0” 200 (2016, Cincinnati, ECHL, re-signed)
79 Budik, Vojtech D 6’1” 189 (2016, 130th)
72 Florentino, Anthony D 6’0” 207 (2013, 143rd)
45 Guhle, Brendan D 6’1” 186 (2015, 51st)
54 Martin, Brycen D 6’2” 212 (2014, 74th)
73 Neill, Carl D 6’1” 200 Invitee
58 Osmanski, Austin D 6’3” 196 (2016, 189th)
53 Stephens, Devante D 6’1” 172 (2015, 122nd)
Goalies
34 Johansson, Jonas G 6’4” 206 (2014, 61st)
50 McGrath, Jake G 6’1” 158 Invitee
Showing posts with label Will Butcher. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Will Butcher. Show all posts
Saturday, September 9, 2017
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Opportunity knocks for Will Butcher...in New Jersey
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 8-28-2017
From everything I've read and heard, the Sabres presented an impressive package trying to lure free agent defenseman Will Butcher to Buffalo. But one thing they couldn't offer, which seems to be the overriding reason he signed with the New Jersey Devils, was an immediate opportunity to play on the big club. Sure, Butcher could have come into Sabres camp and battled for a spot on the roster. However, it would have been a pretty tough go of it, especially in a left/right scenario.
The left-handed Butcher would have been trying to win the job over fellow lefties Marco Scandella, Jake McCabe, Nathan Beaulieu, Josh Gorges, and Justin Falk. The 27 yr. old Scandella and Beaulieu (24) were recent trade acquisitions by new Sabres GM Jason Botterill while McCabe (23) has solidified himself in the Sabres top-six after spending four years in the organization. Gorges and Falk are the elder statesmen of the group with Gorges in the final year of his contract and Falk being a probable tweener for the Sabres.
If that wasn't enough, Buffalo also has a pair of lefties in the system that will be vying for a spot on the roster. Victor Antipin signed with the Sabres in May after spending six seasons playing against men in the KHL while Brendan Guhle (2016, 51st overall) is poised to make a run at a spot after finishing his Canadian Junior career.
That's a loaded left side, so the odds of Butcher making the big club were pretty slim.
According to NHL.com's Mike Morreale, Butcher's agent, Brian Bartlett, laid out what the 2017 Hobey Baker winner was looking for, "opportunity, coaching, development, style & returning players. Will has always been an offensive defenseman & felt like if he continues to develop, there could be a chance to help NJ's PP in the future."
The Sabres had all of the checklist there for Butcher except for opportunity. They're coached by an offensive-minded Phil Housley who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame for his offensive prowess. Housley coached the most dangerous defense-corps in the Nashville Predators during the 2017 NHL playoffs. And after going through three years of turnover, Buffalo would have 2015 Hobey Baker winner Jack Eichel returning for his third season as well as a host of others from Ryan O'Reilly and Kyle Okposo to Rasmus Ristolainen as well.
But what the Sabres couldn't or wouldn't offer was an opportunity for a quick development curve and NHL minutes. That's where the Devils came in.
GM Ray Shero has been doing a fine job building his team since taking over the GM position vacated when Devils legend Lou Lamiorello left for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Shero traded for Kyle Palmeri (ANA) and Taylor Hall (EDM) to help overhaul the forward group and that effort was bolstered immensely when they won the 2017 NHL Draft Lottery and selected center Nico Hischier first overall.
However Shero's defense corps took a hit and were in desperate need of talent beginning with the loss of Adam Larsson, who went to the Oilers in the Hall deal. The Devils were anchored by two aged veterans in captain Andy Greene and Ben Lovejoy and outside of Steve Santini, who will be returning for his sophomore campaign, flux seems to be the operative word, which is something that seemed rather appealing to the Butcher camp.
Although Buffalo missed out on an offensive defenseman with definitive powerplay acumen in the vein of Andrey Makarov (according to Morreale via Denver Pioneers head coach Jim Montgomery,) they did give it the old college try. And before people get too depressed thinking that sought after college free agents like Jimmy Vesey and Cal Petersen don't want to play in Buffalo, it's best to remember that college players choose free agency to find what they believe to be the best fit and for whatever reason, the Sabres weren't quite that.
It's also good to remember that the Sabres have had some success in signing coveted college free agents like Evan Rodrigues, Casey Nelson, C.J. Smith and former Sabres' Chad Ruhwedel (PIT) and Tim Schaller (BOS.)
Finally, here's a very classy tweet from Butcher, "Honored & humbled to be apart of the NJ Devils, would like to thank all teams involved in the process. The NHL community is truly the best."
Closed book.
From everything I've read and heard, the Sabres presented an impressive package trying to lure free agent defenseman Will Butcher to Buffalo. But one thing they couldn't offer, which seems to be the overriding reason he signed with the New Jersey Devils, was an immediate opportunity to play on the big club. Sure, Butcher could have come into Sabres camp and battled for a spot on the roster. However, it would have been a pretty tough go of it, especially in a left/right scenario.
The left-handed Butcher would have been trying to win the job over fellow lefties Marco Scandella, Jake McCabe, Nathan Beaulieu, Josh Gorges, and Justin Falk. The 27 yr. old Scandella and Beaulieu (24) were recent trade acquisitions by new Sabres GM Jason Botterill while McCabe (23) has solidified himself in the Sabres top-six after spending four years in the organization. Gorges and Falk are the elder statesmen of the group with Gorges in the final year of his contract and Falk being a probable tweener for the Sabres.
If that wasn't enough, Buffalo also has a pair of lefties in the system that will be vying for a spot on the roster. Victor Antipin signed with the Sabres in May after spending six seasons playing against men in the KHL while Brendan Guhle (2016, 51st overall) is poised to make a run at a spot after finishing his Canadian Junior career.
That's a loaded left side, so the odds of Butcher making the big club were pretty slim.
According to NHL.com's Mike Morreale, Butcher's agent, Brian Bartlett, laid out what the 2017 Hobey Baker winner was looking for, "opportunity, coaching, development, style & returning players. Will has always been an offensive defenseman & felt like if he continues to develop, there could be a chance to help NJ's PP in the future."
The Sabres had all of the checklist there for Butcher except for opportunity. They're coached by an offensive-minded Phil Housley who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame for his offensive prowess. Housley coached the most dangerous defense-corps in the Nashville Predators during the 2017 NHL playoffs. And after going through three years of turnover, Buffalo would have 2015 Hobey Baker winner Jack Eichel returning for his third season as well as a host of others from Ryan O'Reilly and Kyle Okposo to Rasmus Ristolainen as well.
But what the Sabres couldn't or wouldn't offer was an opportunity for a quick development curve and NHL minutes. That's where the Devils came in.
GM Ray Shero has been doing a fine job building his team since taking over the GM position vacated when Devils legend Lou Lamiorello left for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Shero traded for Kyle Palmeri (ANA) and Taylor Hall (EDM) to help overhaul the forward group and that effort was bolstered immensely when they won the 2017 NHL Draft Lottery and selected center Nico Hischier first overall.
However Shero's defense corps took a hit and were in desperate need of talent beginning with the loss of Adam Larsson, who went to the Oilers in the Hall deal. The Devils were anchored by two aged veterans in captain Andy Greene and Ben Lovejoy and outside of Steve Santini, who will be returning for his sophomore campaign, flux seems to be the operative word, which is something that seemed rather appealing to the Butcher camp.
Although Buffalo missed out on an offensive defenseman with definitive powerplay acumen in the vein of Andrey Makarov (according to Morreale via Denver Pioneers head coach Jim Montgomery,) they did give it the old college try. And before people get too depressed thinking that sought after college free agents like Jimmy Vesey and Cal Petersen don't want to play in Buffalo, it's best to remember that college players choose free agency to find what they believe to be the best fit and for whatever reason, the Sabres weren't quite that.
It's also good to remember that the Sabres have had some success in signing coveted college free agents like Evan Rodrigues, Casey Nelson, C.J. Smith and former Sabres' Chad Ruhwedel (PIT) and Tim Schaller (BOS.)
Finally, here's a very classy tweet from Butcher, "Honored & humbled to be apart of the NJ Devils, would like to thank all teams involved in the process. The NHL community is truly the best."
Closed book.
Friday, August 25, 2017
Hang in there Sabres fans, the season isn’t too far away. Plus, Bartlett on Butcher.
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 8-22-2017
Labor Day is a bittersweet marker for hockey fans, and North American sports fans in general, as we sadly say goodbye to summer.. However, the beginning of September does bring about happiness for fans of the NFL as they're getting their regular season under way and NHL training camps begin.
Buffalo Sabres Senior VP of Administration, Mike Gilbert, was on WGR550 radio this morning reminding us all that hockey season is right around the corner. Gilbert said rookies will report to camp on September 7, which is just over two weeks away, and that the third annual Buffalo Sabres Prospects Challenge commences is the following day. The Sabres take on the New Jersey Devils and, hopefully, 2017 first-overall pick Nico Hischier at 7 p.m. The first game of The Challenge pits the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Boston Bruins at 3:30 p.m.
The rest of the tournament schedule:
Saturday, September 9:
The rest of the preseason schedule:
The Sabres will be headed into camp with a new GM in Jason Botterill, a new head coach in Phil Housley and a new hope that they can gain traction as Buffalo aims to end their six-year playoff drought.
*****
In the last blog I did a piece on college free agent Will Butcher after talking with his coach at the University of Denver, Jim Montgomery. Although Montgomery didn't have any information to divulge about where Butcher was leaning, he did give me plenty of information about the 2017 Hobey Baker-winning defenseman.
One of the many things that stood out while talking to Montgomery was his effort to recruit Butcher on to his Dubuque Fight Saints USHL club. Butcher had joined them for a two-game stint with Montgomery asking the 15 yr. old if he wanted to play out the season. The invitation was declined but Montgomery went on to say that Butcher played on the second powerplay unit for the Saints and "if he would have stayed on our team," said the coach, "he would have ended up on our first power play unit with Zemgus Girgensons and Johnny Gadreau."
That powerplay acumen was once again noted as Butcher's agent Steve Bartlett talked with Andrew Peters and Craig Rivet on The Instigators this afternoon. Bartlett said the "offensive-minded" Butcher had "great vision" and was recognized as the top NCAA player "based on being a powerplay quarterback and generating real good offense for the National Championship [Pioneers.]
"Teams look at him as a guy that potentially can be that powerplay quarterback or somebody that can really help them on the offensive side of the game."
Bartlett went on to hypothesize that there could be a team with eight defensemen on the roster but don't have one like Butcher, which would make for a good fit from their standpoint.
Montgomery was expected to talk with Butcher yesterday after the young man decompressed over the weekend and Bartlett said that the process may take a week or so. There's a lot going on for the 22 yr. old as he sets about laying out his future.
Will it be in Buffalo?
We'll see.
Labor Day is a bittersweet marker for hockey fans, and North American sports fans in general, as we sadly say goodbye to summer.. However, the beginning of September does bring about happiness for fans of the NFL as they're getting their regular season under way and NHL training camps begin.
Buffalo Sabres Senior VP of Administration, Mike Gilbert, was on WGR550 radio this morning reminding us all that hockey season is right around the corner. Gilbert said rookies will report to camp on September 7, which is just over two weeks away, and that the third annual Buffalo Sabres Prospects Challenge commences is the following day. The Sabres take on the New Jersey Devils and, hopefully, 2017 first-overall pick Nico Hischier at 7 p.m. The first game of The Challenge pits the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Boston Bruins at 3:30 p.m.
The rest of the tournament schedule:
Saturday, September 9:
- New Jersey vs. Pittsburgh - 3:30 p.m.
- Buffalo vs. Boston - 7 p.m.
- NO GAMES
- Boston vs. New Jersey - 12 p.m.
- Buffalo vs. Pittsburgh - 7 p.m.
The rest of the preseason schedule:
| Friday | Sept. 22 | at Toronto | 7:30 PM | Ricoh Coliseum (Toronto, Ont.) |
| Saturday | Sept. 23 | TORONTO | 7:00 PM | KeyBank Center |
| Wednesday | Sept. 27 | at Pittsburgh | 7:00 PM | PPG Paints Arena |
| Friday | Sept. 29 | NY ISLANDERS | 7:00 PM | KeyBank Center |
The Sabres will be headed into camp with a new GM in Jason Botterill, a new head coach in Phil Housley and a new hope that they can gain traction as Buffalo aims to end their six-year playoff drought.
*****
In the last blog I did a piece on college free agent Will Butcher after talking with his coach at the University of Denver, Jim Montgomery. Although Montgomery didn't have any information to divulge about where Butcher was leaning, he did give me plenty of information about the 2017 Hobey Baker-winning defenseman.
One of the many things that stood out while talking to Montgomery was his effort to recruit Butcher on to his Dubuque Fight Saints USHL club. Butcher had joined them for a two-game stint with Montgomery asking the 15 yr. old if he wanted to play out the season. The invitation was declined but Montgomery went on to say that Butcher played on the second powerplay unit for the Saints and "if he would have stayed on our team," said the coach, "he would have ended up on our first power play unit with Zemgus Girgensons and Johnny Gadreau."
That powerplay acumen was once again noted as Butcher's agent Steve Bartlett talked with Andrew Peters and Craig Rivet on The Instigators this afternoon. Bartlett said the "offensive-minded" Butcher had "great vision" and was recognized as the top NCAA player "based on being a powerplay quarterback and generating real good offense for the National Championship [Pioneers.]
"Teams look at him as a guy that potentially can be that powerplay quarterback or somebody that can really help them on the offensive side of the game."
Bartlett went on to hypothesize that there could be a team with eight defensemen on the roster but don't have one like Butcher, which would make for a good fit from their standpoint.
Montgomery was expected to talk with Butcher yesterday after the young man decompressed over the weekend and Bartlett said that the process may take a week or so. There's a lot going on for the 22 yr. old as he sets about laying out his future.
Will it be in Buffalo?
We'll see.
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
After talking with Denver head coach Jim Montgomery, Will Butcher/Sabres seems like a good fit
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 8-20-2017
The photo of free agent defenseman Will Butcher walking through Denver International Airport with the Sabres logo on a blue duffel bag sent waves of optimism rolling through Sabreland. The former captain of the NCAA Hockey Champion Denver Pioneers was returning to Denver after a tour of possible NHL destinations with Buffalo being amongst the first suitors he talked to.
Butcher became a free agent at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday and began his tour of NHL clubs with stops in Buffalo, New Jersey and Las Vegas with the expansion Golden Knights. He reportedly also had interviews with Pittsburgh, Columbus and Detroit, among other teams. All teams are on equal financial footing as the 2017 Hobey Baker winner will end up signing at the same entry-level salary and term with maxed-out performance-related bonuses of up to $2.85 million, so Butcher is mulling through other factors before he decides upon his hockey home.
Pioneers head coach Jim Montgomery has been keeping in touch with Butcher through the process and he told me over the phone this afternoon that the young man is feeling a bit exhausted after touring NHL cities. "He's been pretty wiped out by what's been going on," said the coach. "He texted me after one of the visits and said let's talk on Monday."
"It's a lot of mental energy," continued Montgomery, who played parts of five seasons in the NHL covering 122 games. "He really has to be paying attention so that he's making the best choice for himself."
The 5'10" 190 lb. defenseman is a bit small by NHL standards but it hasn't been a deterrent for NHL clubs considering the way the game is played today. Butcher was able to work through that using his brains during a college career that featured many larger frames. Montgomery said that Butcher should never be confused with someone that "will go into the corner and physically outmuscle a [powerforward], as he knows he's gonna lose those battles. But he's going to use leverage, intelligence amd a good stick. And when he gets that puck, it takes him a half-second to make a great transition pass."
Montgomery knows Butcher quite well having first coached him in the USHL for the Dubuque Fighting Saints in 2010-11, when the kid from Sun Prarie, WI was a 15 yr. old. The Fighting Saints had suffered a rash of injuries on the blueline and Butcher was asked to join the team. In his first game with Dubuque, Butcher impressed to the point where Montgomery used him on the second powerplay unit. He had two assists in the game and "if he would have stayed on our team," said the coach, "he would have ended up on our first power play unit with Zemgus Girgensons and Johnny Gadreau."
What stood out for Montgomery in those two games, and what he mentioned right off the bat when talking about first impressions, was Butcher's "elite hockey sense, the ability to make elite passes in all three zones and his poise with the puck" and it's something that Montgomery would see in him throughout his career in Denver. "When he gets the puck, you can't teach what he does. It doesn't matter which zone, when the puck touches his stick it's going to be a positive for the team."
Offensive came easier for Butcher than defense, although he still had plenty to learn in that area. Early on and some of the things Montgomery said Butcher needed to work on from a defensive standpoint was his gap-control. "When I got him as a freshman here (in Denver,)" said the coach, "that's when I noticed [that] as well as his angles and being aggressive in his pursuit and taking away time and space with good angle."
But Butcher, who soaks in knowledge, was able to make year-over-year progress in those areas to the point where he was the key defenseman in Denver's championship run last season.
The biggest knock on Butcher when it comes to a transition to the NHL seems to be directed at his skating, something that Montgomery doesn't see as much of a problem heading into the pros. "I don't see his skating as a weakness," said the coach, "he just needs to get adjusted to that speed coming at him at the NHL-level."
Montgomery explained that the system he employed at Denver predicates itself on defensemen attacking which plays into Butcher's strength of forward-skating. It's something that we are seeing more and more hockey and it happens to be something Sabres coach Phil Housley employed when he was coaching the defense for the Western Conference Champion Nashville Predators.
Housley is a legend in U.S. Hockey and a Hall-of-Fame player that the youngins are very aware of including those on the Pioneers. Montgomery, who played with Housley in St. Louis as a rookie in 1993-94, deploys his defense in a very similar fashion to the way Housley did with the Preds.
"A lot of the stuff they did in Nashville with their defensemen, especially in the offensive zone," said the coach, "was very similar to what we do and I think it plays into Will's greatest strengths. [His] greatest ability is his hockey sense. When he goes in to support the offense, the risk/reward, whether in the offensive zone or on the rush, he's analyzed full possession, he knows where the hole is and he's not giving up odd-man rushes the other way. If he sees any opportunity for offense, he goes. But if he sees the chance for turnover, he's not putting himself in that situation.
"The reward with his decision-making is very high."
Sounds like a good match for both Butcher and the Sabres, but we won't know until probably the middle to latter part of this coming week where he will end up. Buffalo is in some stiff competition with some pretty good organizations, but there are some positives for the team moving forward.
There are some Buffalo connections at work here as well. In 2012-13 Butcher played on a team with fellow 2013 Sabres draft pick Sean Malone and Hudson Fasching another 2013 draft pick whom the Sabres traded for. Also on that team was a 16 yr. old by the name of Jack Eichel, who was playing above his age group. All of them also played on the silver medal winning U.S. U-18 team in 2013. And Butcher's home of Sun Prarie is about 2 1/2 hours away from Eau Claire, WI, hometown to Buffalo's Jake McCabe.
The big thing for Butcher seems to be the right fit, and after spending time talking with Montgomery about Butcher the player, the Sabres with Housley at the helm looks to be as good an organizational fit as any other team.
But will he see it that way?
The photo of free agent defenseman Will Butcher walking through Denver International Airport with the Sabres logo on a blue duffel bag sent waves of optimism rolling through Sabreland. The former captain of the NCAA Hockey Champion Denver Pioneers was returning to Denver after a tour of possible NHL destinations with Buffalo being amongst the first suitors he talked to.
Butcher became a free agent at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday and began his tour of NHL clubs with stops in Buffalo, New Jersey and Las Vegas with the expansion Golden Knights. He reportedly also had interviews with Pittsburgh, Columbus and Detroit, among other teams. All teams are on equal financial footing as the 2017 Hobey Baker winner will end up signing at the same entry-level salary and term with maxed-out performance-related bonuses of up to $2.85 million, so Butcher is mulling through other factors before he decides upon his hockey home.
Pioneers head coach Jim Montgomery has been keeping in touch with Butcher through the process and he told me over the phone this afternoon that the young man is feeling a bit exhausted after touring NHL cities. "He's been pretty wiped out by what's been going on," said the coach. "He texted me after one of the visits and said let's talk on Monday."
"It's a lot of mental energy," continued Montgomery, who played parts of five seasons in the NHL covering 122 games. "He really has to be paying attention so that he's making the best choice for himself."
The 5'10" 190 lb. defenseman is a bit small by NHL standards but it hasn't been a deterrent for NHL clubs considering the way the game is played today. Butcher was able to work through that using his brains during a college career that featured many larger frames. Montgomery said that Butcher should never be confused with someone that "will go into the corner and physically outmuscle a [powerforward], as he knows he's gonna lose those battles. But he's going to use leverage, intelligence amd a good stick. And when he gets that puck, it takes him a half-second to make a great transition pass."
Montgomery knows Butcher quite well having first coached him in the USHL for the Dubuque Fighting Saints in 2010-11, when the kid from Sun Prarie, WI was a 15 yr. old. The Fighting Saints had suffered a rash of injuries on the blueline and Butcher was asked to join the team. In his first game with Dubuque, Butcher impressed to the point where Montgomery used him on the second powerplay unit. He had two assists in the game and "if he would have stayed on our team," said the coach, "he would have ended up on our first power play unit with Zemgus Girgensons and Johnny Gadreau."
What stood out for Montgomery in those two games, and what he mentioned right off the bat when talking about first impressions, was Butcher's "elite hockey sense, the ability to make elite passes in all three zones and his poise with the puck" and it's something that Montgomery would see in him throughout his career in Denver. "When he gets the puck, you can't teach what he does. It doesn't matter which zone, when the puck touches his stick it's going to be a positive for the team."
Offensive came easier for Butcher than defense, although he still had plenty to learn in that area. Early on and some of the things Montgomery said Butcher needed to work on from a defensive standpoint was his gap-control. "When I got him as a freshman here (in Denver,)" said the coach, "that's when I noticed [that] as well as his angles and being aggressive in his pursuit and taking away time and space with good angle."
But Butcher, who soaks in knowledge, was able to make year-over-year progress in those areas to the point where he was the key defenseman in Denver's championship run last season.
The biggest knock on Butcher when it comes to a transition to the NHL seems to be directed at his skating, something that Montgomery doesn't see as much of a problem heading into the pros. "I don't see his skating as a weakness," said the coach, "he just needs to get adjusted to that speed coming at him at the NHL-level."
Montgomery explained that the system he employed at Denver predicates itself on defensemen attacking which plays into Butcher's strength of forward-skating. It's something that we are seeing more and more hockey and it happens to be something Sabres coach Phil Housley employed when he was coaching the defense for the Western Conference Champion Nashville Predators.
Housley is a legend in U.S. Hockey and a Hall-of-Fame player that the youngins are very aware of including those on the Pioneers. Montgomery, who played with Housley in St. Louis as a rookie in 1993-94, deploys his defense in a very similar fashion to the way Housley did with the Preds.
"A lot of the stuff they did in Nashville with their defensemen, especially in the offensive zone," said the coach, "was very similar to what we do and I think it plays into Will's greatest strengths. [His] greatest ability is his hockey sense. When he goes in to support the offense, the risk/reward, whether in the offensive zone or on the rush, he's analyzed full possession, he knows where the hole is and he's not giving up odd-man rushes the other way. If he sees any opportunity for offense, he goes. But if he sees the chance for turnover, he's not putting himself in that situation.
"The reward with his decision-making is very high."
Sounds like a good match for both Butcher and the Sabres, but we won't know until probably the middle to latter part of this coming week where he will end up. Buffalo is in some stiff competition with some pretty good organizations, but there are some positives for the team moving forward.
There are some Buffalo connections at work here as well. In 2012-13 Butcher played on a team with fellow 2013 Sabres draft pick Sean Malone and Hudson Fasching another 2013 draft pick whom the Sabres traded for. Also on that team was a 16 yr. old by the name of Jack Eichel, who was playing above his age group. All of them also played on the silver medal winning U.S. U-18 team in 2013. And Butcher's home of Sun Prarie is about 2 1/2 hours away from Eau Claire, WI, hometown to Buffalo's Jake McCabe.
The big thing for Butcher seems to be the right fit, and after spending time talking with Montgomery about Butcher the player, the Sabres with Housley at the helm looks to be as good an organizational fit as any other team.
But will he see it that way?
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
The Will Butcher watch begins at 12:01 a.m. tomorrow.
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 8-15-2017
We interupt this series on the past season to make a note on the present. Denver Pioneers defenseman Will Butcher, who was drafted by the Coloroado Avalanche in 2013 (123rd-overall,) is set to become a free agent at 12:01 a.m. if the Avalanche can't sign him, which has about a 99.9% chance of happening right now.
The 5'10 190 lb. right-handed shot from Sun Prarie, WI just finished his senior season on the NCAA National Men's Champion Denver Pioneers, and according to his Denver bio finished his senior season second in the nation in scoring by a defenseman (43 games-7g, 30a) and tied for third in plus/minus (+27.) In four seasons at Denver Butcher played 158 games had 103 points (28+75) and finished +49.
Butcher is set to hit free agency and the Buffalo Sabres are amongst many teams interested in signing him.
We interupt this series on the past season to make a note on the present. Denver Pioneers defenseman Will Butcher, who was drafted by the Coloroado Avalanche in 2013 (123rd-overall,) is set to become a free agent at 12:01 a.m. if the Avalanche can't sign him, which has about a 99.9% chance of happening right now.
The 5'10 190 lb. right-handed shot from Sun Prarie, WI just finished his senior season on the NCAA National Men's Champion Denver Pioneers, and according to his Denver bio finished his senior season second in the nation in scoring by a defenseman (43 games-7g, 30a) and tied for third in plus/minus (+27.) In four seasons at Denver Butcher played 158 games had 103 points (28+75) and finished +49.
Butcher is set to hit free agency and the Buffalo Sabres are amongst many teams interested in signing him.
Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News, wrote today that the Detroit Red Wings are interested in the 2017 Hobey Baker winner as are "two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh, Chicago and Minnesota (both close to home for the Wisconsin native) [while] Buffalo, Toronto and New Jersey have been linked to Butcher, and in most cases, can offer immediate playing time."
That's a pretty tough list of teams for the Sabres to go up against for Butcher's services, and as for the "immediate playing time" portion of that quote, unless Buffalo moves a d-man like Zach Bogosian or Josh Gorges, Butcher will be in Rochester getting acclimated to the pro game. At least to start the season. In addition to those two d-men, as of now the Sabres have d-anchor Rasmus Ristolainen, two acquisitions in Nathan Beaulieu and Marco Scandella as well as free agent Russian signee Victor Antipin plus Jake McCabe. Justin Falk was a Grade-A call-up from Rochester last season and Taylor Fedun, who recently signed a two-year extension with the club, did yeoman's work in his 27 games as a call-up last season.
New Sabres GM Jason Botterill and new head coach Phil Housley have their work cut out for recruiting Butcher. They're up against two powerhouses in Pittsburgh and Chicago, a steady Minnesota Wild club and a fast-riser in the Toronto Maple Leafs coached by one of the best in the business. New Jersey shouldn't be dismissed either as they're being built by Penguins' Stanley Cup architect, Ray Shero, and just drafted a No. 1 center in Nico Hishier.
The Sabres shouldn't be taken lightly either. They have a core group that includes a franchise center in Jack Eichel, a top two-way center in Ryan O'Reilly and they just hired a coach in Housley that coached the most feared defense in last year's Stanley Cup playoffs. Botterill himself is no slouch as he was a part of helping to build Pittsburgh's 2009, 2016 and 2017 Stanley Cup champion teams.
Butcher was a fifth round pick in 2013 due to his smaller size for a defenseman, although he proved throughout his college career that he can handle bigger bodies in the defensive zone. He's never been afraid to lay the body on anyone and because of his strength, balance and the way he leverages his body, Butcher is extremely effective.
In addition to his strong two-way game he also has those intangibles like leadership which aren't so much a primary selling point as they are an augment to his hockey abilities.
Word is that he and his agent have said that they're looking for "the best organizational fit," according to Ryan Lambert of The Hockey News, which would include seasoning in the AHL, if necessary. Lambert calls Butcher "an NHL'er" and "the only reason teams shouldn’t be interested in a 22-year-old with a great pedigree is if they’re pushing up against the 50-contract limit."
The Sabres are presently at 43 contracts according to CapFriendly.
Friday, June 30, 2017
Defense. Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes. Plus, lookin' for another top-six LW
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 6-29-2017
From Edmonton to Buffalo moves altering the course of the Buffalo Sabres upcoming season, but the big move new GM Jason Botterill needs to make to really get things rolling probably won't happen this off season.
Defense, defense, defense.
The Sabres don't exactly have a top-five defense-corps in the league which leaves them looking to upgrade, especially filling a top-pairing need next to RHD, Rasmus Ristolainen. Botterill was able to fortify his lower pairings a bit with the signings of Victor Antipin, the trade for Nathan Beaulieu and the re-signing of Taylor Fedun. That trio adds plenty of depth from for new head coach Phil Housley to work with, but a top-four of Ristolainen, Beaulieu, Zach Bogosian and Jake McCabe isn't close to what he worked with in Nashville last season.
It will take time. And for those who are looking for a jolt this July 1, you can pretty much fuggedaboutit. The top two free agent d-men on the market are Kevin Shattenkirk and Karl Alzner both of whom will collect huge paychecks on long-term deals despite flaws in their games. Buffalo could be in the running if Botterill was willing to go above and beyond an expected overpayment for both, but despite plenty of room under the cap this year, it wouldn't seem as if it's in his blood to reach like that.
So the Sabres look to be headed into the off season, and possibly into training camp as well, with a defense corps as is. One possible addition, as mentioned here a couple of weeks ago, is that of soon to be free agent defenseman Will Butcher who's opting to go to free agency August 15 instead of signing with the team that drafted him. In a quick blurb I mentioned that having an opportunity in Buffalo to play under a coach like Housley who values puck-movers might pique his interest. Even if the Sabres were to land him, his impact, if any, wouldn't be felt for a few years as Butcher will probably need a couple years of seasoning for his development.
*****
Speaking of development, Botterill released player development coach Randy Cunneyworth two days ago.
After leaving the Rochester Americans in 2008 to pursue an NHL coaching career, Cunneyworth was brought back in 2015 as player development coach. He spent the 2015-16 season coaching in Rochester before going back to his previous position.
From 2015 to 2017 the Amerks were near the bottom of the league although the players that were brought up to Buffalo seemed to be well prepared for the NHL game. Unfortunately none were able to have an impact for the Sabres.
Botterill also released pro scout Jon Christiano. The Buffalo native had been with the Sabres since 1997 and spent three years as Director of Pro Scouting under GM Darcy Regier.
Also dismissed was amateur scout Kevin Prendergast who came on board in 2013.
Owner Terry Pegula and Botterill have slowly been purging the hockey department to start anew. Cunneyworth, Christiano and Prendergast join scouting director Rob Murphy, director of amateur scouting Greg Royce, pro scout Jim Kovachik and amateur scouts Keith Hendrickson and Brandon Jay as those on the outs since Pegula fired GM Tim Murray and head coach Dan Bylsma.
*****
The hockey world just got a major jolt yesterday when word got out that Edmonton Oilers phenom Connor McDavid is looking at a contract extension that will have a cap-hit over $13 million. McDavid is entering the final year of his entry-level deal and the Oilers aren't messing around.
And they shouldn't.
McDavid just finished his sophomore season as the only 100-point player in the league and captained his Oilers team to Game-7 of the Western Conference Finals. He also backed up the truck at the NHL Awards Show in Las Vegas last week. He took home the Art Ross Trophy (leading scorer,) Hart Trophy (league MVP,) and the Ted Lindsay Award as the leagues top player voted by his peers.
The shockwaves rattled rinks all the way to Buffalo as the Sabres and Jack Eichel are said to be talking about a contract extension. Eichel was taken second-overall behind McDavid in the 2015 NHL Draft and although he's had two real good seasons on a team that was in the 'build' stage of rebuild, his 113 points (48+65) in 142 games aren't on the same level as McDavid's 148 (46+102) in 127 games. However, there's still plenty of untapped upside for Eichel which is why his next contract could be in the $8-9 million/season range.
They're two different players with enormous talents who came into the leagued in two different situations. Both will forever be tied to the whole 2015 "McEichel" Draft and will be compared from a points, salary and impact perspective.
The Sabres are lucky to have Eichel and it might be in everyone's best interest to get him signed long-term. They could fool around with a three-year bridge contract that could possibly extend his stay in Buffalo to 11 years if they went max contract thereafter. Or they could just come together on an eight-year deal and save everyone the worry.
*****
Word on the street is that the Sabres are losing a goalie prospect but gaining a veteran backup in net.
To no one's surprise, Sabres prospect Cal Petersen (2013, 129th-overall) is not signing in Buffalo but instead will be headed to Los Angeles. Although nothing can be announced until Saturday, July 1, reports have Petersen and the Kings agreeing to a contract.
Petersen opted to forgo his senior season at Notre Dame to turn pro and the Sabres had nearly all of June to sign him but he elected to become a free agent.
The loss of Petersen effectively jumbled the goalie depth-chart as Buffalo was missing a piece. The two givens were that Robin Lehner is the Sabres starter and Jonas Johansson will be starting his first full North American pro season in Rochester. Linus Ullmark, whom Botterill effectively kept from Las Vegas in the expansion draft, could have been Lehner's backup had Petersen signed with Buffalo.
But our very own Buffalo 39 mentioned a couple days ago that the Sabres and former goalie Chad Johnson were in talks and word on the street is that Johnson will be back in Buffalo next season. Having him behind Lehner means that Ullmark goes back to Rochester as their starter for the second consecutive season.
Which is a good thing.
Goalies need reps and Ullmark will get a lot of them with the Amerks. The move also bodes well for Johansson who can get eased into the North American pro game.
Losing Petersen is a downer as he has legit No. 1 potential, but the Sabres will need to make lemonade.
*****
The Sabres, as mentioned above, could use a top-pairing defenseman but the could also use help on the wing in the top-six. And, as luck would have it, this isn't a particularly strong free agent class at LW.
The list at left wing is topped by veteran forward Patrick Marleau. However reports have him not wanting to leave San Jose and if he does, he wants to stay on the West Coast as to not disrupt his family.
After that the Sabres could, and should, have of some interest in Thomas Vanek.
Since being traded by Buffalo in October, 2013, Vanek has been wandering around the league. Vanek was traded by the NY Islanders to the Montreal Canadiens that same season then signed a two-year deal with the Minnesota Wild as a free agent. He signed a one-year, $2.6 million deal with the Detroit Red Wings last off season and was traded to Florida at the trade deadline March 1.
During this sojourn, word came out that Vanek's name appeared on a list in a Rochester, NY gambling sting and he apparently lost millions of dollars. With Pegula touting virtues like character and his Murray-firing presser, Vanek might not fit into what he wants moving forward. Yet you can't deny that Vanek still has the chops. Last season he scored 17 goals and added 31 assists in 68 games for Detroit and Florida. Those 48 points would have placed him third on the Sabres in scoring behind only Eichel and Ryan O'Reilly. He also lead the league in the shootout going a perfect 5 for 5.
Speaking of gambling, the Sabres could also look into signing former first-overall pick Nail Yakupov to a "show me" contract. Yakupov has been set adrift after four years with the Oilers and one season in St. Louis. It would be a low-risk/high-reward scenario for the Sabres but most feel that the upside just isn't there as there's a disconnect with him and the NHL game.
Finally, maybe we should keep an eye on winger Beau Bennett who was the 20th-overall pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2010 when Botterill was in the front office.
The 6'2" 207 lb. Bennett is listed as a right-winger but can play either side.
Of course if Buffalo's own Tyler Ennis could return to form, it would eliminate the need for a top-six left-winger. Ennis' last two seasons have been dismal as he's had injury problems and just could never get into the flow of things. The Edmonton, Alberta native has only eight goals and 16 assist while playing in only 84 games the last two seasons.
As of right now the Sabres have only one legit top-six left wing in Evander Kane. He'll be entering the final year of his contract with questions as to whether or not there will be an extension for him this off season. There's been speculation that the Sabres would be trading him, but Pierre LeBrun told the WGR afternoon guys yesterday that Botterill is listening but not actively shopping Kane.
From Edmonton to Buffalo moves altering the course of the Buffalo Sabres upcoming season, but the big move new GM Jason Botterill needs to make to really get things rolling probably won't happen this off season.
Defense, defense, defense.
The Sabres don't exactly have a top-five defense-corps in the league which leaves them looking to upgrade, especially filling a top-pairing need next to RHD, Rasmus Ristolainen. Botterill was able to fortify his lower pairings a bit with the signings of Victor Antipin, the trade for Nathan Beaulieu and the re-signing of Taylor Fedun. That trio adds plenty of depth from for new head coach Phil Housley to work with, but a top-four of Ristolainen, Beaulieu, Zach Bogosian and Jake McCabe isn't close to what he worked with in Nashville last season.
It will take time. And for those who are looking for a jolt this July 1, you can pretty much fuggedaboutit. The top two free agent d-men on the market are Kevin Shattenkirk and Karl Alzner both of whom will collect huge paychecks on long-term deals despite flaws in their games. Buffalo could be in the running if Botterill was willing to go above and beyond an expected overpayment for both, but despite plenty of room under the cap this year, it wouldn't seem as if it's in his blood to reach like that.
So the Sabres look to be headed into the off season, and possibly into training camp as well, with a defense corps as is. One possible addition, as mentioned here a couple of weeks ago, is that of soon to be free agent defenseman Will Butcher who's opting to go to free agency August 15 instead of signing with the team that drafted him. In a quick blurb I mentioned that having an opportunity in Buffalo to play under a coach like Housley who values puck-movers might pique his interest. Even if the Sabres were to land him, his impact, if any, wouldn't be felt for a few years as Butcher will probably need a couple years of seasoning for his development.
*****
Speaking of development, Botterill released player development coach Randy Cunneyworth two days ago.
After leaving the Rochester Americans in 2008 to pursue an NHL coaching career, Cunneyworth was brought back in 2015 as player development coach. He spent the 2015-16 season coaching in Rochester before going back to his previous position.
From 2015 to 2017 the Amerks were near the bottom of the league although the players that were brought up to Buffalo seemed to be well prepared for the NHL game. Unfortunately none were able to have an impact for the Sabres.
Botterill also released pro scout Jon Christiano. The Buffalo native had been with the Sabres since 1997 and spent three years as Director of Pro Scouting under GM Darcy Regier.
Also dismissed was amateur scout Kevin Prendergast who came on board in 2013.
Owner Terry Pegula and Botterill have slowly been purging the hockey department to start anew. Cunneyworth, Christiano and Prendergast join scouting director Rob Murphy, director of amateur scouting Greg Royce, pro scout Jim Kovachik and amateur scouts Keith Hendrickson and Brandon Jay as those on the outs since Pegula fired GM Tim Murray and head coach Dan Bylsma.
*****
The hockey world just got a major jolt yesterday when word got out that Edmonton Oilers phenom Connor McDavid is looking at a contract extension that will have a cap-hit over $13 million. McDavid is entering the final year of his entry-level deal and the Oilers aren't messing around.
And they shouldn't.
McDavid just finished his sophomore season as the only 100-point player in the league and captained his Oilers team to Game-7 of the Western Conference Finals. He also backed up the truck at the NHL Awards Show in Las Vegas last week. He took home the Art Ross Trophy (leading scorer,) Hart Trophy (league MVP,) and the Ted Lindsay Award as the leagues top player voted by his peers.
The shockwaves rattled rinks all the way to Buffalo as the Sabres and Jack Eichel are said to be talking about a contract extension. Eichel was taken second-overall behind McDavid in the 2015 NHL Draft and although he's had two real good seasons on a team that was in the 'build' stage of rebuild, his 113 points (48+65) in 142 games aren't on the same level as McDavid's 148 (46+102) in 127 games. However, there's still plenty of untapped upside for Eichel which is why his next contract could be in the $8-9 million/season range.
They're two different players with enormous talents who came into the leagued in two different situations. Both will forever be tied to the whole 2015 "McEichel" Draft and will be compared from a points, salary and impact perspective.
The Sabres are lucky to have Eichel and it might be in everyone's best interest to get him signed long-term. They could fool around with a three-year bridge contract that could possibly extend his stay in Buffalo to 11 years if they went max contract thereafter. Or they could just come together on an eight-year deal and save everyone the worry.
*****
Word on the street is that the Sabres are losing a goalie prospect but gaining a veteran backup in net.
To no one's surprise, Sabres prospect Cal Petersen (2013, 129th-overall) is not signing in Buffalo but instead will be headed to Los Angeles. Although nothing can be announced until Saturday, July 1, reports have Petersen and the Kings agreeing to a contract.
Petersen opted to forgo his senior season at Notre Dame to turn pro and the Sabres had nearly all of June to sign him but he elected to become a free agent.
The loss of Petersen effectively jumbled the goalie depth-chart as Buffalo was missing a piece. The two givens were that Robin Lehner is the Sabres starter and Jonas Johansson will be starting his first full North American pro season in Rochester. Linus Ullmark, whom Botterill effectively kept from Las Vegas in the expansion draft, could have been Lehner's backup had Petersen signed with Buffalo.
But our very own Buffalo 39 mentioned a couple days ago that the Sabres and former goalie Chad Johnson were in talks and word on the street is that Johnson will be back in Buffalo next season. Having him behind Lehner means that Ullmark goes back to Rochester as their starter for the second consecutive season.
Which is a good thing.
Goalies need reps and Ullmark will get a lot of them with the Amerks. The move also bodes well for Johansson who can get eased into the North American pro game.
Losing Petersen is a downer as he has legit No. 1 potential, but the Sabres will need to make lemonade.
*****
The Sabres, as mentioned above, could use a top-pairing defenseman but the could also use help on the wing in the top-six. And, as luck would have it, this isn't a particularly strong free agent class at LW.
The list at left wing is topped by veteran forward Patrick Marleau. However reports have him not wanting to leave San Jose and if he does, he wants to stay on the West Coast as to not disrupt his family.
After that the Sabres could, and should, have of some interest in Thomas Vanek.
Since being traded by Buffalo in October, 2013, Vanek has been wandering around the league. Vanek was traded by the NY Islanders to the Montreal Canadiens that same season then signed a two-year deal with the Minnesota Wild as a free agent. He signed a one-year, $2.6 million deal with the Detroit Red Wings last off season and was traded to Florida at the trade deadline March 1.
During this sojourn, word came out that Vanek's name appeared on a list in a Rochester, NY gambling sting and he apparently lost millions of dollars. With Pegula touting virtues like character and his Murray-firing presser, Vanek might not fit into what he wants moving forward. Yet you can't deny that Vanek still has the chops. Last season he scored 17 goals and added 31 assists in 68 games for Detroit and Florida. Those 48 points would have placed him third on the Sabres in scoring behind only Eichel and Ryan O'Reilly. He also lead the league in the shootout going a perfect 5 for 5.
Speaking of gambling, the Sabres could also look into signing former first-overall pick Nail Yakupov to a "show me" contract. Yakupov has been set adrift after four years with the Oilers and one season in St. Louis. It would be a low-risk/high-reward scenario for the Sabres but most feel that the upside just isn't there as there's a disconnect with him and the NHL game.
Finally, maybe we should keep an eye on winger Beau Bennett who was the 20th-overall pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2010 when Botterill was in the front office.
The 6'2" 207 lb. Bennett is listed as a right-winger but can play either side.
Of course if Buffalo's own Tyler Ennis could return to form, it would eliminate the need for a top-six left-winger. Ennis' last two seasons have been dismal as he's had injury problems and just could never get into the flow of things. The Edmonton, Alberta native has only eight goals and 16 assist while playing in only 84 games the last two seasons.
As of right now the Sabres have only one legit top-six left wing in Evander Kane. He'll be entering the final year of his contract with questions as to whether or not there will be an extension for him this off season. There's been speculation that the Sabres would be trading him, but Pierre LeBrun told the WGR afternoon guys yesterday that Botterill is listening but not actively shopping Kane.
Saturday, June 17, 2017
New head coach Phil Housley and his impact
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 6-16-2017
Phil Housley was a wundekind who entered the NHL right out of high school at the age of 18. Legendary coach Scotty Bowman was at the helm in Buffalo at the time and was retooling the Sabres in 1982, saying goodbye to the French Connection-era in Buffalo and starting with anew with draft picks and Housley was one of three first-rounders selected that year (Paul Cyr, Dave Andreychuk.)
Make no mistake, the South St. Paul High School graduate was all offense from the back-end to the point where Bowman couldn't trust him on defense his sophomore season. WGR 550's Paul Hamilton reminded us yesterday that Housley played center for much of his second season, one in which the 19 yr. old amassed 31 goals and 46 assists in 75 games to earn an All-Star berth. It took Housley a long time to learn the defensive aspects of the game with Hamilton stating that he started noticing how far his defensive play had come when Housley was with the Washington Capitals some 15 yrs. and five teams later.
Housley retired with 1232 points (338+894) in 1495 games and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015.
Over the course of the last four years he's been transferring his 21 yrs. of NHL experience to a new generation of defensemen as a coach at the NHL level. He actually began as a high school coach in his home state of Minnesota beginning in 2004, a year after he retired. Housley then moved on with Team USA and was hired by the Nashville Predators that same year. Housley guided Team USA to the gold medal at the IIHF World Junior Championships in 2013 and hooked up with Barry Trotz and the Nashville Predators a few months later. Trotz was replaced by Peter Laviolette in 2014 and the only assistant to remain with the club was Housley, who had been given complete control over the defense by both coaches. In his four years with the Preds he made the defense-corps the most active and dangerous group in the league.
Now it's on to Buffalo and his first-ever coaching gig which happens to be in the city where he started his NHL career.
Housley was not a "homer-hire." Sure the team drafted him and he was a Buffalo Sabre for eight seasons, but nostalgia wasn't the driving force in this hire any more than the hiring of Jason Botterill as GM was. Both were amongst or atop the short list of up-and-comers in the coaching/GM ranks yet both happened to have played for the Sabres. If you're gonna eschew experience in the form of retread coaches and GM's to strike out fresh, this year, those two are two of the best hires a team could have.
Botterill came from the Pittsburgh Penguins organization and has three Stanley Cup Championships on his resume as an executive. He wants an up-tempo team. Housley is fresh off of a Cup Finals appearance where as an assistant coach, his defense was very active. The two philosophies merge, but now comes the tough part--finding the players to play the way they want.
As Sabres fans well know, having gone through a couple of GM's and four head coaches over the course of the last four years, ideas and ideals are espoused at the podium and transferring them to the ice successfully is another story. Botterill will have his work cut out for him as GM but he does have talent to work with while Housley will be in charge of grooming the players he has on hand to his liking. It will mean different things to different players but here are some of the players who may be impacted more than the rest.
Defensemen Rasmus Ristolainen and Jake McCabe
Housley was on WGR's morning show today when Hamilton asked him how he planned to iron out the inconsistencies of both young defensemen. "You can say inconsistencies, but I see potential," was Housley's response. "It's a tough league and you gotta earn your stripes a little bit, but you've got to put them in a position of strength."
Ristolainen started out last season strong bearing the weight of the huge demands former head coach Dan Bylsma put on him but ended up struggling through a good chunk of the 2017 portion of the schedule. McCabe rode an up and down season while logging career-high minutes with much of it coming on the top pairing. The 22 yr. old Ristolainen and the 23 yr. old McCabe are still very young as their struggles showed.
Housely saw Ristolainen at the World Juniors and told WGR's Mike Schopp and the Bulldog yesterday that "he's gonna be a player." He would follow up by saying that Ristolainen has turned into "exactly the player I thought he was going to be." As for McCabe, Housley was coaching him in that same World Juniors and the told the hosts that "he brings character and leadership" as well as some offensive skills. He concluded "These are two very young players I'm looking forward to working with.
Jack Eichel
If anyone knows the highs and lows of being an 18 yr. old prodigy in the NHL, it's Housley.
Jack Eichel was taken second overall in the 2015 draft and immediately joined the Sabres as the face of the franchise. Over the course of his two NHL seasons, Eichel has given us many glimpses of the greatness that lies within him, but he's also struggled be it with the high-ankle sprain he suffered to start last season, or with the former coach.
But his talents are undeniable. Housley witnessed Eichel's ability first hand in a game against his Predators back in January. See for yourself:
(Thx, Sportsnet)
This morning Housley told the WGR hosts that he wants to get Eichel "living in the moment" which seems as if that would fit him well. He followed up by saying, "He's a tremendous, highly-skilled player who's a game-changer, a game-breaker.
"If we can just get him to live in the moment, be in the moment, and not think about the expectation part of it" said Housley, who was also burdened by weight of his immense skill-level, "he will thrive in that."
Housley concluded that they want to take some of that burden and demand off of him so that he can just "be who he is as a player."
Evander Kane
Speaking of allowing a player to be who he is, Housley had some words for a player like Evander Kane.
We all know the story, but for those just coming on the scene Kane's an extremely gifted player who's on-ice work-ethic is impeccable. However it's his off-ice issues that have gotten him into trouble in the past and had many in Sabreland thinking he'd be traded last season.
Housley stated at the presser that he' wants to rub shoulders with his players. On the morning show today he clarified that there are also parameters with which to do so. He said that it's important to create relationships with the players but at the same time "setting the boundaries."
"There is a fine line you walk. You can't go over that line too much because you have to have a firm message, you have to have a strong voice." He went on to say that in creating a relationship gets the most out of players, "as long as know where you stand as the coach and the discipline and structure you bring.
"I think guys want that," he said. "They want structure, they want discipline, but they also need some freedom. What they do away from the rink and the decisions they make, obviously we don't want any distractions or anything that's bad for the organization, but you have to let them breathe. You have to let them be who they are and you have to let them have their personality but when you come to the rink it's about business."
We don't know where the organization stands on Kane right now, but what Housley said seemed to have Kane written all over it. Nobody has any issues with how the 25 yr. old approaches the game but his off-ice antics have gotten him into trouble to the point where there were distractions and it made the organization look bad.
Kane will be a free agent after the season and most feel that the team and him need to make a decision on his future in Buffalo now rather than later. It's a big decision for Botterill to make.
Housley invariably mentions Ryan O'Reilly whenever talking about his new team. O'Reilly's a pro, the type of player who's game is what it is and will thrive under any coach or system because of his talent, work-ethic and hockey IQ. And Kris Baker mentions a number of d-prospects who are mobile, puck-movers ready to join the rush like Brendan Guhle, Devante Stephens, Will Borgen and Casey Fitzgerald who will be "the greatest benefactors" with the hire of Housley.
Also, recent college graduate Will Butcher, who could become a free agent on August 15 after not signing with Colorado, is the type of player who might be interested in what the Sabres are doing. Butcher, an attacking defenseman, was a big piece of the NCAA hockey champion Denver Pioneers coached by Jim Montgomery.
Montgomery employed the very same attack system used by teams like Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay while also having a very active defense like Housley had in Nashville. If the 2017 Hobey Baker winner is interested in staying in a system like that and is willing to grow with a young Sabres d-corps, there's an opening in Buffalo right now.
Regardless of what the future holds, Housley is having an impact throughout Buffalo. Granted as of right now all we have is a warm, fuzzy feel complete with reputations and ideals to strive for, but it's still very enticing to have an organization barreling towards the future with an electric style of play and an "attacking mindset." Where it all ends up is to be determined, but for now it's pretty damn positive.
Phil Housley was a wundekind who entered the NHL right out of high school at the age of 18. Legendary coach Scotty Bowman was at the helm in Buffalo at the time and was retooling the Sabres in 1982, saying goodbye to the French Connection-era in Buffalo and starting with anew with draft picks and Housley was one of three first-rounders selected that year (Paul Cyr, Dave Andreychuk.)
Make no mistake, the South St. Paul High School graduate was all offense from the back-end to the point where Bowman couldn't trust him on defense his sophomore season. WGR 550's Paul Hamilton reminded us yesterday that Housley played center for much of his second season, one in which the 19 yr. old amassed 31 goals and 46 assists in 75 games to earn an All-Star berth. It took Housley a long time to learn the defensive aspects of the game with Hamilton stating that he started noticing how far his defensive play had come when Housley was with the Washington Capitals some 15 yrs. and five teams later.
Housley retired with 1232 points (338+894) in 1495 games and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015.
Over the course of the last four years he's been transferring his 21 yrs. of NHL experience to a new generation of defensemen as a coach at the NHL level. He actually began as a high school coach in his home state of Minnesota beginning in 2004, a year after he retired. Housley then moved on with Team USA and was hired by the Nashville Predators that same year. Housley guided Team USA to the gold medal at the IIHF World Junior Championships in 2013 and hooked up with Barry Trotz and the Nashville Predators a few months later. Trotz was replaced by Peter Laviolette in 2014 and the only assistant to remain with the club was Housley, who had been given complete control over the defense by both coaches. In his four years with the Preds he made the defense-corps the most active and dangerous group in the league.
Now it's on to Buffalo and his first-ever coaching gig which happens to be in the city where he started his NHL career.
Housley was not a "homer-hire." Sure the team drafted him and he was a Buffalo Sabre for eight seasons, but nostalgia wasn't the driving force in this hire any more than the hiring of Jason Botterill as GM was. Both were amongst or atop the short list of up-and-comers in the coaching/GM ranks yet both happened to have played for the Sabres. If you're gonna eschew experience in the form of retread coaches and GM's to strike out fresh, this year, those two are two of the best hires a team could have.
Botterill came from the Pittsburgh Penguins organization and has three Stanley Cup Championships on his resume as an executive. He wants an up-tempo team. Housley is fresh off of a Cup Finals appearance where as an assistant coach, his defense was very active. The two philosophies merge, but now comes the tough part--finding the players to play the way they want.
As Sabres fans well know, having gone through a couple of GM's and four head coaches over the course of the last four years, ideas and ideals are espoused at the podium and transferring them to the ice successfully is another story. Botterill will have his work cut out for him as GM but he does have talent to work with while Housley will be in charge of grooming the players he has on hand to his liking. It will mean different things to different players but here are some of the players who may be impacted more than the rest.
Defensemen Rasmus Ristolainen and Jake McCabe
Housley was on WGR's morning show today when Hamilton asked him how he planned to iron out the inconsistencies of both young defensemen. "You can say inconsistencies, but I see potential," was Housley's response. "It's a tough league and you gotta earn your stripes a little bit, but you've got to put them in a position of strength."
Ristolainen started out last season strong bearing the weight of the huge demands former head coach Dan Bylsma put on him but ended up struggling through a good chunk of the 2017 portion of the schedule. McCabe rode an up and down season while logging career-high minutes with much of it coming on the top pairing. The 22 yr. old Ristolainen and the 23 yr. old McCabe are still very young as their struggles showed.
Housely saw Ristolainen at the World Juniors and told WGR's Mike Schopp and the Bulldog yesterday that "he's gonna be a player." He would follow up by saying that Ristolainen has turned into "exactly the player I thought he was going to be." As for McCabe, Housley was coaching him in that same World Juniors and the told the hosts that "he brings character and leadership" as well as some offensive skills. He concluded "These are two very young players I'm looking forward to working with.
Jack Eichel
If anyone knows the highs and lows of being an 18 yr. old prodigy in the NHL, it's Housley.
Jack Eichel was taken second overall in the 2015 draft and immediately joined the Sabres as the face of the franchise. Over the course of his two NHL seasons, Eichel has given us many glimpses of the greatness that lies within him, but he's also struggled be it with the high-ankle sprain he suffered to start last season, or with the former coach.
But his talents are undeniable. Housley witnessed Eichel's ability first hand in a game against his Predators back in January. See for yourself:
(Thx, Sportsnet)
This morning Housley told the WGR hosts that he wants to get Eichel "living in the moment" which seems as if that would fit him well. He followed up by saying, "He's a tremendous, highly-skilled player who's a game-changer, a game-breaker.
"If we can just get him to live in the moment, be in the moment, and not think about the expectation part of it" said Housley, who was also burdened by weight of his immense skill-level, "he will thrive in that."
Housley concluded that they want to take some of that burden and demand off of him so that he can just "be who he is as a player."
Evander Kane
Speaking of allowing a player to be who he is, Housley had some words for a player like Evander Kane.
We all know the story, but for those just coming on the scene Kane's an extremely gifted player who's on-ice work-ethic is impeccable. However it's his off-ice issues that have gotten him into trouble in the past and had many in Sabreland thinking he'd be traded last season.
Housley stated at the presser that he' wants to rub shoulders with his players. On the morning show today he clarified that there are also parameters with which to do so. He said that it's important to create relationships with the players but at the same time "setting the boundaries."
"There is a fine line you walk. You can't go over that line too much because you have to have a firm message, you have to have a strong voice." He went on to say that in creating a relationship gets the most out of players, "as long as know where you stand as the coach and the discipline and structure you bring.
"I think guys want that," he said. "They want structure, they want discipline, but they also need some freedom. What they do away from the rink and the decisions they make, obviously we don't want any distractions or anything that's bad for the organization, but you have to let them breathe. You have to let them be who they are and you have to let them have their personality but when you come to the rink it's about business."
We don't know where the organization stands on Kane right now, but what Housley said seemed to have Kane written all over it. Nobody has any issues with how the 25 yr. old approaches the game but his off-ice antics have gotten him into trouble to the point where there were distractions and it made the organization look bad.
Kane will be a free agent after the season and most feel that the team and him need to make a decision on his future in Buffalo now rather than later. It's a big decision for Botterill to make.
Housley invariably mentions Ryan O'Reilly whenever talking about his new team. O'Reilly's a pro, the type of player who's game is what it is and will thrive under any coach or system because of his talent, work-ethic and hockey IQ. And Kris Baker mentions a number of d-prospects who are mobile, puck-movers ready to join the rush like Brendan Guhle, Devante Stephens, Will Borgen and Casey Fitzgerald who will be "the greatest benefactors" with the hire of Housley.
Also, recent college graduate Will Butcher, who could become a free agent on August 15 after not signing with Colorado, is the type of player who might be interested in what the Sabres are doing. Butcher, an attacking defenseman, was a big piece of the NCAA hockey champion Denver Pioneers coached by Jim Montgomery.
Montgomery employed the very same attack system used by teams like Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay while also having a very active defense like Housley had in Nashville. If the 2017 Hobey Baker winner is interested in staying in a system like that and is willing to grow with a young Sabres d-corps, there's an opening in Buffalo right now.
Regardless of what the future holds, Housley is having an impact throughout Buffalo. Granted as of right now all we have is a warm, fuzzy feel complete with reputations and ideals to strive for, but it's still very enticing to have an organization barreling towards the future with an electric style of play and an "attacking mindset." Where it all ends up is to be determined, but for now it's pretty damn positive.
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