Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
That Ville Leino was No. 1 on most list of NHL compliance buyouts was a given. He had given bailed and rather than him being a complete waste taking up a roster spot, Sabres GM Tim Murray waived him with the intention of buying him out.
Leino was part of a big 2011 off season that saw new owner Terry Pegula cutting loose the financial chains of then GM Darcy Regier. The unrestricted free agent was signed to a 6 yr./$27M contract.
That summer kicked off with the late June trade for defenseman Robyn Regehr. The Calgary defenseman had a no-trade clause and was convinced by Pegula and Co. to waive it to come to Buffalo.
The Sabres also took back Ales Kotalik and his $3M contract in the deal.
In between Regehr and Leino was another big signing which was actually a "re-signing."
Showing posts with label christian ehrhoff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christian ehrhoff. Show all posts
Monday, June 30, 2014
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Sabres 2011/12 Season Preview Part. 2--Behind the Blueline (Andrej Sekera, Jonas Enroth, Jordan Leopold, Marc-Andre Gragnani, Jordan Leopold, Mike Weber, Robyn Regehr)
You cannot discount the fact the Terry Pegula had the opportunity to clean house when he took over the team in February.
But he, and Senior Hockey Advisor Ken Sawyer, along with right-hand man and Team President Ted Black decided to retain the longest tenured GM/Coaching tandem in the NHL--Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff.
With Regier, Pegula did his "due diligence" and said that no one he talked to had a bad thing to say about the GM.
For Ruff, it was cut and dry, "Lindy ain't goin' nowhere," Pegula proclaimed.
Both Regier and Ruff have strenghts and weaknesses, and both have been at odds with personnel choices, but one thing they both firmly believe in is the old NHL adage--build from the goal out.
And that's where we'll start as we look at the product on the ice.
In goal is 31 yr. old Ryan Miller, who is entering his ninth season with the team. The former Vezina winner and US Olympic Silver Medalist will, once again, be looked to as a big part of the team's foundation.
Miller is coming off of a below average 2011/12 regular season, a season in which both he and the team started the year in a deep funk. The team pulled out of the mess that was the first six weeks of the season and went on a tear in the 2011 portion which propelled them to the #7 seed in the Eastern Conference. Miller went 20-10-4 with a 2.50 gaa and four shutouts during 2011.
Although he'll never steal game after game like legendary Sabres goaltender Dominic Hasek, and although he'll never be an elite workhorse like the NJ Devils Martin Brodeur, Miller often times looks impenetrable in net and is regarded as one of the best goalies in the league.
His successes are often interwoven with, and his failures can be directly related to, the team in front of him, especially his defense. This season the defense is much stronger than last and may be even stronger than the one that played in front of him two years ago when he won the Vezina, so there's no reason he shouldn't be in that talk again.
Going forward, it looks as if the Sabres could have one of the top goaltending tandems in the league.
There's no doubt that the Sabres have some pretty good young d-men with bright futures ahead of them. Last year youngsters like Andrej Sekera and Chris Butler found themselves on the top pairing while another one, Marc-Andre Gragnani was played himself into big minutes late in the season and into the playoffs. It was unbalanced, though, leaning heavily towards the youth end of the equation and during the playoffs while facing a veteran-laden, tenacious Philly team their inconsistencies were exposed.
The Pegula-effect takes hold here, as the owner's drive to take care of business immediately lead to Regier bringing in two vets to bolster the top-pairings on defense--Robyn Regehr and Christian Ehroff.
Both players will be directly linked to the ownership of Terry Pegula and the teams' quest for the Stanley Cup and both players add dimensions that were lacking last year--Regehr's top-pairing, physical, stay-at-home style and Ehrhoff's offensive/power play acumen.
Robyn Regehr--Everyone in the league knows what the former Calgary Flame brings to the table. He'll never be confused with Mike Green in the scoring department, nor will he be confused with former Sabre Hank Tallinder for his skating. But the big, gritty d-man brings an edge to the Sabres top-pairing that they haven't had since Jay McKee left. Regehr's big. And he's mean. And he has a sense of humor too. During a preseason game versus Montreal, Regehr deposited the Canadians Aaron Palushaj into their bench. When asked about it he had this to say, "I had an opportunity to line a guy up along the boards in front of their bench. I’ve only played out east occasionally being with a Western Conference team, so I took the opportunity to introduce myself to the guys on the opposing bench."
Christian Ehrhoff--The uproar over Erhoff's signing to a 10-year, $40m contract was loud and furious. That was until the preseason and Erhoff showed why he was brought on board. He a smooth skater who finds open ice. He can set-up a teammate or unleash a lethal shot that can get through traffic and find the back of the net. There are some question marks concerning his defense, but what we've seen thus far in the preseason, they may be somewhat overblown.
The Sabres had the 9th best power play in the league last season, and nabbing Ehroff, who came from the #1 power play in the league in Vancouver, should only enhance that. The misnomer on Ehrhoff is that he's a power play quarterback, but here's what he brought to table (from Vancouver Sun,) "the Canucks used him as a roamer, a fourth forward, of sorts. Often, the other members of the Canuck powerplay would form a diamond around the opposition’s four-man box, then have Ehrhoff drop down inside of it. Either the box collapsed, opening up room on the outside, or it didn’t, and a narrow passing lane to Ehrhoff opened up to be exploited."
Ehrhoff is coming off of back-to-back 14 goal seasons to a team that was in the top five in defense scoring. With his ability to find open ice and his wicked shot, there's no reason why the Sabres shouldn't continue to be one of the top teams in the league for scoring by defensemen.
Tyler Myers--Make no mistake, Myers is the future of the Buffalo Sabres rear-guard and were it not for the above acquisitions and their importance to the team, Myers would've had top-billing here.
Myers is 6'8" and can skate like a breeze, has a firm grasp on when to jump into the play, is solid in his own end and is a former Calder Trophy winner who dismissed his sophomore slump midway through last season. Even better, at 21 yrs. old Myers still has tremendous upside.
The scary part of Myers is that in addition to his skating, defense and offensive acumen he's beginning to develop an attitude. Being paired with Regehr this season will only further his development in the physicality department.
All-in-all, the Sabres went from top-three featuring youngin's like Myers, Butler and Sekera to one that now features a franchise d-man augmented by two top-four vets--both of whom have made it to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
But he, and Senior Hockey Advisor Ken Sawyer, along with right-hand man and Team President Ted Black decided to retain the longest tenured GM/Coaching tandem in the NHL--Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff.
With Regier, Pegula did his "due diligence" and said that no one he talked to had a bad thing to say about the GM.
For Ruff, it was cut and dry, "Lindy ain't goin' nowhere," Pegula proclaimed.
Both Regier and Ruff have strenghts and weaknesses, and both have been at odds with personnel choices, but one thing they both firmly believe in is the old NHL adage--build from the goal out.
And that's where we'll start as we look at the product on the ice.
Built From the Goal Out
In goal is 31 yr. old Ryan Miller, who is entering his ninth season with the team. The former Vezina winner and US Olympic Silver Medalist will, once again, be looked to as a big part of the team's foundation.
Miller is coming off of a below average 2011/12 regular season, a season in which both he and the team started the year in a deep funk. The team pulled out of the mess that was the first six weeks of the season and went on a tear in the 2011 portion which propelled them to the #7 seed in the Eastern Conference. Miller went 20-10-4 with a 2.50 gaa and four shutouts during 2011.
Although he'll never steal game after game like legendary Sabres goaltender Dominic Hasek, and although he'll never be an elite workhorse like the NJ Devils Martin Brodeur, Miller often times looks impenetrable in net and is regarded as one of the best goalies in the league.
His successes are often interwoven with, and his failures can be directly related to, the team in front of him, especially his defense. This season the defense is much stronger than last and may be even stronger than the one that played in front of him two years ago when he won the Vezina, so there's no reason he shouldn't be in that talk again.
 |
| Jhonas Enroth worked his way into the role of Ryan Miller's back up. |
Goalie-prospect Jhonas Enroth made the jump to legit-NHL'er last season when he wrestled the reigns of backup from Patrick Lalime. His work in net has instills a sense of confidence in the skaters in front of him. It's not so much Enroth's numbers, it's the presence he has on the ice and how the team responds with him in goal. In fact, if you look a Lalime's last full season as Miller's back up in 2009/10 and compare them to Enroth's from last season, they're almost identical, except in the most important column--the win column.
Going forward, it looks as if the Sabres could have one of the top goaltending tandems in the league.
Regier Reinforces the Defense Corps
There's no doubt that the Sabres have some pretty good young d-men with bright futures ahead of them. Last year youngsters like Andrej Sekera and Chris Butler found themselves on the top pairing while another one, Marc-Andre Gragnani was played himself into big minutes late in the season and into the playoffs. It was unbalanced, though, leaning heavily towards the youth end of the equation and during the playoffs while facing a veteran-laden, tenacious Philly team their inconsistencies were exposed.
The Pegula-effect takes hold here, as the owner's drive to take care of business immediately lead to Regier bringing in two vets to bolster the top-pairings on defense--Robyn Regehr and Christian Ehroff.
Both players will be directly linked to the ownership of Terry Pegula and the teams' quest for the Stanley Cup and both players add dimensions that were lacking last year--Regehr's top-pairing, physical, stay-at-home style and Ehrhoff's offensive/power play acumen.
 |
| New Sabres d-man Robyn Regehr will be adding some snarl to the Sabres blueline. |
Christian Ehrhoff--The uproar over Erhoff's signing to a 10-year, $40m contract was loud and furious. That was until the preseason and Erhoff showed why he was brought on board. He a smooth skater who finds open ice. He can set-up a teammate or unleash a lethal shot that can get through traffic and find the back of the net. There are some question marks concerning his defense, but what we've seen thus far in the preseason, they may be somewhat overblown.
The Sabres had the 9th best power play in the league last season, and nabbing Ehroff, who came from the #1 power play in the league in Vancouver, should only enhance that. The misnomer on Ehrhoff is that he's a power play quarterback, but here's what he brought to table (from Vancouver Sun,) "the Canucks used him as a roamer, a fourth forward, of sorts. Often, the other members of the Canuck powerplay would form a diamond around the opposition’s four-man box, then have Ehrhoff drop down inside of it. Either the box collapsed, opening up room on the outside, or it didn’t, and a narrow passing lane to Ehrhoff opened up to be exploited."
Ehrhoff is coming off of back-to-back 14 goal seasons to a team that was in the top five in defense scoring. With his ability to find open ice and his wicked shot, there's no reason why the Sabres shouldn't continue to be one of the top teams in the league for scoring by defensemen.
Tyler Myers--Make no mistake, Myers is the future of the Buffalo Sabres rear-guard and were it not for the above acquisitions and their importance to the team, Myers would've had top-billing here.
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| Tyler Myers is adding physicality to his already impressive game. |
Meyers is a franchise defenseman who was just signed to a franchise-like 7-year, $38.5m contract that both he and the Sabres are glad they got out of the way before he reached RFA status. Said Pegula, "It's a good felling to know that the players and the team are doing things quick. We didn't even know that Tyler wanted to get things over with this year and we said, 'Let's start talking about Tyler. The fact that it happens like that quick, it's a good feeling to know that he wants to be here, we want him.
Myers is 6'8" and can skate like a breeze, has a firm grasp on when to jump into the play, is solid in his own end and is a former Calder Trophy winner who dismissed his sophomore slump midway through last season. Even better, at 21 yrs. old Myers still has tremendous upside.
The scary part of Myers is that in addition to his skating, defense and offensive acumen he's beginning to develop an attitude. Being paired with Regehr this season will only further his development in the physicality department.
All-in-all, the Sabres went from top-three featuring youngin's like Myers, Butler and Sekera to one that now features a franchise d-man augmented by two top-four vets--both of whom have made it to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Bottom-Four
Jordan Leopold--Leopold logged the most average time on ice of any Sabres player last year, which might be surprising to some fans. Unfortunately, those minutes lead to a season that was very inconsistent and ended up the the d-man a team worst minus-11. Taking a look at last season, it's pretty obvious that Leopold was put in situations that were just out of reach for him. With Regehr, Ehrhoff and Myers locking down big minutes in big situations, Leopold should be in a position to succeed as he settles into a #4/5 role on the team. He's a puck-mover who can join the rush and put up points who will now be doing it mostly versus the opposition's second and third lines as well as taking his place on the Sabres second power play unit.
Andrej Sekera--Once again, as the top spots on d are filled competently by those who can play to that level, those in lesser roles will be in a position to succeed, and Sekera should benefit immensely by being in the bottom-pairing. Sekera's a puck-mover who has had severe brain-cramps on the back-end. On the opposite end of the spectrum, he did have flashes of brilliance last season during a stretch while paired with Myers. He's still relatively young and is still battling consistency issues so the best thing for him and the team right now would be for "Rej" to hone his game as a bottom-pairing d-man striving to reach the top-four.
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| Mike Weber clears Daniel Carcillo from Ryan Miller's crease during the playoffs last season. |
Mike Weber--When you look at Weber, ya gotta say to yourself, "here's a man who's paid his dues." As a rookie call-up late in 2007/08, Weber put together a stretch of 16 games during the Sabres failed playoff push, where he was a plus-12. Unfortunately an injury the following season derailed any plans to stay with the Sabres in 2008/09. He had an unremarkable 7-game stint with the club that season, 42 with the Portland Pirates, then spent the entire 2009/10 season in Portland working his way back.
Last season he forced his way into the line up after being rotated in and out early on. He played 58 games for the team and finished second in plus/minus with a +13.
Weber's worth should not be closely tied to numbers, though. The big, physical Pittsburgh native plays a Regehr-type stay-at-home physical game and has no problem clearing the crease for his goalie. Just ask Daniel Carcillo.
For as big and nasty as he is, Weber is very adept in his own end with the outlet pass. Sure, he's had some blunders, as do nearly all 23 yr. olds. But he seems to be able to recover rather quickly.
As with Leopold and Sekera, the competency up top will put him in a position to succeed on the bottom-pairing.
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| Marc-Andre Gragnani is looking to build upon a stellar appearance late last season and into the playoffs. |
Marc-Andre Gragnani--Simply put, Grags was a revelation during the playoffs last season vs. the Philadelphia Flyers. He lead the team in points with seven, averaged over 21 minutes per game and was one of two regular d-man not to be in the minus column as he and Leopold logged an even plus/minus rating.
Not bad for a late-season call-up who played all of nine regular season games for the team.
During the preseason, Grags did not look out of place beside Ehrhoff on the second pairing (WGR audio clip :30-mark) and it wouldn't be surprising to see him, Leopold and possibly Sekera playing quality minutes in the top-four. Based upon his play last season, it wouldn't surprise me to see Grags firmly entrenched in that #4 role by season's end.
The Skinny
At the end of last season, it was obvious that some of the biggest holes were on the back-end. It was not so much lack of talent as it was youthful inconsistency. Pegula and his charges didn't hesitate when the opportunity arose to fortify the d. Regehr and Ehrhoff, along with Myers, will be taking charge of top minutes, allowing for the rest of the d-corps to fall into place in roles more suitable to their talents and experience.
The Sabres defense will be the force that drives the team this season and may be the best group of players they've had in a long, long time. They're a diverse group, a nice mix of vets and youngsters that can defend, move the puck, score and hit. They have size, speed and grit as well. And with the goaltending tandem of Miller and Enroth back-stopping the defense corps, teams are gonna have their hands full in every area of the ice.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
The Sabres Upgrade In Talent Is Evident Vs. Montreal
The qualifier for this piece is that it's only preseason.
But the game last night vs. Montreal at the Bell Center certainly gave us glimpses as to why the Sabres went after the players they did in the off season.
Robyn Regehr, Christian Ehrhoff and Ville Leino were all brought in to bolster a Sabres line-up that had just lost a hard fought seven game series to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Leino was playing in his second preseason game, Regehr and Ehrhoff, their first as the Sabres downed a prospect-laden Habs team 3-1.
So how did these three do?
Lets start with Leino.
For the second straight game, Ville Leino was centering a line with Tyler Ennis on his left and Drew Stafford on his right. The line, in a way, mimics his line in Philadelphia with Ennis as a quick Daniel Briere-type and Stafford as a semblance of Scott Hartnell.
The line apparently worked well in practice and Lindy Ruff decided to give them two full games together to see if it translates well into a game situation. Ruff knows that the two situations can be mutually exclusive and as of right now, that's the way it seems.
Last night, Leino's line was virtually non-existent. Not much pressure on the forecheck, not much cycling, not much of anything really. That's two games running and Ruff will probably re-evaluate the workings of that line in relation to the rest of the team as he works out the kinks this preseason.
In his defense, though, to expect Leino to go through what he did this summer--different city, different position, different linemates, different expectations--and come out smoking would be a lot to ask. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it took him four or five months to get acclimated and adjusted to the point where he feels comfortable and can let his natural abilities come forward.
Robyn Regehr
The complexities of offense are not a problem when it comes to Regehr as he plays a simple, stay-at-home defensive game predicated upon snarl. And last night we got ourselves a glimpse as to what he is all about.
The Sabres haven't had a d-man like him since Jay McKee bolted for St. Louis back in 2006. Quite possibly, the Sabres may never have had a d-man who brings to the table what he does.
Regehr has a presence about him that affects the entire team. A couple of his hits were earth-shattering, as expected, and he was rock-solid in his own zone.
What a great addition to the team in general, for the young defensemen in the system, and for young-stud, Tyler Myers, in particular.
As a pairing for the first time, it would seem as if Regehr said to Myers, "Have at it, I've got your back," and that's what the kid did. He was all over the ice in the offensive zone for the first 30-40 minutes looking more like a fourth forward than a d-man.
The Regehr-effect upon Myers also showed on the back end. We all know that the kid can skate, and we all know that he's pretty solid in his own zone. What we saw last night, and it's something that's a continuation of last years Flyers series, is his willingness to get physical as he plastered a couple of Canadians to the boards.
Regehr's presence will affect the team on many levels, especially when it comes to the defense. Perhaps Ryan Miller put it best when he said (from NHL.com,) "I'm excited for Regehr. Great guy off the ice, but on the ice, I think most people agree he's not such a nice guy. I think that it's a good attitude to set up our (defense) corps with. The other team is going to know they have to go through guys with that attitude."
Christian Ehrhoff
The first of two eye-brow raising free agent contracts this off season went to Ehrhoff. The clamor and derision heaped upon Sabres management for this contract was relentless throughout the summer.
But the team felt as if the former Vancouver Canucks d-man would be a strong, veteran addition to the team.
All summer, Ruff was adamant in saying that Ehrhoff would fit right into how the team wanted their defense to be active in the offensive zone. And last night, we saw first-hand what he was talking about.
Ehrhoff, the game's first star with a goal and an assist, jumped into the offensive zone last night finding open ice, especially on the powerplay. And when he buried a wicked, quick wrister in the upper-corner, we found out why Ruff had also emphasized that Ehrhoff is a shooter.
Before that, though, Ehrhoff showed his puck-moving ability as he took a Derek Roy faceoff win, drove deep into the Montreal corner and fed Jason Pomminville through a maze of players for an easy tap-in.
The Sabres did not have anything close to him last season in that department, and if it's any indication, a team that was in the top-five in defenseman scoring last year will be even better this season.
Once again, it's only preseason, and the Sabres iced a veteran group vs. a prospect-laden Montreal Canadians team. But what we saw last night, at least from Regehr and Ehrhoff, gives a glimpse as to why the Sabres brought in the players they did, cost be damned.
But the game last night vs. Montreal at the Bell Center certainly gave us glimpses as to why the Sabres went after the players they did in the off season.
Robyn Regehr, Christian Ehrhoff and Ville Leino were all brought in to bolster a Sabres line-up that had just lost a hard fought seven game series to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Leino was playing in his second preseason game, Regehr and Ehrhoff, their first as the Sabres downed a prospect-laden Habs team 3-1.
So how did these three do?
Lets start with Leino.
For the second straight game, Ville Leino was centering a line with Tyler Ennis on his left and Drew Stafford on his right. The line, in a way, mimics his line in Philadelphia with Ennis as a quick Daniel Briere-type and Stafford as a semblance of Scott Hartnell.
The line apparently worked well in practice and Lindy Ruff decided to give them two full games together to see if it translates well into a game situation. Ruff knows that the two situations can be mutually exclusive and as of right now, that's the way it seems.
Last night, Leino's line was virtually non-existent. Not much pressure on the forecheck, not much cycling, not much of anything really. That's two games running and Ruff will probably re-evaluate the workings of that line in relation to the rest of the team as he works out the kinks this preseason.
In his defense, though, to expect Leino to go through what he did this summer--different city, different position, different linemates, different expectations--and come out smoking would be a lot to ask. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it took him four or five months to get acclimated and adjusted to the point where he feels comfortable and can let his natural abilities come forward.
Robyn Regehr
The complexities of offense are not a problem when it comes to Regehr as he plays a simple, stay-at-home defensive game predicated upon snarl. And last night we got ourselves a glimpse as to what he is all about.
The Sabres haven't had a d-man like him since Jay McKee bolted for St. Louis back in 2006. Quite possibly, the Sabres may never have had a d-man who brings to the table what he does.
Regehr has a presence about him that affects the entire team. A couple of his hits were earth-shattering, as expected, and he was rock-solid in his own zone.
What a great addition to the team in general, for the young defensemen in the system, and for young-stud, Tyler Myers, in particular.
As a pairing for the first time, it would seem as if Regehr said to Myers, "Have at it, I've got your back," and that's what the kid did. He was all over the ice in the offensive zone for the first 30-40 minutes looking more like a fourth forward than a d-man.
The Regehr-effect upon Myers also showed on the back end. We all know that the kid can skate, and we all know that he's pretty solid in his own zone. What we saw last night, and it's something that's a continuation of last years Flyers series, is his willingness to get physical as he plastered a couple of Canadians to the boards.
Regehr's presence will affect the team on many levels, especially when it comes to the defense. Perhaps Ryan Miller put it best when he said (from NHL.com,) "I'm excited for Regehr. Great guy off the ice, but on the ice, I think most people agree he's not such a nice guy. I think that it's a good attitude to set up our (defense) corps with. The other team is going to know they have to go through guys with that attitude."
Christian Ehrhoff
 |
| Christian Ehrhoff (center) had a strong debut in the Sabres 3-1 preseason win over Montreal. |
But the team felt as if the former Vancouver Canucks d-man would be a strong, veteran addition to the team.
All summer, Ruff was adamant in saying that Ehrhoff would fit right into how the team wanted their defense to be active in the offensive zone. And last night, we saw first-hand what he was talking about.
Ehrhoff, the game's first star with a goal and an assist, jumped into the offensive zone last night finding open ice, especially on the powerplay. And when he buried a wicked, quick wrister in the upper-corner, we found out why Ruff had also emphasized that Ehrhoff is a shooter.
Before that, though, Ehrhoff showed his puck-moving ability as he took a Derek Roy faceoff win, drove deep into the Montreal corner and fed Jason Pomminville through a maze of players for an easy tap-in.
The Sabres did not have anything close to him last season in that department, and if it's any indication, a team that was in the top-five in defenseman scoring last year will be even better this season.
Once again, it's only preseason, and the Sabres iced a veteran group vs. a prospect-laden Montreal Canadians team. But what we saw last night, at least from Regehr and Ehrhoff, gives a glimpse as to why the Sabres brought in the players they did, cost be damned.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Why Lindy Ruff Called Christian Ehrhoff "A Shooter"
How much do you know about Christian Ehrhoff?
If you're like me, not a whole helluva lot.
Yahoo's Puck Daddy Headlines guided me to a website--Pass it to Bulis--that gathered together videos of all 14 Ehrhoff goals this season (complete with little captions.)
On this particular one, #7, the caption reads:
"Ehrhoff may have chosen Buffalo because of the way he loves to roam. Here’s another example: he begins this play down along the wall, before drifting back to the point. Then, after Ryan Kesler backs the Washington powerplay way off, Ehrhoff drifts back to the blueline, then steps way in and wires the puck from the top of the left circle."
In a July 1 appearance on WGR's Howard Simon Show, Ruff laid out exactly what the team saw in Ehrhoff, "if you look at Ehrhoff's game it fits the pace of the game we play. We are in the top five in goal scoring (for defenseman). Ehrhoff's game is similar to how we like to activate our D...His shot is one of the best in the league. I don't think he is in the quarterback category (for the power play). He is a shooter."
Thanx to Pass it to Bulis for compiling the video's and to Yahoo's Puck Daddy for the link.
Have fun.
If you're like me, not a whole helluva lot.
Yahoo's Puck Daddy Headlines guided me to a website--Pass it to Bulis--that gathered together videos of all 14 Ehrhoff goals this season (complete with little captions.)
On this particular one, #7, the caption reads:
"Ehrhoff may have chosen Buffalo because of the way he loves to roam. Here’s another example: he begins this play down along the wall, before drifting back to the point. Then, after Ryan Kesler backs the Washington powerplay way off, Ehrhoff drifts back to the blueline, then steps way in and wires the puck from the top of the left circle."
In a July 1 appearance on WGR's Howard Simon Show, Ruff laid out exactly what the team saw in Ehrhoff, "if you look at Ehrhoff's game it fits the pace of the game we play. We are in the top five in goal scoring (for defenseman). Ehrhoff's game is similar to how we like to activate our D...His shot is one of the best in the league. I don't think he is in the quarterback category (for the power play). He is a shooter."
Thanx to Pass it to Bulis for compiling the video's and to Yahoo's Puck Daddy for the link.
Have fun.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Pegula's 10-Day Sabres Makeover
OK. So it's not anything close to Philadelphia GM Paul Holmgren blowing up the Flyers roster, but in Sabreland, the additions of defensemen Robyn Regehr and Christian Ehrhoff (via trade and trade-and-sign, respectively) as well as free agent signee, Ville Leino, were significant moves on many levels.
Although the Sabres didn't blow up the team, they totally blew up their approach to players and cost while completely shattering their image as a curmudgeonly tight-wad organization.
Plus they got themselves some pretty good players to fill some holes they had.
On June 25, the Sabres finalized a deal with the Calgary Flames: Regehr and former Sabre Ales Kotalik plus a 2012 2nd-round draft pick for Chris Butler and Paul Byron. The deal actually began on June 22nd with Flames GM Jay Feaster proposing a trade with Darcy Regier to alleviate cap-pressure. It took a few days for Robyn Regehr to approve of the trade because of his no-movement clause.
The Regehr trade, as mentioned previously, was huge for the Buffalo Sabres. A quick recap:
With the draft over and the Regehr deal done, the Sabres turned their attention to the up-coming free-agent market.
This year, they did not wait for a late Day-1 or Day-2, reasonably priced, third-tier player to sign. No Jocylen Thibault, Patrick Lalime, Mike Grier or Rob Neidermayer this time. In fact they didn't even wait for July 1 to jump into the fray.
With the Sabres emboldened by the Robyn Regehr trade, Darcy Regier did something unheard of in Buffalo: traded for the rights to negotiate with an unrestricted free-agent before July 1.
Vancouver d-man Christian Ehrhoff's rights were traded to the NY Islanders on June 28th for a 4th-round pick. When it was clear the the two sides would not come together (the Isles reportedly offering $33M over six years), the Isles traded his rights to Buffalo, for a 4th-round pick.
The Sabres then signed Ehrhoff before he hit free agency to the tune of 10 years, $40M.
All-in-all, the Sabres organization blasted away the past with this move:
Such was the desire for the Sabres to have the services of Ehrhoff.
Although the Sabres didn't blow up the team, they totally blew up their approach to players and cost while completely shattering their image as a curmudgeonly tight-wad organization.
Plus they got themselves some pretty good players to fill some holes they had.
Robyn Regehr, Let the Off-season Begin
On June 25, the Sabres finalized a deal with the Calgary Flames: Regehr and former Sabre Ales Kotalik plus a 2012 2nd-round draft pick for Chris Butler and Paul Byron. The deal actually began on June 22nd with Flames GM Jay Feaster proposing a trade with Darcy Regier to alleviate cap-pressure. It took a few days for Robyn Regehr to approve of the trade because of his no-movement clause.
The Regehr trade, as mentioned previously, was huge for the Buffalo Sabres. A quick recap:
- The Sabres had a player with a no-movement clause waive it to go to Buffalo
- Ales Kotalik, who's set to make $3M next season, was part of the trade, yet he and his salary might be off the books via a demotion to Rochester. A Flyers/Rangers-type of move to alleviate cap-pressure.
- Sabres owner Terry Pegula would not be denied and was a big part of convincing Regehr to wave his nmc
- Pegula, his wife Kim and Head Coach Lindy Ruff flew to Saskatchewan to help allay any family fears the Regehr's may have had with the move to Buffalo. This was done during Day-2 of the NHL Draft.
- And, the cool part? GM Darcy Regier got a second-round pick ta-boot.
Onward Towards July 1, the Start of Free Agency
With the draft over and the Regehr deal done, the Sabres turned their attention to the up-coming free-agent market.
This year, they did not wait for a late Day-1 or Day-2, reasonably priced, third-tier player to sign. No Jocylen Thibault, Patrick Lalime, Mike Grier or Rob Neidermayer this time. In fact they didn't even wait for July 1 to jump into the fray.
With the Sabres emboldened by the Robyn Regehr trade, Darcy Regier did something unheard of in Buffalo: traded for the rights to negotiate with an unrestricted free-agent before July 1.
Vancouver d-man Christian Ehrhoff's rights were traded to the NY Islanders on June 28th for a 4th-round pick. When it was clear the the two sides would not come together (the Isles reportedly offering $33M over six years), the Isles traded his rights to Buffalo, for a 4th-round pick.
The Sabres then signed Ehrhoff before he hit free agency to the tune of 10 years, $40M.
All-in-all, the Sabres organization blasted away the past with this move:
- They traded a draft-pick, once considered precious--the life-blood of the organization--just for the right to negotiate with a pending unrestricted free agent.
- That they out in front of almost every organization was a very peculiar phenomenon.
- That they succeeded in reeling in what many considered the second-best pending-unrestricted free agent.
- A ten-year contract, unprecedented in Sabres history.
- The contract being front-loaded with $18M coming in the first two years via bonuses.
- An Ilya Kovalchuk-type finish to the contract where the Sabres spend $1M/year over the final three years of the contract when Ehrhoff will be in his mid-to-latter 30's.
- The fact that they worked the long-term deal to the point where they have a $4M cap-hit.
- An NHL "investigation" into the legitimacy of the 10-year contract.
- Drawing the ire of clubs throughout the league for "circumventing the cap."
- Doing everything within the bounds laid out by the NHL and the NHL Players Association, yet stretching it to its limits.
Such was the desire for the Sabres to have the services of Ehrhoff.
The Sabres Are Players For Brad Richards
A Sabres offer to free agent Brad Richards would be "welcomed with open arms" by the Richards' camp. Or at least it seemed so.
The team, fresh off of upgrading their defense while having an owner with deep pockets and a desire to get things done up-front, set their sights on the "crown-jewel" of the 2011 Free Agent market.
Pegula and Co. were ready to duke it out with the leagues financial heavyweights like Toronto and the NY Rangers,to snag the only superstar-quality player on the market in Richards. Not only had he put up the numbers the last two seasons, but he also has a Cup-ring and Conn Smythe Trophy on his resume'.
Oh, and Richards is a true #1 center, the only one on the market, and one of only a handful in the National Hockey League.
Richards and his agent were holed up in their Mississauga, Ontario offices--Brinks truck by the back-door--waiting for his suitors ala Lebron James last summer.
When it came to the Sabres, Pegula and Regier had a significant offer ready, but the Richards' camp pushed them near the back of the line.
The Sabres did not take kindly to it and bowed out to focus solely on former Philadelphia Flyer, Ville Lieno.
Of note in the Richards episode is the fact that:
- Sabres fans were not accustomed to a legitimate shot (albeit, long-shot) at the NHL's top free agent.
- The team did not feel out of place going after Richards.
- They were willing to go to Mississauga to present their case and offer their deal.
- The Richards camp took the Sabres seriously.
Ville Leino, the "Consolation Prize"
With the writing on the wall concerning Richards, the Sabres bailed, allowing themselves enough time to go after Flyers winger, Ville Leino.
You read that right, Flyers winger.
Another winger when the team really needed a top-two center?
Another winger to join the ranks of Thomas Vanek, Jason Pomminville, recently re-signed Drew Stafford, youngster Tyler Ennis, and trade-deadline acquisition Brad Boyes?
Another winger who's salary would add to the $21.2M combined cap-hit for the aforementioned?
Where's the center?
Turns out that Leino prefers to play center having played wing for two teams--Detroit and Philadelphia--who were deep down the middle.
OK, so it's somewhat of a gamble. Maybe more of a gamble in that he's played all of 149 games scoring a grand total of 30 goals, 19 of them last season.
Actually, it's a huge gamble considering that the Sabres signed him to a 6-year, $27M contract.
Some people around the league are looking at this even more quizzically than the Ehrhoff re-signing, some laughing at the signing, some miffed at the price-tag.
$27M for a winger for a team that was thin at center? $27M for a player with such a limited body of work? $27M for potential?
Twenty-seven Million Dollars?
Sure. Why not? He was the guy they targeted.
But, what the Sabres did by signing Leino was:
- Initiate Plan-B immediately once they decided to bow out of the Richards sweepstakes.
- They brought in what some would consider a top three-to-five free agent this off-season.
- They continued to show that they were hell-bent on bringing in high-quality players to help the team immediately, regardless of the cost.
- Although they may have (probably) overpaid, it mattered not. They wanted him, they went out and got him.
- What they also did with the Leino-signing was put the onus completely on Regier and his scouting staff as well as the coaching ability of Lindy Ruff to make this move work.
This Is Not Your Father's Buffalo Sabres
Fact is, we're not accustomed to having a top-notch player waive his no-movement clause to accept a trade to Buffalo.
Nor are we accustomed to the team pushing the limits of the collective bargaining agreement to sign a player.
Neither are we accustomed to having the highest payroll of any NHL club at one point.
June 22nd thru July 1st will be 10 days to remember in Sabreland.
Although delusions of Stanley Cup grandeur have been held in check for this season, the desire for Pegula and Co. to do what's necessary is a definitive split from the past that should make the Buffalo Sabres a perennial playoff team with the potential to get to the promised land in the future.
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