Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Although the euphoria over draft weekend hasn't even begun to subside in Sabreland, the NHL's calendar is about to change and with it comes the start of free agency.
With the forward ranks stocked, but not complete, Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray said he'll turn his attention to the d-corps which is looking pretty thin, "I probably need a veteran UFA defenseman," he said post-draft, "or I have to trade for one. I've been talking to teams about a left-shot d."
New Sabres bench-boss Dan Bylsma is looking at a group of defensemen with Rasmus Ristolainen, Zach Bogosian, Josh Gorges, Mike Weber and 23 yr. old Mark Pysyk who will finally be with the team full time. Chad Ruhwedel and Jake McCabe could be in the mix, and they could probably hold their own, but one would think that the team would prefer more seasoning for them in the minors.
Bylsma said on WGR550 yesterday that he's still trying to figure out the defense. "I don't have a top-four, per se'," he told host Howard Simon. "Right now when you put [the d-corps] on paper, it's not there. I still think there's some room to possibly see another name to appear on that list for our team. Hopefully we'll explore that, look at that and see what July 1st brings."
Ideally Murray can find a left-handed d-man to join the right-handed Ristolainen on the team's top pairing. That's pretty far-fetched at this point, so what Bylsma said he was looking at was the possibility of moving Ristolainen to the left side with Bogosian on the right. It's something they'll try in training camp, if need be.
Showing posts with label cody hodgson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cody hodgson. Show all posts
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Call of the desert wild. Two centers for a Yotes team that's weak down the middle
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Sportsnet's Elliott Friedman via his 30 Thoughts has the third and fourth overall picks of the NHL possibly in play this year. Arizona sits in the third spot while the Toronto Maple Leafs are right behind Coyotes at No. 4.
Friedman quotes Leafs co-GM (should they put "interim" in the title as well?) Kyle Dubas as saying (via the Toronto Star) "it's something we would definitely look at." Dubas then qualifies it by saying, “If someone else was adamant about a player, we’re pretty comfortable with the players in that (4-6) cluster," meaning they're probably not interested in going any lower than No. 6.
As it stands, the Leafs have two first-rounders (No. 24 from Nashville) but no second-round picks and according to Dubas, “We need to be acquiring as many draft pick assets as we can, as many prospects as we can. "If there was something that made sense, we’d be open to listening and having some thorough discussions on the fourth pick.”
Sportsnet's Elliott Friedman via his 30 Thoughts has the third and fourth overall picks of the NHL possibly in play this year. Arizona sits in the third spot while the Toronto Maple Leafs are right behind Coyotes at No. 4.
Friedman quotes Leafs co-GM (should they put "interim" in the title as well?) Kyle Dubas as saying (via the Toronto Star) "it's something we would definitely look at." Dubas then qualifies it by saying, “If someone else was adamant about a player, we’re pretty comfortable with the players in that (4-6) cluster," meaning they're probably not interested in going any lower than No. 6.
As it stands, the Leafs have two first-rounders (No. 24 from Nashville) but no second-round picks and according to Dubas, “We need to be acquiring as many draft pick assets as we can, as many prospects as we can. "If there was something that made sense, we’d be open to listening and having some thorough discussions on the fourth pick.”
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Sabres/Canes could swap bad contracts
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Before we go on, I'll preface the following by saying I know full-well that Carolina Hurricanes RW Alexander Semin isn't exactly the most industrious, hard-working forward in the NHL. And I'll also add that at 31 yrs. old, Semin isn't exactly in Tim Murray's wheelhouse age-wise as the Sabres GM is geared more towards younger additions to the team.
That being said, there are few things that would make trading Buffalo Sabres forward Cody Hodgson to Carolina for Semin a legitimate move:
--both have bloated contracts with term on them. Hodgson has four more years left at $20 million while Semin has three left at $21 million.
--both are coming off of career lows in production. Hodgson had 13 points (6+7) in 78 games while Semin had 19 points (6+13) in 57 games.
--both are potential buyout candidates as we speak
--both could use a change of scenery.
Before we go on, I'll preface the following by saying I know full-well that Carolina Hurricanes RW Alexander Semin isn't exactly the most industrious, hard-working forward in the NHL. And I'll also add that at 31 yrs. old, Semin isn't exactly in Tim Murray's wheelhouse age-wise as the Sabres GM is geared more towards younger additions to the team.
That being said, there are few things that would make trading Buffalo Sabres forward Cody Hodgson to Carolina for Semin a legitimate move:
--both have bloated contracts with term on them. Hodgson has four more years left at $20 million while Semin has three left at $21 million.
--both are coming off of career lows in production. Hodgson had 13 points (6+7) in 78 games while Semin had 19 points (6+13) in 57 games.
--both are potential buyout candidates as we speak
--both could use a change of scenery.
Friday, February 27, 2015
Hodgson scores, Sabres win, Girgensons/Ennis hurt
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Anton Forsberg did something against the Buffalo Sabres that a goalie hasn't done since December 13, 2014--allowed a goal by Sabres forward, Cody Hodgson.
When Hodgson's incredibly weak backhand dribbled across the goal line, it ended a 27-game drought for the much-maligned forward who finally he caught himself a break. “Everyone has been saying to throw pucks on net and I’ve been doing it the last few games, shooting from some bad angles,” said a clearly relieved Hodgson. “I was fortunate to get that one.”
To say that Forsberg had a tough night would be like saying Hodgson went through a bit of a dry-spell during his goal-drought or that Buffalo just needs some tweaking to rise from the bottom of the league. The Sabres only needed 14 shots to put four goals past the 22 yr. old netminder. The 2011, seventh round pick of Columbus (188th overall) is in his rookie season after coming over from Sweden this year. He should be plying his trade in Sprinfield with their AHL team but he was forced into duty as backup to Curtis McEllhiney who took over for injured starter Sergei Bobrovsky.
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Anton Forsberg did something against the Buffalo Sabres that a goalie hasn't done since December 13, 2014--allowed a goal by Sabres forward, Cody Hodgson.
When Hodgson's incredibly weak backhand dribbled across the goal line, it ended a 27-game drought for the much-maligned forward who finally he caught himself a break. “Everyone has been saying to throw pucks on net and I’ve been doing it the last few games, shooting from some bad angles,” said a clearly relieved Hodgson. “I was fortunate to get that one.”
To say that Forsberg had a tough night would be like saying Hodgson went through a bit of a dry-spell during his goal-drought or that Buffalo just needs some tweaking to rise from the bottom of the league. The Sabres only needed 14 shots to put four goals past the 22 yr. old netminder. The 2011, seventh round pick of Columbus (188th overall) is in his rookie season after coming over from Sweden this year. He should be plying his trade in Sprinfield with their AHL team but he was forced into duty as backup to Curtis McEllhiney who took over for injured starter Sergei Bobrovsky.
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Of Cody Hodgson, Las Vegas and great timing
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Cody Hodgson was a healthy scratch again last night for the second game in a row. The 6'0" 192 lb. forward has two goals, six points and is a minus-20 on a last place Buffalo Sabres team this season and we're not sure he'll be able to pull out of his funk.
Stats like that wouldn't be all that alarming save for the fact that the former first-round pick (2008, 10th-overall) is coming off of a 20-goal season on a bad Sabres team last year and was set to play a top-six role this season. Hodgson started out playing on the second line with the likes of captain Brian Gionta, Chris Stewart, rookie Sam Reinhart and Zemgus Girgensons while also getting powerplay time, but since then he's been relegated to the bottom-six and now he's been a healthy scratch.
Cody Hodgson was a healthy scratch again last night for the second game in a row. The 6'0" 192 lb. forward has two goals, six points and is a minus-20 on a last place Buffalo Sabres team this season and we're not sure he'll be able to pull out of his funk.
Stats like that wouldn't be all that alarming save for the fact that the former first-round pick (2008, 10th-overall) is coming off of a 20-goal season on a bad Sabres team last year and was set to play a top-six role this season. Hodgson started out playing on the second line with the likes of captain Brian Gionta, Chris Stewart, rookie Sam Reinhart and Zemgus Girgensons while also getting powerplay time, but since then he's been relegated to the bottom-six and now he's been a healthy scratch.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Oh what a relief it is. Plus other notes.
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
N-ole' for you, Les Habitants. And thanks for doing your little part in allowing the Buffalo Sabres a reprieve from a franchise low-point.
For posterity's sake, the Sabres were on a 14-game losing streak, obliterating the previous losing streak of eight games set in the 2002-03 season as they hit Bell Centre Ice in Montreal. On the road they'd lost 10 in a row before the win last night and were winless in 14 road games (0-13-1.) Their last road victory occurred on November 29, 2014 when they beat the Canadiens 4-3 in a shootout.
One final note on that bout with futility, the 3-2 win in Montreal was their first regulation win since a 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames at the First Niagara Center on December 11, 2014. A span of 21 games.
N-ole' for you, Les Habitants. And thanks for doing your little part in allowing the Buffalo Sabres a reprieve from a franchise low-point.
For posterity's sake, the Sabres were on a 14-game losing streak, obliterating the previous losing streak of eight games set in the 2002-03 season as they hit Bell Centre Ice in Montreal. On the road they'd lost 10 in a row before the win last night and were winless in 14 road games (0-13-1.) Their last road victory occurred on November 29, 2014 when they beat the Canadiens 4-3 in a shootout.
One final note on that bout with futility, the 3-2 win in Montreal was their first regulation win since a 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames at the First Niagara Center on December 11, 2014. A span of 21 games.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Building the Buffalo Sabres 2014-15 roster--LW, Cody Hodgson
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
One should never confuse Buffalo Sabres forward Cody Hodgson with a Selke candidate. If playing defense were paramount to his success in the NHL, his career would pretty much be over.
That's not to say that Hodgson doesn't recognize his shortcomings. He has been working on the defensive aspect of his game for the past couple of off seasons, along with his skating, in an attempt to be more responsible in his own zone. But defense is not why the Sabres traded for him, not why he signed a six-year contract extension nearly a year ago, and not why he's now on the wing in a top-six role.
“He’s not known for his great defense," said head coach Ted Nolan (via Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald,) "and we don’t want him to play great defense. We want him to score offensively. But you have to be reliable defensively. One thing about the wing position, it’s not as complicated as playing center ice.”
One should never confuse Buffalo Sabres forward Cody Hodgson with a Selke candidate. If playing defense were paramount to his success in the NHL, his career would pretty much be over.
That's not to say that Hodgson doesn't recognize his shortcomings. He has been working on the defensive aspect of his game for the past couple of off seasons, along with his skating, in an attempt to be more responsible in his own zone. But defense is not why the Sabres traded for him, not why he signed a six-year contract extension nearly a year ago, and not why he's now on the wing in a top-six role.
“He’s not known for his great defense," said head coach Ted Nolan (via Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald,) "and we don’t want him to play great defense. We want him to score offensively. But you have to be reliable defensively. One thing about the wing position, it’s not as complicated as playing center ice.”
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Sabres development void being filled by self-confidence
Last season, with the team in disarray and in the tank, Sabres fans were venting their frustration at just about everyone in the organization save for Rip Simonick. And if fans knew that he was the long-standing (36 years) equipment manager for the team, they probably would've been blaming him for the dismal on-ice product as well.
From GM Darcy Regier to coach Ron Rolston to owner Terry Pegula, nobody was safe. And that included Head Amateur Scout/Assistant General Manager Kevin Devine.
From GM Darcy Regier to coach Ron Rolston to owner Terry Pegula, nobody was safe. And that included Head Amateur Scout/Assistant General Manager Kevin Devine.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Sabres win first of the season, Regier on the way out? Plus...
Patrick Kaleta gets 10 games and...
Cody Hodgson has a couple of things to say about his time in Vancouver.
First.
The Buffalo Sabres are no longer winless leaving the New Jersey Devils as the only winless team in the NHL.
The Sabres pulled out a 4-3 shootout win on Long Island in a hard-fought game where the Sabres got stronger as the game went on.
Coach Ron Rolston had this to say postgame, "I think a lot of the emotion of the game helped our guys. A lot of the rough stuff going on, the hits in the game were emotional where our guys were really plugged into the game the whole night just because of that.
Guys took it to heart of where we're at."
Where they were at was the bottom of the league. Now with the win, they join Edmonton, Philadelphia and the NY Rangers with one win on the season.
Quick note: None of those teams were expected to go through "suffering" this season.
Marcus Foligno netted his first of the season to tie the score at three with just over two minutes to go in regulation.
After losing the draw in the Islanders zone, defenseman Tyler Myers stopped a clearing attempt at the blueline and fed Foligno in the high slot. Foligno whirled and sent a seeing eye shot that beat Evgeni Nabokov glove-side with Drew Stafford parked in front of the net.
The line of Foligno and Stafford centered by Tyler Ennis clicked last night with Ennis also scoring his first of the season pouncing on a puck lying in the crease behind Nabokov.
All told that line was good for two goals and an assist and were a collective plus-6.
The other goal last night was by Thomas Vanek, his third of the season off a feed from Hodgson on the powerplay. Hodgson collected his fifth point in the last five games.
***
Last season, Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet.ca said that Sabres' goalie Ryan Miller's days might be numbered. Although Miller is still on the team, he was being shopped around at the deadline and around Draft Day. (for a quote and more on Miller, click here)
Now, says Kypreos, Buffalo GM Darcy Regier's days are numbered.
He said last night that Regier "is on the hot seat." Speculation had Regier being replaced around Christmas, but that timetable was moved up due to the dismal start of the team.
Since then, that rumor has been denied by the Buffalo Sabres.
Despite squashing the school-girl giddiness of his WGR partner, Jeremy White, Howard Simon tracked down someone within the Sabres hierarchy and got this text from the Sabres, "there is zero truth to the report."
Methinks the fans inside of the F'N Center will have something to say about this when the Vancouver Canucks visit on Thursday.
***
Vancouver is off to a good start at 4-3-0 under new head coach John Tortorella. They have a couple of holes in the line-up including down the middle where Hodgson once played.
'Nucks GM Mike Gillis traded Hodgson for winger Zack Kassian in 2012.
Hodgson was said to be a high maintenance player with Gillis going as far to say the he spent more time on the center and his problems than the rest of the team combined.
It was also said that Hodgson had an overbearing father and he was said to be unhappy with his playing time in Vancouver.
In an article with Tony Gallagher of the Vancouver Province, Hodgson wanted to "clear the air" on both those issues.
'I’ve been hearing all this stuff about my dad being involved with the team and making calls to the team and I wanted to tell everyone that my dad had nothing to do with it,' he said. 'This isn’t Pee Wee hockey where the dad can call up the coach and interfere with what’s going on. This is professional hockey and that sort of thing doesn’t happen. He never called the team.'
And as for his ice time, he said, 'I never once asked for more ice time when I was in Vancouver, even though the media asked me every day if I thought I should be playing more. I was just happy to be playing in the NHL when I was there at that stage of my career.'
He also said that 'someday [he'll] talk more about his time in Vancouver.'
Gallagher also talks about the struggles the Canucks have had finding a center to replace Hodgson likening the situation to that of "the Flyers enduring a search for a goaltender."
And, Gallagher points out, the trade that had Kassian going to Vancouver for Hodgson? "Kassian," he said, "hasn’t exactly been Milan Lucic since he got here."
***
And finally, Patrick Kaleta got a 10-game Shanaban for his hit to the head on Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson.
A video that Brendan Shanahan uses shows that Kaleta missed the check and connected with Johnson's chin.
Stupid, Patty, stupid. And dangerous.
Kaleta is hated throughout the league, some of it warranted, some exaggerated. (Adam Proteau of The Hockey News thinks the suspension wasn't enough.)
Having served three of his ten games already, Kaleta will be eligible to return in early November and will be over $150,000 lighter in the pocket book.
Cody Hodgson has a couple of things to say about his time in Vancouver.
First.
The Buffalo Sabres are no longer winless leaving the New Jersey Devils as the only winless team in the NHL.
The Sabres pulled out a 4-3 shootout win on Long Island in a hard-fought game where the Sabres got stronger as the game went on.
Coach Ron Rolston had this to say postgame, "I think a lot of the emotion of the game helped our guys. A lot of the rough stuff going on, the hits in the game were emotional where our guys were really plugged into the game the whole night just because of that.
Guys took it to heart of where we're at."
Where they were at was the bottom of the league. Now with the win, they join Edmonton, Philadelphia and the NY Rangers with one win on the season.
Quick note: None of those teams were expected to go through "suffering" this season.
Marcus Foligno netted his first of the season to tie the score at three with just over two minutes to go in regulation.
After losing the draw in the Islanders zone, defenseman Tyler Myers stopped a clearing attempt at the blueline and fed Foligno in the high slot. Foligno whirled and sent a seeing eye shot that beat Evgeni Nabokov glove-side with Drew Stafford parked in front of the net.
The line of Foligno and Stafford centered by Tyler Ennis clicked last night with Ennis also scoring his first of the season pouncing on a puck lying in the crease behind Nabokov.
All told that line was good for two goals and an assist and were a collective plus-6.
The other goal last night was by Thomas Vanek, his third of the season off a feed from Hodgson on the powerplay. Hodgson collected his fifth point in the last five games.
***
Last season, Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet.ca said that Sabres' goalie Ryan Miller's days might be numbered. Although Miller is still on the team, he was being shopped around at the deadline and around Draft Day. (for a quote and more on Miller, click here)
Now, says Kypreos, Buffalo GM Darcy Regier's days are numbered.
He said last night that Regier "is on the hot seat." Speculation had Regier being replaced around Christmas, but that timetable was moved up due to the dismal start of the team.
Since then, that rumor has been denied by the Buffalo Sabres.
Despite squashing the school-girl giddiness of his WGR partner, Jeremy White, Howard Simon tracked down someone within the Sabres hierarchy and got this text from the Sabres, "there is zero truth to the report."
Methinks the fans inside of the F'N Center will have something to say about this when the Vancouver Canucks visit on Thursday.
***
Vancouver is off to a good start at 4-3-0 under new head coach John Tortorella. They have a couple of holes in the line-up including down the middle where Hodgson once played.
'Nucks GM Mike Gillis traded Hodgson for winger Zack Kassian in 2012.
Hodgson was said to be a high maintenance player with Gillis going as far to say the he spent more time on the center and his problems than the rest of the team combined.
It was also said that Hodgson had an overbearing father and he was said to be unhappy with his playing time in Vancouver.
In an article with Tony Gallagher of the Vancouver Province, Hodgson wanted to "clear the air" on both those issues.
'I’ve been hearing all this stuff about my dad being involved with the team and making calls to the team and I wanted to tell everyone that my dad had nothing to do with it,' he said. 'This isn’t Pee Wee hockey where the dad can call up the coach and interfere with what’s going on. This is professional hockey and that sort of thing doesn’t happen. He never called the team.'
And as for his ice time, he said, 'I never once asked for more ice time when I was in Vancouver, even though the media asked me every day if I thought I should be playing more. I was just happy to be playing in the NHL when I was there at that stage of my career.'
He also said that 'someday [he'll] talk more about his time in Vancouver.'
Gallagher also talks about the struggles the Canucks have had finding a center to replace Hodgson likening the situation to that of "the Flyers enduring a search for a goaltender."
And, Gallagher points out, the trade that had Kassian going to Vancouver for Hodgson? "Kassian," he said, "hasn’t exactly been Milan Lucic since he got here."
***
And finally, Patrick Kaleta got a 10-game Shanaban for his hit to the head on Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson.
A video that Brendan Shanahan uses shows that Kaleta missed the check and connected with Johnson's chin.
Stupid, Patty, stupid. And dangerous.
Kaleta is hated throughout the league, some of it warranted, some exaggerated. (Adam Proteau of The Hockey News thinks the suspension wasn't enough.)
Having served three of his ten games already, Kaleta will be eligible to return in early November and will be over $150,000 lighter in the pocket book.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Notes as the Sabres ready themselves to hit the ice. Cody Hodgson extended
It's time.
Let the hockey season begin.
A few notes as the Sabres hit the ice today for the first time as the second day of training camp gets under way.
But first, the Sabres and Cody Hodgson have agreed to a contract extension. The 23 yr. old center signed a reported 6yr./$25.5M contract yesterday for a cap-hit of $4.25M.
The pros and cons of the long-term deal are many and will undoubtedly be hashed out and beaten to death for years to come. That's simply the way things work in Sabretown.
With the six-year commitment from Buffalo, Sabres GM Darcy Regier and his staff look at Hodgson as a top-six, potential top-line, center for years to come. Hodgson showed great chemistry in the offensive zone with bonafide top-line winger Thomas Vanek.
In the 68 games since coming to the Sabres from Vancouver, Hodgson has 18 goals and 24 assists for .62 pts/game.
But, on the negative side his plus/minus for Buffalo is minus-11. Which brings us the cons.
Matthew Coller of WGR wrote an extensive piece about Hodgson's defensive lapses using a boatload of advanced stats and concludes, "by all statistical measures, he was one of the worst defensive players in the NHL." He also throws in a couple of videos to stress his point.
Nothing earth-shattering. Even Canucks GM Mike Gillis openly admitted that he hid Hodgson's defensive shortcomings and anyone who has watched the Sabres for any length of time will tell you that he needs some serious work in the defensive zone. Something that's not lost on Hodgson.
One should also not dismiss Hodgson's skill and vision on the ice, though. Nor should one dismiss his realtively young age. Nor should one dismiss his commitment to an off season conditioning program which keeps him in top shape. Regier said that Hodgson has been working with Sabres skating coach Dawn Braid this summer in addition to his annual visit to Gary Roberts' camp.
The skill is there and the dedication seems to be there as well, which makes for a real solid contract, if not steal, down the road.
Hodgson is a very good player right now and seems like a pretty solid character-guy. After travelling from Vancouver to Buffalo to Rochester and back to Buffalo in a matter of 10 months, Hodgson must be pretty happy to establish some roots for the next six years.
For the Sabres, at the very least they have themselves a solid #2 center who should be good for around 60 points per season at a $4.25M cap-hit within an eventual $70-80M salary cap.
Which is a pretty good deal for all parties involved.
***
The Sabres have four players signed long-term, Hodgson, Ville Leino, Christian Ehrhoff and Tyler Myers.
Leino and Ehrhoff were signed at the start of free agency in 2011 while Myers signed an extension later in that off season.
Myers has seen his confidence and performance decline since he won the Calder Cup in 2010 when he was partnered with Henrik Tallinder (Ryan Miller won the Vezina that same year.)
Tallinder was allowed to walk in the 2010 off season (of which owner Terry Pegula was said to term the departure as "unbelievable,") which may or may not have affected Myers' play. But the team thought it would be advantageous to bring Tallinder back and made a trade with New Jersey to get him.
The tall, lanky former 2nd-round pick for Buffalo (1997) came to the defense of his former d-partner, "I think Tyler is an exceptional young man and player," Tallinder said. "When he came in his first year, I've never seen a guy that talented and that good at that age. Or very few of them, that I"ve played with at least. I think he's still young. I think you guys have been pretty hard on him too. He's going to be an exceptionally good player still. Just give him time. Let him play."
Oddly enough, Sabres head coach Ron Rolston has Myers paired with Ehrhoff to start camp while Tallinder will be with rookie defenseman Mark Pysyk.
Tallinder should prove to be a steadying force for a very young Buffalo Sabres squad and looks to be a very busy man.
In addition to helping Myers mature, he'll be mentoring Pysyk and bestowing fatherly advice on fellow Swede, goalie Jhonas Enroth.
Who knows, if he's healthy, maybe he'll even get some 2nd-pairing minutes.
***
This will be Rolston's first full season behind the bench for Buffalo and his first NHL training camp.
Among the things he mentioned:
Two of his assistants, Joe Sacco and Jerry Forton were professional acquaintances.
On Sacco who was hired July 2, Rolston emphasized his experience and success as a head coach (Jack Adams candidate with Colorado.) He talked about Sacco's work ethic, knowledge of the game and his communication skills who has been with young teams and knows how to develop them.
Rolston had known recent hire Forton for years through college connections. Forton, he said, "has a lot of character, a lot of integrity and a tremendous passion for the game. He shows a lot of grit as a person overall.
The final thing, which is probably most important, is he's an outstanding communicator and relationship-builder."
Forton will be up in the pressbox replacing Teppo Numminen.
Numminen has been up in the press box for the Sabres for two years and will now be on the bench.
Rolston said that Numminen wasn't in as prominent a position before as he will be now. "He'll be running the defensive core and he'll be working with our powerplay," said Rolston. "He in the position now where he'll be able to make a big difference for our hockey team."
Defense and powerplay? With the performance of the team in those two areas over the years, I'd say Numminen has his work cut out for him.
***
Regier took to the podium and talked about impending free agents Thomas Vanek and Ryan Miller.
Not much needs to be said. Everyone's in a holding pattern, just like the league in general when it comes to player movement.
Late July, after second-tier free agent signings, and August are usually devoid of player movement and this summer was no exception. Especially with the salary cap diving to $64M from $70M.
Regier said the trade-window was "closed right now" and that he doesn't expect much to happen on that front until the deadline approaches.
Vanek addressed the issue in his cold, business-like fashion (which isn't necessarily a bad thing.) He basically said that he was here as a Buffalo Sabre and from his standpoint he'd like to see where this rebuild goes before talking extension. And he expects the Sabers to take the same approach.
Vanek has said before that he likes to keep his options open.
As for Miller, he was a bit warmer to Buffalo and the thought of an extension, "Darcy [Regier] has to build a team and maybe he feels he wants me here," said Miller. "I'm happy to be here, I have a great connection with the city."
He reiterated that he and his agent Mike Liut never asked for a trade yet also knew that it was a possibility and said of a possible trade, "I don't know if that was the best thing for me anyway."
Regier was on WGR this morning and made it clear that the organization would welcome the opportunity to talk to both players but emphasized that the club does not have a standing offer for Vanek or Miller.
Another player that will be a free agent at season's end is forward Steve Ott. Regier said that the two sides have had some preliminary conversations.
***
The Sabres training camp roster:
Let the hockey season begin.
A few notes as the Sabres hit the ice today for the first time as the second day of training camp gets under way.
But first, the Sabres and Cody Hodgson have agreed to a contract extension. The 23 yr. old center signed a reported 6yr./$25.5M contract yesterday for a cap-hit of $4.25M.
The pros and cons of the long-term deal are many and will undoubtedly be hashed out and beaten to death for years to come. That's simply the way things work in Sabretown.
With the six-year commitment from Buffalo, Sabres GM Darcy Regier and his staff look at Hodgson as a top-six, potential top-line, center for years to come. Hodgson showed great chemistry in the offensive zone with bonafide top-line winger Thomas Vanek.
In the 68 games since coming to the Sabres from Vancouver, Hodgson has 18 goals and 24 assists for .62 pts/game.
But, on the negative side his plus/minus for Buffalo is minus-11. Which brings us the cons.
Matthew Coller of WGR wrote an extensive piece about Hodgson's defensive lapses using a boatload of advanced stats and concludes, "by all statistical measures, he was one of the worst defensive players in the NHL." He also throws in a couple of videos to stress his point.
Nothing earth-shattering. Even Canucks GM Mike Gillis openly admitted that he hid Hodgson's defensive shortcomings and anyone who has watched the Sabres for any length of time will tell you that he needs some serious work in the defensive zone. Something that's not lost on Hodgson.
One should also not dismiss Hodgson's skill and vision on the ice, though. Nor should one dismiss his realtively young age. Nor should one dismiss his commitment to an off season conditioning program which keeps him in top shape. Regier said that Hodgson has been working with Sabres skating coach Dawn Braid this summer in addition to his annual visit to Gary Roberts' camp.
The skill is there and the dedication seems to be there as well, which makes for a real solid contract, if not steal, down the road.
Hodgson is a very good player right now and seems like a pretty solid character-guy. After travelling from Vancouver to Buffalo to Rochester and back to Buffalo in a matter of 10 months, Hodgson must be pretty happy to establish some roots for the next six years.
For the Sabres, at the very least they have themselves a solid #2 center who should be good for around 60 points per season at a $4.25M cap-hit within an eventual $70-80M salary cap.
Which is a pretty good deal for all parties involved.
***
The Sabres have four players signed long-term, Hodgson, Ville Leino, Christian Ehrhoff and Tyler Myers.
Leino and Ehrhoff were signed at the start of free agency in 2011 while Myers signed an extension later in that off season.
Myers has seen his confidence and performance decline since he won the Calder Cup in 2010 when he was partnered with Henrik Tallinder (Ryan Miller won the Vezina that same year.)
Tallinder was allowed to walk in the 2010 off season (of which owner Terry Pegula was said to term the departure as "unbelievable,") which may or may not have affected Myers' play. But the team thought it would be advantageous to bring Tallinder back and made a trade with New Jersey to get him.
The tall, lanky former 2nd-round pick for Buffalo (1997) came to the defense of his former d-partner, "I think Tyler is an exceptional young man and player," Tallinder said. "When he came in his first year, I've never seen a guy that talented and that good at that age. Or very few of them, that I"ve played with at least. I think he's still young. I think you guys have been pretty hard on him too. He's going to be an exceptionally good player still. Just give him time. Let him play."
Oddly enough, Sabres head coach Ron Rolston has Myers paired with Ehrhoff to start camp while Tallinder will be with rookie defenseman Mark Pysyk.
Tallinder should prove to be a steadying force for a very young Buffalo Sabres squad and looks to be a very busy man.
In addition to helping Myers mature, he'll be mentoring Pysyk and bestowing fatherly advice on fellow Swede, goalie Jhonas Enroth.
Who knows, if he's healthy, maybe he'll even get some 2nd-pairing minutes.
***
This will be Rolston's first full season behind the bench for Buffalo and his first NHL training camp.
Among the things he mentioned:
- Forward Tyler Ennis, whom Rolston likes at center, will start the season on left wing. Mikhail Grigorenko will join Hodgson down the middle
- He and his staff will decide the captain, not the players, and they will take their time
- All players look to be healthy, including Leino who's coming off of hip surgery, save for Chad Rhuwedel. The defenseman suffered an upper-body injury at Traverse City and is day-to-day
Two of his assistants, Joe Sacco and Jerry Forton were professional acquaintances.
On Sacco who was hired July 2, Rolston emphasized his experience and success as a head coach (Jack Adams candidate with Colorado.) He talked about Sacco's work ethic, knowledge of the game and his communication skills who has been with young teams and knows how to develop them.
Rolston had known recent hire Forton for years through college connections. Forton, he said, "has a lot of character, a lot of integrity and a tremendous passion for the game. He shows a lot of grit as a person overall.
The final thing, which is probably most important, is he's an outstanding communicator and relationship-builder."
Forton will be up in the pressbox replacing Teppo Numminen.
Numminen has been up in the press box for the Sabres for two years and will now be on the bench.
Rolston said that Numminen wasn't in as prominent a position before as he will be now. "He'll be running the defensive core and he'll be working with our powerplay," said Rolston. "He in the position now where he'll be able to make a big difference for our hockey team."
Defense and powerplay? With the performance of the team in those two areas over the years, I'd say Numminen has his work cut out for him.
***
Regier took to the podium and talked about impending free agents Thomas Vanek and Ryan Miller.
Not much needs to be said. Everyone's in a holding pattern, just like the league in general when it comes to player movement.
Late July, after second-tier free agent signings, and August are usually devoid of player movement and this summer was no exception. Especially with the salary cap diving to $64M from $70M.
Regier said the trade-window was "closed right now" and that he doesn't expect much to happen on that front until the deadline approaches.
Vanek addressed the issue in his cold, business-like fashion (which isn't necessarily a bad thing.) He basically said that he was here as a Buffalo Sabre and from his standpoint he'd like to see where this rebuild goes before talking extension. And he expects the Sabers to take the same approach.
Vanek has said before that he likes to keep his options open.
As for Miller, he was a bit warmer to Buffalo and the thought of an extension, "Darcy [Regier] has to build a team and maybe he feels he wants me here," said Miller. "I'm happy to be here, I have a great connection with the city."
He reiterated that he and his agent Mike Liut never asked for a trade yet also knew that it was a possibility and said of a possible trade, "I don't know if that was the best thing for me anyway."
Regier was on WGR this morning and made it clear that the organization would welcome the opportunity to talk to both players but emphasized that the club does not have a standing offer for Vanek or Miller.
Another player that will be a free agent at season's end is forward Steve Ott. Regier said that the two sides have had some preliminary conversations.
***
The Sabres training camp roster:
BUFFALO SABRES 2013 TRAINING CAMP ROSTER
# DEFENSE POS HT WT S BIRTHPLACE DATE 12-13 TEAM GP G A PTS PIM
67 Austin, Brady D 6-3 232 L Bobcaygeon, Ontario 6-16-93 Belleville (OHL) 64 8 15 23 22
24 Bagnall, Drew D 6-3 220 L Oakbank, Manitoba 10-26-83 Houston (AHL) 47 1 5 6 88
42 Boland, Connor D 6-2 200 L Whitby, Ontario 11-29-94 Peterborough (OHL) 49 1 2 3 34
62 Crawford, Nick D 6-1 192 L Brampton, Ontario 2-23-90 Rochester (AHL) 53 5 14 19 18
10 Ehrhoff, Christian D 6-2 203 L Moers, Germany 7-6-82 Buffalo Sabres 47 5 17 22 34
34 Gauthier-Leduc, Jerome D 6-1 190 R Quebec City, Quebec 7-30-92 Rochester (AHL) 48 3 4 7 8
51 Lepkowski, Alex D 6-4 202 L West Seneca, New York 4-8-93 Barrie (OHL) 60 0 9 9 78
47 MacKenzie, Matt D 6-5 212 R New Westminster, British Columbia 10-15-91 Rochester (AHL) 30 0 4 4 66
Gwinnett (ECHL) 2 1 0 1 2
4 McBain, Jamie D 6-2 200 R Edina, Minnesota 2-25-88 Carolina Hurricanes 40 1 7 8 12
44 McNabb, Brayden D 6-5 212 L Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 1-21-90 Rochester (AHL) 62 5 31 36 50
57 Myers, Tyler D 6-8 227 R Houston, Texas 2-1-90 Buffalo Sabres 39 3 5 8 32
3 Pysyk, Mark D 6-1 193 R Sherwood Park, Alberta 1-11-92 Rochester (AHL) 57 4 14 18 20
Buffalo Sabres 19 1 4 5 0
55 Ristolainen, Rasmus D 6-4 224 R Turku, Finland 10-27-94 TPS (SM-liiga) 56 3 12 15 32
5 Ruhwedel, Chad D 5-11 182 R San Diego, California 5-7-90 UMass-Lowell (H-East) 41 7 16 23 20
Buffalo Sabres 7 0 0 0 0
52 Sulzer, Alexander D 6-1 204 L Kaufbeuren, Germany 5-30-84 Buffalo Sabres 17 3 1 4 10
20 Tallinder, Henrik D 6-4 215 L Stockholm, Sweden 1-10-79 New Jersey Devils 25 1 3 4 10
6 Weber, Mike D 6-2 199 L Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 12-16-87 Buffalo Sabres 42 1 6 7 70
61 Zadorov, Nikita D 6-5 219 L Moscow, Russia 4-15-95 London (OHL) 63 6 19 25 54
# GOALTENDER POS. HT WT C BIRTHPLACE DATE 12-13 TEAM GP W-L-OT GAA
1 Enroth, Jhonas G 5-10 166 L Stockholm, Sweden 6-25-88 Buffalo Sabres 12 4-4-1 2.60
31 Hackett, Matt G 6-2 173 L London, Ontario 3-7-90 Houston (AHL) 43 19-20-3 2.66
Rochester (AHL) 3 3-0-0 1.62
Minnesota Wild 1 0-1-0 5.08
49 Knapp, Connor G 6-5 215 L York, New York 5-1-90 Rochester (AHL) 7 1-6-0 3.34
Greenville (ECHL) 12 5-7-0 3.05
50 Lieuwen, Nathan G 6-5 192 L Abbotsford, British Columbia 8-8-91 Rochester (AHL) 4 1-2-0 2.65
Greenville (ECHL) 27 14-10-2 2.93
35 Makarov, Andrey G 6-1 193 L Kazan, Russia 4-20-93 Saskatoon (WHL) 61 37-17-5 2.62
30 Miller, Ryan G 6-2 175 L East Lansing, Michigan 7-17-80 Buffalo Sabres 40 17-17-5 2.81
General Manager: Darcy Regier
Head Coach: Ron Rolston
Asst. Coach: Joe Sacco
Asst. Coach: Teppo Numminen
Asst. Coach: Jerry Forton
Goaltending Coach: Jim Corsi
Strength & Conditioning Coach: Doug McKenney
Admin. Asst. Coach: Corey Smith
Friday, September 6, 2013
Sabres news and notes as training camp draws near
With training camp set to begin next week, slowly but surely players are making their way to Buffalo.
Two veterans, Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek, have arrived. The pair are in the last year of their respective contracts and will be facing questions about trades and contract extensions all season until either a trade or extension is consumated.
Which is reminiscent of former Sabre Brian Campbell's situation back in the 2007-08 season.
Jon Vogl of the Buffalo News tracked down Campbell to discuss Miller and Vanek's situation and what he went through.
'I felt fine [for most of the season,] then the last few games before [the trade deadline] that I think it weighed on my mind pretty heavily,' Campbell said. 'I didn’t play very good the last couple games because mentally I wasn’t in it.'
The difference between Campbell and Miller/Vanek is that Campbell wanted to stay.
Both Miller and Vanek are playing their cards close to the vest for now and are looking at it as an emotionless business decision on the parties involved.
Just how long that will last remains to be seen.
***
Vogl pens a piece on Vanek and the star winger delves into the past and present while admitting that he's not surprised to still be with the team.
Alluding to the 2005-07 teams, Vanek said, '[our] teams in the past we’ve had, we had off nights and we would still win. I don’t think that’s going to happen too much anymore.' As for where the Sabres are now, 'Whoever makes our team, we won’t be favored by anyone.'
Vanek, in his business-like approach to the season, will be using his status as an unrestricted free agent at year's end to assess the situation in Buffalo and decide what's best for him on his side of the equation. The Sabres, of course, will be deciding what's best for the team on their end.
Said Vanek on the upcoming season, 'I just want to see where it goes. I have that right, and I’m taking it. I don’t feel like I’m doing a disservice to anyone. Some people might agree with me, some don’t. That’s the way it goes either way.'
Back in 2007, Vanek also had the right to sign Edmonton's 7yr./$51M offer sheet, which he did.
It's a business. He knows it and has known it.
Was he surprised that he's presently slated for the Sabres camp next week?
'No, not at all,' he said. 'My end-of-the-year meeting was good. I just said my thoughts. I never asked for a trade, so from that point on I’m not surprised that I’m still here. But at the same time, if they would have moved me, I wouldn’t have been surprised either way.'
I'd be surprised if Vanek was a Buffalo Sabre after the deadline. Opportunity is knocking. He could very well be looking for one of those teams who can have an off night and still win and be paid a handsome sum on said team.
***
What do Toronto's Nazem Kadri, Ottawa's Jared Cowen, the Ranger's Derek Stephan and Buffalo's Cody Hodgson all have in common?
They're all talented players coming off of their entry level contracts looking for a big raise after playing at a high level last season. And they're all unsigned as of yet.
As for Hodgson, he believes that he and the Sabres "[will] get something done."
Vogl quotes Hodgson as saying 'I like it here [in Buffalo],' and the 23 yr. old center points to the way Drew Stafford and Tyler Ennis came off of their entry level deals.
'[Stafford] told me he was just about going on the ice when he signed his contract,” Hodgson said. “I know Ennis was right up to the last minute, too. I’m excited to be here, and I’m just focusing on what I’ve got to do to get ready for the training camp.”
Quite the proffesional approach.
***
Sabres forward Ville Leino and his contract will always be the butt of jokes. Something's not right if there's a Sabres season prediction and his $27M contract doesn't come up.
Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald writes that Leino will be ready for camp after having hip surgery this summer.
Leino says that he was having hip problems dating back to his days in Detroit four years ago. He had surgery on one side in 2010 and was playing through pain the last few years as the right side was acting up.
But, 'Now they’re both fixed up,' Leino said last week after skating with some teammates inside the Riverside Ice Rink. 'Obviously, the right one doesn’t feel exactly normal. It’s probably going to take a little bit. But it’s definitely better than it was.'
Another area that might have been "fixed up" for Leino is the coaching situation.
Leino couldn't get much going when Lindy Ruff was at the helm, but he seems to have taken to new bench-boss Ron Rolston and his approach. 'I like the way he coaches,' Leino said about Rolston. 'He demands a lot. He’s very detail-oriented. The stuff that he talks makes sense to me. I think he’s fair. If you play good and work really hard, you get to play. Yeah, I’m intrigued what this season brings.'
Throughout the last couple of seasons with Buffalo, Leino has had a littany of excuses for his below average play.
With healthy hips and a coach that "makes sense to him" it would seem as if there are no more excuses which leads to a make-or-break year for Leino.
For the sake of the Sabres, let's hope it's a "make."
Two veterans, Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek, have arrived. The pair are in the last year of their respective contracts and will be facing questions about trades and contract extensions all season until either a trade or extension is consumated.
Which is reminiscent of former Sabre Brian Campbell's situation back in the 2007-08 season.
Jon Vogl of the Buffalo News tracked down Campbell to discuss Miller and Vanek's situation and what he went through.
'I felt fine [for most of the season,] then the last few games before [the trade deadline] that I think it weighed on my mind pretty heavily,' Campbell said. 'I didn’t play very good the last couple games because mentally I wasn’t in it.'
The difference between Campbell and Miller/Vanek is that Campbell wanted to stay.
Both Miller and Vanek are playing their cards close to the vest for now and are looking at it as an emotionless business decision on the parties involved.
Just how long that will last remains to be seen.
***
Vogl pens a piece on Vanek and the star winger delves into the past and present while admitting that he's not surprised to still be with the team.
Alluding to the 2005-07 teams, Vanek said, '[our] teams in the past we’ve had, we had off nights and we would still win. I don’t think that’s going to happen too much anymore.' As for where the Sabres are now, 'Whoever makes our team, we won’t be favored by anyone.'
Vanek, in his business-like approach to the season, will be using his status as an unrestricted free agent at year's end to assess the situation in Buffalo and decide what's best for him on his side of the equation. The Sabres, of course, will be deciding what's best for the team on their end.
Said Vanek on the upcoming season, 'I just want to see where it goes. I have that right, and I’m taking it. I don’t feel like I’m doing a disservice to anyone. Some people might agree with me, some don’t. That’s the way it goes either way.'
Back in 2007, Vanek also had the right to sign Edmonton's 7yr./$51M offer sheet, which he did.
It's a business. He knows it and has known it.
Was he surprised that he's presently slated for the Sabres camp next week?
'No, not at all,' he said. 'My end-of-the-year meeting was good. I just said my thoughts. I never asked for a trade, so from that point on I’m not surprised that I’m still here. But at the same time, if they would have moved me, I wouldn’t have been surprised either way.'
I'd be surprised if Vanek was a Buffalo Sabre after the deadline. Opportunity is knocking. He could very well be looking for one of those teams who can have an off night and still win and be paid a handsome sum on said team.
***
What do Toronto's Nazem Kadri, Ottawa's Jared Cowen, the Ranger's Derek Stephan and Buffalo's Cody Hodgson all have in common?
They're all talented players coming off of their entry level contracts looking for a big raise after playing at a high level last season. And they're all unsigned as of yet.
As for Hodgson, he believes that he and the Sabres "[will] get something done."
Vogl quotes Hodgson as saying 'I like it here [in Buffalo],' and the 23 yr. old center points to the way Drew Stafford and Tyler Ennis came off of their entry level deals.
'[Stafford] told me he was just about going on the ice when he signed his contract,” Hodgson said. “I know Ennis was right up to the last minute, too. I’m excited to be here, and I’m just focusing on what I’ve got to do to get ready for the training camp.”
Quite the proffesional approach.
***
Sabres forward Ville Leino and his contract will always be the butt of jokes. Something's not right if there's a Sabres season prediction and his $27M contract doesn't come up.
Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald writes that Leino will be ready for camp after having hip surgery this summer.
Leino says that he was having hip problems dating back to his days in Detroit four years ago. He had surgery on one side in 2010 and was playing through pain the last few years as the right side was acting up.
But, 'Now they’re both fixed up,' Leino said last week after skating with some teammates inside the Riverside Ice Rink. 'Obviously, the right one doesn’t feel exactly normal. It’s probably going to take a little bit. But it’s definitely better than it was.'
Another area that might have been "fixed up" for Leino is the coaching situation.
Leino couldn't get much going when Lindy Ruff was at the helm, but he seems to have taken to new bench-boss Ron Rolston and his approach. 'I like the way he coaches,' Leino said about Rolston. 'He demands a lot. He’s very detail-oriented. The stuff that he talks makes sense to me. I think he’s fair. If you play good and work really hard, you get to play. Yeah, I’m intrigued what this season brings.'
Throughout the last couple of seasons with Buffalo, Leino has had a littany of excuses for his below average play.
With healthy hips and a coach that "makes sense to him" it would seem as if there are no more excuses which leads to a make-or-break year for Leino.
For the sake of the Sabres, let's hope it's a "make."
Thursday, August 29, 2013
How much is RFA Cody Hodgson worth?
...And how long should his contract be?
Contract talks between the Buffalo Sabres and the Cody Hodgson camp don't seem to be headed anywhere right now. Hodgson is coming off of his entry level contract and his agent Ritch Winter, like any agent worth their salt, is looking to maximize the top-six center's worth in both dollars and term.
Winter has been in the business for quite a while and for Sabres fans, he'll be remembered for his impact on Dominik Hasek, and the end of "the Dominator's" era in Buffalo. He's a tough agent who won't hesitate to go for the jugular in contract negotiations and isn't affraid to have his client holdout or demand a trade.
As for Hodgson, what is his worth to the Sabres right now?
The 23 yr. old center is coming off of his second "full" season in the NHL, last year being a lockout shortened 48-game schedule. While in Vancouver, he was in a third-line center role as dictated by the players in front of him on the depth chart--Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler.
After coming over to the Sabres at the 2012 trade deadline, he was slotted as a second-line center behind Derek Roy. The other top-nine center slot was a mess as free agent signee Ville Leino was tried on numerous occasions to fill that role only to fail miserably. The team eventually settled upon Tyler Ennis as the third-line center for the last 20 games of the season.
Heading into the 2013-14 season, Hodgson should be considered a top-six center in the league, although on the Sabres he would be headed into camp a little above that as their top-line center.
For stats-geeks Hodgson shows solid progression from his Vancouver/Buffalo season to last season: .49 pts./game in 2011-12; .71 ppg in 2012-13.
Last season .71 ppg ranked him 82nd overall in the league, 23rd amongst centers.
On the negative side, his minus-4 put him way down the ladder overall. Interesting to note, though, is that his plus/minus only started to tumble when he came to the Sabres. In 2011-12 he had a plus-8 with the Canucks and a minus-7 with the Sabres.
This may be the reason why.
Canucks GM Mike Gillis admittedly "built Hodgson into an NHL scorer" and hid Hodgson's deficiencies on defence by giving him an inordinate amount of offensive zone starts to make him "something we could move." Said Gillis, "We put Cody on the ice in every offensive situation we could."
It worked.
The 'Nucks sent Hodgson to Buffalo for fello first round pick Zack Kassian, who was one of six young players Gillis coveted.
Hodgson had good production for the Sabres last year as his 34 points were second on the team. But his minus-4 ranked him near the bottom in Buffalo.
The Buffalo News' Jon Vogl summed it up nicely whe he said, "The 23-year-old [Hodgson] saw goal lights flashing at both ends of the rink all season. His advance stats feature offensive promise and defensive nightmares."
Vogl continued:
After his first game as a Buffalo Sabre back in 2012 I wrote, "Vancouver has some real good forward depth from the skill side to be able to trade away a talent like him, Hodgson already looks to be better than almost anyone on the team up-front.
His skating is pretty smooth, he has great on-ice vision, his transition game is quick, he backs off the defenders and he always seems to be in the right position."
And Hodgson still has tremendous up-side on offense. For a team like Buffalo that was 23rd in the league in goals for, they could use all the help they can get.
He also showed great progress under the guidance of head coach Ron Rolston.
With Rolston as head coach for the Amerks during the lockout, Hodgson had what might be considered a solid stat line: 19 games; 5 goals, 14 assists, minus-3.
When Lindy Ruff was fired and Rolston was promoted to Sabres head coach, Hodgson's stat line was 22 games; 6g, 9a, plus-4.
Projecting out, there's no reason to believe that Hodgson won't continue to progress. He's still learning the game, still adjusting to playing against the opposition's best forwards on the top line and he's still working out every summer with Gary Roberts.
Is a consistent 70-80 point producer too far fetched?
Not at all.
While the Hodgson camp is correct in not accepting a "prove it"-type bridge contract the Sabres, especially after dolling out a big long-term contract to Tyler Myers, are rightfully skeptical about going big money/long-term again.
Hodgson will make more than Tyler Ennis' $2.8M per season, and if the Sabres were dumb enough to pay $4M to Drew Stafford and $4.5M to Ville Leino, it's not Hodgson's fault.
A 4yr./$16M contract might be one for them to look into with the Sabres doing most of the giving here.
Hodgson gets himself a hefty pay raise and a contract that will take him to unrestricted free agency at the end of it.
Buffalo gets themselves a top-six forward, potential top-line center for four years while the wealth of center prospects in the organization have the opportunity to sort themselves out.
After year three, both sides will have the opportunity to re-evaluate the situation and see how they'd like to move forward which would mean another extension or a trade.
It's something they all should be able to live with.
Edit: 6yrs/$28.5m
$4.25m cap-hit
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=682169
Contract talks between the Buffalo Sabres and the Cody Hodgson camp don't seem to be headed anywhere right now. Hodgson is coming off of his entry level contract and his agent Ritch Winter, like any agent worth their salt, is looking to maximize the top-six center's worth in both dollars and term.
Winter has been in the business for quite a while and for Sabres fans, he'll be remembered for his impact on Dominik Hasek, and the end of "the Dominator's" era in Buffalo. He's a tough agent who won't hesitate to go for the jugular in contract negotiations and isn't affraid to have his client holdout or demand a trade.
As for Hodgson, what is his worth to the Sabres right now?
The 23 yr. old center is coming off of his second "full" season in the NHL, last year being a lockout shortened 48-game schedule. While in Vancouver, he was in a third-line center role as dictated by the players in front of him on the depth chart--Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler.
After coming over to the Sabres at the 2012 trade deadline, he was slotted as a second-line center behind Derek Roy. The other top-nine center slot was a mess as free agent signee Ville Leino was tried on numerous occasions to fill that role only to fail miserably. The team eventually settled upon Tyler Ennis as the third-line center for the last 20 games of the season.
Heading into the 2013-14 season, Hodgson should be considered a top-six center in the league, although on the Sabres he would be headed into camp a little above that as their top-line center.
For stats-geeks Hodgson shows solid progression from his Vancouver/Buffalo season to last season: .49 pts./game in 2011-12; .71 ppg in 2012-13.
Last season .71 ppg ranked him 82nd overall in the league, 23rd amongst centers.
On the negative side, his minus-4 put him way down the ladder overall. Interesting to note, though, is that his plus/minus only started to tumble when he came to the Sabres. In 2011-12 he had a plus-8 with the Canucks and a minus-7 with the Sabres.
This may be the reason why.
Canucks GM Mike Gillis admittedly "built Hodgson into an NHL scorer" and hid Hodgson's deficiencies on defence by giving him an inordinate amount of offensive zone starts to make him "something we could move." Said Gillis, "We put Cody on the ice in every offensive situation we could."
It worked.
The 'Nucks sent Hodgson to Buffalo for fello first round pick Zack Kassian, who was one of six young players Gillis coveted.
Hodgson had good production for the Sabres last year as his 34 points were second on the team. But his minus-4 ranked him near the bottom in Buffalo.
The Buffalo News' Jon Vogl summed it up nicely whe he said, "The 23-year-old [Hodgson] saw goal lights flashing at both ends of the rink all season. His advance stats feature offensive promise and defensive nightmares."
Vogl continued:
The Sabres averaged 2.91 goals per 60 minutes when Hodgson skated five-on-five, according to BehindTheNet.ca, a website dedicated to hockey statistics. That number put him ahead of star centers such as Philadelphia’s Claude Giroux (2.90), Washington’s Nicklas Backstrom (2.89) and the New York Rangers’ Brad Richards (2.88).
While his offense was stellar, the other side of Hodgson’s game was a mess. Opponents averaged 3.64 goals against him per 60 minutes while skating five-on-five. Of the 689 skaters who appeared in at least 10 games, Hodgson ranked 665th.
In other words, only 24 players in the league were easier to score against.Hodgson, defensive nightmares and all, may in fact be the most skilled player on the Buffalo Sabres at this point (sans 29 yr. old Thomas Vanek.)
After his first game as a Buffalo Sabre back in 2012 I wrote, "Vancouver has some real good forward depth from the skill side to be able to trade away a talent like him, Hodgson already looks to be better than almost anyone on the team up-front.
His skating is pretty smooth, he has great on-ice vision, his transition game is quick, he backs off the defenders and he always seems to be in the right position."
And Hodgson still has tremendous up-side on offense. For a team like Buffalo that was 23rd in the league in goals for, they could use all the help they can get.
He also showed great progress under the guidance of head coach Ron Rolston.
With Rolston as head coach for the Amerks during the lockout, Hodgson had what might be considered a solid stat line: 19 games; 5 goals, 14 assists, minus-3.
When Lindy Ruff was fired and Rolston was promoted to Sabres head coach, Hodgson's stat line was 22 games; 6g, 9a, plus-4.
Projecting out, there's no reason to believe that Hodgson won't continue to progress. He's still learning the game, still adjusting to playing against the opposition's best forwards on the top line and he's still working out every summer with Gary Roberts.
Is a consistent 70-80 point producer too far fetched?
Not at all.
While the Hodgson camp is correct in not accepting a "prove it"-type bridge contract the Sabres, especially after dolling out a big long-term contract to Tyler Myers, are rightfully skeptical about going big money/long-term again.
Hodgson will make more than Tyler Ennis' $2.8M per season, and if the Sabres were dumb enough to pay $4M to Drew Stafford and $4.5M to Ville Leino, it's not Hodgson's fault.
A 4yr./$16M contract might be one for them to look into with the Sabres doing most of the giving here.
Hodgson gets himself a hefty pay raise and a contract that will take him to unrestricted free agency at the end of it.
Buffalo gets themselves a top-six forward, potential top-line center for four years while the wealth of center prospects in the organization have the opportunity to sort themselves out.
After year three, both sides will have the opportunity to re-evaluate the situation and see how they'd like to move forward which would mean another extension or a trade.
It's something they all should be able to live with.
Edit: 6yrs/$28.5m
$4.25m cap-hit
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=682169
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
It's starting to get a bit wierd in the NHL because of the lockout
The NHL lockout is beginning to take it's toll. Inanity is starting to rear it's misguided head as NHL media is starting to look for stories.
Buffalo, though, is not. Fans in Western New York have their own worries as fans are really in a foul mood after what transpired over the weekend.
I'm with ya.
Kinda makes me want to vent.
And vent I shall.
***Pooh, poohing from Bill Daly
Deputy NHL Commisioner Bill Daly came out yesterday and said that the cancellation of the entire preseason due to the lockout cost the NHL $100M.
After emerging from talks with the NHLPA saying that "he didn't have any progress to report, Daly went tugging on heart strings, "That [$100M] is not going to be recouped and that's going to cost both sides," Daly told reporters in New York. "That's unfortunate but it's a reality of where we are."
C'mon, really? You want anyone outside the ownership circle to feel sympathy? Go screw yourself.
NHLPA rep Donald Fehr summed it up nicely, "If this is a loss, this is a loss that is entirely of their own making," Fehr told The Canadian Press in an interview. "They're the ones that did this, nobody told them to."
The two hour talks on yesterday were directed towards defining hockey related revenue, which is a logical first step. How can you get a definitive split of the pie if the pie is ill-defined.
There are so many loopholes and clauses, just like the U.S. tax code, that it might take an army of accountants and lawyers to figure it out. Unlike the Average Joe, former NHLPA counsel and the players, the last CBA--and everything it entails--makes sense to Fehr. He sits across the table, looks Commisioner Gary Bettman in the eye, and says no, the players really aren't making 57% of HRR.
Maybe that's why Daly said, "Unless they show some willingness to compromise, I don't know how we get this done," he told reporters.
Hey, jackass, Fehr and company didn't just fall off of the turnip truck. You ever heard of Major League Baseball?
***Lindy Ruff and Derek Roy
"First and foremost, if you look at Derek's ice-time, you know what I thought of him as a player."--Lindy Ruff
Taken from a piece by WGR's Paul Hamilton entitled, Sabres Ruff will miss Roy.
He might, but most Sabres fans won't.
Sure, Lindy, you might miss his "playmaking skills." But this Sabres fan will not miss his dipsy-doodle turnovers, his attempt at showmanship, and his tendency to fold under pressure.
He's a top-six center at best who really thought he was a Daniel Briere-type top-liner.
Yeah, Ruff put him in tough positions on the ice, but he really had no one else down the middle. And Roy simply couldn't get 'er done.
All you need to know about Roy's character and why he was moved is encapsulated here:
“We had high expectations at the start of the year. We knew that,” said Sabres center Derek Roy, who has only eight goals and 24 points. “Going forward now there’s low expectations. So now it’s easier to play. We just play loose, play fun. Go out there and play hard.
The era of "The Core," or as Sabres President Ted Black puts it, "The Rochester Guys," was defined rather simply: they were great when it was easy, folded when it was tough.
And Derek Roy was one of the leaders of that.
Adios. Take your sorry ass to Dallas, Derek. And by all means, make sure you never lose your cuteness.
***Cody Hodgson starts the year with the Amerks
One of the reasons that the Sabres could deal "cutie-pie" Derek Roy was the trade for center Cody Hodgson last season.
Hodgson will be looked upon to fill a top-six role on the team at the center position (along with Tyler Ennis.)
And he's happy to be gearing up for meaningful hockey.
SlamSports' Rob Longley did a piece on Hodgson calling that latter a "budding Sabres star." Which is cool.
What's even cooler is that Hodgson is not taking his hockey career lightly. He may not have the "dipsy-doodle" prowess of Roy or deft skating skills, but he seems to be willing to do the work necessary to make himself the best player he can be.
This summer he completed yet another workout with the renowned workout guru, Gary Roberts, and he says that he's coming into the season in the best shape of his career.
He seems willing to do whatever's necessary during the NHL lockout and for right now is simply looking forward to getting back into a "competitive atmosphere."
Somehow, there's got to be a lingering animosity towards the Canucks and their handling of his injury in 2009. And somehow I'd like to think that Hodgson would really like to stick it to his former GM Mike Gillis who threw him under the bus this past summer.
Gillis, if y'all recall, said he spent more time on Hodgson's "issues" than the rest of the team combined over the last three years.
And if that wasn't enough, he continued to rip Hodgson saying that the latter didn't want to be in Vancouver and that he "built [Hodgson] into something he could move."
Ouch.
Roberts took issue with Gillis' shot at his pupil, "For me, I'd like to be the guy that looks at Mike Gillis and says, 'You're a moron,'" he said.
Oh, and by the way, where's Marc Andre-Gragnani these days, Mike? And how's Zack Kassian doin'?
***Stupidity from Canoe
Speaking of morons.
Steve Simmons of the same SlamSports had this brilliant article, What if the NHL cut salaries and ticket prices in half?.
What if you had half a brain, dumb ass.
How about if your bosses cut your salary in half. Maybe they should for the inanity printed in that piece.
The only thing worse is the lemmings following your lead at an 86% clip.
Must be all Maple Leaves fans. The highest ticket prices in the league for a sorry ass product.
That's the ludicrosity of the lockout and just how far people need to go to find an original thought.
Buffalo, though, is not. Fans in Western New York have their own worries as fans are really in a foul mood after what transpired over the weekend.
I'm with ya.
Kinda makes me want to vent.
And vent I shall.
***Pooh, poohing from Bill Daly
Deputy NHL Commisioner Bill Daly came out yesterday and said that the cancellation of the entire preseason due to the lockout cost the NHL $100M.
After emerging from talks with the NHLPA saying that "he didn't have any progress to report, Daly went tugging on heart strings, "That [$100M] is not going to be recouped and that's going to cost both sides," Daly told reporters in New York. "That's unfortunate but it's a reality of where we are."
C'mon, really? You want anyone outside the ownership circle to feel sympathy? Go screw yourself.
NHLPA rep Donald Fehr summed it up nicely, "If this is a loss, this is a loss that is entirely of their own making," Fehr told The Canadian Press in an interview. "They're the ones that did this, nobody told them to."
The two hour talks on yesterday were directed towards defining hockey related revenue, which is a logical first step. How can you get a definitive split of the pie if the pie is ill-defined.
There are so many loopholes and clauses, just like the U.S. tax code, that it might take an army of accountants and lawyers to figure it out. Unlike the Average Joe, former NHLPA counsel and the players, the last CBA--and everything it entails--makes sense to Fehr. He sits across the table, looks Commisioner Gary Bettman in the eye, and says no, the players really aren't making 57% of HRR.
Maybe that's why Daly said, "Unless they show some willingness to compromise, I don't know how we get this done," he told reporters.
Hey, jackass, Fehr and company didn't just fall off of the turnip truck. You ever heard of Major League Baseball?
***Lindy Ruff and Derek Roy
"First and foremost, if you look at Derek's ice-time, you know what I thought of him as a player."--Lindy Ruff
Taken from a piece by WGR's Paul Hamilton entitled, Sabres Ruff will miss Roy.
He might, but most Sabres fans won't.
Sure, Lindy, you might miss his "playmaking skills." But this Sabres fan will not miss his dipsy-doodle turnovers, his attempt at showmanship, and his tendency to fold under pressure.
He's a top-six center at best who really thought he was a Daniel Briere-type top-liner.
Yeah, Ruff put him in tough positions on the ice, but he really had no one else down the middle. And Roy simply couldn't get 'er done.
All you need to know about Roy's character and why he was moved is encapsulated here:
“We had high expectations at the start of the year. We knew that,” said Sabres center Derek Roy, who has only eight goals and 24 points. “Going forward now there’s low expectations. So now it’s easier to play. We just play loose, play fun. Go out there and play hard.
The era of "The Core," or as Sabres President Ted Black puts it, "The Rochester Guys," was defined rather simply: they were great when it was easy, folded when it was tough.
And Derek Roy was one of the leaders of that.
Adios. Take your sorry ass to Dallas, Derek. And by all means, make sure you never lose your cuteness.
***Cody Hodgson starts the year with the Amerks
One of the reasons that the Sabres could deal "cutie-pie" Derek Roy was the trade for center Cody Hodgson last season.
Hodgson will be looked upon to fill a top-six role on the team at the center position (along with Tyler Ennis.)
And he's happy to be gearing up for meaningful hockey.
SlamSports' Rob Longley did a piece on Hodgson calling that latter a "budding Sabres star." Which is cool.
What's even cooler is that Hodgson is not taking his hockey career lightly. He may not have the "dipsy-doodle" prowess of Roy or deft skating skills, but he seems to be willing to do the work necessary to make himself the best player he can be.
This summer he completed yet another workout with the renowned workout guru, Gary Roberts, and he says that he's coming into the season in the best shape of his career.
He seems willing to do whatever's necessary during the NHL lockout and for right now is simply looking forward to getting back into a "competitive atmosphere."
Somehow, there's got to be a lingering animosity towards the Canucks and their handling of his injury in 2009. And somehow I'd like to think that Hodgson would really like to stick it to his former GM Mike Gillis who threw him under the bus this past summer.
Gillis, if y'all recall, said he spent more time on Hodgson's "issues" than the rest of the team combined over the last three years.
And if that wasn't enough, he continued to rip Hodgson saying that the latter didn't want to be in Vancouver and that he "built [Hodgson] into something he could move."
Ouch.
Roberts took issue with Gillis' shot at his pupil, "For me, I'd like to be the guy that looks at Mike Gillis and says, 'You're a moron,'" he said.
Oh, and by the way, where's Marc Andre-Gragnani these days, Mike? And how's Zack Kassian doin'?
***Stupidity from Canoe
Speaking of morons.
Steve Simmons of the same SlamSports had this brilliant article, What if the NHL cut salaries and ticket prices in half?.
What if you had half a brain, dumb ass.
How about if your bosses cut your salary in half. Maybe they should for the inanity printed in that piece.
The only thing worse is the lemmings following your lead at an 86% clip.
Must be all Maple Leaves fans. The highest ticket prices in the league for a sorry ass product.
That's the ludicrosity of the lockout and just how far people need to go to find an original thought.
Monday, April 30, 2012
The NFL draft is over, back to the Sabres
The Buffalo Bills made some noise this off-season, and with the Sabres falling short in the standings, and clinging to the status quo, it's not hard to have your attention directed towards the team with the longest playoff drought in the NFL (13 years,) and how they may emerge from an aggressive off-season thus far.
Draft grades will be coming out left and right, but the prevailing theme is that GM Buddy Nix and his group of scouts scored a solid B/B+ in the draft. A solid if unspectacular group of rookies will be headed to Orchard Park to join FA defensive end acquisitions Mario Williams and Mark Anderson. (Click here for The Buffalo News' Mark Gaughan draft re-cap.)
When taken as a whole, the Bills bolstered both lines. On defense the signings of Williams and Anderson gave the Bills one of the best front-four in the league (on paper.) It also allowed them to focus upon other areas in the draft.
Cornerback Stephon Gilmore (#10-overall) was the consensus second-best corner in the draft behind Morris Claibourne. The Bills got him.
The other possibility for the Bills first pick was T Cordy Glenn, a projected first-rounder who dropped to the Bills at #41, much to their delight.
They plucked a speed receiver in TJ Graham with their third-round pick and then set themselves upon building depth.
They picked two linebackers, Nigel Bradham (#105) and Tank Carder (#147,) as well as another DB in Ron Brooks (#124) to shore up the defense. Bradham and Brooks, as with all picks, will have the opportunity to vie for a starting spot, but they're also looked at as big contributors on special teams.
The Bills drafted themselves some football players throughout, and Carder is a tough competitor, maybe because of the obstacles he's faced throughout his short lifetime.
In addition to shoring up the defense, the Bills did not rest on their Cordy Glenn-laurels. They added depth on the offensive line, as well as big bodies--T Zebrie Sanders (#144) and OL Mark Asper (#168.)
In fact, Nix seemed to feel so confident in his work, that when it came to their final pick, they had the luxury to take a kicker, John Potter (#271.) Potter is somewhat of a specialist at this point. His strength is kickoffs as he's looked at to consistently put the kick into the endzone.
All-in-all, Nix and Co. may have produced a solid if unspectacular draft that focused upon areas of need and stretched into less glamorous areas like special teams.
Good work.
Had he hit the net more often in his first year with the Sabres, perhaps they'd have been talking about a first-round battle with the NY Rangers instead of philosophising over a lost year.
Ville Leino was signed in the off-season for 6yrs./$27M and Sabres management had some expectations for him that, in the end, were simply out of reach for the LW-turned Center-turned LW-turned Center. His eight goals and 17 assists in 71 games certainly attest to that.
Leino was a no-show for almost all of the season, especially the first half, and after the Sabres were eliminated in Philadelphia, he was a no-show preferring, according to WGR beat writer Paul Hamilton, to chat with his pals on the Flyers. At locker clean-out day, Leino once again was a no-show.
Pretty sure everyone expected nothing from him until training camp, but Jon Vogl of the Buffalo News landed an interview with the Finnish forward.
The season was a battle. So went the headline.
And what was he battling?
Pretty much everything.
The Sabres brought Leino to bolster a weak center position, he was a big disappointment.
Not sure where the problems came from, but off season adjustments were sure to play a part.
Leino, though, takes it a bit further.
He inferrs that Lindy Ruff did not use him, as well as other players, properly, "There was a lot of pieces that were kind of out of place," Leino said. " "Coaches do most of the work, and obviously players want to be better, too."
He somewhat defends the coaching staff by saying, "They've got to work with what they were given."
Basically, Leino wasn't thrilled with where he stood on the team. Which is not surprising. He's coming off as a primadonna, which is not unusual.
The offseason should be interesting, with Tyler Ennis emerging as a legitimate top-six center and the addition of Cody Hodgson as a potential top-six center, Leino can now focus upon the wing.
That is if he's not worrying about what the GM, coach and his other players are doing.
---------
Speaking of Hodgson, dude caught some serious flak from his former GM.
Mike Gillis ripped his former #1 pick (#10-overall, 2009,) not long after his team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, "There clearly were issues that were ongoing," Gillis said of Hodgson. "I spent more time on Cody's issues than every other player combined on our team the last three years."
One must take into account the the Canucks had just been bounced in the first round after making it to Game-7 of the Stanley Cup Finals last season.
The trade that Gillis made to bolster his team--or more specifically, to match up with the Boston Bruins and their toughness--was to send Hodgson to Buffalo for "rugged" right-winger Zach Kassian (#13-overall, 2009.)
Other than the fact that Gillis threw Hodgson under the bus and proceeded to back over him again, it's interesting as to how candid he was concerning the trade and it's evolution. "We made a determination that he didn't want to be here," he said.
"There were six young players that I would have traded him for if any of them were ever made available. One was made available at the trade deadline and it was Zack."
"We put Cody on the ice in every offensive situation we possibly could [to hide defensive deficiencies,]" Gillis said. "I don't think he took more than five or six defensive zone faceoffs and that was by design. And like I said earlier, I don't regret that move. I'd do it again. I'd do it today."
They 'Nucks, actually, had been looking to move Hodgson since last summer. This was said of Coach Allain Vigneault by Tony Gallagher of the Vancouver Province, "it’s abundantly clear coach Alain Vigneault is not one of his big fans as the youngster was always the last possible option and was repeatedly slotted into situations seemingly designed to make him fail." (original link inaccessible, was directed there via Lyle Richardson. For more visit my piece.)
Hodgson is now out of the tumult that is Vancouver and is ready to start his off-season workout.
Once again he'll be working with hockey guru Gary Roberts, Hodgson's third off-season with him. Roberts, via Jon Vogl of the Buffalo News, thinks his pupil got a bum rap from his former team.
"If anybody knew this kid, this young man, to know what he went through mentally and physically for two summers trying to find out what the heck was wrong with him [back problems] -- of course they dealt with his issues more than anybody else in the organization because he was injured and they couldn't figure out what was wrong with him."
Roberts did not take kindly to what Gillis had to say about Hodgson either, "I listened to Mike Gillis the other day," Roberts said by phone over the weekend, "and my impression was, 'Are you kidding me?' "For me, I'd like to be the guy that looks at Mike Gillis and says, 'You're a moron.' It doesn't really do anybody any good other than the fact that Mike Gillis looks like, as they say on TSN, a dud."
Alas, life begins anew in Buffalo for the center. And it's a place that wants and needs him. All he'll need to do is work hard and leave it all on the ice. And according to Roberts, Hodgson has a work ethic that's right up there with Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Steven Stamkos.
----------
Marcus Foligno hit his stride in a rip-roarin', 14-game debut for the Sabres.
It was hard to hide his excitement for next season even as his Rochester Americans were cleaning out after getting swept in the playoffs. "It's tough to say that you're excited for next season, but I'm ready to go," Foligno said last week in Rochester. "It's just tough that the playoffs went the way they did, but I see a great opportunity ahead. I'm excited for it."
Foligno is fired-up, as is the organization, as to what he can accomplish over an 82-game season.
Lots of praise in the above linked article by Jon Vogl from Tyler Ennis to Drew Stafford to Amerks coach Ron Rolston.
Even some praise from Toronto Marlies coach Dallas Eakins who's team swept Rochester in the playoffs, "This will be his last bunch of games in the American League," Eakins said. "That's a guy, if you're building a team for the playoffs, you want him on the ice."
Matthew Coller of WGR also looks forward to Foligno next season and adds in that both he and young defenseman Brayden McNabb "face great expectations."
Coller wonders if Foligno set the bar "too high" and taps into his hockeysfuture bio that projected him as "C-grade" prospect, “Foligno’s role in the future will probably be as an energy winger on the third or fourth line who has enough skill that he can chip in offensively every once in a while.”
As for McNabb, he has the right attitude, “I have to come out and prove myself again,” McNabb said. “I have to just keep coming and try to make a statement. I have to come in ready to camp next year. I'm looking forward to doing that.”
Foligno and McNabb, two bright spots from an otherwise lame season.
Let the new core rise.
Draft grades will be coming out left and right, but the prevailing theme is that GM Buddy Nix and his group of scouts scored a solid B/B+ in the draft. A solid if unspectacular group of rookies will be headed to Orchard Park to join FA defensive end acquisitions Mario Williams and Mark Anderson. (Click here for The Buffalo News' Mark Gaughan draft re-cap.)
When taken as a whole, the Bills bolstered both lines. On defense the signings of Williams and Anderson gave the Bills one of the best front-four in the league (on paper.) It also allowed them to focus upon other areas in the draft.
Cornerback Stephon Gilmore (#10-overall) was the consensus second-best corner in the draft behind Morris Claibourne. The Bills got him.
The other possibility for the Bills first pick was T Cordy Glenn, a projected first-rounder who dropped to the Bills at #41, much to their delight.
They plucked a speed receiver in TJ Graham with their third-round pick and then set themselves upon building depth.
They picked two linebackers, Nigel Bradham (#105) and Tank Carder (#147,) as well as another DB in Ron Brooks (#124) to shore up the defense. Bradham and Brooks, as with all picks, will have the opportunity to vie for a starting spot, but they're also looked at as big contributors on special teams.
The Bills drafted themselves some football players throughout, and Carder is a tough competitor, maybe because of the obstacles he's faced throughout his short lifetime.
In addition to shoring up the defense, the Bills did not rest on their Cordy Glenn-laurels. They added depth on the offensive line, as well as big bodies--T Zebrie Sanders (#144) and OL Mark Asper (#168.)
In fact, Nix seemed to feel so confident in his work, that when it came to their final pick, they had the luxury to take a kicker, John Potter (#271.) Potter is somewhat of a specialist at this point. His strength is kickoffs as he's looked at to consistently put the kick into the endzone.
All-in-all, Nix and Co. may have produced a solid if unspectacular draft that focused upon areas of need and stretched into less glamorous areas like special teams.
Good work.
**********
What we missed concerning the Sabres
Had he hit the net more often in his first year with the Sabres, perhaps they'd have been talking about a first-round battle with the NY Rangers instead of philosophising over a lost year.
Ville Leino was signed in the off-season for 6yrs./$27M and Sabres management had some expectations for him that, in the end, were simply out of reach for the LW-turned Center-turned LW-turned Center. His eight goals and 17 assists in 71 games certainly attest to that.
Leino was a no-show for almost all of the season, especially the first half, and after the Sabres were eliminated in Philadelphia, he was a no-show preferring, according to WGR beat writer Paul Hamilton, to chat with his pals on the Flyers. At locker clean-out day, Leino once again was a no-show.
Pretty sure everyone expected nothing from him until training camp, but Jon Vogl of the Buffalo News landed an interview with the Finnish forward.
The season was a battle. So went the headline.
And what was he battling?
Pretty much everything.
The Sabres brought Leino to bolster a weak center position, he was a big disappointment.
Not sure where the problems came from, but off season adjustments were sure to play a part.
Leino, though, takes it a bit further.
He inferrs that Lindy Ruff did not use him, as well as other players, properly, "There was a lot of pieces that were kind of out of place," Leino said. " "Coaches do most of the work, and obviously players want to be better, too."
He somewhat defends the coaching staff by saying, "They've got to work with what they were given."
Basically, Leino wasn't thrilled with where he stood on the team. Which is not surprising. He's coming off as a primadonna, which is not unusual.
The offseason should be interesting, with Tyler Ennis emerging as a legitimate top-six center and the addition of Cody Hodgson as a potential top-six center, Leino can now focus upon the wing.
That is if he's not worrying about what the GM, coach and his other players are doing.
---------
Speaking of Hodgson, dude caught some serious flak from his former GM.
Mike Gillis ripped his former #1 pick (#10-overall, 2009,) not long after his team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, "There clearly were issues that were ongoing," Gillis said of Hodgson. "I spent more time on Cody's issues than every other player combined on our team the last three years."
One must take into account the the Canucks had just been bounced in the first round after making it to Game-7 of the Stanley Cup Finals last season.
The trade that Gillis made to bolster his team--or more specifically, to match up with the Boston Bruins and their toughness--was to send Hodgson to Buffalo for "rugged" right-winger Zach Kassian (#13-overall, 2009.)
Other than the fact that Gillis threw Hodgson under the bus and proceeded to back over him again, it's interesting as to how candid he was concerning the trade and it's evolution. "We made a determination that he didn't want to be here," he said.
"There were six young players that I would have traded him for if any of them were ever made available. One was made available at the trade deadline and it was Zack."
"We put Cody on the ice in every offensive situation we possibly could [to hide defensive deficiencies,]" Gillis said. "I don't think he took more than five or six defensive zone faceoffs and that was by design. And like I said earlier, I don't regret that move. I'd do it again. I'd do it today."
They 'Nucks, actually, had been looking to move Hodgson since last summer. This was said of Coach Allain Vigneault by Tony Gallagher of the Vancouver Province, "it’s abundantly clear coach Alain Vigneault is not one of his big fans as the youngster was always the last possible option and was repeatedly slotted into situations seemingly designed to make him fail." (original link inaccessible, was directed there via Lyle Richardson. For more visit my piece.)
Hodgson is now out of the tumult that is Vancouver and is ready to start his off-season workout.
Once again he'll be working with hockey guru Gary Roberts, Hodgson's third off-season with him. Roberts, via Jon Vogl of the Buffalo News, thinks his pupil got a bum rap from his former team.
"If anybody knew this kid, this young man, to know what he went through mentally and physically for two summers trying to find out what the heck was wrong with him [back problems] -- of course they dealt with his issues more than anybody else in the organization because he was injured and they couldn't figure out what was wrong with him."
Roberts did not take kindly to what Gillis had to say about Hodgson either, "I listened to Mike Gillis the other day," Roberts said by phone over the weekend, "and my impression was, 'Are you kidding me?' "For me, I'd like to be the guy that looks at Mike Gillis and says, 'You're a moron.' It doesn't really do anybody any good other than the fact that Mike Gillis looks like, as they say on TSN, a dud."
Alas, life begins anew in Buffalo for the center. And it's a place that wants and needs him. All he'll need to do is work hard and leave it all on the ice. And according to Roberts, Hodgson has a work ethic that's right up there with Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Steven Stamkos.
----------
Marcus Foligno hit his stride in a rip-roarin', 14-game debut for the Sabres.
It was hard to hide his excitement for next season even as his Rochester Americans were cleaning out after getting swept in the playoffs. "It's tough to say that you're excited for next season, but I'm ready to go," Foligno said last week in Rochester. "It's just tough that the playoffs went the way they did, but I see a great opportunity ahead. I'm excited for it."
Foligno is fired-up, as is the organization, as to what he can accomplish over an 82-game season.
Lots of praise in the above linked article by Jon Vogl from Tyler Ennis to Drew Stafford to Amerks coach Ron Rolston.
Even some praise from Toronto Marlies coach Dallas Eakins who's team swept Rochester in the playoffs, "This will be his last bunch of games in the American League," Eakins said. "That's a guy, if you're building a team for the playoffs, you want him on the ice."
Matthew Coller of WGR also looks forward to Foligno next season and adds in that both he and young defenseman Brayden McNabb "face great expectations."
Coller wonders if Foligno set the bar "too high" and taps into his hockeysfuture bio that projected him as "C-grade" prospect, “Foligno’s role in the future will probably be as an energy winger on the third or fourth line who has enough skill that he can chip in offensively every once in a while.”
As for McNabb, he has the right attitude, “I have to come out and prove myself again,” McNabb said. “I have to just keep coming and try to make a statement. I have to come in ready to camp next year. I'm looking forward to doing that.”
Foligno and McNabb, two bright spots from an otherwise lame season.
Let the new core rise.
Friday, March 2, 2012
I blame Ryan Miller (and other thoughts)
Think about it.
Ryan Miller just finished stopping 82 shots in back-to-back games. He got the shutout in each.
It's the first time that a goalie has done that since 2010 when Miller did it in his Vezina winning season. It was the first time it was done on the road since the Bruins Tim Thomas did it back in 2008.
No small feat.
Miller has been hot lately. But he's been ramping it up for quite a while. He seemed to have bottomed out, along with the team, during their franchise-record 12-game road losing streak that finally ended in New Jersey on Jan. 24.
He entered that game with a 3.15 goals against average and a .897 save percentage. Since that game in New Jersey he's gone 10-2-3 with four shutouts (including a shutout in a shootout loss to the NY Rangers Feb. 1,) his goals against average is down to 2.58 and his save percentage is up to .915. Both of those latter numbers are right around his career numbers.
Those are not Dominik Hasek/Martin Brodeur elite numbers, but what he's done, especially after the departure of Chris Drury and Daniel Briere, is carry the team on his back for long stretches and be consistent enough to keep them in the playoff race most years, like he's doing this year.
Without Miller this season the team would be near the bottom of the league, just like they were when he was slumping/recovering from the Milan Lucic hit.
And if you take him out of the equation for 2007/08 and 2008/09, the team probably would have had a lottery pick instead of mid-first rounders. Although they did well with Tyler Myers at #12 in 2008, Zack Kassian, their 13th overall pick in 2009 was traded for a center earlier this week--Cody Hodgson.
This edition of the Sabres is on a pace to score the least amount of goals since the 2002/03 season. In 2003 the team finished with the fifth worst record in the league and picked Thomas Vanek with the #5-overall pick.
So, I blame Ryan Miller because he's kept the Sabres from bottoming out and getting upper-level draft talent for at least two years.
And it looks as if he's doing it again.
Carrying on with that theme, after watching Hodgson last night, I could see two things--Vancouver has some real good forward depth from the skill side to be able to trade away a talent like him and Hodgson already looks to be better than almost anyone on the team up-front.
His skating is pretty smooth, he has great on-ice vision, his transition game is quick, he backs off the defenders and he always seems to be in the right position. His line was clearly the best line on the ice last night, and although he didn't register a point, he was on the break as linemates Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford combined on the latter's goal.
I don't know if it's Hodgson's overall talent or the Sabres lack of upper-eschelon talent up-front, maybe it's a combination of the two, but the Sabres brass really need to upgrade the talent up-front in the off-season. Hodgson was a good start (potential great start,) but it looks as if he's already leaving a couple of "top-six" guys in the dust.
Which brings us to a "top-six" guy on the Sabre who's been MIA for a big chunk of the 2012 calendar year--Thomas Vanek.
Vanek's in a slump, which isn't all that peculiar.
But his four goals in 23 games since the beginning of the calendar year should at least be of note. As should his upper body injury that kept him out of three games. Since his return from injury, though, he's managed three goals, three assists and is a plus-2 in 11 games.
Vanek and linemate Jason Pominville were the only contributors to the Sabres offense during the first half of the season. Pominville has continued his steady, productive pace while Vanek has dropped off.
Lindy Ruff has had Derek Roy centering those two for quite a few games now and they still don't seem to click. When you put Hodgson's line up against Roy's line, the latter looks like it has checking line talent.
On WGR's The Howard Simon Show 10 days ago, Ruff had some interesting thoughts on the two. Ruff called his relationship with Roy, "almost like a father/son relationship where you're tough on your kid" (11:50-mark.) Ruff was almost playful in his response.
But when it came to Vanek, Ruff became terse. Because of Vanek's penchant for dumb penalties in the offensive zone this year, Simon asked Ruff how much rope will the talented goal-scorer get. Ruff responded cut and dry, "No more rope anymore."
"I've probably given out too much rope in that situation during the year," Ruff continued, "and there's been too many conversations about the type of penalties he's taken."
As he delves into his response a little further, Ruff ties in Vanek's penalties as costly in important games throughout the year, especially the games he pointed out earlier where the Sabres could've come away with points most notably Carolina early in the year and St. Louis in January.
Ruff basically throws Vanek under the bus, indirectly blaming him for a handful of losses and then continues his theme, "I've told him there's no more rope. If you want to take those penalties, whether we think there was a penalty or not, I don't want him taking any more."
Vanek is not innocent, by any stretch of the imagination, but who'd have thought that Roy would be Ruff's boy, and Vanek, the team's leading goal scorer for five years running, would be Ruff's whipping boy?
*shrugs*
Ryan Miller just finished stopping 82 shots in back-to-back games. He got the shutout in each.
It's the first time that a goalie has done that since 2010 when Miller did it in his Vezina winning season. It was the first time it was done on the road since the Bruins Tim Thomas did it back in 2008.
No small feat.
Miller has been hot lately. But he's been ramping it up for quite a while. He seemed to have bottomed out, along with the team, during their franchise-record 12-game road losing streak that finally ended in New Jersey on Jan. 24.
He entered that game with a 3.15 goals against average and a .897 save percentage. Since that game in New Jersey he's gone 10-2-3 with four shutouts (including a shutout in a shootout loss to the NY Rangers Feb. 1,) his goals against average is down to 2.58 and his save percentage is up to .915. Both of those latter numbers are right around his career numbers.
Those are not Dominik Hasek/Martin Brodeur elite numbers, but what he's done, especially after the departure of Chris Drury and Daniel Briere, is carry the team on his back for long stretches and be consistent enough to keep them in the playoff race most years, like he's doing this year.
Without Miller this season the team would be near the bottom of the league, just like they were when he was slumping/recovering from the Milan Lucic hit.
And if you take him out of the equation for 2007/08 and 2008/09, the team probably would have had a lottery pick instead of mid-first rounders. Although they did well with Tyler Myers at #12 in 2008, Zack Kassian, their 13th overall pick in 2009 was traded for a center earlier this week--Cody Hodgson.
This edition of the Sabres is on a pace to score the least amount of goals since the 2002/03 season. In 2003 the team finished with the fifth worst record in the league and picked Thomas Vanek with the #5-overall pick.
So, I blame Ryan Miller because he's kept the Sabres from bottoming out and getting upper-level draft talent for at least two years.
And it looks as if he's doing it again.
Carrying on with that theme, after watching Hodgson last night, I could see two things--Vancouver has some real good forward depth from the skill side to be able to trade away a talent like him and Hodgson already looks to be better than almost anyone on the team up-front.
His skating is pretty smooth, he has great on-ice vision, his transition game is quick, he backs off the defenders and he always seems to be in the right position. His line was clearly the best line on the ice last night, and although he didn't register a point, he was on the break as linemates Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford combined on the latter's goal.
I don't know if it's Hodgson's overall talent or the Sabres lack of upper-eschelon talent up-front, maybe it's a combination of the two, but the Sabres brass really need to upgrade the talent up-front in the off-season. Hodgson was a good start (potential great start,) but it looks as if he's already leaving a couple of "top-six" guys in the dust.
Which brings us to a "top-six" guy on the Sabre who's been MIA for a big chunk of the 2012 calendar year--Thomas Vanek.
Vanek's in a slump, which isn't all that peculiar.
But his four goals in 23 games since the beginning of the calendar year should at least be of note. As should his upper body injury that kept him out of three games. Since his return from injury, though, he's managed three goals, three assists and is a plus-2 in 11 games.
Vanek and linemate Jason Pominville were the only contributors to the Sabres offense during the first half of the season. Pominville has continued his steady, productive pace while Vanek has dropped off.
Lindy Ruff has had Derek Roy centering those two for quite a few games now and they still don't seem to click. When you put Hodgson's line up against Roy's line, the latter looks like it has checking line talent.
On WGR's The Howard Simon Show 10 days ago, Ruff had some interesting thoughts on the two. Ruff called his relationship with Roy, "almost like a father/son relationship where you're tough on your kid" (11:50-mark.) Ruff was almost playful in his response.
But when it came to Vanek, Ruff became terse. Because of Vanek's penchant for dumb penalties in the offensive zone this year, Simon asked Ruff how much rope will the talented goal-scorer get. Ruff responded cut and dry, "No more rope anymore."
"I've probably given out too much rope in that situation during the year," Ruff continued, "and there's been too many conversations about the type of penalties he's taken."
As he delves into his response a little further, Ruff ties in Vanek's penalties as costly in important games throughout the year, especially the games he pointed out earlier where the Sabres could've come away with points most notably Carolina early in the year and St. Louis in January.
Ruff basically throws Vanek under the bus, indirectly blaming him for a handful of losses and then continues his theme, "I've told him there's no more rope. If you want to take those penalties, whether we think there was a penalty or not, I don't want him taking any more."
Vanek is not innocent, by any stretch of the imagination, but who'd have thought that Roy would be Ruff's boy, and Vanek, the team's leading goal scorer for five years running, would be Ruff's whipping boy?
*shrugs*
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Buffalo is relevant again, this time at the trade deadline
If this was written at 3:01pm yesterday, trade deadline day, the headline may have read, "Sabres fans storm offices with pitchforks and torches." The tar would have been ready and chickens all over Western New York would be left naked as the need for their feathers far surpassed the need for their personal comfort.
Shortly after the "trade deadline" group at WGR, which included NHL On The Fly analyst, Brian Duff, gathered their stuff to go on their way after three hours of virtually nothing, it was announced that Paul Gaustad was traded to Nashville along with a fourth round pick for the Preds 2012 first round pick.
Yes, you read that right. Goose (with minimal help from a 2013 4th-rounder) netted the Sabres a 2012 1st-rounder.
Gaustad was set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer and was a good, solid part to the team. Rumors were flying all trade deadline day that he was a prime target for added depth as his size, defensive skills and faceoff accumen would be a welcome addition to any team looking for a role player like him.
Word on the street the previous day had Regier asking for a first-rounder. Howls of laughter could be heard echoing throughout the NHL landscape, with teams like Detroit, San Jose' and Vancouver balking at the asking price. But, strange things can happen at the deadline and Nashville thought that it was worth it. Regier had to have a huge smile on his face, especially with owner Terry Pegula and right-hand man, Ted Black, in the "war room" looking on.
"We thought long and hard about whether we needed to trade him and under what conditions to trade him," Regier said (1:35-mark.) "We set the standard high, and the standard was we had to acquire a first-round pick. If we couldn't acquire a first-round pick in that process, then we were not going to trade him."
That move would have fueled conversation at WGR for a while, but no where near the three hours that Mike Schopp and the Bulldog needed to fill.
How many times can you say that the Preds got raped? Even those two would have had a hard time keeping it interesting.
Sure, they would have spent plenty of time covering the what ifs? Like if Johnny Oduya could fetch a 2nd and 3rd for Winnipeg (from New Jersey) why wasn't Sabres d-man moved for something similar?
They'd have had plenty of fodder as the 13 trades up until that point were less than last years' 16, and worse yet, the "biggest" trade of the day happened to be the Gaustad one.
But, near the bottom of the 3 O'clock hour, a veritable bomb was dropped, the Vancouver Canucks and the Buffalo Sabres, two teams that came into the league in the same year (1970,) made a "hockey trade." The Nucks sent young center Cody Hodgson to Buffalo for young RW'er Zack Kassian.
It was a "hockey trade" plain and simple. Both were former first round picks--Hodgson #10, 2008 and Kassian #13, 2009 and both were going to teams that needed their particular skill set.
For Buffalo it meant bringing in a center with top-six potential, sniping skills and a solid two-way game. The lack of depth down the middle has been a constant thorn in Regier's side since 2007.
For Vancouver, it's about bringing in size and grit on the wing as they make another Stanley Cup push. Kassian, along with Sammy Pahlsson (acquired earlier by Vancouver from Columbus) represented moves that are "series specific." The Nucks lost to Boston in the finals last year because they couldn't match the grit that was throw at them by the Bruins and with these two moves they believe they've addressed that.
In another trade, Vancouver and Buffalo also swapped defensemen with Vancouver sending 27 year old Alexander Sulzer to the Sabres in exchange for Marc-Andre Gragnani.
Not much is known about Sulzer in these parts. Looks to be a bottom-pairing, depth d-man with below average size and minimal scoring. He will be unrestricted at the end of the season as well.
As for Grags, his butt has been parked on the bench for a very long time. After bursting onto the seen with a vengeance vs. Philadelphia in the playoffs last season, the "puck moving/offensive d-man went 180 on the team. He has been a turnover machine all year likely because, as WGR's Paul Hamilton puts it, "You could see fear in his eyes every time a forward was bearing down on him. I have never seen an NHL players as scared to get hit as him."
Gragnani had some interesting thoughts on the situation. The first thing that came out of his mouth when asked about his going to Vancouver was, "I'm extremely motivated." link: http://watch.tsn.ca/featured/clip627418#clip627418
Grags is then lead down the path to find out if his "happiness" and "elation" is solely about going to a Stanley Cup contender, or if it's also due in part to leaving a frustrating situation in Buffalo. "Yeah. I was frustrated," he replied. "I think there's a lot of people that was frustrated. People had us in a higher position in the East, and we couldn't get it done. Obviously I was frustrated like many of my teammates."
This could be one of those trades that's overlooked now, but if Gragnani pans out and plays to his potential, the Canucks should be arrested for thievery.
So how did Regier do at the deadline?
Don't know how he pulled it off, but he managed to build for the future and keep his team together the way he wants it right now.
The future looks very promising, not crazy promising, but a big leap in the right direction. They managed to trade from a position of strength for a position of need in the Hodgson/Kassian deal and they added a first round pick in the draft for Goose. That gives them two first-rounders and two seconds, not to mention lots of flexibility.
And the moves that were not made, namely center Derek Roy and defenseman Jordan Leopold will still have value next season as both enter the final year of their respective contracts. Both could command solid returns whether at the draft, over the summer or at next years' deadline.
All-in-all, it was a tremendous deadline for what their stated goals were. They were looking towards the future, yet still wanted to add for the present, but not at the expense of the future. (Got that?)
"When we evaluated our team we knew we had to get better." said Regier. "If it meant that we had to take a minor step back, we were prepared to do it. It still allows us to [make a] run at the playoffs. We all are aware of the odds against us, but I think with Cody [Hosgson] coming in, he will give us a good boost on the offensive side. We'll miss Gaustad, but we really felt that we needed to address the center position, the offense and the opportunity to get a young man like Cody."
And Regier pulled it off about as best as anyone could.
Although there are still reasons to question the type of player(s) Regier favors, no one can question him coming through with the pressure amped up this trade deadline.
The Sabres organization was the talk of the deadline. Remember back to last season at the 2011 NHL Draft. Veteran Sabres beat writer Paul Hamilton walked into the Xcel center in Minnesota saying that the Sabres were relevant again.
And they were relevant once again, eight months later.
other deadline links:
http://sabres.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=619481&navid=DL
BUF
home
Michael Peca on the Howard Simon Show this morning:
http://www.wgr550.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=5712076
Scott Rintool on the Howard Simon Show this morning:
http://www.wgr550.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=5712081
"Trade stunner." "Looks like one of the most unpopular trades in Vancouver in years." From Vancouver Times:
http://www.timescolonist.com/sports/Cody+Hodgson+trade+stunner+Canucks+tougher+they+better/6217870/story.html
From The Province, "Marc-Andre Gragnani, a defenseman that wasn't trusted...by Lindy Ruff...This makes him Cody Hodgson on defense."
http://blogs.theprovince.com/2012/02/28/what-the-metrics-are-telling-us-about-mags/
Hodgson/Kassian similar to Naslund/Stojanov? The Vancouver Sun:
http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Canucks+Hodgson+Kassian+trade+looks+like+well+Naslund+Stojanov+with+video/6217917/story.html
Hodgson shocked by news of trade. From Yahoo:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=prov-ca-6218897
Kassian "packs plenty of punch." The Vancouver Sun:
http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Canuck+Zack+Kassian+packs+plenty+punch+with+video/6218442/story.html
Shortly after the "trade deadline" group at WGR, which included NHL On The Fly analyst, Brian Duff, gathered their stuff to go on their way after three hours of virtually nothing, it was announced that Paul Gaustad was traded to Nashville along with a fourth round pick for the Preds 2012 first round pick.
Yes, you read that right. Goose (with minimal help from a 2013 4th-rounder) netted the Sabres a 2012 1st-rounder.
Gaustad was set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer and was a good, solid part to the team. Rumors were flying all trade deadline day that he was a prime target for added depth as his size, defensive skills and faceoff accumen would be a welcome addition to any team looking for a role player like him.
Word on the street the previous day had Regier asking for a first-rounder. Howls of laughter could be heard echoing throughout the NHL landscape, with teams like Detroit, San Jose' and Vancouver balking at the asking price. But, strange things can happen at the deadline and Nashville thought that it was worth it. Regier had to have a huge smile on his face, especially with owner Terry Pegula and right-hand man, Ted Black, in the "war room" looking on.
"We thought long and hard about whether we needed to trade him and under what conditions to trade him," Regier said (1:35-mark.) "We set the standard high, and the standard was we had to acquire a first-round pick. If we couldn't acquire a first-round pick in that process, then we were not going to trade him."
That move would have fueled conversation at WGR for a while, but no where near the three hours that Mike Schopp and the Bulldog needed to fill.
How many times can you say that the Preds got raped? Even those two would have had a hard time keeping it interesting.
Sure, they would have spent plenty of time covering the what ifs? Like if Johnny Oduya could fetch a 2nd and 3rd for Winnipeg (from New Jersey) why wasn't Sabres d-man moved for something similar?
They'd have had plenty of fodder as the 13 trades up until that point were less than last years' 16, and worse yet, the "biggest" trade of the day happened to be the Gaustad one.
But, near the bottom of the 3 O'clock hour, a veritable bomb was dropped, the Vancouver Canucks and the Buffalo Sabres, two teams that came into the league in the same year (1970,) made a "hockey trade." The Nucks sent young center Cody Hodgson to Buffalo for young RW'er Zack Kassian.
It was a "hockey trade" plain and simple. Both were former first round picks--Hodgson #10, 2008 and Kassian #13, 2009 and both were going to teams that needed their particular skill set.
For Buffalo it meant bringing in a center with top-six potential, sniping skills and a solid two-way game. The lack of depth down the middle has been a constant thorn in Regier's side since 2007.
For Vancouver, it's about bringing in size and grit on the wing as they make another Stanley Cup push. Kassian, along with Sammy Pahlsson (acquired earlier by Vancouver from Columbus) represented moves that are "series specific." The Nucks lost to Boston in the finals last year because they couldn't match the grit that was throw at them by the Bruins and with these two moves they believe they've addressed that.
In another trade, Vancouver and Buffalo also swapped defensemen with Vancouver sending 27 year old Alexander Sulzer to the Sabres in exchange for Marc-Andre Gragnani.
Not much is known about Sulzer in these parts. Looks to be a bottom-pairing, depth d-man with below average size and minimal scoring. He will be unrestricted at the end of the season as well.
As for Grags, his butt has been parked on the bench for a very long time. After bursting onto the seen with a vengeance vs. Philadelphia in the playoffs last season, the "puck moving/offensive d-man went 180 on the team. He has been a turnover machine all year likely because, as WGR's Paul Hamilton puts it, "You could see fear in his eyes every time a forward was bearing down on him. I have never seen an NHL players as scared to get hit as him."
Gragnani had some interesting thoughts on the situation. The first thing that came out of his mouth when asked about his going to Vancouver was, "I'm extremely motivated." link: http://watch.tsn.ca/featured/clip627418#clip627418
Grags is then lead down the path to find out if his "happiness" and "elation" is solely about going to a Stanley Cup contender, or if it's also due in part to leaving a frustrating situation in Buffalo. "Yeah. I was frustrated," he replied. "I think there's a lot of people that was frustrated. People had us in a higher position in the East, and we couldn't get it done. Obviously I was frustrated like many of my teammates."
This could be one of those trades that's overlooked now, but if Gragnani pans out and plays to his potential, the Canucks should be arrested for thievery.
So how did Regier do at the deadline?
Don't know how he pulled it off, but he managed to build for the future and keep his team together the way he wants it right now.
The future looks very promising, not crazy promising, but a big leap in the right direction. They managed to trade from a position of strength for a position of need in the Hodgson/Kassian deal and they added a first round pick in the draft for Goose. That gives them two first-rounders and two seconds, not to mention lots of flexibility.
And the moves that were not made, namely center Derek Roy and defenseman Jordan Leopold will still have value next season as both enter the final year of their respective contracts. Both could command solid returns whether at the draft, over the summer or at next years' deadline.
All-in-all, it was a tremendous deadline for what their stated goals were. They were looking towards the future, yet still wanted to add for the present, but not at the expense of the future. (Got that?)
"When we evaluated our team we knew we had to get better." said Regier. "If it meant that we had to take a minor step back, we were prepared to do it. It still allows us to [make a] run at the playoffs. We all are aware of the odds against us, but I think with Cody [Hosgson] coming in, he will give us a good boost on the offensive side. We'll miss Gaustad, but we really felt that we needed to address the center position, the offense and the opportunity to get a young man like Cody."
And Regier pulled it off about as best as anyone could.
Although there are still reasons to question the type of player(s) Regier favors, no one can question him coming through with the pressure amped up this trade deadline.
The Sabres organization was the talk of the deadline. Remember back to last season at the 2011 NHL Draft. Veteran Sabres beat writer Paul Hamilton walked into the Xcel center in Minnesota saying that the Sabres were relevant again.
And they were relevant once again, eight months later.
other deadline links:
http://sabres.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=619481&navid=DL
BUF
home
Michael Peca on the Howard Simon Show this morning:
http://www.wgr550.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=5712076
Scott Rintool on the Howard Simon Show this morning:
http://www.wgr550.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=5712081
"Trade stunner." "Looks like one of the most unpopular trades in Vancouver in years." From Vancouver Times:
http://www.timescolonist.com/sports/Cody+Hodgson+trade+stunner+Canucks+tougher+they+better/6217870/story.html
From The Province, "Marc-Andre Gragnani, a defenseman that wasn't trusted...by Lindy Ruff...This makes him Cody Hodgson on defense."
http://blogs.theprovince.com/2012/02/28/what-the-metrics-are-telling-us-about-mags/
Hodgson/Kassian similar to Naslund/Stojanov? The Vancouver Sun:
http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Canucks+Hodgson+Kassian+trade+looks+like+well+Naslund+Stojanov+with+video/6217917/story.html
Hodgson shocked by news of trade. From Yahoo:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=prov-ca-6218897
Kassian "packs plenty of punch." The Vancouver Sun:
http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Canuck+Zack+Kassian+packs+plenty+punch+with+video/6218442/story.html
Monday, June 20, 2011
The Sabres Should Bring Cody Hodgson Into the Fold
According to Lyle Richardson over at The Hockey News, "Hodgson rather than [Cory] Schneider, is Vancouver's most probable trade candidate this summer."
That Hodgson may have fallen out of favor with Canuck's Head Coach Alain Vigneault was reported by The Vancouver Province. The article by Tony Gallagher states the obvious, that Hodgson is way down the depth chart for 'Nucks centers behind Henrik Sendin, Ryan Kessler and Manny Malhotra.
Fair enough.
But Gallagher adds this zinger, that "it’s abundantly clear coach Alain Vigneault is not one of his big fans as the youngster was always the last possible option and was repeatedly slotted into situations seemingly designed to make him fail."
Ouch!
Whether there's a problem with Vigneault and his players in general remains to be seen, but, according to the article, Vigneault couldn't trust Hodgson and Hodgson played like he was afraid to make a mistake. The kid is in the second year of his three-year entry-level contract that has him at $1.7M/year. His AHL salary would be $65K.
One could bring up the tale of former Canuck's #1 pick Michael Grabner (14th-overall, 2006) as a parallel to the Hodgson situation, but a direct parallel seems to be a bit far-fetched. For now. After all, could lightning menacingly strike Vancouver GM Mike Gillis twice?
Hodgson had only 52 games of AHL seasoning last year. Another year in the AHL, or even two, would be extremely beneficial for the kid. We're talking about a center who scored 243 points in 197 games for his OHL career.
With the lack of quality forward-prospects in the Sabres' system, especially at center, adding Hodgson would be a plus. He would immediately be one of the top-two centers for their AHL club should current #1 center Luke Adam make the jump to the Sabres next season.
And getting him out of the tumult that may be Vancouver this season could be just what the kid needs to regain his confidence and reach his 10th-overall pick potential.
Couldn't hurt.
That Hodgson may have fallen out of favor with Canuck's Head Coach Alain Vigneault was reported by The Vancouver Province. The article by Tony Gallagher states the obvious, that Hodgson is way down the depth chart for 'Nucks centers behind Henrik Sendin, Ryan Kessler and Manny Malhotra.
 |
| Canucks center Cody Hodgson was the 10th-overall pick in 2008. It seems as if he's having a tough time in Vancouver with Head Coach Alain Vigneault. |
But Gallagher adds this zinger, that "it’s abundantly clear coach Alain Vigneault is not one of his big fans as the youngster was always the last possible option and was repeatedly slotted into situations seemingly designed to make him fail."
Ouch!
Whether there's a problem with Vigneault and his players in general remains to be seen, but, according to the article, Vigneault couldn't trust Hodgson and Hodgson played like he was afraid to make a mistake. The kid is in the second year of his three-year entry-level contract that has him at $1.7M/year. His AHL salary would be $65K.
One could bring up the tale of former Canuck's #1 pick Michael Grabner (14th-overall, 2006) as a parallel to the Hodgson situation, but a direct parallel seems to be a bit far-fetched. For now. After all, could lightning menacingly strike Vancouver GM Mike Gillis twice?
 |
| Former Canucks winger Michael Grabner is playing as if he's really happy to be out of Vancouver. He just signed a five-year, $15M contract extension with the NY Islanders. |
Grabner, if you recall, was part of the Vancouver/Florida trade that sent Keith Ballard and Victor Oreskovich to the 'Nucks for Steve Bernier, Grabner and a 2010 #1 pick (Quinton Howden.) For some unknown reason the Panthers waived Grabner in October, 2010 and he was picked up by the NY Islanders.
He had a banner season (34 goals, 18 assists) and was re-signed to a five-year contract in May, 2011.
Seems as if all he needed was to get into a situation where he was set-up for success and not to fail.
What the Sabres would need to give up to get Hodgson remains to be seen, but it sounds as if he could be had at a very reasonable price.
Hodgson had only 52 games of AHL seasoning last year. Another year in the AHL, or even two, would be extremely beneficial for the kid. We're talking about a center who scored 243 points in 197 games for his OHL career.
With the lack of quality forward-prospects in the Sabres' system, especially at center, adding Hodgson would be a plus. He would immediately be one of the top-two centers for their AHL club should current #1 center Luke Adam make the jump to the Sabres next season.
And getting him out of the tumult that may be Vancouver this season could be just what the kid needs to regain his confidence and reach his 10th-overall pick potential.
Couldn't hurt.
~~~~~~~~~~
Also from Puckdaddy: Ryan Lambert's What We Learned, column. His take on the recently released Bodog.com odds to win the 2012 Stanley Cup, "Buffalo Sabres--If you have some money you'd like to like to throw down the toilet, the Sabres are getting 25-to-1 odds they win the Stanley Cup next year. Bruins at 8-to-1? Might wanna take a run at that."
Ouch! That's cold.
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