Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
The Buffalo Sabres added another 2016 draft pick to their burgeoning stable thanks to a Game-7 loss by the Anaheim Ducks at the hands of the Nashville Predators. The conditional 3rd round pick Anaheim sent to Buffalo for Jamie McGinn now stands as the Ducks failed to make it to the Western Conference Finals. Had Anaheim won two playoff rounds and McGinn played in at least 50% of their games, that 2016 third-rounder would have converted to a 2017 2nd round pick.
As it stands right now the Sabres will have 12 picks in the upcoming draft to be held in Buffalo April 24-25:
1st--presently 8th overall
2nd
3rd--BUF, ANA (McGinn trade, 2015) STL (Ryan Miller, 2014) DAL (Johnas Enroth, 2015)
4th
5th--BUF, MTL (Brian Flynn, 2015)
6th
7th--BUF, MTL (Torrey Mitchell, 2015)
Showing posts with label paul gaustad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paul gaustad. Show all posts
Friday, April 29, 2016
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Flashback: "The Core" as prospects in 2005
Hockey'sfuture is a good read for info on prospects, and it's a site worth visiting for those interested in delving into NHL organizations and their talent pools.
I happened across and interesting read that goes back to October 12, 2005--The Buffalo Sabres Top-20 prospects ranking from Ken McKenna of Hockey'sfuture.
The NHL, as we all should know, was coming out of the lockout and the "new-NHL" emerging.
The Sabres had all of their top prospects playing in Rochester in the 2004/05 season with the Amerks falling short of the Calder Cup. But the Sabres came out of the lockout with a group of players that had a full year playing together in the AHL.
Out of this group emerged "the core," or as Sabres President Ted Black called them recently, "the Rochester Guys." It included present members Thomas Vanek, Derek Roy, Jason Pominville, and Drew Stafford as well as Paul Gaustad who was traded to the Nashville Predators at the 2012 trade deadline.
Also included in the top-20 were former Sabres forwards Daniel Paille and Clarke MacArthur, among others.
As we head towards the draft, free agency and the upcoming season, I found it interesting to look back at what was being said about "the core" at that time. (For the entire page and player analyses, click on the link above.)
(#1 prospect) Thomas Vanek--"Vanek has displayed the scoring touch that most expect from him, but he has also shown excellent passing skills that have come as a surprise to some observers. The bottom line is that Vanek is the package of offensive skill that the Sabres have lacked for many a year, a fact that should cheer Sabres fans that have suffered through some mediocre hockey since their last appearance in the playoffs in 2001."
#3 Derek Roy--"...his performance in camp was not quite good enough to help him secure that roster spot. Roy’s mediocre preseason performance, combined with his sometimes lackadaisical play in Rochester during the 2004-05 season no doubt has the Sabres concerned that the talented center is resting on past laurels."
#5 Drew Stafford--"While possessing some offensive ability, Stafford’s main attributes are his skating and consistent effort from game to game."
#6 Jason Pominville--"It would seem that Pominville has NHL ability, but it remains to be seen if his road to the NHL will run through Buffalo. There may simply be too much quality in front of him, as well as a few up-and-comers behind him, for Pominville to make his mark in this organization."
#8 Paul Gaustad--"Gaustad also has improved his skating to the point where he is now a bona fide NHL player who could eventually be a solid checking-line center. The Fargo, North Dakota native will never be an offensive star, but he could develop into one of the better role players in the NHL."
The others:
#4 Daniel Paille--" Paille did manage to impress some observers with his speed and effort, but his overall game is not yet to a point where he could push for a NHL job."
#7 Clarke MacArthur--"The Lloydminster, Alberta native is a good skater with a deft scoring touch, but his overall game needs refining before he is ready for the next level."
And finally:
#2 Marek Zagrapan--"Although the Sabres had an obvious need for a top flight defenseman going into the 2005 NHL Draft, they instead chose to select skilled center Marek Zagrapan with their first pick...Zagrapan showed flashes of his ability during his time in camp, but he clearly requires more time to develop in the junior ranks."
For more info on the "Rochester Guys" and their careers with the Amerks, click here.
I happened across and interesting read that goes back to October 12, 2005--The Buffalo Sabres Top-20 prospects ranking from Ken McKenna of Hockey'sfuture.
The NHL, as we all should know, was coming out of the lockout and the "new-NHL" emerging.
The Sabres had all of their top prospects playing in Rochester in the 2004/05 season with the Amerks falling short of the Calder Cup. But the Sabres came out of the lockout with a group of players that had a full year playing together in the AHL.
Out of this group emerged "the core," or as Sabres President Ted Black called them recently, "the Rochester Guys." It included present members Thomas Vanek, Derek Roy, Jason Pominville, and Drew Stafford as well as Paul Gaustad who was traded to the Nashville Predators at the 2012 trade deadline.
Also included in the top-20 were former Sabres forwards Daniel Paille and Clarke MacArthur, among others.
As we head towards the draft, free agency and the upcoming season, I found it interesting to look back at what was being said about "the core" at that time. (For the entire page and player analyses, click on the link above.)
(#1 prospect) Thomas Vanek--"Vanek has displayed the scoring touch that most expect from him, but he has also shown excellent passing skills that have come as a surprise to some observers. The bottom line is that Vanek is the package of offensive skill that the Sabres have lacked for many a year, a fact that should cheer Sabres fans that have suffered through some mediocre hockey since their last appearance in the playoffs in 2001."
#3 Derek Roy--"...his performance in camp was not quite good enough to help him secure that roster spot. Roy’s mediocre preseason performance, combined with his sometimes lackadaisical play in Rochester during the 2004-05 season no doubt has the Sabres concerned that the talented center is resting on past laurels."
#5 Drew Stafford--"While possessing some offensive ability, Stafford’s main attributes are his skating and consistent effort from game to game."
#6 Jason Pominville--"It would seem that Pominville has NHL ability, but it remains to be seen if his road to the NHL will run through Buffalo. There may simply be too much quality in front of him, as well as a few up-and-comers behind him, for Pominville to make his mark in this organization."
#8 Paul Gaustad--"Gaustad also has improved his skating to the point where he is now a bona fide NHL player who could eventually be a solid checking-line center. The Fargo, North Dakota native will never be an offensive star, but he could develop into one of the better role players in the NHL."
The others:
#4 Daniel Paille--" Paille did manage to impress some observers with his speed and effort, but his overall game is not yet to a point where he could push for a NHL job."
#7 Clarke MacArthur--"The Lloydminster, Alberta native is a good skater with a deft scoring touch, but his overall game needs refining before he is ready for the next level."
And finally:
#2 Marek Zagrapan--"Although the Sabres had an obvious need for a top flight defenseman going into the 2005 NHL Draft, they instead chose to select skilled center Marek Zagrapan with their first pick...Zagrapan showed flashes of his ability during his time in camp, but he clearly requires more time to develop in the junior ranks."
For more info on the "Rochester Guys" and their careers with the Amerks, click here.
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
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Four moves for the Sabres....
if GM Darcy Regier and the Sabres brass are willing to throw in the towel on the season.
That, of course, is a big "if."
The goal, in this blogger's eyes, is to add some center depth now and better position themselves for the draft by trading movable players. Unrestricted free agents are obvious, but teams are always looking for defensive depth at this time of year and there are a number of teams that could use a top-six center.
The names we'll look at are Derek Roy, Paul Gaustad, Jordan Leopold and Brad Boyes.
What we're looking for are at least two center prospects in return and two draft-picks somewhere in the the #16-56 range (ideally, we'd want to go higher, but that might be a bit of a stretch.)
Qualifier: It's kind of fun playing GM from behind a keyboard. After all, your ass isn't on the line as you spend millions of your owner's money both near-term and years down the road. Nor do you have the responsibility of uprooting a player and, possibly, his family.
Speculation is the order of the day at this time of year and even though there's no inside info here, with the amount of information on the internet you can draw some conclusions as to what players, especially prospects, are all about. With that info in hand, you can look at a teams' playoff position and read up on needs and/or wants then play match-maker.
Far be it for me to be so stodgy as to stand idly by with the trade deadline less than a week away. This is the time of year armchair gm's relish as they toy with delusions of Stanley Cup grandeur, and I'm game.
That being said, here we go.
(Edit: After posting this article, the Tampa Bay Lightning traded forward Steve Downie to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Kyle Quincy. Bolts GM Steve Yzerman then sent Quincy to Detroit for a 2012 first-round pick and a minor league defenseman--Sebastian Piche.)
Derek Roy
It's been said that the Sabres tried trading Roy over the summer, and, obviously it hasn't happened yet.
Up until the Pittsburgh game this past Sunday, Roy was having a dismal season. But during that game he showed glimpses of why he was near a point/game player for a few years.
Back in early January, we focused on three teams in the playoff hunt that could use a top-six center like Roy--Florida, Minnesota and Phoenix.
Florida is in a battle with Washington for the Southeast Division lead and the loser could still end up in the playoffs. Minnesota is a mere four points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference with four teams to jump. And Phoenix is presently holding down the #7-seed in the West.
We looked at a return for Roy, with the return being a mid-upper level center prospect coming back. The names: Nick Bjugstad (Florida,) Zack Phillips (Minnesota,) and Ethan Werek (Phoenix.) Click on the link above for more info.
But there's an interesting development in Washington.
Their center depth was depleted with the injury to Niklas Backstrom back in January. Right now down the middle they have sophomore center Marcus Johansson, Brooks Laich, Jeff Halpern and Matthieu Perreault at the pivot.
Backstrom's out with concussion related problems and he's yet to resume skating. Although the Caps are not in dire straights right now, a move to keep them in the hunt for both the playoffs and the division title might be a good one.
The Caps are tight against the cap, but could create space for Roy's $4M cap-hit this season and be in pretty decent shape for next season as well.
The cool part about the Caps is that they have an extra first-round pick this season thanks to Colorado giving theirs up for goalie Semyon Varlamov.
As Roy begins to heat up along with Washington's playoff chase, Roy could be put to good use by the Caps. Yes, they are having goaltending problems and would probably would like to have a Jonathan Bernier (LAK) or a Cory Schneider (VAN,) but that isn't likely to happening until the off-season.
If the Caps want to add a #2 center like Derek Roy, they have an extra first-round pick to give in return. But if I were in the Sabres shoes, I wouldn't stop there.
The goal for this arm-chair gm is to add depth to the center position too.
The Sabres are not going to get the Caps top-center prospect, Cody Eakin. Nor will they get any upper-level prospect (unless there's a package deal) so Buffalo can set their sights on an older "prospect" in the Caps system--Mattias Sjorgen.
The 24 yr. old free agent signing is presently playing in Europe after an ill-fated stint with the Hershey Bears. According to Hockey's Future, Sjorgen used an out-clause in his contract and his status with the team is unknown.
Sjorgen has good size, 6'1", 210lbs, and is projected out as a bottom-six center. For the Sabres, other than Luke Adam, their center depth has prospects on the small/skilled side of the equation.
Would the Sabres be able to get Sjorgen along with one of Washington's two first-rounders?
Why not? As a free agent Sjorgen cost the Caps nothing to sign. And they'll have Roy, a clear #2 behind Backtrom, or an outstanding #3 behind Johansson as well.
The trade by buffalosabresnow:
Paul Gaustad
"Goose" is a perfect UFA for a contender looking for a deep run in the playoffs. He's big, his defensive play is outstanding and his prowess in the dot is top-five. You're not going to get much offense out of him, but there are at least a couple of teams who wouldn't care.
Oh, and his $2.3M annual cap-hit is easily absorbed.
But, as mentioned here (and a lot of places as well,) Goose to Detroit is about as good a fit as any this trade deadline.
Sunday, on Hockey Day In America, Gaustad's line was up against the Evgeni Malkin line as the Pittsburgh Penguins visited the First Niagara Center. Goose, along with LW Nathan Gerbe and RW Patrick Kaleta, throttled Malkin as the Sabres rolled to a 6-2 win.
Something like that would only enhanced Gaustad's worth.
The Red Wings aren't exactly spring chickens anymore, although players like Niklas Lidstrom somehow defy age. But, as aged as they are, right now they could be looked at as the Stanley Cup favorite this season.
For the Wings, the future is now and adding Gaustad certainly will give them one of the deepest groups of forwards in hockey.
So, as we move Goose to the Wings, a fit like that deserves a decent return. The Wings have plenty of center depth in their system with three of them ranked in the mid-upper area of the organization: Riley Sheahan, Calle Jarnkrok and Landon Ferraro.
Of the three, Sheahan has attributes that any team would want, specifically the Buffalo Sabres.
A junior at Notre Dame, Sheahan has an NHL-ready 6'2", 200lb frame, plays a solid two-way game and seems to have a good head on his shoulders.
The trade by buffalosabresnow:
Jordan Leopold
Leopold is one of those veteran, top-four defensmen that always seems to be on the move at the deadline in fact he knows it first-hand. He's dependable, good in his own end, can put up points, and can log big minutes.
The only drawback to him being moved is that he will have one more year on his contract after this season, so he's not a rental.
The Sabres have quite a few defenseman who can do what Leopold does so moving him would not really hurt them next season.
Once again, there are always a few teams that are looking for veteran defensive depth, but one team could really use his services--Florida.
The Panthers are turning their franchise around after not making the playoffs for the last 10 years. They've done it by bringing in a bevy of veterans to hold the fort while their deep pool of prospects develop.
After a hot start, Florida dropped out of the Southeast Division lead only to gain it back a game later from Washington. But injuries on the back-end have the potential to derail their playoff push.
Three of their six starters on defense are on IR with veteran Ed Jovanoski slated to return very soon.
Enter Leopold.
With Florida well-stocked at every position in the organization, the Cats could, conceivably get by with minimal picks in the upcoming 2012 draft. Sending a couple Buffalo's way for Leopold would not hurt the organization in any way.
The buffalosabresnow trade:
Brad Boyes
The first acquisition by Sabres GM Darcy Regier under the new ownership of Terry Pegula.
Boyes is a former 40-goal scoring winger who was brought in to bolster the forward group--as a center.
It didn't work out well. In 67 games with Buffalo, Boyes has eight goals and 19 assists and has been dropped to the fourth line.
Boyes will be an unrestricted free agent, and with most of his $4m contract being paid, teams in the hunt for the playoffs, or looking to (hopefully) bolster their scoring from the wing for a long playoff run could look to Boyes as an option.
The team that Boyes could end up with is the team that he's played for before--Boston.
The equation is simple. Bruins RW Nathan Horton is out with a concussion and the team is said to be looking for a replacement. Rick Nash has gathered all of the headlines as the Columbus Blue Jackets have said that all is on the table for their last-place team.
But Nash does not make any sense for the Bruins at this juncture of the season. They're looking for rental.
After Nash, the Edmonton's "Captain Canada," Ryan Smyth, would be next on their list, but he's said that he wants to stay in Edmonton. Another Oiler, Ales Hemsky has been a perennial trade candidate for a couple years now with nothing ever coming of it. Perhaps his $5M cap-hit has been a determent.
As we move down the depth-chart of wingers, we get to Brad Boyes. He has the size and can play a gritty game at times, plus he wouldn't cost the Bruins much in return.
The buffalosabresnow trade:
When owner Terry Pegula said that "the reason for the existence of the Buffalo Sabres is to win the Stanley Cup," he didn't say how they would do it. When he mentioned that his goal was a Cup in three years, he obviously thought this team was closer than they really were, but that vision has been obliterated.
A partial reconstruction should be in the cards this season. This trade deadline along with a potential a lottery pick in the 2012 draft represents a unique opportunity for a team that's in dire need of, at least, a "re-tool."
For too long--nearly ten years--Buffalo has been mired in mediocrity to the point where they're not good enough to win it all, yet not bad enough to get a top-five draft pick. It's time to buck that trend and tank the season.
The buffalosabresnow plan of attack using that thought and the aforementioned trades:
Or a team, via the above moves (and a drive to the bottom of the standings by the team) with two first-rounders (including a top-five,) three second-rounders, two third-rounders and a fourth rounder along with two center prospects?
That was fun.
Thanx for reading.
That, of course, is a big "if."
The goal, in this blogger's eyes, is to add some center depth now and better position themselves for the draft by trading movable players. Unrestricted free agents are obvious, but teams are always looking for defensive depth at this time of year and there are a number of teams that could use a top-six center.
The names we'll look at are Derek Roy, Paul Gaustad, Jordan Leopold and Brad Boyes.
What we're looking for are at least two center prospects in return and two draft-picks somewhere in the the #16-56 range (ideally, we'd want to go higher, but that might be a bit of a stretch.)
Qualifier: It's kind of fun playing GM from behind a keyboard. After all, your ass isn't on the line as you spend millions of your owner's money both near-term and years down the road. Nor do you have the responsibility of uprooting a player and, possibly, his family.
Speculation is the order of the day at this time of year and even though there's no inside info here, with the amount of information on the internet you can draw some conclusions as to what players, especially prospects, are all about. With that info in hand, you can look at a teams' playoff position and read up on needs and/or wants then play match-maker.
Far be it for me to be so stodgy as to stand idly by with the trade deadline less than a week away. This is the time of year armchair gm's relish as they toy with delusions of Stanley Cup grandeur, and I'm game.
That being said, here we go.
(Edit: After posting this article, the Tampa Bay Lightning traded forward Steve Downie to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Kyle Quincy. Bolts GM Steve Yzerman then sent Quincy to Detroit for a 2012 first-round pick and a minor league defenseman--Sebastian Piche.)
Derek Roy
It's been said that the Sabres tried trading Roy over the summer, and, obviously it hasn't happened yet.
Up until the Pittsburgh game this past Sunday, Roy was having a dismal season. But during that game he showed glimpses of why he was near a point/game player for a few years.
Back in early January, we focused on three teams in the playoff hunt that could use a top-six center like Roy--Florida, Minnesota and Phoenix.
Florida is in a battle with Washington for the Southeast Division lead and the loser could still end up in the playoffs. Minnesota is a mere four points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference with four teams to jump. And Phoenix is presently holding down the #7-seed in the West.
We looked at a return for Roy, with the return being a mid-upper level center prospect coming back. The names: Nick Bjugstad (Florida,) Zack Phillips (Minnesota,) and Ethan Werek (Phoenix.) Click on the link above for more info.
But there's an interesting development in Washington.
Their center depth was depleted with the injury to Niklas Backstrom back in January. Right now down the middle they have sophomore center Marcus Johansson, Brooks Laich, Jeff Halpern and Matthieu Perreault at the pivot.
Backstrom's out with concussion related problems and he's yet to resume skating. Although the Caps are not in dire straights right now, a move to keep them in the hunt for both the playoffs and the division title might be a good one.
The Caps are tight against the cap, but could create space for Roy's $4M cap-hit this season and be in pretty decent shape for next season as well.
The cool part about the Caps is that they have an extra first-round pick this season thanks to Colorado giving theirs up for goalie Semyon Varlamov.
As Roy begins to heat up along with Washington's playoff chase, Roy could be put to good use by the Caps. Yes, they are having goaltending problems and would probably would like to have a Jonathan Bernier (LAK) or a Cory Schneider (VAN,) but that isn't likely to happening until the off-season.
If the Caps want to add a #2 center like Derek Roy, they have an extra first-round pick to give in return. But if I were in the Sabres shoes, I wouldn't stop there.
The goal for this arm-chair gm is to add depth to the center position too.
The Sabres are not going to get the Caps top-center prospect, Cody Eakin. Nor will they get any upper-level prospect (unless there's a package deal) so Buffalo can set their sights on an older "prospect" in the Caps system--Mattias Sjorgen.
The 24 yr. old free agent signing is presently playing in Europe after an ill-fated stint with the Hershey Bears. According to Hockey's Future, Sjorgen used an out-clause in his contract and his status with the team is unknown.
Sjorgen has good size, 6'1", 210lbs, and is projected out as a bottom-six center. For the Sabres, other than Luke Adam, their center depth has prospects on the small/skilled side of the equation.
Would the Sabres be able to get Sjorgen along with one of Washington's two first-rounders?
Why not? As a free agent Sjorgen cost the Caps nothing to sign. And they'll have Roy, a clear #2 behind Backtrom, or an outstanding #3 behind Johansson as well.
The trade by buffalosabresnow:
- Derek Roy to Washington for one of their two first-round picks and prospect Mattias Sjorgen.
Paul Gaustad
"Goose" is a perfect UFA for a contender looking for a deep run in the playoffs. He's big, his defensive play is outstanding and his prowess in the dot is top-five. You're not going to get much offense out of him, but there are at least a couple of teams who wouldn't care.
Oh, and his $2.3M annual cap-hit is easily absorbed.
But, as mentioned here (and a lot of places as well,) Goose to Detroit is about as good a fit as any this trade deadline.
Sunday, on Hockey Day In America, Gaustad's line was up against the Evgeni Malkin line as the Pittsburgh Penguins visited the First Niagara Center. Goose, along with LW Nathan Gerbe and RW Patrick Kaleta, throttled Malkin as the Sabres rolled to a 6-2 win.
Something like that would only enhanced Gaustad's worth.
The Red Wings aren't exactly spring chickens anymore, although players like Niklas Lidstrom somehow defy age. But, as aged as they are, right now they could be looked at as the Stanley Cup favorite this season.
For the Wings, the future is now and adding Gaustad certainly will give them one of the deepest groups of forwards in hockey.
So, as we move Goose to the Wings, a fit like that deserves a decent return. The Wings have plenty of center depth in their system with three of them ranked in the mid-upper area of the organization: Riley Sheahan, Calle Jarnkrok and Landon Ferraro.
Of the three, Sheahan has attributes that any team would want, specifically the Buffalo Sabres.
A junior at Notre Dame, Sheahan has an NHL-ready 6'2", 200lb frame, plays a solid two-way game and seems to have a good head on his shoulders.
The trade by buffalosabresnow:
- Paul Gaustad to the Detroit Red Wings for Riley Sheahan
Jordan Leopold
Leopold is one of those veteran, top-four defensmen that always seems to be on the move at the deadline in fact he knows it first-hand. He's dependable, good in his own end, can put up points, and can log big minutes.
The only drawback to him being moved is that he will have one more year on his contract after this season, so he's not a rental.
The Sabres have quite a few defenseman who can do what Leopold does so moving him would not really hurt them next season.
Once again, there are always a few teams that are looking for veteran defensive depth, but one team could really use his services--Florida.
The Panthers are turning their franchise around after not making the playoffs for the last 10 years. They've done it by bringing in a bevy of veterans to hold the fort while their deep pool of prospects develop.
After a hot start, Florida dropped out of the Southeast Division lead only to gain it back a game later from Washington. But injuries on the back-end have the potential to derail their playoff push.
Three of their six starters on defense are on IR with veteran Ed Jovanoski slated to return very soon.
Enter Leopold.
With Florida well-stocked at every position in the organization, the Cats could, conceivably get by with minimal picks in the upcoming 2012 draft. Sending a couple Buffalo's way for Leopold would not hurt the organization in any way.
The buffalosabresnow trade:
- Jordan Leopold to Florida for a 2012 2nd-round and 2012 4th-round pick
Brad Boyes
The first acquisition by Sabres GM Darcy Regier under the new ownership of Terry Pegula.
Boyes is a former 40-goal scoring winger who was brought in to bolster the forward group--as a center.
It didn't work out well. In 67 games with Buffalo, Boyes has eight goals and 19 assists and has been dropped to the fourth line.
Boyes will be an unrestricted free agent, and with most of his $4m contract being paid, teams in the hunt for the playoffs, or looking to (hopefully) bolster their scoring from the wing for a long playoff run could look to Boyes as an option.
The team that Boyes could end up with is the team that he's played for before--Boston.
The equation is simple. Bruins RW Nathan Horton is out with a concussion and the team is said to be looking for a replacement. Rick Nash has gathered all of the headlines as the Columbus Blue Jackets have said that all is on the table for their last-place team.
But Nash does not make any sense for the Bruins at this juncture of the season. They're looking for rental.
After Nash, the Edmonton's "Captain Canada," Ryan Smyth, would be next on their list, but he's said that he wants to stay in Edmonton. Another Oiler, Ales Hemsky has been a perennial trade candidate for a couple years now with nothing ever coming of it. Perhaps his $5M cap-hit has been a determent.
As we move down the depth-chart of wingers, we get to Brad Boyes. He has the size and can play a gritty game at times, plus he wouldn't cost the Bruins much in return.
The buffalosabresnow trade:
- Brad Boyes to Boston for a 2012 3rd-round pick.
When owner Terry Pegula said that "the reason for the existence of the Buffalo Sabres is to win the Stanley Cup," he didn't say how they would do it. When he mentioned that his goal was a Cup in three years, he obviously thought this team was closer than they really were, but that vision has been obliterated.
A partial reconstruction should be in the cards this season. This trade deadline along with a potential a lottery pick in the 2012 draft represents a unique opportunity for a team that's in dire need of, at least, a "re-tool."
For too long--nearly ten years--Buffalo has been mired in mediocrity to the point where they're not good enough to win it all, yet not bad enough to get a top-five draft pick. It's time to buck that trend and tank the season.
The buffalosabresnow plan of attack using that thought and the aforementioned trades:
- Sabres end up in the top-five of the draft and land an impact center.
- Derek Roy gets them a mid-lower first-round pick plus a big, bottom-six center prospect (Mattias Sjorgen)
- Paul Gaustad gets them potential top-six center prospect Riley Sheahan
- Jordan Leopold lands a second and a fourth round pick in the upcoming draft
- Brad Boyes gets the team a third-rounder
Or a team, via the above moves (and a drive to the bottom of the standings by the team) with two first-rounders (including a top-five,) three second-rounders, two third-rounders and a fourth rounder along with two center prospects?
That was fun.
Thanx for reading.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Sabres in limbo with Gaustad to Wings making a lot of sense
Limbo is the place the Sabres organization finds themselves as the February 27, 2012 trade-deadline approaches. They still don't know if they'll be a buyer or seller or some sort of hybrid.
With two weeks to go until the deadline, Buffalo currently sits in 14th place in the Eastern Conference. They're eight points back of 8th place Toronto and nine points behind 7th place Ottawa and they have a games in hand.
The team has 54 points with 27 games remaining. Right now it would seem as if 94 points for the entire season would get them into the playoffs--the equivalent of 20 wins in 27 games.
Once again, it's not impossible, but even with their current 5-1-1 streak, it still remains an improbability.
Even if they did manage to make the playoffs, they're chances of winning it all are slim to none. They say that winning the Stanley Cup is the hardest championship to win. It take four series' wins--16 games--against four different opponents and nearly always means four different styles of play.
That's why, as of this morning, sportsclubstats has the Sabres at a 2.1% chance of just making the playoffs. Las Vegas has Buffalo at 35-1 to win the Eastern Conference, 65-1 odds to win the Cup.
That being said (in a rather prolonged way,) Sabres GM Darcy Regier should be looking towards the future. It's not to say that they should completely blow it up and rebuild, but they should be looking to move a few of their players starting the transition from Darcy's core (or as Ted Black put it, the Rochester guys) of the last four-plus seasons to an emerging "new core."
The two names that keep surfacing in the rumor mill are centers Derek Roy and Paul Gaustad.
For some reason, Regier thinks that he can get a top-six player in return for Roy, which is a bit absurd considering a potential trade partner would want to bolster their top-nine, not make a trade to exchange struggling forwards.
Traditionally, picks and prospects are what's given up at the deadline for a cup-contending piece, so getting a bonafide top-six forward for a top-six forward is something that usually doesn't happen this time of year.
Which leads us to the Sabres' most movable commodity--Paul Gaustad.
Detroit Red Wings scout, Kirk Maltby, recently attended back-to-back Buffalo Sabres games--visiting Montreal and Buffalo. Detroit, a perennial Stanley Cup contender, isn't looking to bolster their core, which is about as solid as it gets, they're looking for forward depth. It was said that the Canadians Travis Moen, a former Stanley Cup champion, was a person of interest, as was Gaustad.
Both Moen and Gaustad are similar in stature, are rock-solid penalty-killers and both are depth players, but Moen is a winger and Gaustad is a center. Looking at the Wings depth chart, the fourth-line center slot is held down by rookie Cory Emmerton.
Not to get too far into the Red Wings and their depth-chart wants and/or needs, but the addition of both LW Moen and C Gaustad to go along with RW Justin Abdelkader would make for a very formidable fourth line.
But, back to Gaustad.
"Goose" is a fourth-line player who can play on the third line if necessary. He's a big body that is a top-notch faceoff man and an exceptional penalty killer.
On the dot, the Wings are lead by Pavel Datsyuk and his 56.5%. The team is currently 7th in the league at faceoffs, just a few fractions out of the top-three. Goose is at 55.6%, which would rank him second on the Wings and invariably help Detroit get even stronger in the faceoff circle.
On the penalty kill, Sabres currently rank 15th in the league, the Wings, 20th. Darren Helm and Drew Miller (brother of Sabres' goalie Ryan Miller) anchor the PK for the forwards. Gaustad leads Sabres forwards in short-handed time on ice and there's no reason to think that he wouldn't be one of the top-four forwards on the kill for the Wings.
Another big factor in the "Goose to Red Wings" scenario would be salary, but it's a non-starter as Detroit presently has plenty of room to fit Gaustad's $2.3M annual cap-hit. In fact they could even fit Moen in as well and still have room to spare.
This is a real good fit for the 1st place Red Wings and may just be the move (or moves if you add in Moen) that could bring the Cup back to Hockeytown. And it should be done from the Sabres perspective, as long as the return isn't a bag of pucks.
With two weeks to go until the deadline, Buffalo currently sits in 14th place in the Eastern Conference. They're eight points back of 8th place Toronto and nine points behind 7th place Ottawa and they have a games in hand.
The team has 54 points with 27 games remaining. Right now it would seem as if 94 points for the entire season would get them into the playoffs--the equivalent of 20 wins in 27 games.
Once again, it's not impossible, but even with their current 5-1-1 streak, it still remains an improbability.
Even if they did manage to make the playoffs, they're chances of winning it all are slim to none. They say that winning the Stanley Cup is the hardest championship to win. It take four series' wins--16 games--against four different opponents and nearly always means four different styles of play.
That's why, as of this morning, sportsclubstats has the Sabres at a 2.1% chance of just making the playoffs. Las Vegas has Buffalo at 35-1 to win the Eastern Conference, 65-1 odds to win the Cup.
That being said (in a rather prolonged way,) Sabres GM Darcy Regier should be looking towards the future. It's not to say that they should completely blow it up and rebuild, but they should be looking to move a few of their players starting the transition from Darcy's core (or as Ted Black put it, the Rochester guys) of the last four-plus seasons to an emerging "new core."
The two names that keep surfacing in the rumor mill are centers Derek Roy and Paul Gaustad.
For some reason, Regier thinks that he can get a top-six player in return for Roy, which is a bit absurd considering a potential trade partner would want to bolster their top-nine, not make a trade to exchange struggling forwards.
Traditionally, picks and prospects are what's given up at the deadline for a cup-contending piece, so getting a bonafide top-six forward for a top-six forward is something that usually doesn't happen this time of year.
Which leads us to the Sabres' most movable commodity--Paul Gaustad.
Detroit Red Wings scout, Kirk Maltby, recently attended back-to-back Buffalo Sabres games--visiting Montreal and Buffalo. Detroit, a perennial Stanley Cup contender, isn't looking to bolster their core, which is about as solid as it gets, they're looking for forward depth. It was said that the Canadians Travis Moen, a former Stanley Cup champion, was a person of interest, as was Gaustad.
Both Moen and Gaustad are similar in stature, are rock-solid penalty-killers and both are depth players, but Moen is a winger and Gaustad is a center. Looking at the Wings depth chart, the fourth-line center slot is held down by rookie Cory Emmerton.
Not to get too far into the Red Wings and their depth-chart wants and/or needs, but the addition of both LW Moen and C Gaustad to go along with RW Justin Abdelkader would make for a very formidable fourth line.
But, back to Gaustad.
"Goose" is a fourth-line player who can play on the third line if necessary. He's a big body that is a top-notch faceoff man and an exceptional penalty killer.
On the dot, the Wings are lead by Pavel Datsyuk and his 56.5%. The team is currently 7th in the league at faceoffs, just a few fractions out of the top-three. Goose is at 55.6%, which would rank him second on the Wings and invariably help Detroit get even stronger in the faceoff circle.
On the penalty kill, Sabres currently rank 15th in the league, the Wings, 20th. Darren Helm and Drew Miller (brother of Sabres' goalie Ryan Miller) anchor the PK for the forwards. Gaustad leads Sabres forwards in short-handed time on ice and there's no reason to think that he wouldn't be one of the top-four forwards on the kill for the Wings.
Another big factor in the "Goose to Red Wings" scenario would be salary, but it's a non-starter as Detroit presently has plenty of room to fit Gaustad's $2.3M annual cap-hit. In fact they could even fit Moen in as well and still have room to spare.
This is a real good fit for the 1st place Red Wings and may just be the move (or moves if you add in Moen) that could bring the Cup back to Hockeytown. And it should be done from the Sabres perspective, as long as the return isn't a bag of pucks.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
A Valiant Effort
Gaustad and the team earned back the respect of their fans as well. The 18,690 in attendance and those of us watching loved it, even though they knew the outcome of the Goose/Looch fight. As John Vogl of the Buffalo News put it, "What mattered was their team was back from the land of kittens and custard."
Goose also came in mid-way through the first to pound Brad Marchand into the boards after Marchand nailed Nathan Gerbe with a check. The B's descended upon Goose and Corey Tropp like a pack of wolves with fists flying. Amongst the Bruins on the ice were some pretty tough customers like Adam McQuaid and Johnny Boychuk.
Out of the melee' came Zdeno Chara and Robyn Regehr. Regehr, who's not the greatest fighter took some lumps from the 6'9" Chara, but managed to sneak in a punch or two himself.
Regehr has always been well respected throughout the league, and it's a good thing he was out there.
The Sabres as a team acquitted themselves very well in what turned out to be an old-school, Adams Division-type rumble for a period and a half. The played some pretty inspired hockey and they didn't back down despite the fact that they were clearly outnumbered in the manly-man category.
Gerbe, the shortest player in the ice, had eight hits on the game, which isn't all that surprising considering that's the game he plays, "That's fun to play, I'll tell you that much," said the Sabres forward. "Those games are awesome. It's fun to play. It's fun to compete."
That attitude, along with Gaustad manning up early, got their blood pumping to the point where they lead the game by two goals twice, 2-0 and 3-1, but just couldn't bury the defending Stanley Cup Champions with that third one.
Nor could they protect a one-goal lead in the third. Nor could they score in overtime or the shootout.
But all-in-all they played one of their best games of the season, especially in the first period.
For all the purported skill Darcy Regier was supposed to have stocked the team with, they're still not quite as skilled as he believes them to be.
Thomas Vanek scored on a wicked wrist shot to put the Sabres up 2-0. He's got mad skills, although he'd love to have the shot that Chara blocked back. Maybe put some air under it.
Christian Ehrhoff showed why the Sabres went after him. His game-opening goal was a blast from the point through a thick screen in front of Tim Thomas.
Other than that, lack of finish still seems to haunt this team.
The Bruins are a tough match-up for the Sabres. The B's beat them the first time with intimidation and the second time with just a little more skill and finish.
It's not an egregious mismatch, by any stretch, but a tweak or two may be in order if they want to match up with the champs.
The Sabres should in no way hang their heads after their defeat. They gave it all they had, and now need to find it within themselves to sustain that level of play they showed in the first period and a half throughout an entire game.
There's no better team than the Boston Bruins to emulate now. They had their Lucic/Ryan Miller moment when Marc Savard was nailed by Matt Cooke and there was no response. Eventually they did with Shawn Thorton going after Cooke. And from then on they built themselves into a Stanley Cup Champion.
It's a long way to Tipperary, and these two games with the Bruins showed just how far the Sabres need to go. The team has some really solid pieces, strong goaltending and some skill up-front. They proved last night, as they've proven on more than one occasion before, that they can play a physical game.
They just need a piece or two to be able to come out on top in an Adams Division-type rumble.
Jochen Hecht made his debut last night and showed his savvy. He had Mike Grier-like moments last night where he somehow got in on Thomas only to be denied.
TJ Brennan got thrown into the fire and played a real strong game. He was strong on the puck in his own end and moved the puck out of trouble on a number of occasions. His goal, in his first NHL game, was a combination of savvy and skill as he jumped into an opening and buried his shot from the slot.
From bostonherald.com:
If Lucic-Miller was the big story of the previous Bruins-Sabres meeting in Boston, Brad Marchand’s interactions with Sabres forward Derek Roy was an interesting sub-plot. Throughout that game, Marchand pestered Roy with little shoves and hooks before and after the whistle, and non-stop trash talk.
“He does a good job at it,” said Roy. “There are only a few guys in the league who can do what he does.
“It doesn’t bother me. People have being doing that stuff to me since was a kid. You’re used to it and you just shrug it off. You can’t worry about what he’s doing on the ice, just what you’re trying to do.”
It should be interesting to note that with the Sabres up 3-2 early in the third period, Roy was called for hooking behind the Buffalo net. Zdeno Chara scored on the ensuing powerplay to tie up the game.
Paul Gaustad knew what needed to be done. Or felt that he needed to challenge Milan Lucic. And he did on their first shift. And he took a pretty good beating. Good thing it was real early, Lucic wasn't warmed up yet, “It was my first shift, you know,’’ he said. “It’s kinda tough to get angry.’’
 |
| The girls' reaction in the second row says it all. Everyone knew what Gaustad was in for tangling with Milan Lucic, but it didn't matter. The effort was appreciated througout Buffalo. |
Gaustad earned some respect, though. As did the Sabres even though they eventually dropped a 4-3 decision to Boston in a shootout.
After the game, Lucic was asked about Gaustad and the fight, "It was straight to the point," he said. Teammate Chara gave props to Goose, "You have to give Gaustad credit," Chara said. "He's a stand-up guy and he did a good job for his team. So did Looch."
Gaustad and the team earned back the respect of their fans as well. The 18,690 in attendance and those of us watching loved it, even though they knew the outcome of the Goose/Looch fight. As John Vogl of the Buffalo News put it, "What mattered was their team was back from the land of kittens and custard."
Goose also came in mid-way through the first to pound Brad Marchand into the boards after Marchand nailed Nathan Gerbe with a check. The B's descended upon Goose and Corey Tropp like a pack of wolves with fists flying. Amongst the Bruins on the ice were some pretty tough customers like Adam McQuaid and Johnny Boychuk.
Out of the melee' came Zdeno Chara and Robyn Regehr. Regehr, who's not the greatest fighter took some lumps from the 6'9" Chara, but managed to sneak in a punch or two himself.
Regehr has always been well respected throughout the league, and it's a good thing he was out there.
The Sabres as a team acquitted themselves very well in what turned out to be an old-school, Adams Division-type rumble for a period and a half. The played some pretty inspired hockey and they didn't back down despite the fact that they were clearly outnumbered in the manly-man category.
 |
| For as small as he is, Nathan Gerbe's heart can fill the entire F'N Center. |
That attitude, along with Gaustad manning up early, got their blood pumping to the point where they lead the game by two goals twice, 2-0 and 3-1, but just couldn't bury the defending Stanley Cup Champions with that third one.
Nor could they protect a one-goal lead in the third. Nor could they score in overtime or the shootout.
But all-in-all they played one of their best games of the season, especially in the first period.
For all the purported skill Darcy Regier was supposed to have stocked the team with, they're still not quite as skilled as he believes them to be.
Thomas Vanek scored on a wicked wrist shot to put the Sabres up 2-0. He's got mad skills, although he'd love to have the shot that Chara blocked back. Maybe put some air under it.
Christian Ehrhoff showed why the Sabres went after him. His game-opening goal was a blast from the point through a thick screen in front of Tim Thomas.
Other than that, lack of finish still seems to haunt this team.
The Bruins are a tough match-up for the Sabres. The B's beat them the first time with intimidation and the second time with just a little more skill and finish.
It's not an egregious mismatch, by any stretch, but a tweak or two may be in order if they want to match up with the champs.
The Sabres should in no way hang their heads after their defeat. They gave it all they had, and now need to find it within themselves to sustain that level of play they showed in the first period and a half throughout an entire game.
 |
| Although Brad Marchand got leveled by Thomas Vanek on this play, he got up and scored seconds later. The mark of a champion. |
There's no better team than the Boston Bruins to emulate now. They had their Lucic/Ryan Miller moment when Marc Savard was nailed by Matt Cooke and there was no response. Eventually they did with Shawn Thorton going after Cooke. And from then on they built themselves into a Stanley Cup Champion.
It's a long way to Tipperary, and these two games with the Bruins showed just how far the Sabres need to go. The team has some really solid pieces, strong goaltending and some skill up-front. They proved last night, as they've proven on more than one occasion before, that they can play a physical game.
They just need a piece or two to be able to come out on top in an Adams Division-type rumble.
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| Sabres d-man TJ Brennan celebrates his first goal in his first NHL game. |
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From bostonherald.com:
If Lucic-Miller was the big story of the previous Bruins-Sabres meeting in Boston, Brad Marchand’s interactions with Sabres forward Derek Roy was an interesting sub-plot. Throughout that game, Marchand pestered Roy with little shoves and hooks before and after the whistle, and non-stop trash talk.
“He does a good job at it,” said Roy. “There are only a few guys in the league who can do what he does.
“It doesn’t bother me. People have being doing that stuff to me since was a kid. You’re used to it and you just shrug it off. You can’t worry about what he’s doing on the ice, just what you’re trying to do.”
It should be interesting to note that with the Sabres up 3-2 early in the third period, Roy was called for hooking behind the Buffalo net. Zdeno Chara scored on the ensuing powerplay to tie up the game.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Who Will Wear Letters On Their Sabres' Sweaters?
In 2008, two days before their October 10 season opener vs. the Montreal Canadians, Head Coach Lindy Ruff announced that recently acquired d-man Craig Rivet would be named team captain.
It was a somewhat surprising move considering the fact that he'd been acquired a mere three months earlier in a trade with San Jose', with the operative word being "somewhat."
Ruff had used the rotating captain thing for the 2007/08 season--the first season without departed co-captains Chris Drury and Daniel Briere--trying to find out which player had what it takes to lead the team. Although there may have been a player in his eyes which could take the reigns, none, it seemed, felt themselves worthy, and it ended up with the team voting Rivet captain.
“The players showed a lot of instant respect for him and what he’s done,” Ruff said as he introduced the new Sabres captain. “Was I a little bit surprised? Yeah. I’ve liked, and loved actually, what he’s done in practice and games. But to come in and garner that much respect and trust from his teammates in a short period of time… it says a lot.”
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| And now, "Deep Thoughts," by Lindy Ruff. "Who Will Be My Captain This Season?" |
Three years later, the Sabres are once again looking for a captain as Rivet was off to Columbus on re-entry waivers late last season.
The Core Is Older, But Have They Matured?
"The Core" consists of these players who were brought up in the Sabres system and were/are looked to for leadership: Jason Pominville, Derek Roy, Thomas Vanek, Paul Gaustad and to an extent Drew Stafford. One other player, although not drafted by the Sabres yet has been with the team for eight years and may be considered a core player, is Jochen Hecht.
All have worn the "A" (save for Stafford,) two--Pominville and Hecht--wore the "C" during the 2007/08 captain's rotation season and all (save for Hecht) are entering various stages of their primes.
With four years under their belts since the departure of co-captains Drury and Briere, and with varying degrees of success both individually and team-wise, the jury's still out as to whether or not one of the group has emerged as captain material.
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| Is it deja vu all over again for the Sabres and incoming d-man/leader, Robyn Regehr? |
In a bit of deja vu, recently acquired d-man, Robyn Regehr, like Rivet, has leadership attributes and may end up wearing the "C" in Buffalo. It would be easy for the team to vote him captain considering he wore an "A" in Calgary.
And the same quote Ruff used to describe Rivet can be used to make a case for Regehr, “I’ve said all along first of all [a captain has] to be the guy you want to follow on the ice,” Ruff said. “[his] actions on the ice dictate more than what he can say in the room... He’s got good character. He’s going to be right there for his teammates.”
This time around, unlike 2008 when "the core" players were mired in youthful insecurities and shunned the responsibility of the captaincy, there may be players on the team this year who feel as if they are ready to lead.
Leadership Qualities That Teammates Follow
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| 2007 NHL Hall Of Fame Inductees: Mark Messier, Scott Stevens, Ron Francis and Al MacInnis |
"The guy you want to follow," pretty much sums up a hockey captain. Some have it when they come into the league, are named captain real early and are successful (Sidney Crosby.) Some adapt after the initial shock of the weight (Ron Francis.) For some it's a process that's either short-term (Joe Sakic,) mid-range (Mark Messier) or long-term (Dave Andreychuk.) And then there's some, as we come to find out later, who never had it to begin with (Alexei Yashin.)
But for the majority, it's the mid-range process, where they enter their prime after hundreds of games on the ice, much like where this current crop of core players are right now in their careers.
In a November, 2007 piece, Paul Grant of espn.com interviewed four 2007 Hockey Hall of Fame Inductees who were all captains in the NHL, and who had all hoisted the Stanley Cup, about what it takes to lead.
The "Captain's Captain," Mark Messier along with NJ Devils' Cup-winning captain Scott Stevens, Calgary Flames Cup-winner and St. Louis Blues captain, Al MacInnis and Hartford Whalers captain/Pittsburgh Penguins Cup-winner, Ron Francis all chimed in on what it means to be the guy that you'd want to follow.
Comfortable In Your Own Skin
Ron Francis played 23 years in the NHL, scored at a point/game pace for over 1700 games, won the Lady Byng Trophy three times, and was captain of the Hartford Whalers--the team that drafted him 4th overall in 1981--for six of his ten seasons with the team. He won the Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 1991 and 1992.
He was one of the 2007 Hall of Famers interviewed by Grant, and although he didn't win the Cup as captain of the team, he does provide an important jump-off point.
Francis was named team captain at a very young age and it was a difficult transition. One point that really jumped out as he talked about what it takes to be a captain was this, "It's about being comfortable in your own skin," he said.
It's a factor that pretty much eliminates the younger Sabres' players still trying to find their niche in the NHL. That includes Stafford, who had a breakout season last year yet is still trying to find consistency. Although young defensive stud Tyler Myers seems to exude leadership qualities and has garnered plenty of respect in his two NHL seasons, he not only has youth against him right now, but must also master the intricacies of his position.
Other Sabres like Tyler Ennis and Nathan Gerbe could be future leaders and seem comfortable in their game, but like Myers, are still very young and, like Stafford, will need to show consistently over the long haul.
Lead by Example
Former NJ Devils captain Scott Stevens and former St. Louis Blues captain Al MacInnis were both big defensemen who won the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Stevens, a stay-at-home d-man, was noted for his intimidating presence and vicious hits. MacInnis was best-known for his blistering slap-shot and offensive acumen recording 1274 points in 1416 NHL games.
Both stressed "lead by example" first and foremost when talking about being a captain.
"Lead by example," said Stevens, "that's the biggest thing. It's more about work ethic, coming to play every night, working hard in practice, showing up for practice, showing up for games, and what you do off the ice, how you carry yourself, because everyone is watching you. All the players are watching you."
Said MacInnis, "You want to lead by example. If your teammates see the work ethic that you put in, the consistency that you put in, not only games but in practices, I think your teammates will follow."
None of the Sabres' core in the mix have the intimidating presence of Stevens, yet all have the some of offensive acumen of MacInnis.
But, do any of them lead by example both on and off the ice? Does Lindy Ruff have, in his words, "that guy you want to follow" amongst his core players?
Trust
Trust
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| The NY Rangers, lead by Mark Messier, hoisted the Cup for the first time in 54 years. |
For the past three decades the benchmark for leadership has been "The Captain's Captain," Mark Messier. After leading the Edmonton Oilers to five Stanley Cups in the 80's, Messier headed to Broadway to a team that hadn't won the cup in 50 years.
In the '94 playoffs, with the Rangers down three games to two vs. the NJ Devils, Messier guaranteed a victory in Game 6 and backed it up with a hat trick in their victory.
The Rangers downed the Devils in seven games and went on to win their first Stanley Cup in 54 years as Messier scored the game winner in Game 7 versus the Vancouver Canucks.
Messier's career is legendary. and when looking at what it takes to lead, he said, "I think the biggest thing, if you had to pick just one, would be trust." He continued, "Your players have to trust you. They have to be able to look at you and know that you're consistent in your approach and your philosophy and what you believe in. Establishing a relationship where they can trust you is very important."
Who Will Ruff Be Looking To This Season?
Back in 2008, it would seem as if none of the core players had the trust of their teammates. It could probably be said that none felt comfortable enough in their own skin to take on the reigns of leadership as well.
With training camp underway , and the season set to begin in less than a month, Ruff, a former captain himself, will be looking at his options--he could go with the alternating captain thing (which is highly unlikely,) he could continue using four alternates and no captain (which would be a good possibility) or he could look at his group and name one captain with two home alternates and two away alternates.
But who would be the guy that the team would "want to follow?" Who amongst the core is comfortable in themselves, leads by example, and would be a player that the team would trust?
Ruff's Core Options
Jason Pominville
Pommer is the type of player who's game is as consistent as the sun rising. He's a smooth skater who plays a smart game with no fanfare or flair and Ruff counts on him to play in all situations on the ice.
People tend to get caught up in numbers and point to his statistical decline in production, which isn't to the point where it's alarming. And they also yearn for him to play a game that's not his style--they expect a more rugged game, more hits, more aggression.
But, that's not Pominville. He is comfortable in his game and it's easy to forget that when Drury and Briere left, he had his best statistical season in 2007/08 while taking on the mantle of leadership that season.
The subtlety with which Pominville plays the game is usually lost upon the casual fan, but a look at the penalty kill in his absence shows just how important he is to the team. And, although he will never show the bravado of Messier, and probably will never have the "Captain Clutch" moniker of Drury, he will be on the ice at every crucial point and the team will count on him to do what he's always done--take care of the task at hand.
As a player who's been in a leadership role for the last four seasons and as a veteran that the youngin's can look to for guidance, he would make a solid, if unspectacular, captain.
Derek Roy
We all know what Roy brings to the table, and over the past four years, he's consistently put up offensive numbers. Unfortunately, many times it's been at the expense of the "team-first" philosophy, as evidenced by more than a few sit-downs with Ruff.
His on-ice demeanor, at 28 yrs. old and in the midst of his prime, still leans towards immature. An example came early last season. WGR's Paul Hamilton pointed out, after a drubbing by the NY Rangers, that while Ennis was on the break streaking up ice and looking for a trailer, Roy was trailing, albeit far behind. He was busy complaining to a ref about a non-call.
His issues with diving and complaining to the refs are well documented and known throughout the league. And although they've abated over the past year or so, you're left to wonder whether he has it within himself to shuck those tendencies. Can a leopard ch...(well, you know the rest.)
Roy seemed to be turning the corner on maturity last season, but he ended up injured and missing the entire back-half of the season. During his season-ending injury, the Sabres got on a roll and went from 11th in the conference to 7th, and on many occasions it was said that "team-play" lead to the surge.
Roy is a valuable point-producer for the team and he plays in all situations, but he doesn't seem as if his teammates will follow his lead anymore, especially when his team missed the playoffs two straight seasons and were bounced in the first round with him in a leadership role. Nor does it seem as if the team will look to him as the one to guide them out of dire straights.
As the team transitions to the "new core," should Roy be looked upon as a leader? Or should he be left to focus upon his game?
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| Thomas Vanek wore the "A" last season. Is he ready to take the next step? |
Thomas Vanek
Vanek is an interesting case study in the maturation process of a highly skilled player thrust into extreme circumstances.
His incredible sophomore campaign made him multi-million dollar, poachable commodity and his transition from third line player on an offensively deep team to a top-line player on a team devoid of top-line talent made for a difficult on-ice transition.
The departure of Drury and Briere also left Vanek to his own devices when handling both on and off-ice pressures. He, basically, had to figure things out on his own, and because of all this, his maturation process was slowed.
But Vanek has shown continual progress the last few years, and he seems to have quietly passed through numerous thresholds to reach the point where he's become a complete player.
And last season he really came into his own as a leader on the team. Early in the season with the team in a deep funk, he was pivotal in overtime wins--scoring an overtime goal vs. Washington and harassing Vancouver Canucks defenseman Dan Hamuis into a turnover that lead to a Myers overtime goal.
When Roy went down for the season and with Rivet in no man's land, Vanek seemed to willingly take the reigns of leadership and the Sabres went on a run that got them into the playoffs.
It took a while, but Vanek finally seems comfortable with who he is and what he's capable of.
Throughout last season WGR's Paul Hamilton looked at Vanek as a captain via extremes saying he would either be great or it would be a failure.
As of now, it could be said that the former would apply more so than the latter. He seems to have the internal drive to continue to grow, mature and bust through doors that are blocking his path.
And it showed last season that he really wanted to take on the mantle of leadership.
Paul Gaustad
Throughout his seven seasons in Buffalo, the big forward has taken on responsibilities thrown his way while playing a sound game for the Sabres. "Goose" is solid in his own end and is more than capable on the faceoff dot.
He has the respect of his teammates in the locker room and has a presence about him to where his teammates will follow his lead.
Unfortunately his lack of offensive acumen has limited him to third-line minutes which is determent to his being named captain. But you can bet that, even though he may "only" wear an "A" on his sweater, every teammate will look to him for leadership at one point or another.
Still In Transition, But In Much Better Shape Than 2007
Four seasons after the departures of Drury and Briere, the Sabres are still in a period of transition when it comes to naming a captain. But the team as a whole has matured and is in much better shape after four seasons of various successes and failures.
That being said, the results for this core without the departed co-captains are two seasons outside of the playoffs and two seasons of getting bounced in the first round. Granted, there are a myriad of reasons for the teams' lack of success, but the bottom line is that they didn't get it done.
The closest they came to a breakthrough year was last season with Roy out and Pominville sidelined by, and/or recovering from, injury. With Rivet on the bench as well, the leadership void seemed to be filled quite competently by Vanek.
It was still a very young team, especially on defense, and it seemed as if they played well over their heads during their playoff push.
With that being said, there are really only two choices for captain this season: Robyn Regehr or Thomas Vanek.
Either would be a good choice.
Were Regehr to be named captain, it would seem as if the team continues in it's transitionary mode and is looking to allow Tyler Myers to develop as the future captain of the team two or three years down the road.
Of the core mentioned above, Vanek seems to be the only one who's separated himself from the others and should he be named captain, it would be yet another threshold for him to breakthrough and conquer.
The choice for letters this upcoming season:
"C"--Thomas Vanek. Another step for Vanek and I think he's ready for it as he turns into the complete package. He's proven his mettle over the last two seasons and is the only Sabre to bust his way meaningfully on the score sheet in the playoffs. His willingness to play through pain and do what's necessary for team success is a strong foundation to continue to build trust in himself and of his team mates. Of Hamilton's previously mentioned extremes, I'll take the former and say that it will be a success.
"A" (home)--Jason Pominville. The team always had a tendency to get fancy at home, but Pommer helps the team dump that.
"A" (home)--Robyn Regehr. Regehr will be in charge of making sure it's F'N difficult for the opposition at The Center.
"A" (away)--Paul Gaustad. "Goose" brings it on the road to help guide the team in enemy territory.
"A" (away)--Tyler Myers. Myers will have the chance to develop into the Norris candidate that's within him. Regehr as his mentor will help with that and guide the kid as to what leadership is all about.
Oops!
I forgot about Vanek's dream. It could change everything.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Like the Top-Six...
...the Buffalo Sabres Bottom-Six has holes down the middle.
Holes down the middle has been a theme since 2008 when we found out that Derek Roy and Tim Connolly would not adequately fill the skates of the departed Daniel Briere and Chris Drury. And if you can't fill the top-two properly, the bottom-two will be affected as well.
About the only thing we know for sure when it comes to the bottom-two centers is that Paul Gaustad will be one of them.
The masses chortle GM Darcy Regier for giving an essentially #4 center $2.5M/year and they're somewhat right.
The former 7th-round pick (2000) has the size at 6'4", 225lbs and aggressiveness to be a strong physical presence on the ice and is considered a leader on the team wearing the "A" on his sweater.
"Goose" does a lot of the little things on the ice like sticking up for his teammates and is the team's best face off man, yet we always are left wanting something more than his 12-goal seasons. Fact is, he may not be capable of scoring more than that, which puts him in the bottom-six.
The Sabres have a big body in Gaustad who displays strong on-ice leadership and tenacity in the face off circle. As he enters into the final year of his contract, "Goose" is a Buffalo Sabre and probably will remain as one for his career. Not a bad thing, but a little salary adjustment downward for the center would probably be appropriate.
Gaustad as a #4 center would be ideal, but they still have a hole in the #3 slot.
Last season Rob Niedermayer was the #3 and the Sabres showed incredible patience with the veteran, cup-winning centerman as it took him 53 games to score his first goal of the season. In the playoffs, though, Niedermayer showed why the Sabres signed him as he provided a very steadying influence throughout the 7-game series loss vs. Philadelphia.
As mentioned in a previous blog, under the right conditions, bringing "Nieds" back would be a good thing.
Another player that might fill the #3 center position would be current UFA Tim Connolly.
Connolly has taken a beating over the past four or five seasons both literally and figuratively as he tried to fill a top-six center role. He may be shot to the point where he'd thrive in a bottom-six role as a defensive-minded, penalty-killing #3. But, coming off of a $4.5M/year contract, as well as a lot of guff from Sabreland, it would be easy for one to think that he'll move on for more money and a fresh start.
Hecht is a utility-man up-front who's best position is wing. As a very smart, very versatile two-way player, Hecht would be welcome on the Sabres in a third-line role. Problem is, the Sabres are very strong on the wings, especially LW, his natural position.
Would the team want to pay $3.5M to a #3 center who's alternated between very good and very poor over the past four seasons? Have injuries caught up with him? Would the Sabres be able to trade him and his salary?
I like Jochen Hecht as a player and wouldn't have much of a problem with him as that third-line center. He has one more year on his contract and with the salary cap expected to climb into the $62-$64M range it wouldn't be that difficult for the team to keep him and still remain within whatever fiscal parameters Terry Pegula decides upon. After this season, the team can look towards filling that #3 slot with a Ron Francis/Rod Brind'Amour-type, cup-winner if need-be.
With that in mind, we'll fill out the wings on the bottom-six:
Would the Sabres use 2011 trade-deadline acquisition Brad Boyes in that slot? That would be $4M there, and if they use Hecht as a third-line center, we're talking $7.5M tied up in two slots on the third line. I cannot see that happening even with Pegula taking off the financial constraints.
Boyes and Hecht are two sides of the same coin--Boyes supposedly the offensive side, Hecht the defensive side--so the team would not be adding anything special for the amount they'd be spending.
One or the other would need to go, and my guess is that it would be Boyes.
As for depth wingers, there will be plenty to choose from in the off-season, Matt Ellis, should he re-sign would be capable of filling in. We'll also probably see Zack Kassian and Marcus Foligno get a taste of the NHL as well.
the buffalosabresnow 2011/12 roster foundation:
Goalie:
Holes down the middle has been a theme since 2008 when we found out that Derek Roy and Tim Connolly would not adequately fill the skates of the departed Daniel Briere and Chris Drury. And if you can't fill the top-two properly, the bottom-two will be affected as well.
About the only thing we know for sure when it comes to the bottom-two centers is that Paul Gaustad will be one of them.
The masses chortle GM Darcy Regier for giving an essentially #4 center $2.5M/year and they're somewhat right.
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| "The Goose" lets loose as he tangle with the Flyers Scott Hartnell in Game-2 of the 2011 playoffs. |
"Goose" does a lot of the little things on the ice like sticking up for his teammates and is the team's best face off man, yet we always are left wanting something more than his 12-goal seasons. Fact is, he may not be capable of scoring more than that, which puts him in the bottom-six.
The Sabres have a big body in Gaustad who displays strong on-ice leadership and tenacity in the face off circle. As he enters into the final year of his contract, "Goose" is a Buffalo Sabre and probably will remain as one for his career. Not a bad thing, but a little salary adjustment downward for the center would probably be appropriate.
Gaustad as a #4 center would be ideal, but they still have a hole in the #3 slot.
Last season Rob Niedermayer was the #3 and the Sabres showed incredible patience with the veteran, cup-winning centerman as it took him 53 games to score his first goal of the season. In the playoffs, though, Niedermayer showed why the Sabres signed him as he provided a very steadying influence throughout the 7-game series loss vs. Philadelphia.
As mentioned in a previous blog, under the right conditions, bringing "Nieds" back would be a good thing.
Another player that might fill the #3 center position would be current UFA Tim Connolly.
Connolly has taken a beating over the past four or five seasons both literally and figuratively as he tried to fill a top-six center role. He may be shot to the point where he'd thrive in a bottom-six role as a defensive-minded, penalty-killing #3. But, coming off of a $4.5M/year contract, as well as a lot of guff from Sabreland, it would be easy for one to think that he'll move on for more money and a fresh start.
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| Jochen Hecht showing some spunk as he tangles with the Bolts' Vinny Lecavalier. |
Then there's Jochen Hecht.
Would the team want to pay $3.5M to a #3 center who's alternated between very good and very poor over the past four seasons? Have injuries caught up with him? Would the Sabres be able to trade him and his salary?
I like Jochen Hecht as a player and wouldn't have much of a problem with him as that third-line center. He has one more year on his contract and with the salary cap expected to climb into the $62-$64M range it wouldn't be that difficult for the team to keep him and still remain within whatever fiscal parameters Terry Pegula decides upon. After this season, the team can look towards filling that #3 slot with a Ron Francis/Rod Brind'Amour-type, cup-winner if need-be.
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| Nate Gerbe watches his playoff- clinching backhander April 8, 2011. |
- LW Nathan Gerbe really kicked it in gear in the 2011 portion of the season. The light-switch seemed to come on after a sub-par, bordering on brutal, first half of the season. But the kid's a winner and seems to have a penchant for the dramatic as witnessed by his game-winning/playoff-clinching, no-look back-hander from the slot vs. Philadelphia in the second-last game of the regular season. He still has work to do and a move up to the top-six would be a strong possibility were it not for the presence of Thomas Vanek and Tyler Ennis on the left side, but ya gotta love what the kid brings to the table.
- LW Cody McCormick is another FA, only unrestricted. Rumor has it that he's looking for a big (relatively speaking) pay day. As a fourth-liner, I'd like to see the Sabres re-sign him.
- RW Patrick Kaleta is a banger and it looks as if he may be in for a short career. He has four full NHL seasons under his belt and has yet to play more than 55 games. With his style of play, it wouldn't be much of reach to think that he'll have the same problems this season. A fourth-line agitator role would be ideal for the kid, playing 8-10 minutes per game.
Would the Sabres use 2011 trade-deadline acquisition Brad Boyes in that slot? That would be $4M there, and if they use Hecht as a third-line center, we're talking $7.5M tied up in two slots on the third line. I cannot see that happening even with Pegula taking off the financial constraints.
Boyes and Hecht are two sides of the same coin--Boyes supposedly the offensive side, Hecht the defensive side--so the team would not be adding anything special for the amount they'd be spending.
One or the other would need to go, and my guess is that it would be Boyes.
As for depth wingers, there will be plenty to choose from in the off-season, Matt Ellis, should he re-sign would be capable of filling in. We'll also probably see Zack Kassian and Marcus Foligno get a taste of the NHL as well.
the buffalosabresnow 2011/12 roster foundation:
Goalie:
- Ryan Miller
- Jhonas Enroth
- 1st-pairing: Tyler Myers, ?
- 2nd-pairing: Jordan Leopold, Chris Butler
- 3rd-pairing: Mike Weber, Marc-Andre Gragnani
- reserve: ?
- Thomas Vanek, ?, Jason Pomminville
- Tyler Ennis, Derek Roy, Drew Stafford
- Nate Gerbe, Jochen Hecht, ?
- Cody McCormick, Paul Gaustad, Patrick Kaleta
Friday, April 15, 2011
Sabres Play Near-Perfect Road Game In 1-0 Shutout
And ya gotta love what the Sabres pulled off last night. The Flyers applied all kinds of pressure for nearly the entire game and the Sabres held their ground.
Philadelphia had five powerplays (Buffalo had one) including a five-on-three for :38 and the Sabres held their ground.
The Sabres blocked 16 shots including one by Paul Gaustad, who was without his stick on the penalty kill, on a shot from the point.
Buffalo played a near-perfect road game last night. They took care of their own end, they clogged the shooting lanes and the forwards didn't cheat up-ice.
Not to say that it was a flawless game. The Sabres did turn the puck over, were hemmed in their own zone often and they also had a bit of luck as an early James van Riemsdyk shot beat Ryan Miller five-hole only to glance off of the post. They couldn't generate much of a forecheck either as their offensive zone presence was minimal.
But that's to be expected, especially in the playoffs.
- Chris Butler--"Buts" was rock-solid all night logging a game-high 26:04 of ice-time including all of the :38 five-on-three against. The 24 yr. old d-man seems to have passed through a thresh-hold and has taken his Nik Lidstrom-type game to another level.
- Marc-Andre Gragnani--"Grags" was basically thrown into the fire and he looked like a vet out there. You may of forgotten but Grags was making a strong pitch to be on the roster out of camp before an injury scuttled that.
Pat Kaleta- Kaleta was shutout by the Philly media on the Three Stars Of the Game ballots, but drove to the net to pounce on a big Sergei Bobrovsky rebound for the game's only goal. He also played a disciplined, hard-checking game including leveling Flyers forward Ville Lieno at the Flyers blueline.- Paul Gaustad--Honk for the "Goose!" He did it all including getting the puck to a wide-open Grags in garnering the secondary assist on the only goal of the game.
Ryan Miller--He set the tone early by face-washing Philly's captain, Mike Richards early on. He was challenging shooters all night, his positioning was stellar and he, unlike Bobrovsky, did not give up the big rebound.
Special shoutout to Tim Connolly. Much maligned all season for his less than stellar offensive play, the Sabres center was a monster--yes, monster--in his own zone. He (along with other Sabres forwards) was helping out his young defenseman (as well as the two vets who were playing like rookies) all night. Connolly was out there with Buts and Tyler Myers for the entire :38 of five-on-three against as well. And, he was 11 of 18 (61%) on the face-off dot.
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| Sabres Head Coach Lindy Ruff post-game after his team's 1-0 game one victory. |
Buffalo is also on a five-game winning streak, it's longest of the season.
Finally, I love this picture. It was taken as the Sabres were headed into the Wells Fargo Center for the opening game of the series. A picture is worth a thousand words, and you look at the players, their clothing and demeanor and it says a lot about the four players.
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