Has the cavalry finally arrived for the Sabres and their prospect pipeline?

It's been a long time since the Buffalo Sabres have been relevant on the ice. In fact one could say that they really haven't been since they came out of the 2004-05 NHL lockout with back-to-back runs to the eastern conference finals. Since then they've tried a number of avenues back to relevancy only to find themselves spinning their wheels as they slid from a middling track of mediocrity into a ditch of desperation that they still haven't been able to fully wrest themselves from. 

It's been five years since the 2015 draft that netted the Sabres Jack Eichel and since that time they've missed the playoffs every year with the reverberation of those two scorched-earth rebuild/tank year reaching down to Buffalo's farm system. Their AHL affiliate, Rochester Americans, did not qualify for the Calder Cup playoffs in the two years after the 2015 NHL Draft, they got swept in the first round the next two years and Covid-19 put an end to the 2019-20 season. Down in the ECHL, the "single/double-A" of an NHL farm system, the Elmira Jackals missed the Kelly Cup playoffs two years post-Eichel, then folded. Buffalo moved it's affiliation to Cincinnati where the Cyclones went to the playoffs two years running before Covid-19 cancelled the season.

When former general manger Darcy Regier started a rebuild late into his long tenure in Buffalo beginning with the trade of Paul Gaustad on February 27, 2012, expectations in Sabreland was that picks and prospects would roll in as each of his "core players" were peeled away from the organization. Regier was masterful at getting prime returns for his group as Gaustad yielded a 2012 first-round pick, Jason Pominville got the team a 2013 first and a 2014 second rounder, Andrej Sekera a 2013 second, Thomas Vanek a 2014 first and a 2015 second while GM Tim Murray, who replaced Regier, turned Ryan Miller into a 2015 first round pick and a 2016 third. 

In July 8, 2014 blog here on hockeybuzz, the tally up to that point, which included the Miller trade by Murray, was four first round picks (2012, 2013, two in 2015,) three second round picks (two in 2014, one in 2015) and two third round picks (2014, 2016) for Regier's core players 

Regier did some solid drafting in his final two seasons and as we look at the 2012 and 2013 draft, the fate of those picks (18 total) are all determined by now. Four have been regular NHL contributors for the Sabres (Zemgus Girgensons, Jake McCabe, Linus Ullmark and Rasmus Ristolainen,) two were traded away and are NHL regulars for other teams (Nikita Zadorov, J.T. Compher) one was traded away and is set to make his mark in net after a long developmental period (goalie Cal Petersen,) one has been bouncing around from league to league which includes AHL, NHL and KHL but is back in the NHL (Mikhail Grigorenko,) two had a good taste of the big time but look like NHL/AHL tweeners at best (Justin Bailey and Nick Baptiste,) and one had a cup of NHL coffee before being relegated to the AHL and various leagues around the globe (Brady Austin.)

Although that group lacked high-end impact players, having eight NHL regulars out of 18 draft picks (close to a 50% clip) is still some very solid drafting. Regier, who was noted not making a deal unless it was favorable to his team, was hell bent on developing his prospects and really didn't make many trades prior to him purging his core, which was a far cry from Murray, his successor.

GM Murray hit Buffalo with a lot of "Murrancy" built up by his predecessor in terms of draft capital but unlike his predecessor, he had a quick trigger and had designs on rebuilding the team quickly after the complete scorched-earth tear-down from 2013-15. 

Without much left in Rochester or Elmira, Murray headed into the 2015-16 season using vets atop a group of youngins in the minors as a way to bridge a void left the tank years. Young players like Girgensons, McCabe and Ristolainen, who'd spent minimal time in the AHL were filling roles in Buffalo and there was a gap between that group and Murray's own draft picks that were at least a year or two away from beginning their pro career. The Amerks went into that season with Bailey and Baptist, both 20 yrs. old, who had legit shots at an NHL career and a few players from previous drafts (Daniel Catenacci, Justin Kea and goalie Nathan Lieuwen) to go along with Austin all of whom were long shots to make the NHL. The following season would be a bit different as a wave of drafted players, including 2017 eighth-overall pick Alexander Nylander, headed to Rochester to officially start their pro careers. Nylander had top-six skills and more upside than any player in the Sabres system, but he was only 18 yrs. old.

In the ensuing seasons Murray, along with his successor, Jason Botterill, would use the same formula of heavily relying on AHL vets to lead the Amerks while the farm system tried to catch up. By the 2018-19 season, the last year of Botterill's tenure and four years removed from the 2014-15 tank season, the Sabres had seven NHL regulars on their roster, only two of which were drafted by Murray--Reinhart  and Eichel, both second-overall picks--while Regier's picks of Girgensons, McCabe and Ristolainen were joined by two first rounders from Botterill--Casey Mittelstadt (2017, 8th) and Rasmus Dahlin (2018, 1st.)

Things were also looking a bit brighter in Rochester for the 2018-19 Amerks as Victor Olofsson (181st) came over from Sweden and fellow 2014 pick Jonas Johansson (61st) entered his first full pro season. The Amerks roster also included Rasmus Asplund (2016, 33rd,) who joined Nylander from that draft class as well as Will Borgen (2015, 92nd) and Brendan Guhle (2015, 51st) who were apart of Eichel's draft year.

Yet missing from the Sabres during that season were a number of players or picks that Murray traded away between February and June 2015. 

Murray went on a splurge that began with him sending 2014 second round pick Brendan Lemieux and a 2015 first round pick to the Winnipeg Jets as part of Evander Kane blockbuster trade in February. Later at the draft in June, he sent another 2015 first round pick to the Ottawa Senators as part of a trade for goalie Robin Lehner. Murray would follow that up with another draft-day trade for center Ryan O'Reilly where he sent prospects Zadorov and Compher, along with Grigorenko and a 2015 second round pick to the Colorado Avalanche. A breakdown of what Murray traded away for players no longer with the club reveals that Lemieux has played 131 games in the NHL and all three players in the Avalanche trade have played in at least 200 NHL games. Ottawa selected Colin White 21st-overall in 2015 and he has played in 155 NHL games for the Sens while the Jets selected center Jack Roslovic with the 25th pick. He has 180 NHL games under his belt.

So what does this all mean? The Sabres are still playing catchup in regards to depth from the big club on down.

Murray was able to land Reinhart and Eichel with the second-overall pick in consecutive drafts while Botterill's "reward" for his club finishing last was drafting Dahlin first overall. Those three represent some very high-end talent, especially the latter two. Yet, because of a dearth of quality talent in the system to surround those three, Buffalo has had to go outside the organization via trades and free agent signings to try and add the appropriate talent. It's usually an expensive ride down a slippery slope.

For this season, in order to fill what seems to be perpetual holes in the roster, the Sabres traded for a No. 2 center in 37 yr. old Eric Staal and signed 2018 league MVP Taylor Hall to a 1yr/$8 million free agent contract, giving them five bona fide top-six forwards. New GM Kevyn Adams also signed a bottom-six center in Cody Eakin to a 2yr. deal to help fill the void at center behind Eichel.  What those moves have done is buy them some time as they'll have another year to develop younger players like Mittelstadt and 2019 first round pick Dylan Cozens while still, hopefully, icing a competitive. playoff-worthy team. 

As we move through Buffalo's draft classes, the verdict is in on 2014 and 2015. Outside of Reinhart in 2014 they have Olofsson who looks like a top-nine/potential top-six winger and Johansson, who has slowly been developing in net and who still looks as if he at least has NHL-backup qualities. Behind Eichel we find only defenseman Borgen, a probable NHL defenseman in a bottom-pairing role. Two other prospects from those draft classes were traded away--Lemieux, as mentioned by Murray and defenseman Brendan Guhle (51st) to the Anaheim Ducks by Botterill. Of the 15 picks made by Murray in those drafts, four are NHL regulars (Reinhart, Lemieux, Olofsson and Eichel with the jury still out on tree others. 

The jury's still out on Murray's last draft class (2016) but it looks like they'll have some contributors at least in Rochester while Nylander was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for defenseman Henri Jokiharju (2017, 29th,) who's quickly establishing himself as a top-four defenseman. As the organization either integrates or moves on from the last vestiges of Murray's drafting. Players from Botterill's 2017 class have already begun to make their way into the Sabres system beginning with defensemen Jacob Bryson (99th,) who just finished a very productive first full season in Rochester. Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (54th) played his first pro season last year and defenseman Oskari Laaksonen (89th) just signed his entry-level deal. And from Botterill's 2018 class we have defenseman Mattias Samuelsson (32nd) and winger Matej Pekar (94th) all on entry-level deals set to make their debuts in Rochester.

Adding them to the likes of Mittelstadt, Borgen, Asplund, Brett Murray (2016, 99th,) and Casey Fitzgerald (2016, 86th,) as well as free agents Arturo Routsalainen and Brandon Biro, all of whom are waivers-exempt, plus a directive to cut back on AHL vets, means the Rochester Americans should see a large influx of young, homegrown talent filling their roster. Many of them may end up as serviceable NHL'ers but players like Mittelstadt and Luukkonen have high upsides while any of Asplund, Borgen, Bryson, Samuelsson and Routsalainen could rise above lower/reserve roles on the club. Which is a far cry from where this organization was some five years ago.

It took a while and while nothing's guaranteed, it seems as if the Sabres may have finally been able to overcome stripped-bare farm system and a depletion of quality talent in an ill-advised, short-cut attempt for NHL relevancy at the expense of building and developing through the draft. Where it goes from here remains to be seen, especially with the havoc Covid-19 has wreaked on the NHL, but on paper the Sabres organization/development pool looks better in the near-term and if they stick to drafting and developing, longer-term as well.

Checking in on the Sabres prospect pool with Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com, Part II

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 11-5-2019


This is the second of a two part series looking at the Sabres prospect pool with Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com. Part I can be found by clicking here. 



As laid out in the previous blog, what Buffalo Sabres general manager Jason Botterill has been able to do on the blueline for his team the last three years has been pretty impressive and that's without landing a franchise-type defenseman in Rasmus Dahlin with the first overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. Botterill fortified and modernized his D-corps through some savvy trades while he and his scouting staff focused on the blueline at the draft using eight of their 18 picks on defensemen.

That's the good part of the prospect pool. The not so good part comes into play when we take a look at the forwards and goalie situation.

There's a two-fold reason for the not so good part when it comes to the forwards in the system. Botterill inherited a pool bereft of forward talent because a.) they were still recovering from the scorched-earth rebuild of his predecessor and b.) the Sabres top prospects were picked high in the draft and quickly made their way into the NHL lineup. Second-overall picks Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel were playing for the Sabres as teenagers, while 2017 eighth-overall pick, Casey Mittelstadt also started out his rookie season as a teenager. Which is fine as those top picks are expected to be on a fast-track to the NHL.

Checking in on the prospect pool with Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com, Part I

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 11-4-2019

This is the first of a two-part series looking at the Sabres prospect pool as of today with Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com.

After chatting about the Sabres prospect pool with Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com, one is left with the sense that the organization has come a long way in the last three years but that there is also still plenty of work to do.

Right now there's a symmetrical dividing line between the Tim Murray regime and that of present general manager Jason Botterill as each was in charge of three NHL Drafts. The difference between Murray's picks from 4-6 years ago and Botterill's from the last three years can't be fully compared as not enough time has elapsed for the players selected to reach their ultimate hockey potential, but what we do know is that Botterill took over as general manager with a thin prospect pool and that he pretty much had to rebuild a rebuild.

"It took some time to reset some things when Botterill came in," said Baker via a phone interview yesterday. "The previous regime didn't really draft and develop all that well. Murray's group had a couple of guys out of [those drafts] but you're not really gonna screw up when you're picking at the top of the draft with players like [Sam] Reinhart and [Jack] Eichel. They go through the prospect ranks fairly quickly. When that happens you don't have a lot of depth behind them."

GM Jason Botterill has a solid farm system in place

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 8-20-2019


Buffalo Sabres general manager Jason Botterill inherited a broken hockey department when he took the job in 2017. Consecutive tank seasons from 2013-15 yielded consecutive top-two picks but it came at a steep cost as the farm system was bankrupt. That system included a prospect pool that had plenty of players but, as it turned out, very little quality. In his two seasons as general manger Botterill was able to correct the problems at the lower levels of the hockey department and in three drafts he's been able to stabilize his feeder system.

Last season, due in large part to the selection of defenseman Rasmus Dahlin first overall at the 2018 NHL Draft as well as drafting center Casey Mittelstadt eighth-overall in 2017, most observers rightfully felt that the Sabres had the best prospect pool in the NHL. A year later, things have changed a bit. "Any team that loses multiple premier prospects to graduation is going to take a fall in the preseasons rankings," wrote The Sportsnet's Steve Kournianos in his just released NHL farm rankings, "so it helps to look at Buffalo's talented pool with perspective."

Kournianos points out that "each of Buffalo's five first-round picks since 2014 are either full-time with the Sabres or were traded for quality help."

Here's the breakdown:

2014--C, Sam Reinhart (second-overall) is still with the team playing a predominant role
2015--C, Jack Eichel (second-overall) is Buffalo's captain
2016--LW, Alexander Nylander (eighth-overall) traded to Chicago for defenseman Henri Jokiharju
2017--C, Casey Mittelstadt (eighth-overall) just completed his first full NHL season
2018--D, Rasmus Dahlin (first-overall) just completed his first full season

Think of the youngins

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 3-29-2019


The odds of head coach Phil Housley returning to the Sabres bench next season get longer with each loss. At present his Buffalo squad is five losses away (with five games remaining) from having the dubious distinction of being the first team in NHL history to have a 10-game winning streak and a 10-game losing streak in the same season, something that's not exactly a ringing endorsement for his return.

That the latter two-thirds of this season has been a disaster is an understatement and in a results-based business is cause in and of itself for his dismissal. The only saving grace Housley might have had is a team that's giving it's all but coming up short, similar to how much of the season played out last year save for some rough patches. However,  many of Housley's players checked out on him weeks ago and with each passing game more seem to be headed that way, hence the 2-10-2 record in March.  Although this may not be Housley's fault in totality, keeping him on board this season with his team deaf to what he's preaching is making matters worse and only seems to perpetuates the Sabres losing culture.

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

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 8-1-2018


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



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

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

"The depth is growing by leaps and bounds."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 7-27-2018


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

He's got that much going for him.

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

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

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

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

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


1. D, Brendan Guhle

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

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

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

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

NHL Projection:  Top-four defenseman


2. F, Victor Olofsson

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

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

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

NHL Projection:  Top-nine winger/Powerplay Specialist


3. D, Lawrence Pilut

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

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

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

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

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


4. C, Rasmus Asplund

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

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

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

NHL Projection:  Third-line center.


5. LW, CJ Smith

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

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

NHL Projection:  Top-nine winger


Honorable Mentions:

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

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

Dahlin-Day in Buffalo plus 7 forward prospects to keep an eye on

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 6-22-2018


It's a beautiful day, and it will be an even better night once GM Jason Botterill and the Buffalo Sabres entourage head up to the podium in Dallas, TX to select Rasmus Dahlin first-overall in the 2018 NHL Draft.

For the organization, it's the opportunity to put seven years of rebuilding angst, anger and frustration in the rear view mirror and start heading towards the future. It was a stretch that hopefully will be forgotten soon and like a bad relationship that went on way too long, time will have healed all wounds with the pain and apathy of those years reduced to an unpleasant memory.

Forgive me for waxing poetic. I know I've been there before when we thought we said goodbye to the tank years with the 2015 draft-day makeover highlighted by the selection of Jack Eichel second overall. It didn't work, and with the trades that former GM Tim Murray made to augment Eichel and 2014 second-overall pick Sam Reinhart being moved on from, it's Botterill's gig and things seem to be going very well for him.

In the last two blogs we looked at a very thin prospect pool in goal, which will be taxed even further as the Sabres will not qualify RFA starting goalie Robin Lehner, and a pretty thin collection of defensemen. Luckily for Buffalo they won the lottery and the selection of Dahlin will not only help the d-corps fall into place, the Sabres also have the option of keeping their top d-prospect, Brendan Guhle in Rochester at least for some of the season.

The forward group has been much maligned for their lack of top-level talent and overall speed. While the latter is true from a physical standpoint, they may have been more the victim of playing the game slower. Most forwards on the Sabres last season had NHL skating ability, but the mess that was the team, which included a rookie coach in Phil Housley wouldn't allow for playing the game at a faster pace.

That will change beginning this season as the forward group should see an influx of both speed and talent, albeit those two traits being mutually exclusive in some of the players that will be in Buffalo next season. Who will be a part of the opening day roster is still up in the air beginning with Ryan O'Reilly and stretching down to Zemgus Girgensons and Johan Larsson.

For as much grief as Murray got for his trades, and it's warranted as all three of his big-time acquisitions may be gone after only three years, his drafting was pretty solid. That includes the aforementioned Guhle (2015, second round) plus D, Will Borgen (2015, fourth round) and a few players that are apart of our Top-7 forwards to keep an eye on.

Having said that, the top forward prospect that has all of Sabreland quite excited is a 2017 pick from Botterill's first draft as a GM.


C, Casey Mittelstadt (2017, 8th-overall)

How many times have you heard "I can't believe he dropped to us there" when talking about a prospect at the draft. Such was the case with Mittelstadt as many viewed him as a top-five pick but the Sabres were able to land him at No. 8.

The 2017 Mr. Hockey winner from Eden Prairie High School in Minnesota joined the NCAA's Minnesota Golden Gophers for one season before signing his entry-level deal with the Sabres in March. He played in six games for Buffalo registering his first NHL goal and adding four assists.

There's a lot to be excited about when it comes to Mittelstadt and what he has to offer. He's got size (6'0" 199 lbs.) and plenty of skill (11 goals and 30 points in 34 games as a freshman for the Gophers) to go along with his excellent skating ability. Although he isn't the fastest he's pretty quick to areas and his hockey sense allows him to play the game at a faster pace. Mittelstadt faced a lot of rugged defensive hockey in the BIG 10 last season and had plenty of gumption to get where he needed to go, which were often the dirty areas of the ice, and find the player in open space.

Where he plays next year in Buffalo is wholly dependent upon O'Reilly. Should they trade the veteran center, Mittelstadt will be looked to as the team's No. 2 center but should O'Reilly stay, it's likely that he'll be moved to third-line center. Although I wouldn't completely rule out the possibility of him getting time on the wing in that scenario.

The Sabres will be adding two high-end prospects this season in Dahlin and Mittelstadt. It's a duo that has those of us in Sabreland pretty excited.


C, Sean Malone (2013, 159th)

Is Malone the No. 2 forward prospect for Buffalo? No, not by any stretch, but this isn't about ranking prospects, its about prospects to keep an eye on and he looks like he'll be knocking on the door of the NHL this coming season.

The West Seneca, NY native was more that a token local pick when the Sabres snagged him in the sixth round of the 2013 NHL Draft. The solid 6' 0" 190 lb two-way center left Nichols High School and embarked on a collegiate career at Harvard. While with the Crimson he scored 42 goals and 99 points in 115 games which included a 18-goal, 42-point breakout in his senior season. Malone got a one game taste of the NHL at the end of the 2017-17 season and spent last year in Rochester.

After adjusting to the speed of the pro game, Malone ramped up his game to the point where he said he felt like himself. That player he's talking about plays a 200' game with a lot of speed and determination. Although he doesn't have the skill-level to crack the top-six or even top-nine, once he gets up to speed at the NHL level, Malone has the ability to be a stalwart and clutch faceoff guy in a fourth-line checking role.


LW, C.J. Smith (2017, FA)

Smith is another player who isn't top-three amongst the prospect rankings, but one we should keep an eye on heading into the season.

The Sabres have no left wingers to speak of and the U-Mass Lowell product showed plenty of skill and speed to be considered for the openings on Buffalo's left side. At 5'11" 185 lbs. Smith doesn't have ideal NHL size, but he proved last season he could hang with the big boys at the pro level. Smith tied for second on the Amerks with 17 goals and was third on the team in scoring with 44 points, which tied him for 10th amongst rookies in the AHL.

In addition to his skills on offense, Smith plays a solid two-way game and is strong on the defensive side of the equation. What he has to offer at the NHL level is still unknown but he has a nice foundation with which to build upon, quite possibly in a third-line left wing role for the Sabres.


LW, Alexander Nylander (2016, 8th)

What was said about Smith's opportunity on the left side in Buffalo is also true for Nylander. So why is an eighth-overall pick behind a free agent who plays the same position? It's how the two seem to have approached the game in Rochester. As a free agent, Smith had a lot to prove whereas Nylander comes off as a player who's been in prima donna mode.

Nylander may have had the highest skill-level at the 2016 NHL Draft but the knock on him was that he disappeared, something we've seen in Rochester the last two seasons. In 116 games for the Amerks he's scored only 18 goals and 55 points. Put that up against what Smith has done in less than half the games.

Having said that, it's still a bit too early to give up on him. Nylander is an extremely gifted hockey player who has all the tools to take a spot in the top-six. But until he gets his head on straight, he's looking more like a bust than he is an NHL player.


C, Rasmus Asplund (2016, 33rd)

There has been a lot of anticipation with Asplund and when he would finally arrive in North America and the reason for it was his exceptional play at the pro level in his native Sweden.

Asplund won't wow you with his stats (8+20 in 50 games for Färjestad BK last season) but he does everything else extremely well. "He's quick and shifty, using his speed and turning ability to gaine time and space," reported The Draft Analyst, and he plays a full 200' game. Asplund is not afraid of the dirty areas on the ice and has a high compete-level.

Should he continue to develop properly, Asplund has all the attributes of a top-end, third-line center.


RW, Nicholas Baptiste (2013, 69th)

The right side of Buffalo's forward group is pretty full right now with Reinhart, Kyle Okposo and Jason Pominville in the top nine and Baptiste hasn't had much time, if any, on the left side. That makes for a pretty tough road to hoe for him.

At this point in his career, the 22 yr. old Baptiste is out of waiver options so if the Sabres want to keep him, he'll need to stay in Buffalo or they risk losing him. It's been a pretty choppy ride for Baptiste thus far in his pro career as he's spent most of it in Rochester. His AHL stats are decent (38+31 in 121 games) and he's managed seven goals (plus four assists) in 47 NHL games. But he just hasn't been able to break through quite yet.

We've seen spurts of what Baptiste can be as he has plenty of speed and can score from all areas using a wide array of shots. It's consistency that's lacking in his game, which is typical of young player and if he ever gets that ironed out, because of the speed and skill he has, Baptiste could be a force in the top-nine or even top-six.

He's got a lot riding on this season and it would behoove him to have a great camp and bust his way into the top nine.


RW, Victor Oloffson (2014, 181st)

Although there hasn't been much anticipation about Olofsson making his North American debut prior to last season, the numbers he put up in 2017-18 certainly raised some eyebrows.

Olofsson was a beast in Sweden with Frolunda as he lead the SHL with 27 goals while finishing with 43 points. It took the 5'11" 172 lb. sniper three full seasons to break out in Sweden's top league but did so in style as he finished with the Håkan Loob Trophy for most goals scored in the season.

Frolunda used him in the circle on the powerplay where Olofsson unleashed a deadly shot and there's no doubt that he's one of the most skilled shooters in the Sabres prospect pool. Can he find his place in Rochester playing on the smaller North American rink is one of the questions with Olofsson as is how he'll be able to keep his smaller frame out of trouble with the bigger, stronger, heavier competition in the AHL.

That said, having an influx of talent like his should bring good things for the Amerks and hopefully , Buffalo as well.

Dahlin helps Buffalo's thin, but slowly improving prospect pool on defense

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 6-21-2018


While going through past blogs prior to the NHL Entry Draft, I came across a piece from 2015 just prior to the draft. In it we looked at the defense core depth and it was extremely thin at the time.

The 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs showcased a Norris Trophy defenseman in the Chicago Blackhawks' Duncan Keith and a future Norris winner in then 24 yr. old Tampa Bay Lightning d-man, Victor Hedman (who just won the trophy last night.) The duo put on a clinic in the finals that year.

At the time Keith was 31 yrs. old and the elder statesmen of a group of high-quality d-men featuring Norris Trophy winner PK Subban, who was with the Montreal Canadiens, and fellow Norris winner Erik Karlsson (OTT) who lead a group of 25 yr. olds that included Drew Doughty (LAK,) Alex Pietrangelo (STL) and Roman Josi (NSH.) After Hedman there was another wave of d-men just cutting their teeth in Oliver-Ekman Larsson (ARI,) Torey Krug and Dougie Hamilton (BOS,) Olli Matta (PIT) and 19 yr. old stud Aaron Ekblad (FLA.)

The Sabres at the time were coming off a scorched-earth rebuild that left their team mostly barren on the back-end. At the time just before the 2015 NHL Draft, the Sabres had young players with promise in 23 yr. old Mark Pysyk, 20 yr. olds Rasmus Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov and...that's about it. The pipeline had Jake McCabe and Chad Ruhwedel at the top followed by Brady Austin, who played five NHL games and Jerome Leduc, who never saw the NHL ice. Anthony Florentino and Brycen Martin, both of whom are in the minors, rounded out the group.

Since that piece was done, the Sabres traded Zadorov and Pysyk and allowed Ruhwedel to walk. Buffalo's depth on defense struggled for the last three seasons as players drafted beginning in 2015 began making their way up through the system and GM's tried to fill holes with minor-league vets and free agent signings.

The Sabres did well in landing coveted college free agent Casey Nelson in 2016 and SHL Defenseman of the year, Lawrence Pilut last month. They also signed Victor Antipin out of the KHL in 2017 but that didn't work out so well. Antipin had a rough season that ended with him being carted off on a stretcher with four games to go. Buffalo GM Jason Botterill recently said that, contrary to some reports, Antipin has not signed a KHL contract and is looking to come back to the NHL.

As dreary as the last few years have been on defense, there is light at the end of the tunnel and the drafting of defenseman Rasmus Dahlin will shove this slow moving train even closer to the bright light of tomorrow. Dahlin is considered a franchise defenseman (some say generational) and will immediately be plugged into the lineup in a top-four role. What that does for the depth chart can't be understated as those on the big club will begin to fall into roles to suit them while those in the pipeline can continue to develop at lower levels.

There are still big holes on the back-end from Buffalo on down, but make no mistake, the selection of Dahlin allows for the organization to build quality depth, something that's desperately needed.

Barring any trades, the Sabres lineup on defense looks to have Dahlin, Rasmus Ristolainen, Marco Scandella, Zach Bogosian, Jake McCabe, Casey Nelson and Nathan Beaulieu right now with the possibility that their top d-prospect could be in the mix.

Although semantics will have Dahlin as the Sabres top prospect from the time he's drafted until opening day, why bother putting him there for this exercise? We'll start with the idea that he'll be with the Sabres beginning October 4 against the Boston Bruins and look at these tree as Buffalo's top d-prospects right now.

LHD, Brendan Guhle (2015, 51st-overall)

Guhle began his first pro season with the Rochester Americans and spent plenty of time playing top-pairing minutes in all situations. There's a lot to like about the 6'2" 196 lb. native of Edmonton, Alberta and Sabres fans are still wondering how he dropped to Buffalo at pick No. 51. Guhle is very athletic and skates extremely well, has exceptional on-ice vision and moves the puck seemingly with ease, all of which was on display in Rochester to start the season.

However, Guhle did hit some speed bumps along the way. After a short, two-game call-up in January he was sent back to Rochester and suffered a lower body injury. He would be recalled again for an extended 16-game stint in Buffalo where he struggled a bit before being sent down to Rochester for the AHL playoffs at the end of the NHL regular seaosn. In the latter part of that call-up he suffered an upper-body injury that cause him to miss an April 2 game against Toronto. He seemed well after that but had a miserable performance as the Amerks were swept by the Syracuse Crunch (TBL) in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs.

What happened to Guhle, when it happened and how much it affected him is still somewhat of a mystery but his playoff performance against a very fast and talented Crunch team left the organization with question marks. Maybe he's not quite ready to join the Sabres on the opening night roster and will need a little more seasoning before he and the team can feel comfortable with him up in Buffalo.

Having Dahlin in the top-six is huge for the organization as they can do what Botterill wants to do with all of his prospects, let them fully develop before bringing them up. If Guhle has an outstanding camp and makes the opening night roster, fine. If he doesn't he can get more seasoning in Rochester. It's a win/win for player and team.

LHD, Lawrence Pilut (FA, 2018)

This could be a huge signing for Buffalo as Botterill and Co. were able to land the SHL's 2018 Defenseman of the Year. The 22 yr. old Pilut has been playing in Sweden's top professional league for the last four years and had a breakout 2017-18 campaign with 38 points which lead all SHL defensemen.

Pilut is an offensive-minded defenseman who skates well and has a good shot which you'll see in the highlights that are out there but here's what his coach, Johan Lindbom also had to say about his defenseman. "Larry (as the team called him) was very talented at a young age," said Lindbom. "Maybe a little too small from the beginning but he's a fighter. He takes his hockey very seriously. He practices very hard and that's what makes him successful.

"He's not the toughest, he's not the strongest in front of the net but he reads the play really well."

Lindbom and his staff were keen on honing the defensive aspects of Pilut's game as the 5'11" 179 lb. rearguard never saw a play he didn't want to jump into, and that's what he'll need to work on in North America, especially with the smaller rink.

Were it a year or two ago, Pilut could have been considered a candidate to make the Sabres if he had a strong camp. Right now, with the addition of Dahlin and having Guhle with a full pro season under his belt, Pilut slips nicely into the No. 2 d-prospect spot.

RHD, William Borgen (2015, 92nd)

There was a lot of fear rippling through Sabreland wondering whether or not the Sabres would be able to sign the St. Cloud State University standout. Buffalo fans had already been jilted by Jimmy Vesey and Cal Petersen, both college prospects who finished school and opted for free agency.

Borgen, however, chose to sign with Buffalo after his junior season in college. The 6'2" 189 lb. native of Moorehead, MN finished his career with five goals and 36 assists in 106 games for the Huskies and came in for a brief eight-game cup of coffee on an amateur tryout with the Rochester Americans this season.

Other than his NHL-ready frame, one of the things that stands out with Borgen is that he's a righty, something severely lacking in the Sabres d-prospect pool right now. He's also a defensive defenseman but don't let that lead you into believing he's some pylon on the back end as he has excellent skating ability.

Borgen was tabbed for the 2016 US World Junior squad and was also selected for the 2018 Olympic team, though he never dressed. He's projected to be a long-term project player that will continue to hone his defense while trying to find some of the scoring touch he had in high school. With Dahlin Guhle and possibly Pilut paving the way the next few years, Borgen will have all the time he needs to develop properly.

Quick notes on three '16 Sabres draft picks hanging in the balance

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 6-1-2018


Buffalo Sabres GM Jason Botterill and his staff have decisions to make on three players from the 2016 NHL Draft class. All of them come from former GM Tim Murray's last class and all were selected in the lower rounds.

First off, a quick look at that 2016 class with those players either signed or deferred:

1st round (8th-overall)--F, Alexander Nylander. The Mississauga Steelheads winger made the jump right to the pros but has struggled in both AHL seasons as a teenager

2nd round (33rd)--C, Rasmus Asplund. The Swedish center was the object of Murray's affection in a draft-day trade with the Florida Panthers is under contract and will make his North American debut this season.

3rd round (69th)--C, Cliff Pu. Tore up the OHL with the London Knights the season after being drafted and continued his solid play after being traded from the Knights to the Kingston Frontenacs last year. Was signed to his three-year entry-level deal by Buffalo on October 23, 2017 which will kick in this season.

3rd round (86th) D, Casey Fitzgerald, 4th round (99th) LW, Brett Murray and 5th round (129th) D, Philip Nyberg are all in college at Boston College, Penn State and Wisconsin, respectively. No decisions need to be made on any until they leave college.

7th round (190th) C, Vasily Glotov. According to WGR550 Radio's Paul Hamilton, the Sabres needn't make a decision on him for two years because he's on loan to the QMJHL. Glotov has impressed every time he's hit the ice at Sabres camp. He dipped his toes in the pro game this season playing five games with the Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL) and one game with the Rochester Americans (AHL.)

The three remaining players from that draft are:

5th round (130th) D, Vojtech Budik. At 6'2" 195 lbs. Budik has NHL size and the kid can also skate very well. He had 41 points (14+27) in 63 games for the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL last season, but was it enough to convince the Sabres brass to use one of 50 pro contracts on him?

6th round (159th) LW, Brandon Hagel. Many in Sabreland thought they unearthed a gem in the late rounds as he tore it up in 2016-17 with 71 points (31+40) in 65 games for the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL. Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com/sabres.com called him "a bulldog" but since that impressive season his play has tailed off. Of the three he seems like the most likely to be signed.

7th round (189th) D, Austin Osmanski. The big, East Aurora, NY native looked like a token pick at the 2016 draft which was held in Buffalo, and the might end up being the case. Osmanski was projected to be more of a project player and he has shown year-over-year improvement. But the big 6'4" 207 lb. d-man might not have moved the needle enough to land a contract with his hometown Sabres.

Botterill will again be forging ahead with little of his own homegrown talent

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-26-2018


There are more than a few fans and media types in Sabreland who are very high on d-prospect Brendan Guhle. And we all should be. The 2015 second round pick (51st-ovearll) has shown spurts of athleticism, skating and skill that look to be a great foundation for him moving forward in the NHL. Perhaps there's a little hope mixed in when looking at Guhle, as the Sabres prospect pool on defense is thin, but in his handful of games with the Sabres, there's a lot to like about the 20 yr. old first-year pro.

Although not on Guhle's level, winger Nicolas Baptiste is another prospect to look forward to next season. At 22 yrs. old Baptiste has three pro seasons under his belt and showed modest progress when called up to the Sabres over the course of the last two seasons. Baptiste is fast and has a good set of hands, elements which are coveted in the NHL.

Goalie Linus Ullmark has an opportunity waiting for him in Buffalo next season as Sabres GM Jason Botterill already designated the 24 yr. old Swede as one of his two goalies next season. After a solid season in the AHL Ullmark was named the Rochester Americans team MVP for the second consecutive season and lead the team into the playoffs. Unfortunately for him and the Amerks, they were swept out in three games with the goalie feeling a little shell-shocked.

Those are the homegrown draft picks from the previous regime that are in the system right now that look to be at least contributors to the Buffalo Sabres in the future.

Last night the Amerks were swept out of the Calder Cup playoffs in their first playoff appearance since 2014, when they were also swept out in three straight games. The numbers for the players above look like this:

Guhle--3 games played, 0 points, minus-6
Baptiste--3 games, 1 goal, minus-2
Ullmark--3 games, 0-3-0 record, 5.50 goals-against record, .800 save percentage

Those aren't very good numbers. Rochester allowed 18 goals with Ullmark being in net for all but two empty-netters, and they scored 10 goals with Baptiste and fellow 2013 draft pick Justin Bailey (2 goals) being the only homegrown prospects to light the lamp.

A visibly upset and shaken Ullmark faced the media after being eliminated last night and fielded questions. Right off the bat, Ullmark said flat out "I didn't make enough saves," and when one reporter mentioned a number of general situations where the goals allowed weren't his fault while asking him how frustrating that was he said, "there's nothing I can say that can change it now."

What it may have come down to is how the team, save for the veterans, may not have been prepared on an individual basis for the intensity of the playoffs. "It's a very different game," said Ullmark, "compared to the regular season. It's a lot tougher, a lot more physical, a lot more fights out there. Every battle matters. When you play in the regular season, you can take days off, this isn't like that."

Winger Alexander Nylander was selected eighth overall by the Sabres in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. At the time he was drafted no one doubted his skill level, which was the best on the board when Buffalo was selecting, maybe the best in the entire draft. But the knock on him was that he disappeared in games. Nylander played in all three games for the Amerks, had zero points, a minus-1 rating and according to reports from the game, didn't play very much in the first two periods of a must-win game.

No one from the organization will say it, but those reporting say he was nowhere to be found. Which is why he was on the fourth line...of an AHL team...in a must-win game. At only 20 yrs. of age, it's still too early to give up on him, but his performance over the past two seasons, which includes being injured early in this season, have been pretty rough.

When we're talking about the rough and tumble of the playoffs, it's not too surprising that two big bodies like Baptiste and Bailey could get something done in an environment like that. Bailey has been ramping up his game all season while also spending 12 games in Buffalo scoring three goals and adding one assist. He left the game yesterday with what looked like a shoulder injury.

Botterill has his hands full if he wants to achieve the level of success he was accustomed to in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization. The "Baby Penguins" of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton have not missed the playoffs since 2001-02. Granted, they've made it to the Calder Cup Finals only twice in that span, but the parent club has won three Stanley Cups with those coming up through the ranks contributing to those successes.

That's what Botterill wants to build in the Sabres organization. He knew he had a tough road to hoe and a long way to go, but it might be more difficult than he thought as the previous regimes didn't leave him a lot to work with. Ullmark is slated for the big club next season and Guhle will probably be there as well. Bailey and Baptiste are at the end of their waiver-exempt status so their time in Rochester is probably over. And despite what he says about making the Sabres next season, Nylander needs to get dirty and pay his dues before moving up to the big club.

There will be another wave of players coming into the system next year featuring draft picks from previous regimes and that's what Botterill will need to work with. Along with any free agents he picks up and or players he may trade for along the way.  Players from his draft class in 2017 won't be hitting Western New York for at least another year or two so once again he and Amerks GM Randy Sexton will need to forge ahead.

They achieved their stated goal of making the playoffs this season. That should be the minimum goal in Rochester moving forward as the team is still transitioning away from the previous regimes.

There are a lot of positives for this team moving forward

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-7-2018


The Buffalo Sabres left Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida with a 7-5 loss. It was their 44th regulation loss in 81 games, 56th if you count overtime/shootout losses. Such has been the season for the 31st place team as they head for a high draft pick for the third time in five seasons.

There were typical hallmarks of this team in the 2017-18 season. The Sabres started the game looking like they were chilling on a Florida beach and found themselves behind early in the game. Egregious turnovers, lax defense and poor goaltending put the Sabres in a hole early, but they were able to bounce back and eventually take a 5-4 lead. However, they were unable to hold on, which isn't surprising considering the speed and firepower that the Tampa Bay Lightning have at their beck and call.

Buffalo came oh so close to tying the score with the goalie pulled, but in a tale of two goalposts, the Sabres' Evan Rodrigues hit the outside of the post with a wide open net and Tampa's Victor Hedman sent a 200' shot that caught the inside of the post and went in.

The Sabres knew this year was over months ago and looked like they'd packed it in. Except when playing against top teams in the division. From February through last night, the Sabres went 6-3-0 against Atlantic Division leaders Tampa, Boston and Toronto. Buffalo was also a very respectable 6-5-1 on the road during that time which included a 7-4 win over the NHL's top team, the Nashville Predators, to close out the month of March.

For those of us in Sabreland who've been watching nearly every game, it's things like that make this season a head-scratcher as to how could this team have looked so bad so often this season.

"A lot of things worked against Buffalo but [head coach] Phil [Housley] kept them together," said Lightning coach John Cooper via Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News. "Instead of folding down the stretch, they dug their heels in and played teams tough, including us. As an organization, they've found out a lot about themselves, they've done it the right way and they're set up to do some good things next year."

There are some good things on the horizon for the Sabres, and one of them was on display last night. Forward Casey Mittelstadt (2017, 8th-overall) scored his first NHL goal on a play that displayed poise, patience and skill.

(via NHL.com)

It was Mittelstadt's fourth point (1+3) in his first five NHL games and outside of those stats, the former Minnesota Golden Gopher who signed after his freshman season looks like he could be a big part of Buffalo's future.

Also netting his first NHL goal was fellow first round pick Alexander Nylander (2016, 8th.) Nylander made the jump from junior right into the AHL following his draft year and has struggled mightily with the Rochester Americans. However, he's been slowly turning it around in Rochester and got the call to Buffalo on Wednesday. After an uneventful season debut vs. the Ottawa Senators, Nylander made a nice play tipping a shot from the point for his first NHL goal:

(via NHL.com)

Nylander's goal was set up by another future bright spot for Buffalo, defenseman Brendan Guhle who was a 2015 second round selection (51st.) The athletic Guhle is an excellent skater with great vision who's been making waves while working his way up through the system. The Edmonton, Alberta native has been up with Buffalo since March 5 and has helped move the defense forward.

Buffalo has played Tampa three times in the past seven weeks and have beaten the Lighting twice. There other meeting came on November 28, a 2-0 shutout win for Tampa. In that time the Sabres have made some serious progress according to Cooper. "They've improved dramatically through the year and that's a good sign for them," he told Harrington. "They've got some good players. I had an up-close look at Ryan O'Reilly at the World Championships (for Team Canada) and he's a big-time player. Jack Eichel goes down for how many games? That doesn't help."

Tampa Bay is always one of those teams who are looked to as an ideal for a rebuild and they've been building this Stanley Cup contender for quite a while beginning in 2008 when they drafted Steven Stamkos first-overall after finishing tied for last with the Los Angeles Kings that season. The Lightning finished second-last the following season and drafted Victor Hedman second-overall in the 2009 NHL Draft and in two drafts they had their franchise center and a bona fide No. 1 defenseman.

Those two picks were added to a team lead by two Stanley Cup Champions, and probable future Hall of Famers in Vinny Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. The Lightning hired Steve Yzerman as their general manager in May, 2010 and after struggling with Rick Tocchet and Guy Boucher behind the bench, Tampa hired Cooper who took over the team late in the 2012-13 season.

The Lightning have drafted well with 11 homegrown players on their present roster ranging from the eldest, Alex Kilorn, drafted in 2007 (77th) to the youngest, Anthony Cirelli in 2015 (72nd.) In all their homegrown picks consist of four first round picks on the roster, two 2nd's, three 3rd's, one 4th and one 6th. And from 2007 to 2013, the Lightning have drafted 15 players who have played in 100 or more NHL games.

Smart drafting (to go along with Stamkos and Hedman) and good trades have lead to playoff appearances in what will end up being four of the last five full seasons under Cooper with a Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 2015 and an Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 2016.

Although Cooper's words on the Sabres might be construed as some obligatory nod to an overall poor team with some definitive talent who happened to give his team a hard time, there's a lot to look forward to in Sabreland. The Lightning missed the playoffs twice after drafting Stamkos and after making it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2011, missed the playoff two more times while they transferred away from their old core with Lecavalier and St. Louis and build around their new one featuring Stamkos and Hedman.

The Sabres have Eichel, and O'Reilly down the middle and be will joined at center in the top-nine next year by either Mittelstadt or Rodrigues who's really starting to find his NHL groove. Sam Reinhart, despite having an awful game last night, is climbing up towards his second-overall draft status while Guhle should help transform the back end. Rasmus Ristolainen should continue being a workhorse status pumping in 40 points from the back end and there are a host of others like Nicolas Baptiste, Justin Bailey, C.J. Smith and Nylander who will have ample opportunity to make the club out of camp.

There's one more game in this terrible season but it looks as if things may be coming together, at least talent-wise. Although there's still a long way to go, there are some positives to take with us into next season.

Housley gives lines a big shake for Game-81 @ Tampa Bay

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-6-2018


As a team, the Buffalo Sabres have nothing to play for in their final two games of the season. The Sabres secured last place with a 4-2 loss against the Ottawa Senators in their home finale on Wednesday and now finish off the season in Florida with games against the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight and the Florida Panthers tomorrow night.

Of note, both Tampa and Florida have something to play for against the Sabres. The Lightning are presently tied with the Boston Bruins atop the Eastern Conference with 110 points and own the tiebreaker. Both teams have two games remaining and winning the conference means the eastern road to the Stanley Cup will go through the city and team who comes out on top. The Panthers are in a struggle to make the playoffs as they presently sit four points out of the final wild card spot in the east. They need to win both games, including one in regulation or overtime, and have the Philadelphia Flyers lose tomorrow afternoon at home against the NY Rangers.

As the Sabres season comes to a close a wave of young players will be on the ice tying to make an impression upon Buffalo's brass. Recently signed Casey Mittelstadt and Wednesday call-up Alexander Nylander joined the likes of Brendan Guhle, Nicolas Baptiste and goalie Linus Ullmark in Buffalo's lineup to close out the season. All save for Mittelstadt will be heading to Rochester  to prepare for the Calder Cup playoffs when they return from Florida.

On Wednesday vs. the Senators, head coach Phil Housley moved some players around in the first period and stuck with the remade lines through the next 30 minutes or so. He moved Mittelstadt from center to left wing on Jack Eichel's line and moved Evan Rodrigues back to center with Nylander on his left wing.

Rodrigues is a fast skater, quick to the puck and always has his feet moving with purpose. Nylander seemed like what Rodrigues was doing and the duo looked pretty comfortable with each other. On the right side of that line was veteran Kyle Okposo.

The move of Mittelstadt to Eichel's wing was interesting as the kid got off to a slow start and looked like he was having a bit of trouble with the move to wing. Having said that, Mittelstadt has the skill, skating, awareness and competitive spirit to play anywhere up-front and one would think that with a little time, the 19 yr. old would be able to adapt to playing wing on Eichel's line. Aged veteran Jason Pominville was on that line and once again proved that he looks every bit the 35 yr. old he is.

The other line in the top nine consisted of a trio that have played together since the beginning of an early-March homestand. Ryan O'Reilly has been centering Sam Reinhart on the right and Scott Wilson on the left and they've been used consistently by Housley over the last four weeks or so.

According to reports from the rink today, Housley mixed things up at the morning skate. Here were the lines:

Wilson-Eichel-Okposo
Nylander-O'Reilly-Reinhart
Rodrigues-Mittelstadt-Pominville
Nolan-Larsson-Baptiste

On defense, Housley continues to mix things up in his top four. Rasmus Ristolainen and Marco Scandella were paired recently but he split them up again. Here's the projected d-parings for tonight:

Guhle-Ristolainen
Scandella-Nelson
Beaulieu-Falk

BTW, I love Rick Jeanneret, but according to the media guide Brendan Guhle's last name is pronounced  GOO-lee, not GOO-lay as Jeanneret likes to pronounce it. Somebody please inform him that it's not Brendan Goulet skating out there for Buffalo.

All three goalies--Chad Johnson, Linus Ullmark and Alex Wilcox--were out there for the morning skate and word is that Johnson will get the start.

Game time is slated for 7:30 pm at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.

The off season is just a weekend away.

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-5-2018


It's a sure sing of spring lately. The Augusta, GA bloom fills the Masters with the joys of spring while the Buffalo Sabres are shining up their golf clubs for yet another early off season. It will be the seventh year in a row that the Sabres have missed the playoffs and it will be the third time in the last five years that Buffalo will finish dead last. Further ignominy lies in the fact, as someone pointed out, that the Sabres will be the first team ever to finish in 31st place as the Vegas Golden Knights entered the league this year.

Having said that, most here felt a sense of "Mission Accomplished" as Buffalo secured last place with a loss vs. the 30th place Ottawa Senators last night. With that loss the Sabres will have an 18.5% chance of winning the lottery and about a 50/50 chance of landing a pick in the top three. Buffalo, like every other team in the league, would have heart palpitations at the thought of landing the first overall pick and being able to draft a franchise defenseman in Rasmus Dahlin. Yet even if they drop to second or third, they'll still be able to land an impact player at a position of need as wingers Filip Zadina and Andrei Svechnikov.

At worst the Sabres will be drafting fourth overall meaning one of forward Brady Tkachuk or defenseman Adam Boqvist or Quntin Hughes will be there for the taking. So all is not lost.

However, what's been lost in this season, is a sense of winning and it has to be affecting the players. This is Jack Eichel's third season and the Sabres have regressed to where they were when they drafted him. Sam Reinhart and Ryan O'Reilly have been here three seasons, Zemgus Girgensons the last five. In his 31 Thoughts piece for Sportsnet.ca, writer Elliotte Friedman had plenty to say about Buffalo and wrote that he talked to some players with one of them saying, “Look at Rasmus Ristolainen. He’s a really good player. But he’s been here the longest. [Losing is] all he knows.”

Friedman also said he had a long chat with Sabres GM Jason Botterill concerning teams taking advantage of Eichel's on-ice frustrations, to which Botterill replied, “You just want see him have some success. We need to win games. It’s not just Jack’s team. We need to help him. Teammates need to help him. When he is challenged, he responds in a good way. You talk about changing culture. How do you do that? You can’t always just trade for it.

"That’s why it’s so important that Rochester made the playoffs. Those young players are going to understand what it is like to play meaningful games, what it takes to win them.”

The Rochester Americans were a major emphasis for Botterill and his AGM/Amerks GM, Randy Sexton. They basically rebuilt that team from scratch with only a handful of players from the previous season and got them to the playoffs. It's the first time in three seasons Rochester has made the AHL post season.

In building that team, Botterill brought in some veteran with proven track records in scoring and/or leadership. Keving Porter, Zach Redmond (whom Botterill traded for,) Seth Griffith, Sahir Gill and Kyle Criscuolo all have had individual and/or team success at the AHL-level and were brought in to carry much of the weight as the Sabres youngins get a feel for the way Botterill wants to see them play.

Porter is the Amerks' captain and was with Botterill when they were in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization.  "He's a player I'm very familiar with," said Botterill back on July 1 after signing Porter and a host of other players. "[He] was a strong leader for Wilkes-Barre over the past couple of years, but also was a player, especially two years ago, that (Penguins head coach) Mike Sullivan really trusted at the National Hockey League level."

Two years ago Sullivan took over as coach of the Penguins in mid-season and guided them to the first of two consecutive Stanley Cups.

The Sabres just called Porter up from Rochester on Tuesday but he did not dress for Buffalo's home finale', but the media caught up with him today at Key Bank Center. Porter was asked what it means to have a winning team AHL team coupled with a last place NHL team. "There's going to be four, five, six, seven guys from that team coming up here," Porter said in response. "If they're used to losing, it's going to continue up here. But if we can get down there and go on a long playoff run and hopefully win a Calder Cup, that experience for them is going to translate up here."

There will be changes for the Sabres this off season as Botterill fashions his team his way. He took over a Sabres club that seemed more geared towards a Western Conference style of player featuring big bodies and heavies. That didn't work out too well in Buffalo and we've seen first hand that there will need to be a lot of turnover for him to fashion a team based upon speed, quickness, and skill. "We’ll make some changes,” Botterill told Friedman, “because you can’t come back with the same group. We have talent, but we don’t have consistency."


*****

With the off season just around the corner, it looks as if goalie Robin Lehner may have played his last game in Buffalo as he stayed back while his Sabres teammates boarded a plane for Florida where they'll play the last two games of the season. Although it's not official, the pending restricted free agent has not had a great season by any stretch of the imagination and it seems as if Botterill and Co. might be ready to hand the team over to Linus Ullmark.

Lehner played some solid hockey for the Sabres, albeit, rather inconsistent, especially this season. The thing about the 26 yr. old, who was traded for by former GM Tim Murray, is that the team traded the 21st pick in the 2015 NHL Draft for him and there would always be that cloud hanging over him because of it. In many, if not most, fan's minds, trading a first round pick for a goalie is taboo. For the record, the player taken in that spot by the Senators was forward Colin White who has spent most of the past two seasons with the Senators AHL affiliate and has played in 21 games for the big club.

The bottom line with Lehner it just didn't work out in Buffalo. His first year with the Sabres he was injured right off the bat, was resectable upon his return, but finished the season injured. He was the designated No. 1 goalie last season playing in a career most 59 games while putting up solid numbers despite a losing record. Last off season he was an RFA and signed a one-year deal stating that he proved everything he needed to prove in 2016-17.

But this season was a mess for him as he watched his goal-against average go to 3.01 and his save percentage fall to .908. Granted, Lehner didn't get much help, but he just looked awkward on way too many occasions and gave up way too many softies. It might be safe to say that he didn't trust his teammates on defense nor did his teammates really trust him in net.

It would be surprising if Lehner re-signed with Buffalo.


*****

The Sabres have some really good prospects that are moving up the ranks. Center Casey Mittelstadt actually jumped the ranks going from college freshman to the NHL. Where the eighth-overall pick in 2017 lands next year is up in the air, but Botterill told Friedman that he likes Eichel, O'Reilly and Mittelstadt down the middle. I believe there are many in Sabreland, myself included, who like that trio of center.

Botterill also mentioned free agent signee C.J. Smith who leads the Amerks with 17 goals and West Seneca, NY native Sean Malone whom he thinks will “carve out a role here (in Buffalo,) the way he is going.” And, of note, was a quick mention of Victor Olofsson, a 2014 seventh round draft pick (181st) who led the Swedish Hockey League in goals with 27 this past year. Nothing has been heard concerning the signing of the 22 yr. old but Botterill told Friedman, “We’d like to give him a look, see if he can score here with our guys.”

Of those who've gained valuable NHL experience this season, Brendan Guhle and Casey Nelson looked to have carved out a spot on the roster next season as did winger Nicolas Baptiste and forward Evan Rodrigues.

That's seven new, full-time faces for Buffalo next season, not including Ullmark, and possibly another should they land in the top-three of this year's draft and select any of three NHL-ready players.

The Sabres future got a little brighter yesterday.

Published by hockeybuzz.com, 3-18-2018


Perhaps it might be best to qualify that statement by saying that the near-term future of the Buffalo Sabres might be tied to how well their top two centers mesh beginning now and into next season.

Jack Eichel was back on the ice for the Sabres after missing over a month. The third-year pro was having another good season--22 goals and 31 assists in 55 games--until he was felled by a high-ankle sprain. In Eichel's absence center Ryan O'Reilly upped his game to 15 points (4+11) and was a plus-4 in those 16 games.

Eichel and O'Reilly are two very different hockey players. One is a highly fast, skilled, offensive-minded superstar in the making who was picked second-overall and came from the NCAA D-1 Men's hockey ranks. The other has definitive offensive skills is strong on the puck, great on the faceoff dot and is known for a consistent, two-way game. A simplistic view would have the former in Eichel in a top-line scoring role with the latter, O'Reilly, doing what he does anchoring the second line in a two-way role.

After Eichel's rookie season, things seemed headed in that direction. However, internal discord cast a pall over their particular roles on the team, which included who was the better fit for the vacant captaincy. The season went down hill, there were rumors of sides being taken, and it eventually lead to the firing of head coach Dan Bylsma.

This season has been a disaster under rookie coach Phil Housley, although there are some signs of light at the end of the tunnel. Yet, with the captaincy still open, definitive roles still haven't been fully defined. There's no doubt that when Eichel was drafted the Sabres were considered his team, but as of yet he hasn't shown the maturity of his counterpart in O'Reilly. And for his part, although he may fully believe, and justifiably so, that he does have leadership qualities that Eichel lacks, O'Reilly's overall maturity level should be tied to how he handles playing second fiddle.

The team needs to iron this out this off season and one would hope that both players can move on in their respective roles. The center position is extremely important and Buffalo has a legit one-two punch down the middle, which is something we haven't seen here since Chris Drury and Daniel Briere were co-captains for the Sabres. Having a legit top-two center combo was the reason for Buffalo's tank in 2014-15 and then GM Tim Murray's trade for O'Reilly at the 2015 NHL Draft.

Yesterday afternoon Eichel was on the ice and everything was back to normal as the team faced off against the Chicago Blackhawks. He dazzled with his speed and stickwork, which is something that O'Reilly mentioned after the game. O'Reilly scored a gritty goal on the powerplay by muscling in an Eichel rebound that was sitting in the blue paint and he was also forced a turnover with Buffalo ahead 4-3 and fed Sam Reinhart for the easy empty-netter.

There's an old saying, "check your egos in at the door," which is a simple way of saying that the team comes first. If the team wants one player or the other as their captain, or even if they want to go the co-captain route, something that this blogger doesn't mind at all, then let it be. But it needs to be done this off season.


*****

Forward Evan Rodrigues has been back in the lineup for two games and Housley has used him as a third-line center. Rodrigues is best known for riding shotgun on Eichel's wing at Boston University but the organization had been using him a lot at center throughout most of his time in Rochester and Buffalo. Housley had used him on the wing with thoughts of keeping him there, but it sure looks like Rodrigues could be a No. 3 center behind Eichel and O'Reilly.

In his last four games at center, two games each on either side if his injury, Rodrigues has five points (2+3) playing with the likes of Kyle Okposo, Scott Wilson, Jason Pominville, Benoit Pouliot, Zemgus Girgensons and Nicolas Baptiste.


*****

Speaking of Baptiste, the 22 yr.old rookie showed some nice stickwork yesterday when he connected on two tip-ins for his third an fourth goals of the season.

Baptiste was selected with the 69th pick in the 2013 NHL Draft and one of the first things that Murray did after taking over as Buffalo's GM in January 2014 was to sign him to his three-year entry-level deal. That deal will finish at season's end and with him being out of waiver exemptions next season, he'll either be with the Sabres or somewhere else.

At 6'1" 205 lbs., Baptiste has NHL size and he also has plenty of speed to play at today's fast pace. What has gone mostly unnoticed while he's been paying his dues at the AHL level for the last three seasons, is his hands. Baptiste has an array of shots he uses to score from anywhere on the ice and yesterday he showed deft hand-eye coordination on those two tips.

What he hasn't been able to figure out at the NHL level, at least on a consistent basis, is the how and where he'll be able to score with those skills.

Although he shouldn't be christened as the next top-six winger on Buffalo, Baptiste seems to be progressing well while getting consistent minutes. With the Amerks virtually a lock for the playoffs and the Sabres being able to take a good long look at some of their prospects with an eye towards next season, Baptiste is one of those players who can almost secure a spot in the top-nine if he continues with good habits and develops some consistency.


*****

The Minnesota Golden Gophers only needed one of six NCAA D-1 teams to win their title game to make the tournament. Unfortunately for the college, "victories by Boston University (Hockey East), Princeton (ECAC), Air Force (Atlantic Hockey), Michigan Tech (WCHA), Denver (NCHC) and Notre Dame (Big Ten) for automatic spots dropped the Gophers to No. 13," according to Randy Johnson of the Star Tribune.

What's bad for the college may be good for the Buffalo Sabres and/or Rochester Americans.

The Sabres selected center Casey Mittelstadt with the eighth-overall pick in last year's draft and the Minnesota freshman had a very solid campaign for the Gophers with 30 points (11+19) in 34 games. In addition to that success, Mittelstadt was also named MVP of this year's World Junior Championship which was held in Buffalo.

The World Juniors was particularly intriguing as the 19 yr. old scored four goals and added seven assists for the bronze medal winning USA team while on his way to MVP honors, but what might really have stood out was his work in adverse conditions during the outdoor game against rival Team Canada.

With the US down 3-1 in the third period and Mittelstadt already with a primary assist, the Minnesota native used deft work in snow to set up two more goals as Team USA tied the game before winning it in the shootout. Here are the highlights via USA HOCKEY:





There's a lot of discontent in Minnesota as the Gophers were left out of the tournament. According to Johnson's article, "the future of coach Don Lucia will be a hot topic. The Gophers have missed the NCAA tournament in two of the past three years and haven't won an NCAA game since the 2014 national semifinals. Lucia has one year left on his contract, and athletic director Mark Coyle last week wouldn't say whether Lucia would be back."

A turnover in the coaching staff could have an adverse affect on Mittlestadt's future at Minnesota and could be what puts him in the NHL as soon as this season.

It's something to keep an eye on and for Sabres fans, something definitely to look forward to.

Sabres fall to bottom of league, time to get a good look at the youngins

Published by hockeybuzz, 3-14-2018


With Arizona's 4-3 shootout win over the Los Angeles Kings last night, the Coyotes moved from the bottom of the league into 30th place. The team they just jumped?

The Buffalo Sabres.

Right now, with 13 games left in the regular season the Buffalo is in an all too familiar spot with the yes of Sabreland fixated upon the NHL Draft Lottery and the 2018 NHL Entry Draft in Dallas, TX. However, before they get there the front office and coaching staff seem intent upon getting a good look at their young players before heading into the off season.

With the Rochester Americans all but assured of making the playoffs for the first time in three years, there is time for some of their key players to get a good taste of the NHL before they begin their post season. Yesterday Buffalo called up goalie Linus Ullmark, who's looking like he'll be the team MVP once again, and this morning the Sabres called up forward Justin Bailey. The duo will join forward Nicolas Baptiste who's been up for a dozen games dating back to February 13 and defenseman Brendan Guhle who was called up March 4.

Defenseman Casey Nelson spent the first half of the season in Rochester and was recalled on January 17, playing in 25 games for the Sabres while forwards Kyle Criscuolo and Seth Griffith were recent recalls, with the latter two suffering injuries during their short stints.

That's a lot of youth and a lot of focus on the future of the Buffalo Sabres. As it should be. At yesterday's practice veterans Benotit Pouliot, Jacob Josefson and Jordan Nolan made up the Sabres fourth line while veteran d-men Josh Gorges and Justin Falk were the fourth pair.

Of all the moves, maybe Ullmark's was the most curious since it seems as if both Robin Lehner and backup Chad Johnson seem healthy, but it's also the most logical considering the Amerks are pretty much assured a playoff spot and Rochester backup Adam Wilcox has been more than dependable. Sabres head coach Phil Housley put it this way concerning Ullmark, "We felt it was a good time to call Linus up," he told the gathered media post-practice yesterday. "He's certainly deserved to be up here. We're going to continue to evaluate all our players, especially our goaltenders. … He's going to get an opportunity. When that is, I don't know."

Where, or even if, Bailey fits in to plans for tomorrows game vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs may have a lot to do with how Jack Eichel feels. Eichel has been sidelined since a high-ankle sprain felled him in a game against the Boston Bruins on February 10. Although those at the rink said he looked like never missed a beat during a very tough first practice, how he recovers today and tomorrow will determine whether or not he's a go.

All that said, here's where the Sabres are right now in the standings:

26th--Montreal (64 points)
27th--Detroit (63)
28th--Ottawa (61)
29th--Vancouver (59)
30th--Arizona (57)
31st--Buffalo (56)


With 13 games remaining in the season, the Sabres are in last place and if the season were to end now, they'd have a 18.5% chance of winning the lottery to select first-overall in the 2018 NHL Draft.

31st place--18.5%
30th--12.5
29th--10.5
28th--9.5
27th--8.5
26th--7.6

There is an NHL lottery simulator web site which has become very popular for Sabres fans the last few years, when you go there you can pick the winners for the first three spots in the draft.

For today this is what I came up with:

1.  Calgary
2.  NY Rangers 
3.  Buffalo

*****
4.  Arizona
5.  Vancouver