Published by hockeybuzz.com, 5-17-2017
Former Buffalo Sabres forward Ville Leino hoodwinked the Sabres into a six-year, $27 million contract back in 2011. Now he's hawking a "artist series" hoodie because, apparently, the $1.2 million annual tag for the compliance buyout by the Sabres through the 2019-20 season isn't enough of a financial cushion for his exile from the National Hockey League.
Leino performance was universally panned and contract is widely considered one of the worst free agent signings of all time. His career with the Sabres spanned 137 games in which he scored 10 goals and added 36 assists. Leino pocketed $16 million in those first three years with the Sabres which comes out to $1.6m/goal and another $7.33 million for Buffalo to say good riddance.
But the dude has some serious issues with his final year in Buffalo that needed to be expressed artistically, so he drew some kids scrawl artwork featuring a crude face, cross and the word "Jail," as if to imply that his last year in Buffalo was like being in jail.
Here's his quote about the "work":
"One of my most personal works. I was playing my third year in Buffalo Sabres with long and big contract. Things weren't working with me and the team. I was getting a lot of pressure and heat and there was no way out of it. I felt trapped and down. All I could do was get up every morning and go to work and try to make it work. This painting reflects those feelings that I was going through on that perioid of time." - Ville Leino.
He seems to have put more work into that than he did on the ice in Buffalo and my God, when you signed that contract there, Ville, you mean to tell me that you weren't prepared for the pressure and scrutiny of a lucrative long-term contract like that? And there was no way out? Really?
Get real.
It's an intriguing piece in a way, and I'd certainly be interested in buying it.
*Reaches into pocket*
I've got 17 cents, a ball of lint and some crumbs from the pizza I ate last night. How's that? I'd say it's about equal to what you gave the Buffalo Sabres organization while you were here.
*****
The Buffalo sports scene has been in a rut and, like Leino, has been universally panned lately, or in the case of the Buffalo Bills, the entirety of this century. However, and I say this cautiously, things look to be getting better.
When the Pegula's took over the Sabres and the Bills they soon found themselves in way over their heads. Terry Pegula headed a very successful energy company but he soon found out, unlike the man in the Oval Office, the world of pro sports is a completely different beast and it's best to surround oneself with those who know how it works.
To their credit, the Pegulas gave the incumbent general manager and coach the opportunity to continue on with the new owners. Unfortunately both tandems failed which lead to a dual GM search this spring and two new coaches this calendar year. However, there is still no "guru" at the top of either organization.
In lieu of that, the Pegulas are heading in the right direction with quality front office hires for their football operations. It actually started with the hiring of new head coach Sean McDermott and although he has an unusual amount of power for a head coach, at least he seems to be putting the Bills on the proper course.
McDermott was at the forefront of hiring Carolina Panthers AGM Brandon Beane to be general manager in Buffalo and as the Bills begin to build a scouting department that was let go along with the firing of former GM Doug Whaley, they've added two more quality people. Joe Schoen, the Miami Dolphins director of player personnel was hired as an assistant GM and Brian Gaine as new vice president of player personnel. Gaine was brought over from Houston where he served as director of player personnel with the Texans.
Both are roundly accepted as quality hires for Buffalo as they try to break out of a 17-year playoff drought.
*****
Elliotte Friedman's 30 Thoughts for Sportsnet.ca is a mainstay for hockey fans and he had plenty to say about the Buffalo Sabres in his latest edition.
The Sabres have a new GM in Jason Botterill and are looking for a new head coach. Botterill gave a general framework as to what he's looking for in a head coach and also said that experience is not a necessity. Yet he wants the new head coach to have respect when he walks into the locker room, something that was apparently missing last season with departed head coach Dan Bylsma.
There are only two teams in the NHL without a head coach right now--Buffalo and the Florida Panthers. Friedman points out that Cats GM Dale Tallon is in Europe taking in the IIHF World Championships as part of Team USA's leadership. Among the names mentioned in association with Florida are, Marc Crawford (OTT), Phil Housley (NSH) and Paul MacLean (ANA).
Crawford is an interesting name to crop up in the conversation as he won the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 1996. He's coached over 1100 games for four different franchises and is presently an associate coach with the Ottawa Senators.
Friedman then brings some other names to the fore.
"Botterill knows Todd Reirden (WSH) and Rick Tocchet (PIT) very well," he wrote. "He almost hired New Jersey assistant Geoff Ward for AHL Wilkes-Barre, eventually choosing Mike Sullivan. Housley and San Jose’s Bob Boughner could be interviewed here, too. And I do wonder if he’d ask Jim Rutherford about Montreal’s Kirk Muller. Rutherford hired Muller in Carolina."
Botterill is in no hurry as he has other things on the front burner, but those are some names to keep an eye on.
*****
In more front office work, Friedman also mentions Botterill's under the radar search to fill scouting vacancies.
"Botterill said there have been 'no restrictions' on who he can take from Pittsburgh to Buffalo, with one caveat: no lateral moves. So, if he’s taking anyone, it has to be a promotion. He wouldn’t comment on specific names, but two are making the rounds. One is former Ottawa and Florida GM Randy Sexton, who is the Penguins’ director of amateur scouting. The other is Derek Clancey, director of pro scouting."
*****
Finally, Friedman touched upon Russian defenseman Viktor Antipin who opted out of his KHL contract and is said to be headed to Buffalo.
The previous regime got the wheels turning on this one and there were questions as to whether or not Buffalo and Antipin is still in the works with a new GM. "The vultures circled, wondering if the changes in Buffalo meant Antipin would waver on his decision to join the Sabres," wrote Friedman. "But it sounds like he’s sticking with his original decision. Not for lack of trying."
Which is good news for a Sabres defense which seems to be priority-one from a roster perspective. And just for good measure, Friedman had to bring forward Evander Kane into the conversation as Botterill mentioned using every possible avenue to try and fix the defense. "[Botterill] wouldn’t discuss specifics, but the organization has to make a decision on Evander Kane. Do they let him play out his contract, re-sign him or try to move him for that defender?"
Good question. It's one that should be in the news for a while.
Showing posts with label ville leino. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ville leino. Show all posts
Friday, May 19, 2017
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Playing with cap numbers, and how Ville Leino might get lucky
Sabres forward Ville Leino was a little confused when he found himself a healthy scratch vs. Ottawa on Tuesday.
"I'm not sure what he wants from me," Leino was quoted as saying after hearing of his benching for Tuesday's game vs. Ottawa. Although he admitted that the prior game wasn't "his best," he failed to see the significance of a season that has him with 0 goals, 5 assists and only 12 shots goal in 18 games.
Allow me to clarify it for you, Mr. Guitar-god. Nolan is starting to see which players are starting to rise to the top and who are simply along for the ride.
Unforutnately for you, Ville, you're not rising to the top.
Here's what Nolan said concerning your play, (to benefit your misunderstanding, Ville, we've added our "clarification" in parenthesis):
"Certain players, (and that would be you, Ville) with a certain skill set (in other words, those who are expected to score goals like you, Ville) they have to bring it (the term "bringing it," Ville, means skating hard, playing the game hard, working hard.)"
Nolan continued, "If you're not going to play as hard as you can (which means if you're not "bringing it," Ville) sometimes it's better to sit back and observe for a while (which means your sorry ass is riding the pine because your just here for the ride anyway.)"
And one more thing from Nolan, "Not only the game, (get Allen Iverson out of your head, Ville) but the way '[you] practiced yesterday (have you ever heard the term 'your play the way you practice?' Ville?) If we don't practice hard, how are we going to play hard? (meaning, your ass will be glued to the pine until you start working harder. And it begins with practice.)
Oddly enough, it may not even matter for the next year and a half when in comes to his place on the Sabres.
As clueless as Leino seems to be, and as vile as it might be to think of him skating with the Blue and Gold next season, he may have some use as the team rebuilds.
With the NHL salary cap reported to be heading northwards of $71m next season, the salary cap floor is expected to be upwards of $52m. (So what was that lockout all about?)
As the team transitions away from "the core," the Sabres are continuing to divest themselves from the vestiges of the previous regime. The longstanding, expensive veteran contracts of "the core" have been jettisoned save for one, goalie Ryan Miller. And it would seem as if he will be gone by the 2014 trade deadline.
For this season, according to capgeek, the Sabres sit $12m under the $64m salary cap. Most think that Miller and his $6.25m cap-hit will be gone as well by the end of the trade deadline. Recently acquired Matt Moulson is also a trade possibility as is Steve Ott. Their cap-hits are $3.1m and $2.9m respectively.
Moving those three would put Buffalo under the $44m salary-cap floor.
Granted they will figure it out this season, but next season they will be facing the same cap-floor scenario as they begin the process of moving the youngins into the NHL. And there will be more youngins playing with the big club next season, among them Rasmus Ristolainen and Johan Larsson (and possibly Nikita Zadorov.)
As of today, the Sabres have 10 players signed for next season at roughly $28m, which is over $40m under the salary cap ceiling, $24m below the cap floor. They will have a ton of money to spend to fill 13 roster spots.
Two youngins--Ristolainen and Larsson--are almost shoe-ins for the team next season while the team may take the slow road with Zadorov and put him in the AHL for a season. They (minus Zadorov) will add about $1.7m to the cap next season. That will put the team at about a $30m cap-hit on 12 players.
Forward Patrick Kaleta and his $1.25m salary will probably be back next season. UFA forward John Scott will probably be back as well at $750k.
Now the team is at $32m on 14 players with nine more players to sign and $20m to go to hit the salary-cap floor.
The Sabres have three promising RFA's in Tyler Ennis, Marcus Foligno and Brayden McNabb. All three will probably account for another $5m.
Buffalo now has 17 players signed at a total cap-hit of $37m.
Here's where it gets interesting.
Based upon the players already signed for next season and the probable signings mentioned above, the Sabres would have ten forwards, six defenseman and one goalie on the roster. They will need to add five skaters and a goalie.
If Miller (possible $8m cap-hit,) Moulson ($6m) and Ott ($4m) end up re-signing with the Sabres (at those generous salaries,) there's no problem with the team hitting the salary floor, and they will be able to buy out Leino.
But, while continuing to play the "cap-game," if Miller doesn't re-sign, Matt Hackett will probably get the call. Hackett, a RFA, will probably get $1m.
The team will now need to sign five skaters and will be at $38m, about $14m under the cap-floor.
If they re-sign both Moulson and Ott at the above mentioned generous salaries it will put the team at a $48m with three players left to sign.
In that scenario, the team could easily spend enough on the remaining three players to get well over the cap-floor and buy out Leino.
If not, Leino could get lucky.
As the Sabres go into year two of full re-build mode, Leino may end up on the team strictly from a financial standpoint.
Not much will be expected of the team next season and they will need to get to the cap-floor of $52. Pegula may need to spend that $4.5m on a player (or players.) Why spend millions on a Leino buyout and then double that by bringing in another overpaid player (or players) for millions more to get to the cap-floor?
There are a lot of variables, of course, and this is all speculative, but there is a scenario where Leino and his 10 goals in 107 games as a Sabre (or about $1m/goal salary-wise,) could be on the team next season.
Don't fret, Sabres fans, the probability of this scenario is low, but it is possible and unless he's a cancer, it won't kill anyone to have him on the team for another season.
"I'm not sure what he wants from me," Leino was quoted as saying after hearing of his benching for Tuesday's game vs. Ottawa. Although he admitted that the prior game wasn't "his best," he failed to see the significance of a season that has him with 0 goals, 5 assists and only 12 shots goal in 18 games.
Allow me to clarify it for you, Mr. Guitar-god. Nolan is starting to see which players are starting to rise to the top and who are simply along for the ride.
Unforutnately for you, Ville, you're not rising to the top.
Here's what Nolan said concerning your play, (to benefit your misunderstanding, Ville, we've added our "clarification" in parenthesis):
"Certain players, (and that would be you, Ville) with a certain skill set (in other words, those who are expected to score goals like you, Ville) they have to bring it (the term "bringing it," Ville, means skating hard, playing the game hard, working hard.)"
Nolan continued, "If you're not going to play as hard as you can (which means if you're not "bringing it," Ville) sometimes it's better to sit back and observe for a while (which means your sorry ass is riding the pine because your just here for the ride anyway.)"
And one more thing from Nolan, "Not only the game, (get Allen Iverson out of your head, Ville) but the way '[you] practiced yesterday (have you ever heard the term 'your play the way you practice?' Ville?) If we don't practice hard, how are we going to play hard? (meaning, your ass will be glued to the pine until you start working harder. And it begins with practice.)
Oddly enough, it may not even matter for the next year and a half when in comes to his place on the Sabres.
As clueless as Leino seems to be, and as vile as it might be to think of him skating with the Blue and Gold next season, he may have some use as the team rebuilds.
With the NHL salary cap reported to be heading northwards of $71m next season, the salary cap floor is expected to be upwards of $52m. (So what was that lockout all about?)
As the team transitions away from "the core," the Sabres are continuing to divest themselves from the vestiges of the previous regime. The longstanding, expensive veteran contracts of "the core" have been jettisoned save for one, goalie Ryan Miller. And it would seem as if he will be gone by the 2014 trade deadline.
For this season, according to capgeek, the Sabres sit $12m under the $64m salary cap. Most think that Miller and his $6.25m cap-hit will be gone as well by the end of the trade deadline. Recently acquired Matt Moulson is also a trade possibility as is Steve Ott. Their cap-hits are $3.1m and $2.9m respectively.
Moving those three would put Buffalo under the $44m salary-cap floor.
Granted they will figure it out this season, but next season they will be facing the same cap-floor scenario as they begin the process of moving the youngins into the NHL. And there will be more youngins playing with the big club next season, among them Rasmus Ristolainen and Johan Larsson (and possibly Nikita Zadorov.)
As of today, the Sabres have 10 players signed for next season at roughly $28m, which is over $40m under the salary cap ceiling, $24m below the cap floor. They will have a ton of money to spend to fill 13 roster spots.
Two youngins--Ristolainen and Larsson--are almost shoe-ins for the team next season while the team may take the slow road with Zadorov and put him in the AHL for a season. They (minus Zadorov) will add about $1.7m to the cap next season. That will put the team at about a $30m cap-hit on 12 players.
Forward Patrick Kaleta and his $1.25m salary will probably be back next season. UFA forward John Scott will probably be back as well at $750k.
Now the team is at $32m on 14 players with nine more players to sign and $20m to go to hit the salary-cap floor.
The Sabres have three promising RFA's in Tyler Ennis, Marcus Foligno and Brayden McNabb. All three will probably account for another $5m.
Buffalo now has 17 players signed at a total cap-hit of $37m.
Here's where it gets interesting.
Based upon the players already signed for next season and the probable signings mentioned above, the Sabres would have ten forwards, six defenseman and one goalie on the roster. They will need to add five skaters and a goalie.
If Miller (possible $8m cap-hit,) Moulson ($6m) and Ott ($4m) end up re-signing with the Sabres (at those generous salaries,) there's no problem with the team hitting the salary floor, and they will be able to buy out Leino.
But, while continuing to play the "cap-game," if Miller doesn't re-sign, Matt Hackett will probably get the call. Hackett, a RFA, will probably get $1m.
The team will now need to sign five skaters and will be at $38m, about $14m under the cap-floor.
If they re-sign both Moulson and Ott at the above mentioned generous salaries it will put the team at a $48m with three players left to sign.
In that scenario, the team could easily spend enough on the remaining three players to get well over the cap-floor and buy out Leino.
If not, Leino could get lucky.
As the Sabres go into year two of full re-build mode, Leino may end up on the team strictly from a financial standpoint.
Not much will be expected of the team next season and they will need to get to the cap-floor of $52. Pegula may need to spend that $4.5m on a player (or players.) Why spend millions on a Leino buyout and then double that by bringing in another overpaid player (or players) for millions more to get to the cap-floor?
There are a lot of variables, of course, and this is all speculative, but there is a scenario where Leino and his 10 goals in 107 games as a Sabre (or about $1m/goal salary-wise,) could be on the team next season.
Don't fret, Sabres fans, the probability of this scenario is low, but it is possible and unless he's a cancer, it won't kill anyone to have him on the team for another season.
Friday, September 6, 2013
Sabres news and notes as training camp draws near
With training camp set to begin next week, slowly but surely players are making their way to Buffalo.
Two veterans, Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek, have arrived. The pair are in the last year of their respective contracts and will be facing questions about trades and contract extensions all season until either a trade or extension is consumated.
Which is reminiscent of former Sabre Brian Campbell's situation back in the 2007-08 season.
Jon Vogl of the Buffalo News tracked down Campbell to discuss Miller and Vanek's situation and what he went through.
'I felt fine [for most of the season,] then the last few games before [the trade deadline] that I think it weighed on my mind pretty heavily,' Campbell said. 'I didn’t play very good the last couple games because mentally I wasn’t in it.'
The difference between Campbell and Miller/Vanek is that Campbell wanted to stay.
Both Miller and Vanek are playing their cards close to the vest for now and are looking at it as an emotionless business decision on the parties involved.
Just how long that will last remains to be seen.
***
Vogl pens a piece on Vanek and the star winger delves into the past and present while admitting that he's not surprised to still be with the team.
Alluding to the 2005-07 teams, Vanek said, '[our] teams in the past we’ve had, we had off nights and we would still win. I don’t think that’s going to happen too much anymore.' As for where the Sabres are now, 'Whoever makes our team, we won’t be favored by anyone.'
Vanek, in his business-like approach to the season, will be using his status as an unrestricted free agent at year's end to assess the situation in Buffalo and decide what's best for him on his side of the equation. The Sabres, of course, will be deciding what's best for the team on their end.
Said Vanek on the upcoming season, 'I just want to see where it goes. I have that right, and I’m taking it. I don’t feel like I’m doing a disservice to anyone. Some people might agree with me, some don’t. That’s the way it goes either way.'
Back in 2007, Vanek also had the right to sign Edmonton's 7yr./$51M offer sheet, which he did.
It's a business. He knows it and has known it.
Was he surprised that he's presently slated for the Sabres camp next week?
'No, not at all,' he said. 'My end-of-the-year meeting was good. I just said my thoughts. I never asked for a trade, so from that point on I’m not surprised that I’m still here. But at the same time, if they would have moved me, I wouldn’t have been surprised either way.'
I'd be surprised if Vanek was a Buffalo Sabre after the deadline. Opportunity is knocking. He could very well be looking for one of those teams who can have an off night and still win and be paid a handsome sum on said team.
***
What do Toronto's Nazem Kadri, Ottawa's Jared Cowen, the Ranger's Derek Stephan and Buffalo's Cody Hodgson all have in common?
They're all talented players coming off of their entry level contracts looking for a big raise after playing at a high level last season. And they're all unsigned as of yet.
As for Hodgson, he believes that he and the Sabres "[will] get something done."
Vogl quotes Hodgson as saying 'I like it here [in Buffalo],' and the 23 yr. old center points to the way Drew Stafford and Tyler Ennis came off of their entry level deals.
'[Stafford] told me he was just about going on the ice when he signed his contract,” Hodgson said. “I know Ennis was right up to the last minute, too. I’m excited to be here, and I’m just focusing on what I’ve got to do to get ready for the training camp.”
Quite the proffesional approach.
***
Sabres forward Ville Leino and his contract will always be the butt of jokes. Something's not right if there's a Sabres season prediction and his $27M contract doesn't come up.
Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald writes that Leino will be ready for camp after having hip surgery this summer.
Leino says that he was having hip problems dating back to his days in Detroit four years ago. He had surgery on one side in 2010 and was playing through pain the last few years as the right side was acting up.
But, 'Now they’re both fixed up,' Leino said last week after skating with some teammates inside the Riverside Ice Rink. 'Obviously, the right one doesn’t feel exactly normal. It’s probably going to take a little bit. But it’s definitely better than it was.'
Another area that might have been "fixed up" for Leino is the coaching situation.
Leino couldn't get much going when Lindy Ruff was at the helm, but he seems to have taken to new bench-boss Ron Rolston and his approach. 'I like the way he coaches,' Leino said about Rolston. 'He demands a lot. He’s very detail-oriented. The stuff that he talks makes sense to me. I think he’s fair. If you play good and work really hard, you get to play. Yeah, I’m intrigued what this season brings.'
Throughout the last couple of seasons with Buffalo, Leino has had a littany of excuses for his below average play.
With healthy hips and a coach that "makes sense to him" it would seem as if there are no more excuses which leads to a make-or-break year for Leino.
For the sake of the Sabres, let's hope it's a "make."
Two veterans, Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek, have arrived. The pair are in the last year of their respective contracts and will be facing questions about trades and contract extensions all season until either a trade or extension is consumated.
Which is reminiscent of former Sabre Brian Campbell's situation back in the 2007-08 season.
Jon Vogl of the Buffalo News tracked down Campbell to discuss Miller and Vanek's situation and what he went through.
'I felt fine [for most of the season,] then the last few games before [the trade deadline] that I think it weighed on my mind pretty heavily,' Campbell said. 'I didn’t play very good the last couple games because mentally I wasn’t in it.'
The difference between Campbell and Miller/Vanek is that Campbell wanted to stay.
Both Miller and Vanek are playing their cards close to the vest for now and are looking at it as an emotionless business decision on the parties involved.
Just how long that will last remains to be seen.
***
Vogl pens a piece on Vanek and the star winger delves into the past and present while admitting that he's not surprised to still be with the team.
Alluding to the 2005-07 teams, Vanek said, '[our] teams in the past we’ve had, we had off nights and we would still win. I don’t think that’s going to happen too much anymore.' As for where the Sabres are now, 'Whoever makes our team, we won’t be favored by anyone.'
Vanek, in his business-like approach to the season, will be using his status as an unrestricted free agent at year's end to assess the situation in Buffalo and decide what's best for him on his side of the equation. The Sabres, of course, will be deciding what's best for the team on their end.
Said Vanek on the upcoming season, 'I just want to see where it goes. I have that right, and I’m taking it. I don’t feel like I’m doing a disservice to anyone. Some people might agree with me, some don’t. That’s the way it goes either way.'
Back in 2007, Vanek also had the right to sign Edmonton's 7yr./$51M offer sheet, which he did.
It's a business. He knows it and has known it.
Was he surprised that he's presently slated for the Sabres camp next week?
'No, not at all,' he said. 'My end-of-the-year meeting was good. I just said my thoughts. I never asked for a trade, so from that point on I’m not surprised that I’m still here. But at the same time, if they would have moved me, I wouldn’t have been surprised either way.'
I'd be surprised if Vanek was a Buffalo Sabre after the deadline. Opportunity is knocking. He could very well be looking for one of those teams who can have an off night and still win and be paid a handsome sum on said team.
***
What do Toronto's Nazem Kadri, Ottawa's Jared Cowen, the Ranger's Derek Stephan and Buffalo's Cody Hodgson all have in common?
They're all talented players coming off of their entry level contracts looking for a big raise after playing at a high level last season. And they're all unsigned as of yet.
As for Hodgson, he believes that he and the Sabres "[will] get something done."
Vogl quotes Hodgson as saying 'I like it here [in Buffalo],' and the 23 yr. old center points to the way Drew Stafford and Tyler Ennis came off of their entry level deals.
'[Stafford] told me he was just about going on the ice when he signed his contract,” Hodgson said. “I know Ennis was right up to the last minute, too. I’m excited to be here, and I’m just focusing on what I’ve got to do to get ready for the training camp.”
Quite the proffesional approach.
***
Sabres forward Ville Leino and his contract will always be the butt of jokes. Something's not right if there's a Sabres season prediction and his $27M contract doesn't come up.
Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald writes that Leino will be ready for camp after having hip surgery this summer.
Leino says that he was having hip problems dating back to his days in Detroit four years ago. He had surgery on one side in 2010 and was playing through pain the last few years as the right side was acting up.
But, 'Now they’re both fixed up,' Leino said last week after skating with some teammates inside the Riverside Ice Rink. 'Obviously, the right one doesn’t feel exactly normal. It’s probably going to take a little bit. But it’s definitely better than it was.'
Another area that might have been "fixed up" for Leino is the coaching situation.
Leino couldn't get much going when Lindy Ruff was at the helm, but he seems to have taken to new bench-boss Ron Rolston and his approach. 'I like the way he coaches,' Leino said about Rolston. 'He demands a lot. He’s very detail-oriented. The stuff that he talks makes sense to me. I think he’s fair. If you play good and work really hard, you get to play. Yeah, I’m intrigued what this season brings.'
Throughout the last couple of seasons with Buffalo, Leino has had a littany of excuses for his below average play.
With healthy hips and a coach that "makes sense to him" it would seem as if there are no more excuses which leads to a make-or-break year for Leino.
For the sake of the Sabres, let's hope it's a "make."
Monday, April 30, 2012
The NFL draft is over, back to the Sabres
The Buffalo Bills made some noise this off-season, and with the Sabres falling short in the standings, and clinging to the status quo, it's not hard to have your attention directed towards the team with the longest playoff drought in the NFL (13 years,) and how they may emerge from an aggressive off-season thus far.
Draft grades will be coming out left and right, but the prevailing theme is that GM Buddy Nix and his group of scouts scored a solid B/B+ in the draft. A solid if unspectacular group of rookies will be headed to Orchard Park to join FA defensive end acquisitions Mario Williams and Mark Anderson. (Click here for The Buffalo News' Mark Gaughan draft re-cap.)
When taken as a whole, the Bills bolstered both lines. On defense the signings of Williams and Anderson gave the Bills one of the best front-four in the league (on paper.) It also allowed them to focus upon other areas in the draft.
Cornerback Stephon Gilmore (#10-overall) was the consensus second-best corner in the draft behind Morris Claibourne. The Bills got him.
The other possibility for the Bills first pick was T Cordy Glenn, a projected first-rounder who dropped to the Bills at #41, much to their delight.
They plucked a speed receiver in TJ Graham with their third-round pick and then set themselves upon building depth.
They picked two linebackers, Nigel Bradham (#105) and Tank Carder (#147,) as well as another DB in Ron Brooks (#124) to shore up the defense. Bradham and Brooks, as with all picks, will have the opportunity to vie for a starting spot, but they're also looked at as big contributors on special teams.
The Bills drafted themselves some football players throughout, and Carder is a tough competitor, maybe because of the obstacles he's faced throughout his short lifetime.
In addition to shoring up the defense, the Bills did not rest on their Cordy Glenn-laurels. They added depth on the offensive line, as well as big bodies--T Zebrie Sanders (#144) and OL Mark Asper (#168.)
In fact, Nix seemed to feel so confident in his work, that when it came to their final pick, they had the luxury to take a kicker, John Potter (#271.) Potter is somewhat of a specialist at this point. His strength is kickoffs as he's looked at to consistently put the kick into the endzone.
All-in-all, Nix and Co. may have produced a solid if unspectacular draft that focused upon areas of need and stretched into less glamorous areas like special teams.
Good work.
Had he hit the net more often in his first year with the Sabres, perhaps they'd have been talking about a first-round battle with the NY Rangers instead of philosophising over a lost year.
Ville Leino was signed in the off-season for 6yrs./$27M and Sabres management had some expectations for him that, in the end, were simply out of reach for the LW-turned Center-turned LW-turned Center. His eight goals and 17 assists in 71 games certainly attest to that.
Leino was a no-show for almost all of the season, especially the first half, and after the Sabres were eliminated in Philadelphia, he was a no-show preferring, according to WGR beat writer Paul Hamilton, to chat with his pals on the Flyers. At locker clean-out day, Leino once again was a no-show.
Pretty sure everyone expected nothing from him until training camp, but Jon Vogl of the Buffalo News landed an interview with the Finnish forward.
The season was a battle. So went the headline.
And what was he battling?
Pretty much everything.
The Sabres brought Leino to bolster a weak center position, he was a big disappointment.
Not sure where the problems came from, but off season adjustments were sure to play a part.
Leino, though, takes it a bit further.
He inferrs that Lindy Ruff did not use him, as well as other players, properly, "There was a lot of pieces that were kind of out of place," Leino said. " "Coaches do most of the work, and obviously players want to be better, too."
He somewhat defends the coaching staff by saying, "They've got to work with what they were given."
Basically, Leino wasn't thrilled with where he stood on the team. Which is not surprising. He's coming off as a primadonna, which is not unusual.
The offseason should be interesting, with Tyler Ennis emerging as a legitimate top-six center and the addition of Cody Hodgson as a potential top-six center, Leino can now focus upon the wing.
That is if he's not worrying about what the GM, coach and his other players are doing.
---------
Speaking of Hodgson, dude caught some serious flak from his former GM.
Mike Gillis ripped his former #1 pick (#10-overall, 2009,) not long after his team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, "There clearly were issues that were ongoing," Gillis said of Hodgson. "I spent more time on Cody's issues than every other player combined on our team the last three years."
One must take into account the the Canucks had just been bounced in the first round after making it to Game-7 of the Stanley Cup Finals last season.
The trade that Gillis made to bolster his team--or more specifically, to match up with the Boston Bruins and their toughness--was to send Hodgson to Buffalo for "rugged" right-winger Zach Kassian (#13-overall, 2009.)
Other than the fact that Gillis threw Hodgson under the bus and proceeded to back over him again, it's interesting as to how candid he was concerning the trade and it's evolution. "We made a determination that he didn't want to be here," he said.
"There were six young players that I would have traded him for if any of them were ever made available. One was made available at the trade deadline and it was Zack."
"We put Cody on the ice in every offensive situation we possibly could [to hide defensive deficiencies,]" Gillis said. "I don't think he took more than five or six defensive zone faceoffs and that was by design. And like I said earlier, I don't regret that move. I'd do it again. I'd do it today."
They 'Nucks, actually, had been looking to move Hodgson since last summer. This was said of Coach Allain Vigneault by Tony Gallagher of the Vancouver Province, "it’s abundantly clear coach Alain Vigneault is not one of his big fans as the youngster was always the last possible option and was repeatedly slotted into situations seemingly designed to make him fail." (original link inaccessible, was directed there via Lyle Richardson. For more visit my piece.)
Hodgson is now out of the tumult that is Vancouver and is ready to start his off-season workout.
Once again he'll be working with hockey guru Gary Roberts, Hodgson's third off-season with him. Roberts, via Jon Vogl of the Buffalo News, thinks his pupil got a bum rap from his former team.
"If anybody knew this kid, this young man, to know what he went through mentally and physically for two summers trying to find out what the heck was wrong with him [back problems] -- of course they dealt with his issues more than anybody else in the organization because he was injured and they couldn't figure out what was wrong with him."
Roberts did not take kindly to what Gillis had to say about Hodgson either, "I listened to Mike Gillis the other day," Roberts said by phone over the weekend, "and my impression was, 'Are you kidding me?' "For me, I'd like to be the guy that looks at Mike Gillis and says, 'You're a moron.' It doesn't really do anybody any good other than the fact that Mike Gillis looks like, as they say on TSN, a dud."
Alas, life begins anew in Buffalo for the center. And it's a place that wants and needs him. All he'll need to do is work hard and leave it all on the ice. And according to Roberts, Hodgson has a work ethic that's right up there with Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Steven Stamkos.
----------
Marcus Foligno hit his stride in a rip-roarin', 14-game debut for the Sabres.
It was hard to hide his excitement for next season even as his Rochester Americans were cleaning out after getting swept in the playoffs. "It's tough to say that you're excited for next season, but I'm ready to go," Foligno said last week in Rochester. "It's just tough that the playoffs went the way they did, but I see a great opportunity ahead. I'm excited for it."
Foligno is fired-up, as is the organization, as to what he can accomplish over an 82-game season.
Lots of praise in the above linked article by Jon Vogl from Tyler Ennis to Drew Stafford to Amerks coach Ron Rolston.
Even some praise from Toronto Marlies coach Dallas Eakins who's team swept Rochester in the playoffs, "This will be his last bunch of games in the American League," Eakins said. "That's a guy, if you're building a team for the playoffs, you want him on the ice."
Matthew Coller of WGR also looks forward to Foligno next season and adds in that both he and young defenseman Brayden McNabb "face great expectations."
Coller wonders if Foligno set the bar "too high" and taps into his hockeysfuture bio that projected him as "C-grade" prospect, “Foligno’s role in the future will probably be as an energy winger on the third or fourth line who has enough skill that he can chip in offensively every once in a while.”
As for McNabb, he has the right attitude, “I have to come out and prove myself again,” McNabb said. “I have to just keep coming and try to make a statement. I have to come in ready to camp next year. I'm looking forward to doing that.”
Foligno and McNabb, two bright spots from an otherwise lame season.
Let the new core rise.
Draft grades will be coming out left and right, but the prevailing theme is that GM Buddy Nix and his group of scouts scored a solid B/B+ in the draft. A solid if unspectacular group of rookies will be headed to Orchard Park to join FA defensive end acquisitions Mario Williams and Mark Anderson. (Click here for The Buffalo News' Mark Gaughan draft re-cap.)
When taken as a whole, the Bills bolstered both lines. On defense the signings of Williams and Anderson gave the Bills one of the best front-four in the league (on paper.) It also allowed them to focus upon other areas in the draft.
Cornerback Stephon Gilmore (#10-overall) was the consensus second-best corner in the draft behind Morris Claibourne. The Bills got him.
The other possibility for the Bills first pick was T Cordy Glenn, a projected first-rounder who dropped to the Bills at #41, much to their delight.
They plucked a speed receiver in TJ Graham with their third-round pick and then set themselves upon building depth.
They picked two linebackers, Nigel Bradham (#105) and Tank Carder (#147,) as well as another DB in Ron Brooks (#124) to shore up the defense. Bradham and Brooks, as with all picks, will have the opportunity to vie for a starting spot, but they're also looked at as big contributors on special teams.
The Bills drafted themselves some football players throughout, and Carder is a tough competitor, maybe because of the obstacles he's faced throughout his short lifetime.
In addition to shoring up the defense, the Bills did not rest on their Cordy Glenn-laurels. They added depth on the offensive line, as well as big bodies--T Zebrie Sanders (#144) and OL Mark Asper (#168.)
In fact, Nix seemed to feel so confident in his work, that when it came to their final pick, they had the luxury to take a kicker, John Potter (#271.) Potter is somewhat of a specialist at this point. His strength is kickoffs as he's looked at to consistently put the kick into the endzone.
All-in-all, Nix and Co. may have produced a solid if unspectacular draft that focused upon areas of need and stretched into less glamorous areas like special teams.
Good work.
**********
What we missed concerning the Sabres
Had he hit the net more often in his first year with the Sabres, perhaps they'd have been talking about a first-round battle with the NY Rangers instead of philosophising over a lost year.
Ville Leino was signed in the off-season for 6yrs./$27M and Sabres management had some expectations for him that, in the end, were simply out of reach for the LW-turned Center-turned LW-turned Center. His eight goals and 17 assists in 71 games certainly attest to that.
Leino was a no-show for almost all of the season, especially the first half, and after the Sabres were eliminated in Philadelphia, he was a no-show preferring, according to WGR beat writer Paul Hamilton, to chat with his pals on the Flyers. At locker clean-out day, Leino once again was a no-show.
Pretty sure everyone expected nothing from him until training camp, but Jon Vogl of the Buffalo News landed an interview with the Finnish forward.
The season was a battle. So went the headline.
And what was he battling?
Pretty much everything.
The Sabres brought Leino to bolster a weak center position, he was a big disappointment.
Not sure where the problems came from, but off season adjustments were sure to play a part.
Leino, though, takes it a bit further.
He inferrs that Lindy Ruff did not use him, as well as other players, properly, "There was a lot of pieces that were kind of out of place," Leino said. " "Coaches do most of the work, and obviously players want to be better, too."
He somewhat defends the coaching staff by saying, "They've got to work with what they were given."
Basically, Leino wasn't thrilled with where he stood on the team. Which is not surprising. He's coming off as a primadonna, which is not unusual.
The offseason should be interesting, with Tyler Ennis emerging as a legitimate top-six center and the addition of Cody Hodgson as a potential top-six center, Leino can now focus upon the wing.
That is if he's not worrying about what the GM, coach and his other players are doing.
---------
Speaking of Hodgson, dude caught some serious flak from his former GM.
Mike Gillis ripped his former #1 pick (#10-overall, 2009,) not long after his team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, "There clearly were issues that were ongoing," Gillis said of Hodgson. "I spent more time on Cody's issues than every other player combined on our team the last three years."
One must take into account the the Canucks had just been bounced in the first round after making it to Game-7 of the Stanley Cup Finals last season.
The trade that Gillis made to bolster his team--or more specifically, to match up with the Boston Bruins and their toughness--was to send Hodgson to Buffalo for "rugged" right-winger Zach Kassian (#13-overall, 2009.)
Other than the fact that Gillis threw Hodgson under the bus and proceeded to back over him again, it's interesting as to how candid he was concerning the trade and it's evolution. "We made a determination that he didn't want to be here," he said.
"There were six young players that I would have traded him for if any of them were ever made available. One was made available at the trade deadline and it was Zack."
"We put Cody on the ice in every offensive situation we possibly could [to hide defensive deficiencies,]" Gillis said. "I don't think he took more than five or six defensive zone faceoffs and that was by design. And like I said earlier, I don't regret that move. I'd do it again. I'd do it today."
They 'Nucks, actually, had been looking to move Hodgson since last summer. This was said of Coach Allain Vigneault by Tony Gallagher of the Vancouver Province, "it’s abundantly clear coach Alain Vigneault is not one of his big fans as the youngster was always the last possible option and was repeatedly slotted into situations seemingly designed to make him fail." (original link inaccessible, was directed there via Lyle Richardson. For more visit my piece.)
Hodgson is now out of the tumult that is Vancouver and is ready to start his off-season workout.
Once again he'll be working with hockey guru Gary Roberts, Hodgson's third off-season with him. Roberts, via Jon Vogl of the Buffalo News, thinks his pupil got a bum rap from his former team.
"If anybody knew this kid, this young man, to know what he went through mentally and physically for two summers trying to find out what the heck was wrong with him [back problems] -- of course they dealt with his issues more than anybody else in the organization because he was injured and they couldn't figure out what was wrong with him."
Roberts did not take kindly to what Gillis had to say about Hodgson either, "I listened to Mike Gillis the other day," Roberts said by phone over the weekend, "and my impression was, 'Are you kidding me?' "For me, I'd like to be the guy that looks at Mike Gillis and says, 'You're a moron.' It doesn't really do anybody any good other than the fact that Mike Gillis looks like, as they say on TSN, a dud."
Alas, life begins anew in Buffalo for the center. And it's a place that wants and needs him. All he'll need to do is work hard and leave it all on the ice. And according to Roberts, Hodgson has a work ethic that's right up there with Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Steven Stamkos.
----------
Marcus Foligno hit his stride in a rip-roarin', 14-game debut for the Sabres.
It was hard to hide his excitement for next season even as his Rochester Americans were cleaning out after getting swept in the playoffs. "It's tough to say that you're excited for next season, but I'm ready to go," Foligno said last week in Rochester. "It's just tough that the playoffs went the way they did, but I see a great opportunity ahead. I'm excited for it."
Foligno is fired-up, as is the organization, as to what he can accomplish over an 82-game season.
Lots of praise in the above linked article by Jon Vogl from Tyler Ennis to Drew Stafford to Amerks coach Ron Rolston.
Even some praise from Toronto Marlies coach Dallas Eakins who's team swept Rochester in the playoffs, "This will be his last bunch of games in the American League," Eakins said. "That's a guy, if you're building a team for the playoffs, you want him on the ice."
Matthew Coller of WGR also looks forward to Foligno next season and adds in that both he and young defenseman Brayden McNabb "face great expectations."
Coller wonders if Foligno set the bar "too high" and taps into his hockeysfuture bio that projected him as "C-grade" prospect, “Foligno’s role in the future will probably be as an energy winger on the third or fourth line who has enough skill that he can chip in offensively every once in a while.”
As for McNabb, he has the right attitude, “I have to come out and prove myself again,” McNabb said. “I have to just keep coming and try to make a statement. I have to come in ready to camp next year. I'm looking forward to doing that.”
Foligno and McNabb, two bright spots from an otherwise lame season.
Let the new core rise.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
You Know What A 6-Year/$27M Contract In Buffalo Means?
In the case of Ville Leino? A whole lot of microscopic critiques, questions, angst and anger--the rumblings of a potential "controversy" over his signing.
Leino's numbers through eight games: one goal, one assist, minus-3, one third period benching.
Sabres LW Tyler Ennis, who, btw, hadn't registered a point in seven games, is on a week-to-week basis after messing up his ankle at Tampa Bay. With that, two things that'll affect Leino: a move back to the wing (where he recently said he'd like to play) and more ice-time.
Pretty sure that this is a blessing in disguise for Leino as well as Head Coach Lindy Ruff. Ruff's been in a bit of a quandary this young season as his initial line of Ennis/Leino/Drew Stafford failed to produce anything of significance.
Leino, is like every other hockey player, wants ice-time. And according to him, he needs ice-time. But he hasn't produced enough to warrant the minutes. In fact, after averaging around 14 minutes through the first four games, Leino got less than 10 minutes vs. Montreal and found his butt parked on the bench.
It was a one game thing as he logged 14 minutes at Florida and over 17 at Tampa Bay. Last night vs. Tampa he had nearly 16 minutes. And, although he's barely registered a blip on the score sheet, snaring an assist in those three games, at least it's a start.
Ruff has always had a philosophy that ice-time is earned. And ya better be defensively responsible too. With Leino botching defensive responsibilities, Ruff needed to figure out how to get him the ice-time he needs while adhering to his philosophies.
The injury to Ennis makes it relatively easy. Leino goes to the wing which should help his comfort level, he'll get "second-line" minutes, and, in addition, he'll be getting that coveted power play time. Ruff, for his part, can "save face" by giving Leino all of this without altering his "ice-time is earned" philosophy.
But, it's somewhat of a band-aid solution that will only work long-term if Leino starts producing now and he continues to produce when he's moved back to center with the return of Ennis.
Bill Hoppe wrote a piece for msg.com after Leino-'s stunning playoff performance for the Flyers in 2010. The Detroit Red Wings had traded Leino because, according to GM Ken Holland via the Detroit Free Press, "He hadn’t done much here. We really liked him. We felt he could be an NHL player, but when we had all those injuries and he got significant ice time, he really didn’t do anything with it.” Significant ice-time with the likes of Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.
OK, that didn't work out. But why did it work so well in Philly? What does Leino need to produce seven goals and 14 assists in 19 playoff games?
“I need a little freedom to play my hockey and make the plays I do,” Leino told the Free Press (via the Hoppe piece.) “When you can play the way you want and play the hockey you like, and then you have success, your confidence goes up and then when the whole team is winning, your confidence just keeps growing,”
Based upon watching the Sabres' Thomas Vanek cherry-pick early in the season, I'm pretty sure that Ruff has altered his stance on in-game play and has allowed more freedom to be creative and/or use the talents available to the player. But, if you're eschewing defensive responsibilities, you better make it up on the score sheet.
As an example, Vanek has seven goals and four assists in eight games this season and is a plus-3. Leino has one goal and one assist and is a minus-3. Vanek may not be a Selke candidate, but he's making up for it by scoring.
Let's review:
This past February, there was an article by Stephen Whyno celebrating Leino's one-year anniversary with the Flyers. Whyno called the trade for Leino "one of the biggest heists in franchise history."
He chronicled Leino's journey a bit and asked him why he was producing now after a very slow/rough start with Philly. This is what the winger said, “The player I am, it’s not always enough to just get ice time – you need to play a lot and play with good players,” he said. “I got a chance every now and then [with the Red Wings], but I didn’t really get a good chance that I wanted.”
OK. So not only does Leino need ice-time which as of now with the Buffalo Sabres is not really warranted, and not only does he need freedom, but he also needs to "play with really good players."
(Blogger puts head in hands and sighs)
Not that all of this is really a big deal right now, but Lindy Ruff definitely has some work to do. Both he and GM Darcy Regier said they could make this work and it's really early in the season not to mention really early in Leino's six year contract. But, ya gotta wonder if Leino's primadonna-like tendencies were covered during the interview process. And ya gotta wonder how Ruff will handle all of this.
Is there a solution this early in the season?
Yeah, sure. The easiest thing for Ruff to do would be to put Leino between Vanek and Jason Pominville when Ennis returns. He'll get the minutes, have the freedom and he'll have "good players" on his wings.
Problem is, Luke Adam centering Vanek and Pominville has been the only consistent threat this season. Ruff called Adam a surprise--"a factor we didn't count on"-- on the Howard Simon show yesterday (5:00-minute mark) as they delved into a discussion concerning Leino. With Adam being very young and just getting a feel for the NHL, he also needs good players surrounding him. In fact his success thus far can be directly attributed to the confidence he has playing with veteran linemates.
And who's to say that a line of Vanek, Leino, Pominville would break Leino out of his funk anyway.
(shrugs) It could be a solution, though.
So could putting Nathan Gerbe on his wing. Leino played his best hockey with former Sabre Daniel Briere so having a player with Briere-like tendencies may just be what's needed. But, who on the Sabres squad can bring to the table what Philly RW Scott Hartnel brought to the Briere/Leino line? Rugged, front-of-the-net play with a good amount of skill?
(shrugs)
If you've read this far, congrats...and thx.
It really shouldn't be that complicated. A player like Leino being signed for the dollar amount and term of his contract should be professional enough to adapt to a system and his linemates.
That being said, it's still waaaaay to early to even think of the panic-button with Leino, or the Sabres in general. Leino will need a significant period of adjustment. It's a long season and the Sabres are off to a good start this season which takes a lot of the pressure off...for now.
Leino's numbers through eight games: one goal, one assist, minus-3, one third period benching.
Sabres LW Tyler Ennis, who, btw, hadn't registered a point in seven games, is on a week-to-week basis after messing up his ankle at Tampa Bay. With that, two things that'll affect Leino: a move back to the wing (where he recently said he'd like to play) and more ice-time.
Pretty sure that this is a blessing in disguise for Leino as well as Head Coach Lindy Ruff. Ruff's been in a bit of a quandary this young season as his initial line of Ennis/Leino/Drew Stafford failed to produce anything of significance.
Catch-22 Averted
Leino, is like every other hockey player, wants ice-time. And according to him, he needs ice-time. But he hasn't produced enough to warrant the minutes. In fact, after averaging around 14 minutes through the first four games, Leino got less than 10 minutes vs. Montreal and found his butt parked on the bench.
It was a one game thing as he logged 14 minutes at Florida and over 17 at Tampa Bay. Last night vs. Tampa he had nearly 16 minutes. And, although he's barely registered a blip on the score sheet, snaring an assist in those three games, at least it's a start.
Ruff has always had a philosophy that ice-time is earned. And ya better be defensively responsible too. With Leino botching defensive responsibilities, Ruff needed to figure out how to get him the ice-time he needs while adhering to his philosophies.
The injury to Ennis makes it relatively easy. Leino goes to the wing which should help his comfort level, he'll get "second-line" minutes, and, in addition, he'll be getting that coveted power play time. Ruff, for his part, can "save face" by giving Leino all of this without altering his "ice-time is earned" philosophy.
But, it's somewhat of a band-aid solution that will only work long-term if Leino starts producing now and he continues to produce when he's moved back to center with the return of Ennis.
Ice-time Isn't Leino's Only "Need"
Bill Hoppe wrote a piece for msg.com after Leino-'s stunning playoff performance for the Flyers in 2010. The Detroit Red Wings had traded Leino because, according to GM Ken Holland via the Detroit Free Press, "He hadn’t done much here. We really liked him. We felt he could be an NHL player, but when we had all those injuries and he got significant ice time, he really didn’t do anything with it.” Significant ice-time with the likes of Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.
OK, that didn't work out. But why did it work so well in Philly? What does Leino need to produce seven goals and 14 assists in 19 playoff games?
“I need a little freedom to play my hockey and make the plays I do,” Leino told the Free Press (via the Hoppe piece.) “When you can play the way you want and play the hockey you like, and then you have success, your confidence goes up and then when the whole team is winning, your confidence just keeps growing,”
Based upon watching the Sabres' Thomas Vanek cherry-pick early in the season, I'm pretty sure that Ruff has altered his stance on in-game play and has allowed more freedom to be creative and/or use the talents available to the player. But, if you're eschewing defensive responsibilities, you better make it up on the score sheet.
As an example, Vanek has seven goals and four assists in eight games this season and is a plus-3. Leino has one goal and one assist and is a minus-3. Vanek may not be a Selke candidate, but he's making up for it by scoring.
Ice-Time, Freedom and...
Let's review:
- Leino says he needs ice-time which he'll get in Ennis' absence.
- He'll be on the wing, something he's mentioned recently, which will inherently give him less defensive responsibilities and allow him to get up-ice quicker which, in turn, should lead to more scoring/playmaking opportunities.
- Based upon plus/minus, Ruff has softened his stance a bit on skill players focusing too much on defense.
- And Leino will have the freedom to play his way out of a slow start.
This past February, there was an article by Stephen Whyno celebrating Leino's one-year anniversary with the Flyers. Whyno called the trade for Leino "one of the biggest heists in franchise history."
He chronicled Leino's journey a bit and asked him why he was producing now after a very slow/rough start with Philly. This is what the winger said, “The player I am, it’s not always enough to just get ice time – you need to play a lot and play with good players,” he said. “I got a chance every now and then [with the Red Wings], but I didn’t really get a good chance that I wanted.”
OK. So not only does Leino need ice-time which as of now with the Buffalo Sabres is not really warranted, and not only does he need freedom, but he also needs to "play with really good players."
(Blogger puts head in hands and sighs)
It's Early, But I've Gotten A Headache From This
Not that all of this is really a big deal right now, but Lindy Ruff definitely has some work to do. Both he and GM Darcy Regier said they could make this work and it's really early in the season not to mention really early in Leino's six year contract. But, ya gotta wonder if Leino's primadonna-like tendencies were covered during the interview process. And ya gotta wonder how Ruff will handle all of this.
Is there a solution this early in the season?
Yeah, sure. The easiest thing for Ruff to do would be to put Leino between Vanek and Jason Pominville when Ennis returns. He'll get the minutes, have the freedom and he'll have "good players" on his wings.
Problem is, Luke Adam centering Vanek and Pominville has been the only consistent threat this season. Ruff called Adam a surprise--"a factor we didn't count on"-- on the Howard Simon show yesterday (5:00-minute mark) as they delved into a discussion concerning Leino. With Adam being very young and just getting a feel for the NHL, he also needs good players surrounding him. In fact his success thus far can be directly attributed to the confidence he has playing with veteran linemates.
And who's to say that a line of Vanek, Leino, Pominville would break Leino out of his funk anyway.
(shrugs) It could be a solution, though.
So could putting Nathan Gerbe on his wing. Leino played his best hockey with former Sabre Daniel Briere so having a player with Briere-like tendencies may just be what's needed. But, who on the Sabres squad can bring to the table what Philly RW Scott Hartnel brought to the Briere/Leino line? Rugged, front-of-the-net play with a good amount of skill?
(shrugs)
If you've read this far, congrats...and thx.
It really shouldn't be that complicated. A player like Leino being signed for the dollar amount and term of his contract should be professional enough to adapt to a system and his linemates.
That being said, it's still waaaaay to early to even think of the panic-button with Leino, or the Sabres in general. Leino will need a significant period of adjustment. It's a long season and the Sabres are off to a good start this season which takes a lot of the pressure off...for now.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
The Leino "Dilemma"
I guess will get this out of the way right off of the bat. Were Sabres center Ville Leino making $3M per year instead of $4.5M, fans wouldn't be so harsh, nor would they rush to judgement after only five regular season games.
On paper, in the preseason and over in Finland, Leino with Tyler Ennis on left wing seemed like a very good fit. In fact a lot of things look good on paper, and most go awry, as is the case here.
After an incredibly slow start which saw Leino score the game winner vs. Anaheim in his native country the opener, but fail to register a point in the following four games, Leino has found himself on the "fourth" line with his minutes cut extensively. Ennis who is coming off of a 20-goal/49-point season, has yet to register a point in five games.
All of this leads to Leino, the topic of conversation on WGR's Howard Simon Show today. And they turned to beat reporter Paul Hamilton for some insight.
Hamilton went back to a piece he did the day before, about how Leino said that it took him a while in Philadelphia and that "it's always different with the teams."
He also hinted, at his unease with the defensive responsibilities at the center positon and that a move back to wing might click his offense in gear. Not to mention that he feels he'd be better on the powerplay so that he'd get more minutes and get into a more offensive flow.
Wow.
All of this directed at a team coached by Lindy Ruff, a coach, as shown in the past, that doles out ice-time based upon effective play. Ruff, as well, expects at least as much passion on a backcheck as he does on the attack in the offensive zone.
So now, as Hamilton pointed out, they're in a Catch-22. Or even a chicken/egg scenario. Will Ruff allow Leino more playing time to work through it? Or will Leino heed the system and get on his horse for 60 minutes?
Somebody needs to pound it into Leino's head that Ruff's as stubborn as a mule. Get on the backcheck, move your feet and let your energy transfer from defense to offense. It works.
Right now, Ruff has Leino between Cody McCormick and fellow-underachiever, Brad Boyes. Not a recipe for success, imo.
Perhaps Ruff should consider putting Leino with Nathan Gerbe. Last year Gerbe got off to a horrendous start but ended up turning it around. Gerbe's also a guy who'll work it and be able to find an open man in the slot, a place where Leino is real strong.
Or perhaps, this whole scenario is being way overblown and it'll take a lot of time to find the right chemistry for all four lines.
Who knows? Right now the Sabres are in Florida and have a meeting with the Panthers who are off to a good start.
As for the Sabres? They are 4-1, even without Leino comfortable.
On paper, in the preseason and over in Finland, Leino with Tyler Ennis on left wing seemed like a very good fit. In fact a lot of things look good on paper, and most go awry, as is the case here.
After an incredibly slow start which saw Leino score the game winner vs. Anaheim in his native country the opener, but fail to register a point in the following four games, Leino has found himself on the "fourth" line with his minutes cut extensively. Ennis who is coming off of a 20-goal/49-point season, has yet to register a point in five games.
All of this leads to Leino, the topic of conversation on WGR's Howard Simon Show today. And they turned to beat reporter Paul Hamilton for some insight.
Hamilton went back to a piece he did the day before, about how Leino said that it took him a while in Philadelphia and that "it's always different with the teams."
He also hinted, at his unease with the defensive responsibilities at the center positon and that a move back to wing might click his offense in gear. Not to mention that he feels he'd be better on the powerplay so that he'd get more minutes and get into a more offensive flow.
Wow.
All of this directed at a team coached by Lindy Ruff, a coach, as shown in the past, that doles out ice-time based upon effective play. Ruff, as well, expects at least as much passion on a backcheck as he does on the attack in the offensive zone.
So now, as Hamilton pointed out, they're in a Catch-22. Or even a chicken/egg scenario. Will Ruff allow Leino more playing time to work through it? Or will Leino heed the system and get on his horse for 60 minutes?
Somebody needs to pound it into Leino's head that Ruff's as stubborn as a mule. Get on the backcheck, move your feet and let your energy transfer from defense to offense. It works.
Right now, Ruff has Leino between Cody McCormick and fellow-underachiever, Brad Boyes. Not a recipe for success, imo.
Perhaps Ruff should consider putting Leino with Nathan Gerbe. Last year Gerbe got off to a horrendous start but ended up turning it around. Gerbe's also a guy who'll work it and be able to find an open man in the slot, a place where Leino is real strong.
Or perhaps, this whole scenario is being way overblown and it'll take a lot of time to find the right chemistry for all four lines.
Who knows? Right now the Sabres are in Florida and have a meeting with the Panthers who are off to a good start.
As for the Sabres? They are 4-1, even without Leino comfortable.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Notes From the Sabres Opening Game Victory
Although the Anaheim Ducks are not the Stanley Cup team they were back in 2007, they are still a tough team to beat. They're big, mobile and skilled. And even though soon to be Hall of Fame defenseman Scott Niedermayer is retired and soon to be retired, future Hall of Famer Teemu Selanne is 41, the team is still mentioned as a contender coming out of the Western Conference.
For their part, the Buffalo Sabres are considered improved to the point where nearly all of the "experts" picked them to be a #3-#6 seed for the playoffs this season. Some picked them to go as far as the Eastern Conference Finals, which doesn't seem to be that far of a reach at all.
Yesterday in their opener versus Anaheim in Helsinki, Finland, the Sabres kicked in the after-burners for a good portion of two periods en route to a 4-1 win.
The team jumped out to a 2-0 lead less than halfway through the first period, answered a Ducks goal in the second with a goal of their own :73 later, grabbed a three-goal lead with a little less than half the second period left and then went into a defensive mode for the remainder of the game. In fact the Sabres did not register a shot in the final period.
It's pretty impressive when a team can go full throttle for the better part of two periods, then switch to shutdown mode for the remainder of the game. Usually the latter will get a team into trouble, but Ryan Miller, his defense and a back-checking group of collapsing forwards did not yield a goal during that stretch.
For their part, the Buffalo Sabres are considered improved to the point where nearly all of the "experts" picked them to be a #3-#6 seed for the playoffs this season. Some picked them to go as far as the Eastern Conference Finals, which doesn't seem to be that far of a reach at all.
Yesterday in their opener versus Anaheim in Helsinki, Finland, the Sabres kicked in the after-burners for a good portion of two periods en route to a 4-1 win.
The team jumped out to a 2-0 lead less than halfway through the first period, answered a Ducks goal in the second with a goal of their own :73 later, grabbed a three-goal lead with a little less than half the second period left and then went into a defensive mode for the remainder of the game. In fact the Sabres did not register a shot in the final period.
It's pretty impressive when a team can go full throttle for the better part of two periods, then switch to shutdown mode for the remainder of the game. Usually the latter will get a team into trouble, but Ryan Miller, his defense and a back-checking group of collapsing forwards did not yield a goal during that stretch.
The Offense and the Afterburners
The forwards on Buffalo are highly reminiscent of the 2006/07 team which Jaromir Jagr, at the time, called a "Ferrari." When they are in attack mode, they swarm the opposition with speed and quickness.
Ville Leino got his first goal as a Sabre due to a swarming forcheck, a pinching d-man and some pretty impressive hand-eye coordination (see video below.)
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| The Sabres 1st-unit power play got off on the right foot scoring two goals on four pp opportunities. Vanek, Pominville, Stafford, Gragnani and Ehrhoff |
Christian Ehrhoff was brought in to, among other things, help with the power play. Marc-Andre Gragnani was inserted into the line-up to, among other things, help with the power play. With those two on the point, Jason Pominville is now working down low. That group, along with Drew Stafford working the wall and Thomas Vanek in front of the net, scored two power play goals as the team went 2/4 with the man advantage.
The New Captain, Pominville, Nets One For "The Core"
Over the last four seasons, there have been a core group of Sabres that management and the coaching staff have put a lot of faith in to win. When Terry Pegula took over he had the opportunity to dismantle, or even tweak, that group. But, just like his retaining both Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff, he did not.
In fact, Pegula, upper management and the coaches went the in the opposite direction, they gave "the core" even more responsibility by awarding them letters.
Pominville, who has worn a letter for years, including the rotating "C" in 2007/08, had that letter permanently sewn to his jersey. Derek Roy, who has also worn a letter for four years, continues as an alternate captain.
Two seasons ago, Paul Gaustad got the "A," and during that time the team made the playoffs. He's back in that role.
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| New Sabres Alternate Captain, Drew Stafford, and his "Stafford-Scowl." |
Vanek was awarded an "A" last season when Roy was lost for the season, he retained that. And Drew Stafford, coming of of a career year and a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract extension, was chosen to be the final alternate.
Of the core as captains, Ruff said, "We talked with, obviously Darcy and management and even Terry was involved, we felt it was the right move for this group that has grown up together (see this from the Rochester Americans website We kept it to that same core, that it's their time."
Pominville, the captain, answered the Ducks lone goal with the third for the Sabres cycling in the circle down low with Vanek providing a screen. He also had a wicked shot stopped the Ducks' Jonas Hiller low, glove-side. "Pommer" continued to do what he's always done--a solid, if unspectacular game through and through. Both he and Vanek flanked rookie Luke Adam, who did not look out of place.
Robyn Regehr Does His Thing
Much will be made about the toughness Regehr brings to the table, and he showed it versus Anaheim by roughing it up with the league's toughest tough-guy, George Parros.
Regehr also did some pounding in the corners as well, which is typical of his game. For the Sabres, they haven't had Western Conference toughness in a top-pairing role and I'm sure that Miller and the rest of the team really appreciate Regehr having their backs.
But one play that really sets the tone for the season on the back-end, one that was mentioned by the media post-game, was Regehr breaking up a two-on-one by the Ducks. It was fundamental, Defense-101 as Regehr played the pass and Miller squared up to the shooter. Such a little thing like that was missing on most occasions last season, and frustrated Miller to the point that he couldn't figure out what he should do. The eventual lack of trust in his young d-men contributed to his less than stellar performance in goal.
Simple plays like that, and with Regehr leading the defense back to basics in their own zone, should contribute to a lower goals against average for the team and allow Miller to challenge more, which is something seen repeatedly, when he's on his game.
What the Opposition Media Said After the Game
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| Fellow Finn and Ducks Legend Teemu Selanne may have the mural, but new Sabres forward and Finland native, Ville Leino, netted a goal and his Sabres' team got the win. |
From Lisa Dillman of the L.A. Times, this headline: Ducks Buffaloed in Helsinki as teams put their best Finns forward. Not much to the article and not surprising considering the game's outcome. She did lead off with this, "The celebratory homecoming for one Finn could not have gone better or more smoothly." The Finn she was referring to was the one without a mural on the wall of the Helsinki arena but of a Finn who happened to play for the Buffalo Sabres--Ville Leino.
From the Orange County Register, writer Jeff Miller lead off an after-game notes article talking about the Ducks' big line of Corey Perry, Bobby Ryan and Ryan Getzlaf getting big minutes yet getting shut out. He had this quote from Coach Randy Carlyle, "I think our big line dominated the puck control down low for good stretches but didn't score, obviously" Carlyle said. "I think the frustration level built in that group."
It's an excellent start to the season for the Buffalo Sabres, but as Ruff has said on many occasions, it's a marathon not a sprint. Except on the ice where the Sabres will be going full-throttle.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
The Sabres Upgrade In Talent Is Evident Vs. Montreal
The qualifier for this piece is that it's only preseason.
But the game last night vs. Montreal at the Bell Center certainly gave us glimpses as to why the Sabres went after the players they did in the off season.
Robyn Regehr, Christian Ehrhoff and Ville Leino were all brought in to bolster a Sabres line-up that had just lost a hard fought seven game series to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Leino was playing in his second preseason game, Regehr and Ehrhoff, their first as the Sabres downed a prospect-laden Habs team 3-1.
So how did these three do?
Lets start with Leino.
For the second straight game, Ville Leino was centering a line with Tyler Ennis on his left and Drew Stafford on his right. The line, in a way, mimics his line in Philadelphia with Ennis as a quick Daniel Briere-type and Stafford as a semblance of Scott Hartnell.
The line apparently worked well in practice and Lindy Ruff decided to give them two full games together to see if it translates well into a game situation. Ruff knows that the two situations can be mutually exclusive and as of right now, that's the way it seems.
Last night, Leino's line was virtually non-existent. Not much pressure on the forecheck, not much cycling, not much of anything really. That's two games running and Ruff will probably re-evaluate the workings of that line in relation to the rest of the team as he works out the kinks this preseason.
In his defense, though, to expect Leino to go through what he did this summer--different city, different position, different linemates, different expectations--and come out smoking would be a lot to ask. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it took him four or five months to get acclimated and adjusted to the point where he feels comfortable and can let his natural abilities come forward.
Robyn Regehr
The complexities of offense are not a problem when it comes to Regehr as he plays a simple, stay-at-home defensive game predicated upon snarl. And last night we got ourselves a glimpse as to what he is all about.
The Sabres haven't had a d-man like him since Jay McKee bolted for St. Louis back in 2006. Quite possibly, the Sabres may never have had a d-man who brings to the table what he does.
Regehr has a presence about him that affects the entire team. A couple of his hits were earth-shattering, as expected, and he was rock-solid in his own zone.
What a great addition to the team in general, for the young defensemen in the system, and for young-stud, Tyler Myers, in particular.
As a pairing for the first time, it would seem as if Regehr said to Myers, "Have at it, I've got your back," and that's what the kid did. He was all over the ice in the offensive zone for the first 30-40 minutes looking more like a fourth forward than a d-man.
The Regehr-effect upon Myers also showed on the back end. We all know that the kid can skate, and we all know that he's pretty solid in his own zone. What we saw last night, and it's something that's a continuation of last years Flyers series, is his willingness to get physical as he plastered a couple of Canadians to the boards.
Regehr's presence will affect the team on many levels, especially when it comes to the defense. Perhaps Ryan Miller put it best when he said (from NHL.com,) "I'm excited for Regehr. Great guy off the ice, but on the ice, I think most people agree he's not such a nice guy. I think that it's a good attitude to set up our (defense) corps with. The other team is going to know they have to go through guys with that attitude."
Christian Ehrhoff
The first of two eye-brow raising free agent contracts this off season went to Ehrhoff. The clamor and derision heaped upon Sabres management for this contract was relentless throughout the summer.
But the team felt as if the former Vancouver Canucks d-man would be a strong, veteran addition to the team.
All summer, Ruff was adamant in saying that Ehrhoff would fit right into how the team wanted their defense to be active in the offensive zone. And last night, we saw first-hand what he was talking about.
Ehrhoff, the game's first star with a goal and an assist, jumped into the offensive zone last night finding open ice, especially on the powerplay. And when he buried a wicked, quick wrister in the upper-corner, we found out why Ruff had also emphasized that Ehrhoff is a shooter.
Before that, though, Ehrhoff showed his puck-moving ability as he took a Derek Roy faceoff win, drove deep into the Montreal corner and fed Jason Pomminville through a maze of players for an easy tap-in.
The Sabres did not have anything close to him last season in that department, and if it's any indication, a team that was in the top-five in defenseman scoring last year will be even better this season.
Once again, it's only preseason, and the Sabres iced a veteran group vs. a prospect-laden Montreal Canadians team. But what we saw last night, at least from Regehr and Ehrhoff, gives a glimpse as to why the Sabres brought in the players they did, cost be damned.
But the game last night vs. Montreal at the Bell Center certainly gave us glimpses as to why the Sabres went after the players they did in the off season.
Robyn Regehr, Christian Ehrhoff and Ville Leino were all brought in to bolster a Sabres line-up that had just lost a hard fought seven game series to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Leino was playing in his second preseason game, Regehr and Ehrhoff, their first as the Sabres downed a prospect-laden Habs team 3-1.
So how did these three do?
Lets start with Leino.
For the second straight game, Ville Leino was centering a line with Tyler Ennis on his left and Drew Stafford on his right. The line, in a way, mimics his line in Philadelphia with Ennis as a quick Daniel Briere-type and Stafford as a semblance of Scott Hartnell.
The line apparently worked well in practice and Lindy Ruff decided to give them two full games together to see if it translates well into a game situation. Ruff knows that the two situations can be mutually exclusive and as of right now, that's the way it seems.
Last night, Leino's line was virtually non-existent. Not much pressure on the forecheck, not much cycling, not much of anything really. That's two games running and Ruff will probably re-evaluate the workings of that line in relation to the rest of the team as he works out the kinks this preseason.
In his defense, though, to expect Leino to go through what he did this summer--different city, different position, different linemates, different expectations--and come out smoking would be a lot to ask. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it took him four or five months to get acclimated and adjusted to the point where he feels comfortable and can let his natural abilities come forward.
Robyn Regehr
The complexities of offense are not a problem when it comes to Regehr as he plays a simple, stay-at-home defensive game predicated upon snarl. And last night we got ourselves a glimpse as to what he is all about.
The Sabres haven't had a d-man like him since Jay McKee bolted for St. Louis back in 2006. Quite possibly, the Sabres may never have had a d-man who brings to the table what he does.
Regehr has a presence about him that affects the entire team. A couple of his hits were earth-shattering, as expected, and he was rock-solid in his own zone.
What a great addition to the team in general, for the young defensemen in the system, and for young-stud, Tyler Myers, in particular.
As a pairing for the first time, it would seem as if Regehr said to Myers, "Have at it, I've got your back," and that's what the kid did. He was all over the ice in the offensive zone for the first 30-40 minutes looking more like a fourth forward than a d-man.
The Regehr-effect upon Myers also showed on the back end. We all know that the kid can skate, and we all know that he's pretty solid in his own zone. What we saw last night, and it's something that's a continuation of last years Flyers series, is his willingness to get physical as he plastered a couple of Canadians to the boards.
Regehr's presence will affect the team on many levels, especially when it comes to the defense. Perhaps Ryan Miller put it best when he said (from NHL.com,) "I'm excited for Regehr. Great guy off the ice, but on the ice, I think most people agree he's not such a nice guy. I think that it's a good attitude to set up our (defense) corps with. The other team is going to know they have to go through guys with that attitude."
Christian Ehrhoff
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| Christian Ehrhoff (center) had a strong debut in the Sabres 3-1 preseason win over Montreal. |
But the team felt as if the former Vancouver Canucks d-man would be a strong, veteran addition to the team.
All summer, Ruff was adamant in saying that Ehrhoff would fit right into how the team wanted their defense to be active in the offensive zone. And last night, we saw first-hand what he was talking about.
Ehrhoff, the game's first star with a goal and an assist, jumped into the offensive zone last night finding open ice, especially on the powerplay. And when he buried a wicked, quick wrister in the upper-corner, we found out why Ruff had also emphasized that Ehrhoff is a shooter.
Before that, though, Ehrhoff showed his puck-moving ability as he took a Derek Roy faceoff win, drove deep into the Montreal corner and fed Jason Pomminville through a maze of players for an easy tap-in.
The Sabres did not have anything close to him last season in that department, and if it's any indication, a team that was in the top-five in defenseman scoring last year will be even better this season.
Once again, it's only preseason, and the Sabres iced a veteran group vs. a prospect-laden Montreal Canadians team. But what we saw last night, at least from Regehr and Ehrhoff, gives a glimpse as to why the Sabres brought in the players they did, cost be damned.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
A Series Of Events Highlight Ville Leino's Journey
Confused by the Ville Leino signing this past July 1st? Scratching your head at the amount ($27M) and term? Love the aggressiveness of the signing, but are cautiously optimistic that it will work out? Wondering if he can produce in a top-six center role?
Me too.
Whereas the trade for Robyn Regehr is a landmark trade on one level, the signing of Ville Leino to play a top-six center role on the team should be looked upon as another.
But, whereas the Regehr acquisition will probably end up being as solid as his stay-at-home play, the outcome of the Leino signing could be anywhere from a less-than-stellar/drunken sailor overpayment to pure genius and a tribute to the hockey minds within the organization.
It's no secret that the Sabres were thin down the middle even before the departure of Tim Connolly (Leafs.)
It was also no secret that they were intent upon bolstering the center position via free agency. They had a considerable offer for free-agent darling Brad Richards ready, but, with the glamour-girl New York Rangers seemingly already in bed with him, a red-headed step-child like the Sabres really had no chance.
So they moved on, rather quickly, to Plan-B: Philadelphia Flyers free agent, Ville Lieno.
Buffalo Sabres GM Darcy Regier, at the Leino-signing press conference (which can be accessed here through the Sabres Edge blog,) said that "[Leino's] coming into his own" and envisions him as "someone that will not only complement, but contribute significantly to improving and driving [the] offense."
As Plan-B in the quest for a top-six center, Leino will be moving to a position that he hasn't played in four years even though he says that he prefers to play there.
Head Coach Lindy Ruff said, "Leino enjoyed playing center...in fact if you study the Philly's system, a lot of times he was the guy playing down low on the Hartnell/Briere line. I talked to him about all three positions, and he's comfortable about all three, but the position he likes playing most is center."
"In a long conversation about how we play and with the amount the defense join the play, that second wave of attack," Ruff continued, "Ville's strength is on the puck, he can make plays in tight areas, he can look for the second wave."
These attributes were not something Regier and Ruff plucked out of the air to either justify or convince. This is what they saw in his play, what they heard from the player himself and what has been a constant in his career since his days overseas.
Back in May, 2008, Matthew Wuest of redwingcentral talked with Jokerit, Finland Head Coach , Doug Shedden on Leino.
In an straightforward interview filled with insight revealing both the positives and negatives about Leino's future in the NHL, Shedden had this to say, “He’s a natural center and I moved him to right wing and it was better for him. He’s strong on the puck down low, he’s a good cycle guy, and he draws a lot of penalties because of his puck control.”
Shedden also says that it "is going to be tough" for Leino to make it in the NHL. He uses Leino's average skating and having to adapt to smaller rinks as possible impediments to Leino's success.
But, on the positive side, one thing that Shedden says may be the ultimate determining factor is that “[Leino’s] a heck of a competitor — he probably led the league in practice fights. He loves to come to the rink, he loves to practice, he loves to put his equipment on and compete.”
“The determination is there, and that can compensate for a lot of things,” Shedden continued. “He’s one guy who could (make it because) of that.”
Detroit is the first of two quality organizations that Leino has played for in his short NHL career, the other being Philadelphia.
No other organization in hockey is better at finding diamonds in the rough than the Red Wings with a scouting department that is unparalleled in hockey.
Grandmaster GM, Ken Holland, brought Leino into the Red Wings fold as an undrafted free agent and he produced well on the farm in Grand Rapids. In the latter part of the 2008/09 season Leino had the opportunity to play in 13 regular season games for Detroit. The results were five goals, four assists and a +5 plus/minus.
It was enough for Holland to sign Leino to a two-year, one-way contract with the Wings.
Holland was interviewed by Ansar Khan of mlive in July, 2009, and had this to say about the Leino, "We like his hockey sense, his ability to protect the puck in the offensive zone," Holland said. "He's got a scoring touch and he goes to the hard areas of the ice.
"He just needs to adjust to the pace of the game. His speed is average, but we can put Ville with different people. He can play on a skilled line or chip in offense on the third line."
Although Leino had a less than stellar 2009 post-season with the Wings, there was reason to believe that he'd be another Holland diamond in Detroit.
"As a Wings fan, we're all susceptible of asking the 'What have you done for me, lately?' question at times. In Leino's case, maybe it should be a 'What have you done for me, ever?' Thus wrote Eric Fish in the Flint Journal on December 10, 2009.
Leino had 27 games with Detroit and was playing with the likes of Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg for a third of the season yet only put up a paltry three goals during that time.
What happened? Was Leino turning into a "bust" for the vaunted Detroit scouting staff?
"I'm not knocking Drew Miller," Fish continues, "but it says something about what direction Leino is headed in right now when a guy the team picked off waivers three weeks ago is starting over one that was under a two-year contract before training camp."
This was after Leino was a healthy scratch yet again with expectations plummeting for the kid.
From "diamond-in-the-rough" to "underachiever" in a matter of five months with the best organization in hockey. And, at the time, an organization that was also heading into the 2009/10 stretch-run butting up against the cap with solid vets ready to return from injury.
It wasn't exactly a "bag of pucks," but it was fairly close.
The February 6, 2010 trade went like this: Ville Leino to Philadelphia for borderline NHL defenseman Olle-Kristian Tollefsen and a fifth-round pick.
With Leino underachieving and the Wings having some vets returning from injury, the salary cap demanded that Holland make a move. The obvious choice at the time was Leino.
Two quick notes on Tollefsen. He is no longer in the NHL and the Sabres Drew Stafford bloodied the 6'2", 211 lb Norwegian "tough-guy" in a preseason fight October 2, 2008.
All-in-all, Holland did get a return for the undrafted free agent, but it was obviously a "bail" by the Red Wings organization when it came to Leino. A blemish on an organization that is usually spot-on with their talent evaluations.
If you look at the 2010 post-season that Leino had with the Flyers, in one word, yup.
The Philadelphia Flyers run to the Stanley Cup in 2010 ended with a six-game loss at the hands of the Chicago Blackhawks in the Finals.
Ville Leino had a playoff-run that left many scratching their heads wondering how the Wings could have bailed on a player who ended up scoring seven goals and adding 14 assists in 19 games in the playoffs for the Flyers.
Bill Hoppe on msg.com briefly wrote about Leino "falling flat on his face" in Detroit.
In the Hoppe piece Wings GM Ken Holland had this to say about Leino's rough go in Detroit, “To be fair, he hadn’t done much here,” he told the Detroit Free Press. “We really liked him. We felt he could be an NHL player, but when we had all those injuries and he got significant ice time, he really didn’t do anything with it.”
So what happened? How did Leino go from rising star, to healthy scratch, to a trade that was a low-point in his career, to a potential Conn Smythe-type player in the playoffs?
Chemistry and hands-off coaching seemed to be big contributors, not to mention his own state of mind.
Leino put it this way, "I need a little freedom to play my hockey and make the plays I do,” [he] told the Free Press (via the Hoppe piece,) adding, “When you can play the way you want and play the hockey you like, and then you have success, your confidence goes up and then when the whole team is winning, your confidence just keeps growing. I’m very happy where I’m at right now – the small things have started to click, and I’m in a good position right now. It’s great.”
Playing with veterans like former Sabre Daniel Briere and veteran Scott Hartnell was huge for Leino. That line combination was the best line in the playoffs. And it wouldn't have happened had Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne not gone down with injuries. Before that, Leino was a healthy scratch for the first four games of the playoffs.
Dogged determination and puck-control ability, two traits alluded to by his Finnish coach, came to the fore in those playoffs for Philadelphia.
From Flyers Head Coach Peter Laviolette, “Right now, he seems to have so much energy out there. You can double-shift him … without taking him off the ice. He seems to have a lot of jam right now.
“I think what everybody is impressed with … is his ability to hang on to that puck and make plays,” he said. “It’s really beneficial for a team when you’re trying to create offense to have a guy that can stop and start and cut back and do a whole bunch of different things with the puck.
“Because other things open up, he’s able to see the ice,” he said. “He’s got a terrific skill level. It was a tremendous pick-up for Paul Holmgren to get him here for the playoffs.”
That Leino "morphed" into a clutch player pretty much stunned everyone.
'Who the hell is this guy?'
'Where was this guy in November?'
'Why couldn't this guy do that for us?'
The "guy," of course, is Ville Leino."
Those thoughts by Matt Hutter of the bleacherreport pretty much encompassed the thoughts of most of "Hockeytown" when he threw that out at the beginning of his piece.
After laying everything out--Leino's ups and downs with Detroit and even in Philly--Hutter spins the tale and outcome in an appropriate way by saying that, "If Leino's performance as a Philadelphia Flyer has any bearing on his former team, it reveals only that the Detroit Red Wings remain one of the best scouting organizations in hockey."
Sure enough, if you look back at it, the Wings did find a diamond in the rough, it just took a weird cosmical alignment to bring Leino's talents out.
Says Hutter, "The Red Wings saw in Leino the raw talent and puck-possession skills that have come to define Detroit Red Wings forwards and thought he'd find quick comfort and success in a red and white uniform. Unfortunately, he didn't."
"Fortunately for the Flyers, they reaped the rewards of the Detroit Red Wings scouting department, as Leino finally lived up to the potential the Wings new he had when they signed him in the first place."
When Philly Chairman Ed Snider talks, GM Paul Holmgren listens.
For years Holmgren stocked up on talented skaters and paid them big money while leaving goaltending to a mix of journeymen and rookies.
In 2010, that formula failed to win a cup.
In 2011, it was a disaster as their goaltending roulette wheel nearly caused an upset by Buffalo in the first round of the playoffs. In the second round vs. eventual Cup-winner Boston, the Bruins exposed the Flyers for what they were and the Bruins dismissed them in a sweep.
Snider was sick of the roulette wheel in goal and apparently Holmgren and Laviolette were tired of the way Mike Richards and Jeff Carter were conducting themselves off-ice as well.
It ended up where both Richards and Carter were traded and Snider's wish for a legitimate starting goaltender was granted when Holmgren signed Ilya Bryzgalov to a nine-year contract.
As for Leino, one thing we do know is that the Flyers had the opportunity to sign the winger to a contract before he hit the market as an unrestricted free agent this past July 1.
Much to the chagrin of phillysportsworld writer Wayne Cella, Leino should be ticked at the way the Philadelphia Flyers organization handled him.
Cella chronicles all of the moves that Philly made in the off-season, from trading Carter and Richards, to signing Bryzgalov, to trading Darrell Powe and letting Daniel Carcillo walk. All of it done so that the Flyers would have cap-room.
Through it all, Cella described Leino as "a good soldier," one that did the professional thing and kept quiet while he waited...
And waited.
And waited.
And he was still waiting on Philadelphia when Buffalo came knocking on July 1st with a six-year/$27M contract which he promptly signed.
The constants throughout Leino's successful parts of the past three NHL seasons are based upon his work in the offensive zone, stickhandling in a phone-booth, holding on to the puck for a trailer, and finding those openings in the defense.
His dogged determination, competitive nature and willingness to go to the dirty areas are all aspects that come to the fore and guide him to success.
Briere, a former fan-favorite in Buffalo who was on Philly's top-producing line with Leino knows what he brings to the table.
Last January, Philly.com's Sam Carchidi wrote a piece about Briere's career-high scoring pace and how Briere credited his success to his line-mates--Scott Hartnell and Ville Leino.
Of Leino, Briere said, "Ville's a playmaker, and he gives me the chance to open up...when you play with a player [Leino] who likes to make plays, you give him the puck and try to get open."
When Leino signed with Buffalo, John Vogl of sabresedge talked with Briere about his former linemate and new Sabre, "The fans are going to love him," Briere said by phone. "I know personally I loved playing with him. He's a very creative player, very strong on the puck, exciting to watch. He's a clutch player, as you guys have seen in the playoffs.
"It's disappointing for me to see him leave but I'm happy that he's going to a place I know very well and a place he's going to be appreciated."
High praise from a trusted voice, one that really has no reason to sugarcoat anything.
The attributes that everyone from former coach Shedden to former linemate Briere expound upon, seem to disappear when Leino's confidence level is low.
Fact is, he loves the ice time. He needs ice-time.
“The player I am, it’s not always enough to just get ice time – you need to play a lot and play with good players,” he said in a phillysportsdaily.com piece. “I got a chance every now and then [with the Red Wings], but I didn’t really get a good chance that I wanted.”
We're not really sure what that was supposed to mean. Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Johan Franzen. Those guys aren't really chopped liver. Nor is the Detroit Red Wings organization.
And while he was a roaring success in the 2010 playoffs, his 19 goals and 53 points last season for the Flyers, although pretty solid, weren't spectacular. In fact, Buffalo winger Tyler Ennis, a possible linemate for Leino, had 20 goals and 29 assists in his first full season as a Sabres' rookie last season.
We also need to take into consideration Lindy Ruff's philosophy when it comes to ice-time--the players need to earn it. The caveat here will be to see just how much leeway Ruff gives to his players up-front. With the defense solidified and Ryan Miller in net, we could see a return to a style similar to the 2006/07 "run-n-gun" play.
But, that's neither here nor there right now.
For now, Leino finds himself in a period of transition. He went from a modest, six-figure salary to big-bucks. From big-city Philadelphia to small city Buffalo. And he will be expected to make the transition from winger to top-six center.
That would be a lot on anyone's plate and we'll see just how smooth the adjustment will be.
In the Stephen Whyno piece above, Leino takes the simple approach to the forces that affect one's play, “When things happen, I just try to make the best of them,” Leino said. “I just stick with it and do the best I can in the situation.”
Which Leino will show up when the Sabres open the season? Will he have the talent around him to make him successful the way he was in Philly? Will he mature enough in the next few seasons to the point where he'll rely on his own talent to bring out the best in him? Can he bring those talents to the middle as a center?
Maybe more importantly, can he play in Lindy's system? And will Ruff allow him the freedom to play to his strengths?
Plenty of questions that will be start to be answered at the beginning of the season.
All we have right now is a series of events that brought Leino to Buffalo. From the remote areas of Finland to "Hockeytown" to the streets of Philadelphia to a home in Buffalo for the next six years. At each stop, certain events have created markers to chronicle his journey towards the ultimate goal--the Stanley Cup--with the ultimate question being, will a future marker for Leino be one that sees him parading down Delaware Ave. as part of a Sabres' Cup-winning team?
Me too.
Whereas the trade for Robyn Regehr is a landmark trade on one level, the signing of Ville Leino to play a top-six center role on the team should be looked upon as another.
But, whereas the Regehr acquisition will probably end up being as solid as his stay-at-home play, the outcome of the Leino signing could be anywhere from a less-than-stellar/drunken sailor overpayment to pure genius and a tribute to the hockey minds within the organization.
Why the Sabres Went After Leino On July 1st
It's no secret that the Sabres were thin down the middle even before the departure of Tim Connolly (Leafs.)
It was also no secret that they were intent upon bolstering the center position via free agency. They had a considerable offer for free-agent darling Brad Richards ready, but, with the glamour-girl New York Rangers seemingly already in bed with him, a red-headed step-child like the Sabres really had no chance.
So they moved on, rather quickly, to Plan-B: Philadelphia Flyers free agent, Ville Lieno.
Buffalo Sabres GM Darcy Regier, at the Leino-signing press conference (which can be accessed here through the Sabres Edge blog,) said that "[Leino's] coming into his own" and envisions him as "someone that will not only complement, but contribute significantly to improving and driving [the] offense."
As Plan-B in the quest for a top-six center, Leino will be moving to a position that he hasn't played in four years even though he says that he prefers to play there.
Head Coach Lindy Ruff said, "Leino enjoyed playing center...in fact if you study the Philly's system, a lot of times he was the guy playing down low on the Hartnell/Briere line. I talked to him about all three positions, and he's comfortable about all three, but the position he likes playing most is center."
"In a long conversation about how we play and with the amount the defense join the play, that second wave of attack," Ruff continued, "Ville's strength is on the puck, he can make plays in tight areas, he can look for the second wave."
These attributes were not something Regier and Ruff plucked out of the air to either justify or convince. This is what they saw in his play, what they heard from the player himself and what has been a constant in his career since his days overseas.
The Good And the Questionable From Finland
Back in May, 2008, Matthew Wuest of redwingcentral talked with Jokerit, Finland Head Coach , Doug Shedden on Leino.
In an straightforward interview filled with insight revealing both the positives and negatives about Leino's future in the NHL, Shedden had this to say, “He’s a natural center and I moved him to right wing and it was better for him. He’s strong on the puck down low, he’s a good cycle guy, and he draws a lot of penalties because of his puck control.”
Shedden also says that it "is going to be tough" for Leino to make it in the NHL. He uses Leino's average skating and having to adapt to smaller rinks as possible impediments to Leino's success.
But, on the positive side, one thing that Shedden says may be the ultimate determining factor is that “[Leino’s] a heck of a competitor — he probably led the league in practice fights. He loves to come to the rink, he loves to practice, he loves to put his equipment on and compete.”
“The determination is there, and that can compensate for a lot of things,” Shedden continued. “He’s one guy who could (make it because) of that.”
The Red Wings Like Leino
Detroit is the first of two quality organizations that Leino has played for in his short NHL career, the other being Philadelphia.
No other organization in hockey is better at finding diamonds in the rough than the Red Wings with a scouting department that is unparalleled in hockey.
Grandmaster GM, Ken Holland, brought Leino into the Red Wings fold as an undrafted free agent and he produced well on the farm in Grand Rapids. In the latter part of the 2008/09 season Leino had the opportunity to play in 13 regular season games for Detroit. The results were five goals, four assists and a +5 plus/minus.
It was enough for Holland to sign Leino to a two-year, one-way contract with the Wings.
Holland was interviewed by Ansar Khan of mlive in July, 2009, and had this to say about the Leino, "We like his hockey sense, his ability to protect the puck in the offensive zone," Holland said. "He's got a scoring touch and he goes to the hard areas of the ice.
"He just needs to adjust to the pace of the game. His speed is average, but we can put Ville with different people. He can play on a skilled line or chip in offense on the third line."
Although Leino had a less than stellar 2009 post-season with the Wings, there was reason to believe that he'd be another Holland diamond in Detroit.
Crashing Back To Earth In Hockeytown
"As a Wings fan, we're all susceptible of asking the 'What have you done for me, lately?' question at times. In Leino's case, maybe it should be a 'What have you done for me, ever?' Thus wrote Eric Fish in the Flint Journal on December 10, 2009.
Leino had 27 games with Detroit and was playing with the likes of Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg for a third of the season yet only put up a paltry three goals during that time.
What happened? Was Leino turning into a "bust" for the vaunted Detroit scouting staff?
"I'm not knocking Drew Miller," Fish continues, "but it says something about what direction Leino is headed in right now when a guy the team picked off waivers three weeks ago is starting over one that was under a two-year contract before training camp."
This was after Leino was a healthy scratch yet again with expectations plummeting for the kid.
From "diamond-in-the-rough" to "underachiever" in a matter of five months with the best organization in hockey. And, at the time, an organization that was also heading into the 2009/10 stretch-run butting up against the cap with solid vets ready to return from injury.
The Writing Was On the Wall. Or...
It wasn't exactly a "bag of pucks," but it was fairly close.
The February 6, 2010 trade went like this: Ville Leino to Philadelphia for borderline NHL defenseman Olle-Kristian Tollefsen and a fifth-round pick.
With Leino underachieving and the Wings having some vets returning from injury, the salary cap demanded that Holland make a move. The obvious choice at the time was Leino.
Two quick notes on Tollefsen. He is no longer in the NHL and the Sabres Drew Stafford bloodied the 6'2", 211 lb Norwegian "tough-guy" in a preseason fight October 2, 2008.
All-in-all, Holland did get a return for the undrafted free agent, but it was obviously a "bail" by the Red Wings organization when it came to Leino. A blemish on an organization that is usually spot-on with their talent evaluations.
Did the Wings Bail Too Soon On Leino?
If you look at the 2010 post-season that Leino had with the Flyers, in one word, yup.
The Philadelphia Flyers run to the Stanley Cup in 2010 ended with a six-game loss at the hands of the Chicago Blackhawks in the Finals.
Ville Leino had a playoff-run that left many scratching their heads wondering how the Wings could have bailed on a player who ended up scoring seven goals and adding 14 assists in 19 games in the playoffs for the Flyers.
Bill Hoppe on msg.com briefly wrote about Leino "falling flat on his face" in Detroit.
In the Hoppe piece Wings GM Ken Holland had this to say about Leino's rough go in Detroit, “To be fair, he hadn’t done much here,” he told the Detroit Free Press. “We really liked him. We felt he could be an NHL player, but when we had all those injuries and he got significant ice time, he really didn’t do anything with it.”
So what happened? How did Leino go from rising star, to healthy scratch, to a trade that was a low-point in his career, to a potential Conn Smythe-type player in the playoffs?
The Right Situation For the Time
Chemistry and hands-off coaching seemed to be big contributors, not to mention his own state of mind.
Leino put it this way, "I need a little freedom to play my hockey and make the plays I do,” [he] told the Free Press (via the Hoppe piece,) adding, “When you can play the way you want and play the hockey you like, and then you have success, your confidence goes up and then when the whole team is winning, your confidence just keeps growing. I’m very happy where I’m at right now – the small things have started to click, and I’m in a good position right now. It’s great.”
Playing with veterans like former Sabre Daniel Briere and veteran Scott Hartnell was huge for Leino. That line combination was the best line in the playoffs. And it wouldn't have happened had Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne not gone down with injuries. Before that, Leino was a healthy scratch for the first four games of the playoffs.
Dogged determination and puck-control ability, two traits alluded to by his Finnish coach, came to the fore in those playoffs for Philadelphia.
From Flyers Head Coach Peter Laviolette, “Right now, he seems to have so much energy out there. You can double-shift him … without taking him off the ice. He seems to have a lot of jam right now.
“I think what everybody is impressed with … is his ability to hang on to that puck and make plays,” he said. “It’s really beneficial for a team when you’re trying to create offense to have a guy that can stop and start and cut back and do a whole bunch of different things with the puck.
“Because other things open up, he’s able to see the ice,” he said. “He’s got a terrific skill level. It was a tremendous pick-up for Paul Holmgren to get him here for the playoffs.”
Red Wings Fans Take It All In Stride
That Leino "morphed" into a clutch player pretty much stunned everyone.
'Who the hell is this guy?'
'Where was this guy in November?'
'Why couldn't this guy do that for us?'
The "guy," of course, is Ville Leino."
Those thoughts by Matt Hutter of the bleacherreport pretty much encompassed the thoughts of most of "Hockeytown" when he threw that out at the beginning of his piece.
After laying everything out--Leino's ups and downs with Detroit and even in Philly--Hutter spins the tale and outcome in an appropriate way by saying that, "If Leino's performance as a Philadelphia Flyer has any bearing on his former team, it reveals only that the Detroit Red Wings remain one of the best scouting organizations in hockey."
Sure enough, if you look back at it, the Wings did find a diamond in the rough, it just took a weird cosmical alignment to bring Leino's talents out.
Says Hutter, "The Red Wings saw in Leino the raw talent and puck-possession skills that have come to define Detroit Red Wings forwards and thought he'd find quick comfort and success in a red and white uniform. Unfortunately, he didn't."
"Fortunately for the Flyers, they reaped the rewards of the Detroit Red Wings scouting department, as Leino finally lived up to the potential the Wings new he had when they signed him in the first place."
Paul Holmgren Was Never Affraid Of Turnover in Philly
When Philly Chairman Ed Snider talks, GM Paul Holmgren listens.
For years Holmgren stocked up on talented skaters and paid them big money while leaving goaltending to a mix of journeymen and rookies.
In 2010, that formula failed to win a cup.
In 2011, it was a disaster as their goaltending roulette wheel nearly caused an upset by Buffalo in the first round of the playoffs. In the second round vs. eventual Cup-winner Boston, the Bruins exposed the Flyers for what they were and the Bruins dismissed them in a sweep.
Snider was sick of the roulette wheel in goal and apparently Holmgren and Laviolette were tired of the way Mike Richards and Jeff Carter were conducting themselves off-ice as well.
It ended up where both Richards and Carter were traded and Snider's wish for a legitimate starting goaltender was granted when Holmgren signed Ilya Bryzgalov to a nine-year contract.
As for Leino, one thing we do know is that the Flyers had the opportunity to sign the winger to a contract before he hit the market as an unrestricted free agent this past July 1.
Much to the chagrin of phillysportsworld writer Wayne Cella, Leino should be ticked at the way the Philadelphia Flyers organization handled him.
Cella chronicles all of the moves that Philly made in the off-season, from trading Carter and Richards, to signing Bryzgalov, to trading Darrell Powe and letting Daniel Carcillo walk. All of it done so that the Flyers would have cap-room.
Through it all, Cella described Leino as "a good soldier," one that did the professional thing and kept quiet while he waited...
And waited.
And waited.
And he was still waiting on Philadelphia when Buffalo came knocking on July 1st with a six-year/$27M contract which he promptly signed.
What Do These Chain Of Events Mean For Leino As A Buffalo Sabre?
The constants throughout Leino's successful parts of the past three NHL seasons are based upon his work in the offensive zone, stickhandling in a phone-booth, holding on to the puck for a trailer, and finding those openings in the defense.
His dogged determination, competitive nature and willingness to go to the dirty areas are all aspects that come to the fore and guide him to success.
Briere, a former fan-favorite in Buffalo who was on Philly's top-producing line with Leino knows what he brings to the table.
Last January, Philly.com's Sam Carchidi wrote a piece about Briere's career-high scoring pace and how Briere credited his success to his line-mates--Scott Hartnell and Ville Leino.
Of Leino, Briere said, "Ville's a playmaker, and he gives me the chance to open up...when you play with a player [Leino] who likes to make plays, you give him the puck and try to get open."
When Leino signed with Buffalo, John Vogl of sabresedge talked with Briere about his former linemate and new Sabre, "The fans are going to love him," Briere said by phone. "I know personally I loved playing with him. He's a very creative player, very strong on the puck, exciting to watch. He's a clutch player, as you guys have seen in the playoffs.
"It's disappointing for me to see him leave but I'm happy that he's going to a place I know very well and a place he's going to be appreciated."
High praise from a trusted voice, one that really has no reason to sugarcoat anything.
It's All About Ice Time
The attributes that everyone from former coach Shedden to former linemate Briere expound upon, seem to disappear when Leino's confidence level is low.
Fact is, he loves the ice time. He needs ice-time.
“The player I am, it’s not always enough to just get ice time – you need to play a lot and play with good players,” he said in a phillysportsdaily.com piece. “I got a chance every now and then [with the Red Wings], but I didn’t really get a good chance that I wanted.”
We're not really sure what that was supposed to mean. Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Johan Franzen. Those guys aren't really chopped liver. Nor is the Detroit Red Wings organization.
And while he was a roaring success in the 2010 playoffs, his 19 goals and 53 points last season for the Flyers, although pretty solid, weren't spectacular. In fact, Buffalo winger Tyler Ennis, a possible linemate for Leino, had 20 goals and 29 assists in his first full season as a Sabres' rookie last season.
We also need to take into consideration Lindy Ruff's philosophy when it comes to ice-time--the players need to earn it. The caveat here will be to see just how much leeway Ruff gives to his players up-front. With the defense solidified and Ryan Miller in net, we could see a return to a style similar to the 2006/07 "run-n-gun" play.
But, that's neither here nor there right now.
For now, Leino finds himself in a period of transition. He went from a modest, six-figure salary to big-bucks. From big-city Philadelphia to small city Buffalo. And he will be expected to make the transition from winger to top-six center.
That would be a lot on anyone's plate and we'll see just how smooth the adjustment will be.
In the Stephen Whyno piece above, Leino takes the simple approach to the forces that affect one's play, “When things happen, I just try to make the best of them,” Leino said. “I just stick with it and do the best I can in the situation.”
Which Leino will show up when the Sabres open the season? Will he have the talent around him to make him successful the way he was in Philly? Will he mature enough in the next few seasons to the point where he'll rely on his own talent to bring out the best in him? Can he bring those talents to the middle as a center?
Maybe more importantly, can he play in Lindy's system? And will Ruff allow him the freedom to play to his strengths?
Plenty of questions that will be start to be answered at the beginning of the season.
All we have right now is a series of events that brought Leino to Buffalo. From the remote areas of Finland to "Hockeytown" to the streets of Philadelphia to a home in Buffalo for the next six years. At each stop, certain events have created markers to chronicle his journey towards the ultimate goal--the Stanley Cup--with the ultimate question being, will a future marker for Leino be one that sees him parading down Delaware Ave. as part of a Sabres' Cup-winning team?
Tune in. It should be as interesting.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Pegula's 10-Day Sabres Makeover
OK. So it's not anything close to Philadelphia GM Paul Holmgren blowing up the Flyers roster, but in Sabreland, the additions of defensemen Robyn Regehr and Christian Ehrhoff (via trade and trade-and-sign, respectively) as well as free agent signee, Ville Leino, were significant moves on many levels.
Although the Sabres didn't blow up the team, they totally blew up their approach to players and cost while completely shattering their image as a curmudgeonly tight-wad organization.
Plus they got themselves some pretty good players to fill some holes they had.
On June 25, the Sabres finalized a deal with the Calgary Flames: Regehr and former Sabre Ales Kotalik plus a 2012 2nd-round draft pick for Chris Butler and Paul Byron. The deal actually began on June 22nd with Flames GM Jay Feaster proposing a trade with Darcy Regier to alleviate cap-pressure. It took a few days for Robyn Regehr to approve of the trade because of his no-movement clause.
The Regehr trade, as mentioned previously, was huge for the Buffalo Sabres. A quick recap:
With the draft over and the Regehr deal done, the Sabres turned their attention to the up-coming free-agent market.
This year, they did not wait for a late Day-1 or Day-2, reasonably priced, third-tier player to sign. No Jocylen Thibault, Patrick Lalime, Mike Grier or Rob Neidermayer this time. In fact they didn't even wait for July 1 to jump into the fray.
With the Sabres emboldened by the Robyn Regehr trade, Darcy Regier did something unheard of in Buffalo: traded for the rights to negotiate with an unrestricted free-agent before July 1.
Vancouver d-man Christian Ehrhoff's rights were traded to the NY Islanders on June 28th for a 4th-round pick. When it was clear the the two sides would not come together (the Isles reportedly offering $33M over six years), the Isles traded his rights to Buffalo, for a 4th-round pick.
The Sabres then signed Ehrhoff before he hit free agency to the tune of 10 years, $40M.
All-in-all, the Sabres organization blasted away the past with this move:
Such was the desire for the Sabres to have the services of Ehrhoff.
Although the Sabres didn't blow up the team, they totally blew up their approach to players and cost while completely shattering their image as a curmudgeonly tight-wad organization.
Plus they got themselves some pretty good players to fill some holes they had.
Robyn Regehr, Let the Off-season Begin
On June 25, the Sabres finalized a deal with the Calgary Flames: Regehr and former Sabre Ales Kotalik plus a 2012 2nd-round draft pick for Chris Butler and Paul Byron. The deal actually began on June 22nd with Flames GM Jay Feaster proposing a trade with Darcy Regier to alleviate cap-pressure. It took a few days for Robyn Regehr to approve of the trade because of his no-movement clause.
The Regehr trade, as mentioned previously, was huge for the Buffalo Sabres. A quick recap:
- The Sabres had a player with a no-movement clause waive it to go to Buffalo
- Ales Kotalik, who's set to make $3M next season, was part of the trade, yet he and his salary might be off the books via a demotion to Rochester. A Flyers/Rangers-type of move to alleviate cap-pressure.
- Sabres owner Terry Pegula would not be denied and was a big part of convincing Regehr to wave his nmc
- Pegula, his wife Kim and Head Coach Lindy Ruff flew to Saskatchewan to help allay any family fears the Regehr's may have had with the move to Buffalo. This was done during Day-2 of the NHL Draft.
- And, the cool part? GM Darcy Regier got a second-round pick ta-boot.
Onward Towards July 1, the Start of Free Agency
With the draft over and the Regehr deal done, the Sabres turned their attention to the up-coming free-agent market.
This year, they did not wait for a late Day-1 or Day-2, reasonably priced, third-tier player to sign. No Jocylen Thibault, Patrick Lalime, Mike Grier or Rob Neidermayer this time. In fact they didn't even wait for July 1 to jump into the fray.
With the Sabres emboldened by the Robyn Regehr trade, Darcy Regier did something unheard of in Buffalo: traded for the rights to negotiate with an unrestricted free-agent before July 1.
Vancouver d-man Christian Ehrhoff's rights were traded to the NY Islanders on June 28th for a 4th-round pick. When it was clear the the two sides would not come together (the Isles reportedly offering $33M over six years), the Isles traded his rights to Buffalo, for a 4th-round pick.
The Sabres then signed Ehrhoff before he hit free agency to the tune of 10 years, $40M.
All-in-all, the Sabres organization blasted away the past with this move:
- They traded a draft-pick, once considered precious--the life-blood of the organization--just for the right to negotiate with a pending unrestricted free agent.
- That they out in front of almost every organization was a very peculiar phenomenon.
- That they succeeded in reeling in what many considered the second-best pending-unrestricted free agent.
- A ten-year contract, unprecedented in Sabres history.
- The contract being front-loaded with $18M coming in the first two years via bonuses.
- An Ilya Kovalchuk-type finish to the contract where the Sabres spend $1M/year over the final three years of the contract when Ehrhoff will be in his mid-to-latter 30's.
- The fact that they worked the long-term deal to the point where they have a $4M cap-hit.
- An NHL "investigation" into the legitimacy of the 10-year contract.
- Drawing the ire of clubs throughout the league for "circumventing the cap."
- Doing everything within the bounds laid out by the NHL and the NHL Players Association, yet stretching it to its limits.
Such was the desire for the Sabres to have the services of Ehrhoff.
The Sabres Are Players For Brad Richards
A Sabres offer to free agent Brad Richards would be "welcomed with open arms" by the Richards' camp. Or at least it seemed so.
The team, fresh off of upgrading their defense while having an owner with deep pockets and a desire to get things done up-front, set their sights on the "crown-jewel" of the 2011 Free Agent market.
Pegula and Co. were ready to duke it out with the leagues financial heavyweights like Toronto and the NY Rangers,to snag the only superstar-quality player on the market in Richards. Not only had he put up the numbers the last two seasons, but he also has a Cup-ring and Conn Smythe Trophy on his resume'.
Oh, and Richards is a true #1 center, the only one on the market, and one of only a handful in the National Hockey League.
Richards and his agent were holed up in their Mississauga, Ontario offices--Brinks truck by the back-door--waiting for his suitors ala Lebron James last summer.
When it came to the Sabres, Pegula and Regier had a significant offer ready, but the Richards' camp pushed them near the back of the line.
The Sabres did not take kindly to it and bowed out to focus solely on former Philadelphia Flyer, Ville Lieno.
Of note in the Richards episode is the fact that:
- Sabres fans were not accustomed to a legitimate shot (albeit, long-shot) at the NHL's top free agent.
- The team did not feel out of place going after Richards.
- They were willing to go to Mississauga to present their case and offer their deal.
- The Richards camp took the Sabres seriously.
Ville Leino, the "Consolation Prize"
With the writing on the wall concerning Richards, the Sabres bailed, allowing themselves enough time to go after Flyers winger, Ville Leino.
You read that right, Flyers winger.
Another winger when the team really needed a top-two center?
Another winger to join the ranks of Thomas Vanek, Jason Pomminville, recently re-signed Drew Stafford, youngster Tyler Ennis, and trade-deadline acquisition Brad Boyes?
Another winger who's salary would add to the $21.2M combined cap-hit for the aforementioned?
Where's the center?
Turns out that Leino prefers to play center having played wing for two teams--Detroit and Philadelphia--who were deep down the middle.
OK, so it's somewhat of a gamble. Maybe more of a gamble in that he's played all of 149 games scoring a grand total of 30 goals, 19 of them last season.
Actually, it's a huge gamble considering that the Sabres signed him to a 6-year, $27M contract.
Some people around the league are looking at this even more quizzically than the Ehrhoff re-signing, some laughing at the signing, some miffed at the price-tag.
$27M for a winger for a team that was thin at center? $27M for a player with such a limited body of work? $27M for potential?
Twenty-seven Million Dollars?
Sure. Why not? He was the guy they targeted.
But, what the Sabres did by signing Leino was:
- Initiate Plan-B immediately once they decided to bow out of the Richards sweepstakes.
- They brought in what some would consider a top three-to-five free agent this off-season.
- They continued to show that they were hell-bent on bringing in high-quality players to help the team immediately, regardless of the cost.
- Although they may have (probably) overpaid, it mattered not. They wanted him, they went out and got him.
- What they also did with the Leino-signing was put the onus completely on Regier and his scouting staff as well as the coaching ability of Lindy Ruff to make this move work.
This Is Not Your Father's Buffalo Sabres
Fact is, we're not accustomed to having a top-notch player waive his no-movement clause to accept a trade to Buffalo.
Nor are we accustomed to the team pushing the limits of the collective bargaining agreement to sign a player.
Neither are we accustomed to having the highest payroll of any NHL club at one point.
June 22nd thru July 1st will be 10 days to remember in Sabreland.
Although delusions of Stanley Cup grandeur have been held in check for this season, the desire for Pegula and Co. to do what's necessary is a definitive split from the past that should make the Buffalo Sabres a perennial playoff team with the potential to get to the promised land in the future.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Ville Leino Is Jammin' In Buffalo To the Tune Of $27M
 |
| Sabres RW Drew Stafford put down the guitar and put up enough points for the Sabres to sign him to a $4M/yr. contract extension. |
The big winger with all the tools, was burdened with inconsistency for his professional career, but showed that when he put in the off-season work and put his mind to it, he'd put up some serious numbers. He was rewarded recently with a $4M/year contract from the Buffalo Sabres for his efforts.
Newly-inked Sabres forward Ville Leino is a self-taught guitar player who started getting serious about playing guitar just about the time he was beginning his NHL career. "I always wanted to do that," he stated in a philly.com bio. "I started when I was a bit younger, when I was 15 or 18 or so, but this time I bought a really good guitar. I wanted to buy a good one so that I would have to keep playing and it wouldn't just sit there."
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| Newly-inked forward Ville Leino is getting paid by the Sabres to hoist a hockey stick not a vintage guitar. |
Hell, if he wants to he could plug an SG or Flying "V" into a Marshall stack that would make Neil Young envious.
He can do all of that, but the Buffalo Sabres are paying him (like they did with Stafford) to be more like Steven Stamkos as opposed to Stevie Ray Vaughn.
Yesterday, after being shown the back of the line by the Brad Richards camp, GM Darcy Regier and Co. turned their attention to an unrestricted free agent who they "felt very strongly about." He said, "[Leino] was someone we identified early and moved him to the top of the list" while bowing out of the Richards sweepstakes.
Leino was the third player the Sabres added this off-season. He joins 11-year veteran d-man Robyn Regehr and long-term signee, defenseman Christian Ehrhoff, as players that the team targeted, but who are somewhat unknown quantities in Buffalo.
Fans aren't overly familiar with Regehr, having played his entire career out west in Calgary.
They may have followed Ehrhoff in the Stanley Cup Finals with the Canucks, but outside of that he was probably not on anybody's radar having played out west in Vancouver.
And, as for Leino, Sabres fans did have the chance to catch him this season through a seven-game playoff series with Buffalo that saw him score the overtime game-winner in Game-6 at HSBC Arena.
Statistically speaking, his numbers don't warrant that kind of deal, although he had a banner 2010 playoffs with the Philadelphia Flyers scoring seven goals, adding 14 assists and going a plus-10 in 19 games as the team lost in the Stanley Cup Finals to Chicago.
Still, fans look at his six-year, $27M deal quizzically. Leino is a 27 year old player who played in 149 NHL games with two teams over three seasons on the wing. His early years were spent in Finland playing one professional season in the Finnish Elite League, SM-liiga, with Jokerit. He had 77 points in 55 games on the wing and was named the league's best regular season player.
And why, pray tell, would the Sabres organization add to the abundance of high-priced wingers and disregard glaring holes down the middle?
Even though Leino's entire professional career has been on the wing, in a post-signing conference call with the Buffalo media, Leino said that for him, "[center] is a more natural place to play." He's the type of player that likes the puck on his stick and has the slipperiness to find holes in the defense, just like the overtime goal he scored in Game-6 vs. the Sabres.
Regier believes that Leino will "contribute significantly to the team, improving and driving [the] offense." Lindy Ruff echoed Leino's sentiments and went on to say that "[Leino] enjoys playing center...in fact if you study the film, a lot of times he was the guy playing down low." "I talked to him about all three positions," Ruff said "and he's comfortable about all three, but the position he likes playing most is center."
Ruff continued, "In a long conversation about how we play and with the amount the defense join the play, that second wave of attack, Ville's strength is on the puck, he can make plays in tight areas, he can look for the second wave."
So, in their eyes, the Sabres did, in fact, land a top-six center as opposed to a player that we've seen only on the wing.
Leino said that he's looking forward to being settled into a city and has said that he's excited to play for Buffalo.
Fair enough.
But, will he eschew any thoughts about being a guitar-hero, ala Stafford, and focus soley upon putting the puck in the net instead?
Hope so.
It'll be interesting to see how this pans out, but if all the things said by all parties are true, and Leino turns out to be a highly-skilled, offense-driving, top-six center, the Sabres will have done well for themselves.
Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff talk about signing Ville Leino.
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