Brad Boyes...should be seen as the last move Sabres GM Darcy Regier made on his own.
At the time, Boyes to Buffalo for a second round draft pick was touted as a departure from the old Tom Golisano regime. Boyes still had another year left on his $4m contract which wasn't the way the team had done business previously. So, the Buffalo media was all on board with the financial commitment of the move (despite jettisoning the remainder of Craig Rivet's contract) and the length of the remaining contract. But, this move smacked of same ol', same ol'.
Boyes failed miserably in Buffalo.
At 6'0" 205 lbs., he had the size. He had the skill, having been a former 40-goal scorer (2007-08.) And he had the slapshot that was supposed to help an anemic powerplay.
Kinda sounds like a familiar player, especially when you throw in that Boyes was pretty good in the shootout.
Here are some numbers 6'1" 220 lbs. Right winger. 25 goal season in 2005-06. Wicked slapshot, especially useful on the powerplay. Shootout specialist.
Ales Kotalik.
Kotalik was vilified for never using his size and playing a perimeter game. Boyes ended up being the exact same player. Kotalik's production sank as the NHL got tougher. The New York Rangers, never shy about throwing money around, thought he was useful, signed for three years at a total of $9M.
It took a little while, but they unloaded him to Calgary, who thought he'd be useful. They figured out that he wasn't, demoted him and insisted that Buffalo take on his salary in the Robyn Regehr trade. In 97 games for the Rangers and Flames he scored 15 goals.
Both players are the same type of player that Regiers's vaunted "core" consisted of--skilled but soft and afraid to get their noses dirty. And both had their best seasons when the going was relatively easy--the few years post-lockout. Now both are officially off the books.
Boyes had some parting shots at Head Coach Lindy Ruff, coming off as someone who wanted to be coddled, "Coming from coaches and having success with coaches that were yellers and screamers and hard on you, that's fine, as long as you get a pat on the back when you do something well.
That starts by communicating with off-ice stuff, saying hi, asking how the family is. Those things go a long way. I'm just looking for a coach that will do that to begin with."
Really?
Somebody give him a hug.
(Quick note. I worked with a 60 yr. old woman who said the same thing when a new manager with the same Ruff-like management skills came on board.)
Boyes was a Regier-kinda player, the type that he added to the team when he dismantled "the hardest working team in hockey."
Regier never knew toughness and/or grit. He drafted Andrew Peters with a high second round pick, then opted for him over Eric Boulton as the team's tough guy. Boulton could, and still does skate a regular fourth line shift and knows how to fight. Peters is now on WGR.
He was the antithesis of Peters who only played a few minutes a game and turtled way too often when dropping the gloves.
Regier also opted to re-sign Kotalik over a heart-and-soul guy, J.P. Dumont.
On the blueline, his defense-corps was loaded with "puck-movers," while his big, tough d-men were the likes of Mike Card and Michael Funk.
What it comes down to is this, if left up to him, he would build the type of team we've seen post-lockout. A team that has talent, but lack heart. It worked well when he had leadership and loads of talent in an easier NHL, but since the summer of 2007, the fertile ground with which his dreams came to fruition has been trample under foot by a menacingly tougher brand of hockey.
Owner Terry Pegula came in and let Regier, and Ruff as well, do their thing with what they had. And one would assume that last season he had seen enough.
Last year's disaster from Milan Lucic/Ryan Miller to not making the playoffs called for some action. And I believe that Pegula, through his advisors, directed Regier to retool the team with an emphasis on grit and toughness. Hence signing a true heavyweight in John Scott and the trade of "core-incarnate" center Derek Roy for LW Steve Ott and D Adam Pardy, either top-half players, while both adding to positions that are more than full.
There's no doubt that Darcy Regier can pull things off.
If we go back to the trade deadline he said he wanted to add for the stretch run and build for the future without mortgaging the future. Voila, C Cody Hodgson comes in along with D Alexander Sulzer and out goes Zack Kassian and Marc-Andre Gragnani.
Hodgson's slated for top-six work this season and Sulzer was re-signed as a depth defenseman. In Vancouver, Kassian's role has diminished to that of fourth-line duty/depth forward while Gragnani is an unrestricted free agent after the 'Nucks opted not to offer him a contract as a restricted free agent.
Put it all together and Darcy Regier knows how to get things done.
Just don't let him shape the team in his likeness and image. Buffalo's tired of being a punching-bag joke.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
So, what's next?
With the fireworks over across the country, except for those communities who had them rained out, it's now on to the dog days of summer.
NHL GM's, though, still have some work to do even though the two biggest names in this year's free agent crop--Zack Parise and Ryan Suter--have officially signed with Minnesota
A couple of quick notes on Parise and Suter.
It's really great to see the Wild outbid the big-market teams and land those two as opposed to the Rangers, Flyers and Wings. It was a hefty price to pay--$98M over 13 years with $25M up-front--but they did it. And they should feel pretty good about it.
In Buffalo, GM Darcy Regier, is still looking for a #1 center--Colorado's Paul Stastny keeps coming up--and he may be looking to upgrade on the wing as Anaheim's Bobby Ryan is said to be on the market. Rick Nash has not been moved either.
Regier has done some pretty good tweaking to the roster thus far. Bringing in behemoth John Scott and his Hulk-like "smash" demeanor will be useful in certain situations.
But trading Derek Roy for Steve Ott and Adam Pardy really changes the team.
Roy had been a whipping boy in Buffalo for years, and it rarely had anything to with his production. For years after Chris Drury and Daniel Briere left, Roy was near a point/game pace.
But, what he really lacked, and what was sorely needed, were the intangibles in a top-six role.
Even though he wore a letter, he never really exuded leadership. He wasn't on the ice to bring toughness. Nor was he pesky.
He was a skater, "soft-but-skilled" incarnate.
For five seasons we watched a whole team of soft-but-skilled skaters. The Sabres over that time span were considered "easy to play against." And over that time period they never made it past the first round of the playoffs, having missed them altogether three times.
Steve Ott is the antithesis of Roy. He has the grit and the leadership. He goes north/south, goes through, and goes at it.
Unfortunately, he's a bottom-six winger as opposed to a top-six center. And the Sabres are really thin down the middle.
The teams' centers at this time are Tyler Ennis, Cody Hodgson, and Cody McCormick.
Ennis and Hodgson are young (both are 22) and still have bountiful upside, but they're untested. Ennis showed glimpses of possibly being a top-six, maybe even top-line, center late last season when he, Marcus Foligno and Drew Stafford went on a tear that almost got the team into the playoffs.
Hodgson got off to a real slow start with the Sabres, but seemed to finished a bit stronger last season. After the trade from Vancouver he seemed to settle in. He's presently training with Gary Roberts.
As for McCormick, although he still brings grit and toughness to the team, his lack of production last season may see him start the season in Rochester.
The trade of Roy means that the purging of Regier's "vaunted" core players has really kicked in.
All four of the teams' top centers from 2007-08 are now gone. Tim Connolly left last off-season for free agency, Paul Gaustad was traded to Nashville this past February and it looks as if Jochen Hecht will not be offered a contract for this season.
Regier has been doing a masterful job of retooling this team on the fly over the past five months and has brought a sense of excitement as to where the team is headed.
Let's hope he keeps it going.
More on the Roy/Ott trade from Dallas:
http://www.foxsportssouthwest.com/07/02/12/Ott-trade-to-Sabres-a-definite-shocker/landing_stars.html?blockID=755390&feedID=9341
puckdaddy on the Roy/Ott deal:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/sabres-finally-trade-derek-roy-acquire-steve-ott-221635734--nhl.html
NHL GM's, though, still have some work to do even though the two biggest names in this year's free agent crop--Zack Parise and Ryan Suter--have officially signed with Minnesota
A couple of quick notes on Parise and Suter.
It's really great to see the Wild outbid the big-market teams and land those two as opposed to the Rangers, Flyers and Wings. It was a hefty price to pay--$98M over 13 years with $25M up-front--but they did it. And they should feel pretty good about it.
In Buffalo, GM Darcy Regier, is still looking for a #1 center--Colorado's Paul Stastny keeps coming up--and he may be looking to upgrade on the wing as Anaheim's Bobby Ryan is said to be on the market. Rick Nash has not been moved either.
Regier has done some pretty good tweaking to the roster thus far. Bringing in behemoth John Scott and his Hulk-like "smash" demeanor will be useful in certain situations.
But trading Derek Roy for Steve Ott and Adam Pardy really changes the team.
Roy had been a whipping boy in Buffalo for years, and it rarely had anything to with his production. For years after Chris Drury and Daniel Briere left, Roy was near a point/game pace.
But, what he really lacked, and what was sorely needed, were the intangibles in a top-six role.
Even though he wore a letter, he never really exuded leadership. He wasn't on the ice to bring toughness. Nor was he pesky.
He was a skater, "soft-but-skilled" incarnate.
For five seasons we watched a whole team of soft-but-skilled skaters. The Sabres over that time span were considered "easy to play against." And over that time period they never made it past the first round of the playoffs, having missed them altogether three times.
Steve Ott is the antithesis of Roy. He has the grit and the leadership. He goes north/south, goes through, and goes at it.
Unfortunately, he's a bottom-six winger as opposed to a top-six center. And the Sabres are really thin down the middle.
The teams' centers at this time are Tyler Ennis, Cody Hodgson, and Cody McCormick.
Ennis and Hodgson are young (both are 22) and still have bountiful upside, but they're untested. Ennis showed glimpses of possibly being a top-six, maybe even top-line, center late last season when he, Marcus Foligno and Drew Stafford went on a tear that almost got the team into the playoffs.
Hodgson got off to a real slow start with the Sabres, but seemed to finished a bit stronger last season. After the trade from Vancouver he seemed to settle in. He's presently training with Gary Roberts.
As for McCormick, although he still brings grit and toughness to the team, his lack of production last season may see him start the season in Rochester.
The trade of Roy means that the purging of Regier's "vaunted" core players has really kicked in.
All four of the teams' top centers from 2007-08 are now gone. Tim Connolly left last off-season for free agency, Paul Gaustad was traded to Nashville this past February and it looks as if Jochen Hecht will not be offered a contract for this season.
Regier has been doing a masterful job of retooling this team on the fly over the past five months and has brought a sense of excitement as to where the team is headed.
Let's hope he keeps it going.
More on the Roy/Ott trade from Dallas:
http://www.foxsportssouthwest.com/07/02/12/Ott-trade-to-Sabres-a-definite-shocker/landing_stars.html?blockID=755390&feedID=9341
puckdaddy on the Roy/Ott deal:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/sabres-finally-trade-derek-roy-acquire-steve-ott-221635734--nhl.html
Monday, July 2, 2012
Free agent fizzle
Yesterday's beginning to free agency had about the same effect as a guy on the 4th of July sending bottle rockets into the sky.
The big fireworks just weren't there this July 1. And the two free agents who could make the loudest bang, Zack Parise and Ryan Suter were said to be sleeping on it.
Even in the trade department where Rick Nash moving could have added a shower of excitement was non-existant except for one trade. It involved Nash's Blue Jackets sending D Marc Methot to Ottawa for F Nick Foligno.
Ridiculous contracts, the essence of the July 1 "free agent frenzy," were present but minimal. Sure, Sheldon Souray's 3yr./$11M contract with Dallas and Mikael Samuelsson's 2yr./$6M contract did raise some eybrows. But even those two weren't as crazy as Paul Gaustad's 4yr./$13M or Dennis Wideman inking a 5yr./$26.25M contract with Calgary, two ludicrous contracts signed on the days leading up to July 1.
Let's face it, the last two "free agent frenzies" have been a collective bust.
Last year Brad Richards was the lone marquis name, he landed in NY with the Rangers. The rest of the free agents were pretty weak and this year it's pretty much dejavu all over again.
It behooves the Sabres to lay off Parise and Suter. Both are said to be entertaining offers of 10-12 year contracts for $80-100M dollars. It's said that Philadelphia offered $100M conracts to both players. Some things never change.
Personally, I'd love to see Philly get Parise. They'll remain a powerhouse up-front with holes on defense and questionable goaltending. And they'll also probably be out of the Bobby Ryan trade scenario.
Ryan looks to be moved before the season and the Sabres are said to be very interested.
As for Buffalo, discretion is the better part of valor this July 1. Sure, Terry Pegula has oodles of money to throw around, but it doesn't mean he should.
There's really not a lot out there for the Sabres to better their team with.
They did make a move yesterday signing behemouth F/D John Scott to a 1yr./$600K deal.
Scott is 6'8 270 lbs and will fill the role of enforcer. He does not have any game to speak of but is one of the most feared pugilists in the league, which may come in handy for some 20-30 games over the course of the season.
Sure, it would have been better to get an Aaron Asham-type player who can legitimately skate and play the game, but the Sabres will need to take what they can get.
Other than that--yaaawwwwwnnnnn!!!
The 4th of July is coming up and barring any rainouts, we'll get a chance to see some real fireworks.
The big fireworks just weren't there this July 1. And the two free agents who could make the loudest bang, Zack Parise and Ryan Suter were said to be sleeping on it.
Even in the trade department where Rick Nash moving could have added a shower of excitement was non-existant except for one trade. It involved Nash's Blue Jackets sending D Marc Methot to Ottawa for F Nick Foligno.
Ridiculous contracts, the essence of the July 1 "free agent frenzy," were present but minimal. Sure, Sheldon Souray's 3yr./$11M contract with Dallas and Mikael Samuelsson's 2yr./$6M contract did raise some eybrows. But even those two weren't as crazy as Paul Gaustad's 4yr./$13M or Dennis Wideman inking a 5yr./$26.25M contract with Calgary, two ludicrous contracts signed on the days leading up to July 1.
Let's face it, the last two "free agent frenzies" have been a collective bust.
Last year Brad Richards was the lone marquis name, he landed in NY with the Rangers. The rest of the free agents were pretty weak and this year it's pretty much dejavu all over again.
It behooves the Sabres to lay off Parise and Suter. Both are said to be entertaining offers of 10-12 year contracts for $80-100M dollars. It's said that Philadelphia offered $100M conracts to both players. Some things never change.
Personally, I'd love to see Philly get Parise. They'll remain a powerhouse up-front with holes on defense and questionable goaltending. And they'll also probably be out of the Bobby Ryan trade scenario.
Ryan looks to be moved before the season and the Sabres are said to be very interested.
As for Buffalo, discretion is the better part of valor this July 1. Sure, Terry Pegula has oodles of money to throw around, but it doesn't mean he should.
 |
| At 6'8", newest Sabre John Scott towers above nearly everyone else in the NHL. An original free agent signing by the Minnesota Wild, Scott comes to Buffalo via the NY Rangers and Chicago |
They did make a move yesterday signing behemouth F/D John Scott to a 1yr./$600K deal.
Scott is 6'8 270 lbs and will fill the role of enforcer. He does not have any game to speak of but is one of the most feared pugilists in the league, which may come in handy for some 20-30 games over the course of the season.
Sure, it would have been better to get an Aaron Asham-type player who can legitimately skate and play the game, but the Sabres will need to take what they can get.
Other than that--yaaawwwwwnnnnn!!!
The 4th of July is coming up and barring any rainouts, we'll get a chance to see some real fireworks.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Hope doesn't seem to float anymore in Sabreland
Would you, in effect, trade a 29 yr. old, top-six/nine center who plays in all situations and averages three points every four games, for a bottom-six grey-beard on the back-end of his career and a mid-round draft pick (s) and/or a mid-level prospect?
Doesn't make a lot of sense, really. At least on the surface.
You could hope that C Derek Roy has a bounce back season, one that would get him back to 0.78 points a game; hope that he plays with the focus that he had in the fall of 2011 before he was injured.
But it doesn't seem as if Owner Terry Pegula relies on hope and it would seem as if the message is getting across to his charges.
They didn't hope that D Robyn Regehr would change his mind and allow a trade to Buffalo, they went out and convinced him that Buffalo would be his new home.
The Sabres didn't hope for D Christian Ehrhoff to sit down with them on July 1 to negotiate a contract, they went out and traded for his rights to talk to him exclusively.
They didn't hope that an opportunity to sit down with C Brad Richards would get them his services, they saw the writing on the wall and moved on, aggressively signing F Ville Leino.
And at the 2012 Draft, they didn't hope C Zemgus Girgensons would fall to them at #21, they went and made sure they got him by moving up to #14 (thanx Flames GM Jay Feaster.)
You could sit there and hope that Roy regains his form to become that top-six, two-way center he had the potential to become, or had become. But, it doesn't seem as if Pegula wants to sit around waiting.
Which puts GM Darcy Regier in a difficult position. He's always had unabashed faith in--read "overvalues"--his homegrown, "core" players, but he may need to eat this one.
Derek Roy is a real good player. He could play in a number of circumstances on a number of teams and make solid, potential Cup-winning, contributions. Just not in Buffalo.
Even though is stock is low right now, it doesn't mean he doesn't have value.
What it means is that one team will probably get a "steal" in a trade with the Sabres simply because there's not a lot of demand right now for a smaller center like Roy.
It's really more of a timing thing. Two years ago, Roy could have been looked at as a viable top-six, possibly top-line center in the NHL. But league-wide circumstances (like the emergence of size up-front) have diminished his value.
And it hasn't helped that the Sabres went all-in during the last four months down the middle.
They traded for Cody Hodgson and put Tyler Ennis back at center while at the draft they spent five of their picks on centers.
If that's not enough, the team is still talking about bolstering the center position.
So with all that writing on the wall, getting a 3rd and/or 4th-round pick and/or a mid-level prospect may be all that Regier could get for Roy at this time. And he may have to swallow hard and take it.
That being said, if they move on from Roy, they'll have a very, very young group down the middle.
They really could use a veteran prescence and as mentioned in another piece, Jason Arnott might be a good player to bring in.
At 37, Arnott's no spring chicken. But the guy can still play. He could anchor the bottom-six, help groom the youngsters, and add leadership to the forward group as well as add Cup-winning leadership to the entire team.
If there's another player out there who could play a bigger, top-six role while providing those intangibles, it would be safe to say that Pegula and Co. are on it. But as a back-up plan Arnott would look to be a real solid choice.
Could they get him to sign on July 1? Show him the money, and the term and I think the Sabres have a decent shot at it.
So, would I, in essence, trade a 29 yr. old, top-six/nine center (Derek Roy) who plays in all situations and averages three points every four games, for a bottom-six grey-beard on the back-end of his career (Jason Arnott) and a mid-round draft pick (s) and/or a mid-level prospect?
In this case, yes.
Doesn't make a lot of sense, really. At least on the surface.
You could hope that C Derek Roy has a bounce back season, one that would get him back to 0.78 points a game; hope that he plays with the focus that he had in the fall of 2011 before he was injured.
But it doesn't seem as if Owner Terry Pegula relies on hope and it would seem as if the message is getting across to his charges.
They didn't hope that D Robyn Regehr would change his mind and allow a trade to Buffalo, they went out and convinced him that Buffalo would be his new home.
The Sabres didn't hope for D Christian Ehrhoff to sit down with them on July 1 to negotiate a contract, they went out and traded for his rights to talk to him exclusively.
They didn't hope that an opportunity to sit down with C Brad Richards would get them his services, they saw the writing on the wall and moved on, aggressively signing F Ville Leino.
And at the 2012 Draft, they didn't hope C Zemgus Girgensons would fall to them at #21, they went and made sure they got him by moving up to #14 (thanx Flames GM Jay Feaster.)
You could sit there and hope that Roy regains his form to become that top-six, two-way center he had the potential to become, or had become. But, it doesn't seem as if Pegula wants to sit around waiting.
Which puts GM Darcy Regier in a difficult position. He's always had unabashed faith in--read "overvalues"--his homegrown, "core" players, but he may need to eat this one.
Derek Roy is a real good player. He could play in a number of circumstances on a number of teams and make solid, potential Cup-winning, contributions. Just not in Buffalo.
Even though is stock is low right now, it doesn't mean he doesn't have value.
What it means is that one team will probably get a "steal" in a trade with the Sabres simply because there's not a lot of demand right now for a smaller center like Roy.
It's really more of a timing thing. Two years ago, Roy could have been looked at as a viable top-six, possibly top-line center in the NHL. But league-wide circumstances (like the emergence of size up-front) have diminished his value.
And it hasn't helped that the Sabres went all-in during the last four months down the middle.
They traded for Cody Hodgson and put Tyler Ennis back at center while at the draft they spent five of their picks on centers.
If that's not enough, the team is still talking about bolstering the center position.
So with all that writing on the wall, getting a 3rd and/or 4th-round pick and/or a mid-level prospect may be all that Regier could get for Roy at this time. And he may have to swallow hard and take it.
That being said, if they move on from Roy, they'll have a very, very young group down the middle.
They really could use a veteran prescence and as mentioned in another piece, Jason Arnott might be a good player to bring in.
At 37, Arnott's no spring chicken. But the guy can still play. He could anchor the bottom-six, help groom the youngsters, and add leadership to the forward group as well as add Cup-winning leadership to the entire team.
If there's another player out there who could play a bigger, top-six role while providing those intangibles, it would be safe to say that Pegula and Co. are on it. But as a back-up plan Arnott would look to be a real solid choice.
Could they get him to sign on July 1? Show him the money, and the term and I think the Sabres have a decent shot at it.
So, would I, in essence, trade a 29 yr. old, top-six/nine center (Derek Roy) who plays in all situations and averages three points every four games, for a bottom-six grey-beard on the back-end of his career (Jason Arnott) and a mid-round draft pick (s) and/or a mid-level prospect?
In this case, yes.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Sabres should feel pretty good about the 2012 draft
Sabres GM Darcy Regier should feel pretty good about the 2012 draft. The team had organizational needs--forward depth, size down the middle--and they were addressed aggressively.
There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the top two picks--C Mikhail Grigorenko and Zemgus Girgensons--who both, have a shot at making the team. Yet the rest of the draft has some upside as well.
On day two, their five picks were as a result of players who attended the 2nd Sabres Draft Combine. The combine, which started last season thanks to Terry Pegula's financial commitment to the scouting department, gave all parties involved a chance to get acquainted with each other. Unlike the NHL combine in Toronto, the Sabres brought in the prospects and put them through on-ice drills along with more interviews.
Last year they used the combine for two latter picks--D Alex Lepkowsi (6th round) and C Brad Navin (7th round.)
The Sabres went into round two with only one second rounder (#44, acquired from Calgary in the Robyn Regehr deal) and they used it on a defenseman--6'1", 200 lb. Jake McCabe.
Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com, in his comprehensive review of the 2012 draft, said that McCabe's total package was amongst the best in the draft and has him possibly reaching top-four in the NHL.
The McCabe pick had connections to Rochester Americans Coach Ron Rolston and the US National Team Development Program as he'd played for the Amerks bench boss in the USNTDP. Rolston, according to Devine, called McCabe a warrior.
There were plenty of eyes on McCabe as the Sabres also used their connections--this time with Wisconson Head Coach Mike Eaves, via cheif scout Al MacAdam--for plenty of insight into a player who, as WGR's Paul Hamilton gathered, was really mature for his age and a very sound all-around defensman.
The team continued to add down the middle by using their next two picks on centers.
In the third round (#73) they tapped into the Ontario Hockey League and selected 6'4" 210 lb. C Justin Kea, a player whom Kevin Devine called a "better skating Paul Gaustad."
Devine delved into the pick in his Day-2 draft recap on WGR by saying that Kea's stats weren't all that great, but a coaching change in mid season gave the Sabres some insight. The new coach, Greg Gilbert, according to Devine "thinks the kid will be a good third line center in the NHL." Both Devine and Regier played hockey with Gilbert.
Although Baker had Kea rated around #100, the Sabres had no 4th round pick. They liked enough of what they saw in him at their combine to take a minor reach for Kea.
With no 4th round pick (went to Nashville in the Gaustad trade) they headed to the fifth round and selected 6'2" 188 lb C/W Logan Nelson. Nelson is a USHL product that switched to the WHL and a player who Baker calls a strong, skilled forward who plays with an edge.
In another tip of the hat to Pegula's commitment to increased scouting, the Sabres went overseas to Sweden to select 6'3" 210 lb. MODO goaltender Linus Ullmark. The team had no goalies in the junior ranks with both Connor Knapp and Nathan Leiuwen being signed to their entry-level deals.
One of the things that Pegula mentioned at his press conference in February 2011 when he bought the team was that there's not a salary cap on scouting. Fredrik Andersson was hired by the Sabres this past January and the former goalie/goalie coach/GM had some specifics to his job.
The Sabres wanted him to scour Sweden and Finland, according to Devine, to focus upon finding latter-round goalie nuggets in the draft like Nashville goalie Pekke Rinne.
This is Andersson's first foray into scouting for an NHL organization, and it's an opportunity he's been wanting for a long time.
Using Andersson's intelligence on the Swedish goalie, they brought Ullmark in for the Sabres combine. Amongst those in attendance was new scout Toby O'Brien, another goalie scout who's focus is North America.
O'Brien had served as a Coach/GM in the ECHL and in the Eastern Junior Hockey League who's resume also includes a recent stint with the NY Islanders in the same capacity.
Everyone liked what they saw in Ullmark and it will be interesting to see how the 163rd pick of the 2012 NHL draft develops.
The team had two picks in the seventh round.
With the first pick in the 7th (#193) the team went big on defense with 6'4" 234 lb LHD Brady Austin.
Baker called him a "mammoth rearguard" with enough skills to be a "smart pick late in the draft." He also mentioned that Austin was the third player in a row picked by the Sabres in their second year of eligibility.
Finally, with the 204th pick of the draft, the team ended where they started, at the center position.
The seventh round pick, which was acquired from Chicago for Steve Montador's rights, brought the Sabres 6'0" 190 center Judd Peterson.
Peterson was another product of the Sabres combine and a player who was developing close to one of the teams' scouts up in Minnesota, Keith Hendrickson.
An interesting note from Baker, "Native Minnesotan Brian Burke was also said to be interested, but the Sabres acted before the Leafs final pick to snatch up the 2012 Mr. Hockey Finalist."
The team, although not trading up in the seventh round, went full-circle in drawing the ire of another GM. On the trade-up in the first rouned, Devine who gave props to his staff on the Grigorenko pick, also commended Regier for his trade with Calgary to land Girgensons, "A lot of General Managers came up to [Regier on day two] and they were kind of mad at him," he said, "because they were all ready to take [Girgensons.]"
Devine summed up the theme of his draft preparation saying the emphasis, using the Cup-champion LA Kings as an example, to get "bigger, faster, tougher."
The days of drafting smaller, highly skilled jitter-bugs, "the [Tyler] Ennis' and the [Derek] Roy's and [Nathan] Gerbe's" as Devine put it will be put on hold until "the outlook of [the Sabres] changes a little bit."
The Sabres are not only changing with size, but they're also changing philosophy with their forward ranks.
How many highly-skilled wingers have they drafted over the years as the best player available? Couple that with how they've tried to convert wingers to centers, and their subsequent failure, and you have the approach they took in this year's draft.
"If you look at a lot of the teams in the NHL they draft centers and a lot of them end up on the wings," said Regier as he talked to Hamilton on WGR. "If there's good wingers, you should draft good wingers but, if you can draft a centerman that's high quality, that's a good way to go and they can play the wings."
All-in-all the draft as a whole went as the team would have liked it to, especially in the first round, especially with Grigorenko dropping to them at #12. "We were fortunate in that there was a run on defensemen (a strength in the Sabres organization,)" said Regier, "we were looking for forwards, and it pushed [Grigorenko] down to us and it benefitted us."
Regier continues to show his savvy. He worked wonders last draft day by acquiring Robyn Regehr and an extra second round pick which enabled them to move up to grab Girgensons.
He worked the 2012 trade deadline masterfully by getting an extra first-rounder for Gaustad and trading with Vancouver for immediate center depth in Cody Hodgson while not mortgaging the future.
And he prepared his first round beautifully by having set up the trade with Flames GM Jay Feaster to move from #21 to #14 two days prior in anticipation of a possible player like Girgensons (or forward Teuvo Teravainen) being available with that pick.
"We looked at some teams who didn't have second round picks and Calgary was one of those teams," he said. "They wanted to see if they could stretch their first round pick into two picks."
Although they wouldn't gush over the draft, one would believe that the Sabres organization is brimming with confidence over their selections with the first three picks.
They had a potential top-five pick in Grigorekno drop to them at #12. They had a player they wanted in Girgensons, and aggressively went up from #21 to get him. Both of those players have a decent shot at making the team out of camp, with all parties benefiting if they spend another year in junior. Probably the only year they'll spend there before coming up. And they had a player that they rated as a low first-rounder drop to them at #44 in McCabe.
They eschewed the highly skilled jitterbugs for size and they opted for centers (five of them in all) who they'll switch to the wing if need be.
They used their new scouts overseas and in the US, as well as the second year of the Sabres combine, to increase the odds of the late-round crap-shoots making it to the pros.
And of note also, Head Scout Kevin Devine really seems to be having an impact on the organization. Not only that, his voice is being heard throughout Sabreland. It's a voice that sounds confident and always well-prepared. And he seems to be a rising star.
Plus, our good friend Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com who has done yeoman's work for years with little notice, is starting to become a more relied upon media voice as he's had multiple apperances on WGR including this morning's draft recap with Jeremy White and Paul Hamilton. He was been featured in the Buffalo News, Sabresedge pre-draft chat. His site has always been a labor of love with little recognition and now he's finally gettin' his "ice-cred" with the major Buffalo media outlets. Even Devine mentioned talking with him at Day-2 of the draft.
Add it all up and every fan in Sabreland should feel pretty good about this draft and how the organization is moving forward.
There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the top two picks--C Mikhail Grigorenko and Zemgus Girgensons--who both, have a shot at making the team. Yet the rest of the draft has some upside as well.
On day two, their five picks were as a result of players who attended the 2nd Sabres Draft Combine. The combine, which started last season thanks to Terry Pegula's financial commitment to the scouting department, gave all parties involved a chance to get acquainted with each other. Unlike the NHL combine in Toronto, the Sabres brought in the prospects and put them through on-ice drills along with more interviews.
Last year they used the combine for two latter picks--D Alex Lepkowsi (6th round) and C Brad Navin (7th round.)
The Sabres went into round two with only one second rounder (#44, acquired from Calgary in the Robyn Regehr deal) and they used it on a defenseman--6'1", 200 lb. Jake McCabe.
Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com, in his comprehensive review of the 2012 draft, said that McCabe's total package was amongst the best in the draft and has him possibly reaching top-four in the NHL.
The McCabe pick had connections to Rochester Americans Coach Ron Rolston and the US National Team Development Program as he'd played for the Amerks bench boss in the USNTDP. Rolston, according to Devine, called McCabe a warrior.
There were plenty of eyes on McCabe as the Sabres also used their connections--this time with Wisconson Head Coach Mike Eaves, via cheif scout Al MacAdam--for plenty of insight into a player who, as WGR's Paul Hamilton gathered, was really mature for his age and a very sound all-around defensman.
The team continued to add down the middle by using their next two picks on centers.
In the third round (#73) they tapped into the Ontario Hockey League and selected 6'4" 210 lb. C Justin Kea, a player whom Kevin Devine called a "better skating Paul Gaustad."
Devine delved into the pick in his Day-2 draft recap on WGR by saying that Kea's stats weren't all that great, but a coaching change in mid season gave the Sabres some insight. The new coach, Greg Gilbert, according to Devine "thinks the kid will be a good third line center in the NHL." Both Devine and Regier played hockey with Gilbert.
Although Baker had Kea rated around #100, the Sabres had no 4th round pick. They liked enough of what they saw in him at their combine to take a minor reach for Kea.
With no 4th round pick (went to Nashville in the Gaustad trade) they headed to the fifth round and selected 6'2" 188 lb C/W Logan Nelson. Nelson is a USHL product that switched to the WHL and a player who Baker calls a strong, skilled forward who plays with an edge.
In another tip of the hat to Pegula's commitment to increased scouting, the Sabres went overseas to Sweden to select 6'3" 210 lb. MODO goaltender Linus Ullmark. The team had no goalies in the junior ranks with both Connor Knapp and Nathan Leiuwen being signed to their entry-level deals.
One of the things that Pegula mentioned at his press conference in February 2011 when he bought the team was that there's not a salary cap on scouting. Fredrik Andersson was hired by the Sabres this past January and the former goalie/goalie coach/GM had some specifics to his job.
The Sabres wanted him to scour Sweden and Finland, according to Devine, to focus upon finding latter-round goalie nuggets in the draft like Nashville goalie Pekke Rinne.
This is Andersson's first foray into scouting for an NHL organization, and it's an opportunity he's been wanting for a long time.
Using Andersson's intelligence on the Swedish goalie, they brought Ullmark in for the Sabres combine. Amongst those in attendance was new scout Toby O'Brien, another goalie scout who's focus is North America.
O'Brien had served as a Coach/GM in the ECHL and in the Eastern Junior Hockey League who's resume also includes a recent stint with the NY Islanders in the same capacity.
Everyone liked what they saw in Ullmark and it will be interesting to see how the 163rd pick of the 2012 NHL draft develops.
The team had two picks in the seventh round.
With the first pick in the 7th (#193) the team went big on defense with 6'4" 234 lb LHD Brady Austin.
Baker called him a "mammoth rearguard" with enough skills to be a "smart pick late in the draft." He also mentioned that Austin was the third player in a row picked by the Sabres in their second year of eligibility.
Finally, with the 204th pick of the draft, the team ended where they started, at the center position.
The seventh round pick, which was acquired from Chicago for Steve Montador's rights, brought the Sabres 6'0" 190 center Judd Peterson.
Peterson was another product of the Sabres combine and a player who was developing close to one of the teams' scouts up in Minnesota, Keith Hendrickson.
An interesting note from Baker, "Native Minnesotan Brian Burke was also said to be interested, but the Sabres acted before the Leafs final pick to snatch up the 2012 Mr. Hockey Finalist."
The team, although not trading up in the seventh round, went full-circle in drawing the ire of another GM. On the trade-up in the first rouned, Devine who gave props to his staff on the Grigorenko pick, also commended Regier for his trade with Calgary to land Girgensons, "A lot of General Managers came up to [Regier on day two] and they were kind of mad at him," he said, "because they were all ready to take [Girgensons.]"
Devine summed up the theme of his draft preparation saying the emphasis, using the Cup-champion LA Kings as an example, to get "bigger, faster, tougher."
The days of drafting smaller, highly skilled jitter-bugs, "the [Tyler] Ennis' and the [Derek] Roy's and [Nathan] Gerbe's" as Devine put it will be put on hold until "the outlook of [the Sabres] changes a little bit."
The Sabres are not only changing with size, but they're also changing philosophy with their forward ranks.
How many highly-skilled wingers have they drafted over the years as the best player available? Couple that with how they've tried to convert wingers to centers, and their subsequent failure, and you have the approach they took in this year's draft.
"If you look at a lot of the teams in the NHL they draft centers and a lot of them end up on the wings," said Regier as he talked to Hamilton on WGR. "If there's good wingers, you should draft good wingers but, if you can draft a centerman that's high quality, that's a good way to go and they can play the wings."
All-in-all the draft as a whole went as the team would have liked it to, especially in the first round, especially with Grigorenko dropping to them at #12. "We were fortunate in that there was a run on defensemen (a strength in the Sabres organization,)" said Regier, "we were looking for forwards, and it pushed [Grigorenko] down to us and it benefitted us."
Regier continues to show his savvy. He worked wonders last draft day by acquiring Robyn Regehr and an extra second round pick which enabled them to move up to grab Girgensons.
He worked the 2012 trade deadline masterfully by getting an extra first-rounder for Gaustad and trading with Vancouver for immediate center depth in Cody Hodgson while not mortgaging the future.
And he prepared his first round beautifully by having set up the trade with Flames GM Jay Feaster to move from #21 to #14 two days prior in anticipation of a possible player like Girgensons (or forward Teuvo Teravainen) being available with that pick.
"We looked at some teams who didn't have second round picks and Calgary was one of those teams," he said. "They wanted to see if they could stretch their first round pick into two picks."
Although they wouldn't gush over the draft, one would believe that the Sabres organization is brimming with confidence over their selections with the first three picks.
They had a potential top-five pick in Grigorekno drop to them at #12. They had a player they wanted in Girgensons, and aggressively went up from #21 to get him. Both of those players have a decent shot at making the team out of camp, with all parties benefiting if they spend another year in junior. Probably the only year they'll spend there before coming up. And they had a player that they rated as a low first-rounder drop to them at #44 in McCabe.
They eschewed the highly skilled jitterbugs for size and they opted for centers (five of them in all) who they'll switch to the wing if need be.
They used their new scouts overseas and in the US, as well as the second year of the Sabres combine, to increase the odds of the late-round crap-shoots making it to the pros.
And of note also, Head Scout Kevin Devine really seems to be having an impact on the organization. Not only that, his voice is being heard throughout Sabreland. It's a voice that sounds confident and always well-prepared. And he seems to be a rising star.
Plus, our good friend Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com who has done yeoman's work for years with little notice, is starting to become a more relied upon media voice as he's had multiple apperances on WGR including this morning's draft recap with Jeremy White and Paul Hamilton. He was been featured in the Buffalo News, Sabresedge pre-draft chat. His site has always been a labor of love with little recognition and now he's finally gettin' his "ice-cred" with the major Buffalo media outlets. Even Devine mentioned talking with him at Day-2 of the draft.
Add it all up and every fan in Sabreland should feel pretty good about this draft and how the organization is moving forward.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
"Best player available" suits the Sabres just fine at Day One of the Draft
The Buffalo Sabres, as well as nearly every other team in the NHL, follow the philosophy of choosing the best player available when it comes to their first pick in the draft.
When it happens to coincide with a position of need, especially as far down as the middle section, it makes for a very good start to a draft.
It's no secret that the Sabres organizational strength lies on the blue line with a bevy of defensemen coming in all shapes and sizes. There was a definitive need for them to add to the forward ranks, especially at center, and they were able to do just that with the 12th overall pick last night in Pittsburgh.
In a departure from the previous regime, owner Terry Pegula and his charges landed 6'3" 198lb center Mikhail Grigorenko. The big, highly skilled Russian dominated the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League last year scoring 40 goals and adding 45 assists in an injury-shortened, 59 game campaign.
The Sabres have not drafted a Russian since Marek Zagrapan in 2005.
In pre-draft interviews, Sabres Head Scout Kevin Devine had brought up the "Russian factor" numerous times. The spector of the Kontinental Hockey League in Russia poaching NHL'ers with the lure of big money and a chance to play back home in the Motherland would temper any thoughts of moving up in the draft and might prove to be to risky a move for an organization like the Sabres. Losing a top pick for nothing would hurt any organization.
That thought process was put to the test as both Grigorenko and another top-five prospect, center Filip Forsberg, continued to slide in the draft.
The tandem's fall had little to do with anything other than a run on defenseman after RW Nail Yakupov went #1 to Edmonton and C Alex Galchenyuk went #3 to Montreal.
One after another, defensemen started going off the board as the next seven picks after Galchenyuk were all on the blue line. In all, a record eight were taken with the first ten picks.
Buffalo's entourage wasted no time in heading to the podium for their selection: Grigorenko.
Unlike Forsberg, who was a consensus top-five to seven pick in the draft, Grigorenko and his place in the draft was somewhat of an enigma and there's no doubt his nationality played a major role in this. He was all over the place:
Such was the enigma of Mikhail Grigorenko. Such was the chutzpah of Pegula and the Buffalo Sabres.
Last draft they broke a five year trend and drafted outside of North America when they chose Joel Armia. This draft day they broke a six year trend by drafting a Russian.
Pegula doesn't seem to care and one would believe he instructed his charges to get the best player available. Period. It would seem as if he's saying, "You do that, and I'll take care of the rest."
They showed no fear in drafting Grigorenko.
And it didn't stop there.
Many had the Sabres going after Girgensons at #12 to bolster a small, skilled center ranks in the organization.
The Hockey News called him a "tireless worker" and "hard to play against." TSN's Button had him ranked #13 calling him "A hard player. Hard on the puck, hard on the body, hard competitor, hard working."
Girgensons clocks in at 6'2" and 198 lbs and cbssportsline calls him "an honest, physical center who can score and punish the opposition.
Kevin Devine put it this way, “The fans of Buffalo will love this guy; he just will not quit. We talked to his coach, and he said that he’s got the leadership qualities of a Jonathan Toews and Mark Messier,”
The consensus is that the Sabres landed themselves two top-nine centers with Grigorenko as a possible #1.
The Hockey News' Ryan Kennedy tabbed the Sabres as one of his "winners" of the first round saying, "If everything shakes out the right way, the Sabres just nabbed their top two centers for the next decade in Mikhail Grigorenko and Zemgus Girgensons. Grigorenko naturally brings the point-piling playmaking skills, while Girgensons has a Ryan Kesler ceiling to his game."
The caveat to all of this is that NHL teams are drafting 18 year olds so question marks abound. All you can do is take your best shot.
From GM Darcy Regier, “It’s a good night. The center position is very important not just to us, but around the league too. To acquire two centers – two different types of centers – is good,” said Regier. “Kevin had a list of forwards, and we were focused in on getting two of them. Grigorenko was near the top, and Girgensons was near the top as well. We were pretty sure he wouldn’t be there at 21, so we had to pay a little more to get him.”
You really can't ask for more then that.
Other links:
http://sabres.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=635695&navid=DL|BUF|home
http://sabres.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=635619&navid=DL|BUF|home (Grigorenko)
http://sabres.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=635630&navid=DL|BUF|home (Girgensons)
http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/sabres-nhl/article916169.ece
http://audio.wgr550.com/a/58124214/6-22-sabres-gm-darcy-regier-on-wgr-after-round-1.htm?
http://audio.wgr550.com/a/58124215/6-22-sabres-director-of-amature-scouting-kevin-devine-on-wgr.htm?
When it happens to coincide with a position of need, especially as far down as the middle section, it makes for a very good start to a draft.
It's no secret that the Sabres organizational strength lies on the blue line with a bevy of defensemen coming in all shapes and sizes. There was a definitive need for them to add to the forward ranks, especially at center, and they were able to do just that with the 12th overall pick last night in Pittsburgh.
In a departure from the previous regime, owner Terry Pegula and his charges landed 6'3" 198lb center Mikhail Grigorenko. The big, highly skilled Russian dominated the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League last year scoring 40 goals and adding 45 assists in an injury-shortened, 59 game campaign.
The Sabres have not drafted a Russian since Marek Zagrapan in 2005.
In pre-draft interviews, Sabres Head Scout Kevin Devine had brought up the "Russian factor" numerous times. The spector of the Kontinental Hockey League in Russia poaching NHL'ers with the lure of big money and a chance to play back home in the Motherland would temper any thoughts of moving up in the draft and might prove to be to risky a move for an organization like the Sabres. Losing a top pick for nothing would hurt any organization.
That thought process was put to the test as both Grigorenko and another top-five prospect, center Filip Forsberg, continued to slide in the draft.
The tandem's fall had little to do with anything other than a run on defenseman after RW Nail Yakupov went #1 to Edmonton and C Alex Galchenyuk went #3 to Montreal.
One after another, defensemen started going off the board as the next seven picks after Galchenyuk were all on the blue line. In all, a record eight were taken with the first ten picks.
 |
| Mikhail Grigorenko is the first Russian taken by the Sabres since 2005 |
The Washington Capitals sat at #11, one spot before Buffalo, with the pick they received from Colorado in the Semeyon Varlamov trade. They took Forsberg, a center who was expected to go in the top-five.
Buffalo's entourage wasted no time in heading to the podium for their selection: Grigorenko.
Unlike Forsberg, who was a consensus top-five to seven pick in the draft, Grigorenko and his place in the draft was somewhat of an enigma and there's no doubt his nationality played a major role in this. He was all over the place:
- International Scouting Services had him ranked #4 overall
- Central Scouting had him #3
- TSN's Bob McKenzie was dead on at #12
- TSN colleague Craig Button's mock draft had him drop all the way to #17 yet had this to say about Grigorenko, "The strong two-way centre falls to the Sharks, and he might be ready to play in the NHL next season."
- The Hockey News ranked him the #1 center, ahead of Galchenyuk, yet mocked him going #14 overall to Calgary behind Zegmus Girgensons at #13 (a tie-in we'll get to in a little bit)
- NHL.com's Adam Kimelman mocked him at #8, while Mike Morreales had him go #5 and Steven Hoffner had him go top-three to Montreal
Such was the enigma of Mikhail Grigorenko. Such was the chutzpah of Pegula and the Buffalo Sabres.
Last draft they broke a five year trend and drafted outside of North America when they chose Joel Armia. This draft day they broke a six year trend by drafting a Russian.
Pegula doesn't seem to care and one would believe he instructed his charges to get the best player available. Period. It would seem as if he's saying, "You do that, and I'll take care of the rest."
They showed no fear in drafting Grigorenko.
And it didn't stop there.
 |
| Zemgus Girgensons is the first ever Latvian to be taken in the first round. |
Bolstered by the Grigorenko pick the Sabres moved up to the 14th slot (giving up the #21 and #42 picks to in the process) to select gritty Latvian center Zemgus Girgensons in a trade with Calgary. Of note is that the Sabres still had a second-rounder (#44) courtesy of Calgary in the Regehr trade from last year.
The Hockey News called him a "tireless worker" and "hard to play against." TSN's Button had him ranked #13 calling him "A hard player. Hard on the puck, hard on the body, hard competitor, hard working."
Girgensons clocks in at 6'2" and 198 lbs and cbssportsline calls him "an honest, physical center who can score and punish the opposition.
Kevin Devine put it this way, “The fans of Buffalo will love this guy; he just will not quit. We talked to his coach, and he said that he’s got the leadership qualities of a Jonathan Toews and Mark Messier,”
The consensus is that the Sabres landed themselves two top-nine centers with Grigorenko as a possible #1.
The Hockey News' Ryan Kennedy tabbed the Sabres as one of his "winners" of the first round saying, "If everything shakes out the right way, the Sabres just nabbed their top two centers for the next decade in Mikhail Grigorenko and Zemgus Girgensons. Grigorenko naturally brings the point-piling playmaking skills, while Girgensons has a Ryan Kesler ceiling to his game."
The caveat to all of this is that NHL teams are drafting 18 year olds so question marks abound. All you can do is take your best shot.
From GM Darcy Regier, “It’s a good night. The center position is very important not just to us, but around the league too. To acquire two centers – two different types of centers – is good,” said Regier. “Kevin had a list of forwards, and we were focused in on getting two of them. Grigorenko was near the top, and Girgensons was near the top as well. We were pretty sure he wouldn’t be there at 21, so we had to pay a little more to get him.”
You really can't ask for more then that.
Other links:
http://sabres.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=635695&navid=DL|BUF|home
http://sabres.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=635619&navid=DL|BUF|home (Grigorenko)
http://sabres.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=635630&navid=DL|BUF|home (Girgensons)
http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/sabres-nhl/article916169.ece
http://audio.wgr550.com/a/58124214/6-22-sabres-gm-darcy-regier-on-wgr-after-round-1.htm?
http://audio.wgr550.com/a/58124215/6-22-sabres-director-of-amature-scouting-kevin-devine-on-wgr.htm?
Friday, June 22, 2012
Draft Day 2012, Round 1. What should the Sabres do? Galchenyuk?
With four picks in the top 44 of this year's draft, Buffalo Sabres GM Darcy Regier has plenty of options. But with so much uncertainty swirling around Pittsburgh for the draft, who knows what will happen.
Will the Edmonton Oilers add to their young forward ranks by selecting consensus #1 overall prospect Nail Yakupov? How will the Columbus Blue Jackets be affected by the almost certain trade of franchise forward Rick Nash? The Anaheim Ducks are ready to trade winger Bobby Ryan, where will he end up?
A couple of things we do know: this year's crop of free agents is very weak, and a potential 2013 free agent, Jordan Staal, seems to be headed to Carolina at some point in time and should be crossed off of the Sabres list as a potential free agent target.
For the most part, throwing money at a free agent isn't going to work this season so any upgrade will need to involve trades. And that seems to be the path Regier is on.
It's no secret that the Sabres organizational strength is on the blue line and that they're looking for more size down the middle. They also could use more scoring on the wings.
The dilemma they face at this year's draft is that it is defenseman-heavy past the first five or six picks. At #12 there's a possibility that a forward could fall, but more than likely they'd be looking at a choice between a potential top-pairing d-man versus a potential top-nine forward. Their M.O. in the past has been to take the best player available which would mean yet another defenseman.
It's a sound philosophy and they've been using it for the last few years. Maybe it's time to use some of their assets on defense to make a move.
In his draft preview, Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com, believes that the Sabres should go after Alex Galchenyuk via Columbus.
He ranks the 6'2" 205lb center as "A" and starts out his player preview by saying, "I've been waiting two years to say this: SabresProspects fully endorses Alex Galchenyuk as the Sabres top target in the 2012 draft."
Baker rates him high in all areas adding that he "embraces and initiates the physical side." TSN Scout Craig Button, although ranking Galchenyuk #5, says that he "doesn't take short cuts and values the plays that are important to winning."
Highly touted for his skills and strong skating, Galchenyuk also has attributes like a high hockey IQ and an outstanding understanding of puck play which scouts liken to Hall of Famer Ron Francis. Francis is a player that Baker says Regier "long coveted but could never acquire" and he calls this a "golden opportunity" for the long-time Sabres GM to get "a tenacious competitor that fits right into what [they] are building."
Head Scout Kevin Devine has been downplaying a move up to the top of the draft using the "Russian Factor," the amount of injuries to the top prospects while calling it a good draft. He went on to say recently that there's more of a probability to move up from #21 than there is to move up from #12.
But that could all be a smoke screen. And it should be.
Regier should be on the phone to Jackets GM Scott Howson with a trade in place should the Oilers select Yakupov #1 and Galchenyuk be available at #2.
Moving up from the 12th spot into the #2 will take some pain. The #12 pick, possibly the #21 and/or one of the Sabres second-rounders plus a prospect and probably another player.
The Jackets are said to be leaning towards NHL-ready defensive prospect Ryan Murray at the draft so they would probably want an NHL-ready d-man in return--Brayden McNabb or Mark Pysyk would probably be the names bantered around.
McNabb looks slated for the top-four next season. If not next season then he'll surely be there soon. The 6'5" stay at home d-man with a developing mean-streak seems to be in the mold of Robyn Regehr, the Calgary d-man the Sabres traded for last season.
There are no other d-men like McNabb in the Sabres system right now. Taken the extremes with which they went after Regehr last season, it wouldn't make sense to move a player like him even though it's for a potential #1 center.
Pysyk, on the other hand, brings a different set of assets to the table.
More of an all-around defenseman, Pysyk is very sound in his own end with strong puck moving abilities and plenty of intangibles. The right-hander would fit well next to the Jackets LHD Jack Johnson as the duo would provide some sound leadership to anchor the team.
If the Sabres could start out with the #12, one of their two second-rounders, Pysyk as a base and go from there, Galchenyuk in the blue and gold, would make for an impact in the first round. Plus, for Columbus, they still may be able to add a potential top-pairing d-man in the first round, say Olli Maatta, with the 12th pick.
This looks to be the opportunity for the Sabres to land, as Baker called Galchenyuk on WGR today, a "world class talent with a lot of intangibles."
Maybe the stars will align, with a lot of work and a certain amount of pain.
We know Owner Terry Pegula is not afraid to go all-in. Hopefully Regier can pull it off.
Will the Edmonton Oilers add to their young forward ranks by selecting consensus #1 overall prospect Nail Yakupov? How will the Columbus Blue Jackets be affected by the almost certain trade of franchise forward Rick Nash? The Anaheim Ducks are ready to trade winger Bobby Ryan, where will he end up?
A couple of things we do know: this year's crop of free agents is very weak, and a potential 2013 free agent, Jordan Staal, seems to be headed to Carolina at some point in time and should be crossed off of the Sabres list as a potential free agent target.
For the most part, throwing money at a free agent isn't going to work this season so any upgrade will need to involve trades. And that seems to be the path Regier is on.
It's no secret that the Sabres organizational strength is on the blue line and that they're looking for more size down the middle. They also could use more scoring on the wings.
The dilemma they face at this year's draft is that it is defenseman-heavy past the first five or six picks. At #12 there's a possibility that a forward could fall, but more than likely they'd be looking at a choice between a potential top-pairing d-man versus a potential top-nine forward. Their M.O. in the past has been to take the best player available which would mean yet another defenseman.
It's a sound philosophy and they've been using it for the last few years. Maybe it's time to use some of their assets on defense to make a move.
In his draft preview, Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com, believes that the Sabres should go after Alex Galchenyuk via Columbus.
He ranks the 6'2" 205lb center as "A" and starts out his player preview by saying, "I've been waiting two years to say this: SabresProspects fully endorses Alex Galchenyuk as the Sabres top target in the 2012 draft."
Baker rates him high in all areas adding that he "embraces and initiates the physical side." TSN Scout Craig Button, although ranking Galchenyuk #5, says that he "doesn't take short cuts and values the plays that are important to winning."
Highly touted for his skills and strong skating, Galchenyuk also has attributes like a high hockey IQ and an outstanding understanding of puck play which scouts liken to Hall of Famer Ron Francis. Francis is a player that Baker says Regier "long coveted but could never acquire" and he calls this a "golden opportunity" for the long-time Sabres GM to get "a tenacious competitor that fits right into what [they] are building."
Head Scout Kevin Devine has been downplaying a move up to the top of the draft using the "Russian Factor," the amount of injuries to the top prospects while calling it a good draft. He went on to say recently that there's more of a probability to move up from #21 than there is to move up from #12.
But that could all be a smoke screen. And it should be.
Regier should be on the phone to Jackets GM Scott Howson with a trade in place should the Oilers select Yakupov #1 and Galchenyuk be available at #2.
Moving up from the 12th spot into the #2 will take some pain. The #12 pick, possibly the #21 and/or one of the Sabres second-rounders plus a prospect and probably another player.
The Jackets are said to be leaning towards NHL-ready defensive prospect Ryan Murray at the draft so they would probably want an NHL-ready d-man in return--Brayden McNabb or Mark Pysyk would probably be the names bantered around.
McNabb looks slated for the top-four next season. If not next season then he'll surely be there soon. The 6'5" stay at home d-man with a developing mean-streak seems to be in the mold of Robyn Regehr, the Calgary d-man the Sabres traded for last season.
There are no other d-men like McNabb in the Sabres system right now. Taken the extremes with which they went after Regehr last season, it wouldn't make sense to move a player like him even though it's for a potential #1 center.
Pysyk, on the other hand, brings a different set of assets to the table.
More of an all-around defenseman, Pysyk is very sound in his own end with strong puck moving abilities and plenty of intangibles. The right-hander would fit well next to the Jackets LHD Jack Johnson as the duo would provide some sound leadership to anchor the team.
If the Sabres could start out with the #12, one of their two second-rounders, Pysyk as a base and go from there, Galchenyuk in the blue and gold, would make for an impact in the first round. Plus, for Columbus, they still may be able to add a potential top-pairing d-man in the first round, say Olli Maatta, with the 12th pick.
This looks to be the opportunity for the Sabres to land, as Baker called Galchenyuk on WGR today, a "world class talent with a lot of intangibles."
Maybe the stars will align, with a lot of work and a certain amount of pain.
We know Owner Terry Pegula is not afraid to go all-in. Hopefully Regier can pull it off.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)