Sabres prospects continue to roll in Traverse City as Zadorov pots game-winner in OT

Defenseman Nikita Zadorov scored the second of his two goals with :22 left in OT to push the Sabres prospects to within one point of defending their title on Monday.

Nicholas Baptiste had two goals and an assist vs. the Rangers to bring his point total to a team leading four for the tournament. The 6'1" 190 winger got behind NY's defense and scored on a nifty move in the first period to tie the game at one. His second goal was a tap-in from 2013 7th-round pick (#189) Eric Locke on a two-on-one.

Baptiste and Locke would break in on goal a mere :22 later on another two-on-one. This time Locke kept the puck and went five-hole for his first goal of the tournament. He added two assists for a three-point afternoon.

Oscar Lindberg had the hat trick for the Rangers. Lindberg was drafted 57th overall in 2010 by Phoenix and was traded to NY for Ethan Werek (#47, 2009) in May, 2011. This is his first year in North America after coming over from his native Sweden.

Next up for Buffalo is Carolina on Sunday. One point will get them into the finals vs. the host Detroit Red Wings on Monday. The Wings have already secured their spot in the championship game.


***

When the Sabres drafted Zadorov with the 16th pick, many bristled with excitement at his draft presser when he said with a smile, "I really like to hit."

What got lost in the excitement of the Sabres landing the 6'5" 228 lb. defenseman who embodies "tougher to play against" is his offensive game.

In addition to his love of physicality, Zadorov called himself a two-way player who likes to "shoot and score goals."  He played mostly defense on the back end in Russia, but coming over to North America opened the door for some offense and we're starting to see a glimpse of his offensive upside.

He had six goals and 25 points in 63 games for the London Knights last season after posting only two goals and six points in 41 games for HC CSKA U-18 Russia. He also had two goals in five games for the OHL Champion Knights in the 2013 Memorial Cup.

The big defenseman with a burgeoning offensive game who "loves to hit" looks to be turning into a fan favorite in Buffalo if he hasn't already.

Zadorov is very humble, a trait almost any fan (especially Buffalonians) embrace, and he's very grateful for the opportunity to play in the NHL, his stated dream.

Zadorov's joy at being drafted
and playful smile
come out at his NHL Draft presser.

He was genuinely thankful to those who helped him get to the draft podium back in June. And after the game yesterday, he thanked his teammates when talking about his game-winning goal, "It was my first overtime goal in North America, first overtime goal in Buffalo." he said, "I'm so excited. I want to thank every guy. Everyone played pretty good today and we won this game."

Zadorov is also having a ball right now simply living his dream. He has an infectious personality and playful, humorous side that's reminiscent of former Sabres' goalie and fan-favorite, Martin Biron.

When WGR's Paul Hamilton asked him about his game-winning goal--a blast from the point on the powerplay--he said, "I just closed my eyes and shoot."

"You didn't pick a spot?" asked Hamilton, chuckling, yet mildly bewildered.

"No, I'm kidding," beamed Zadorov. "I saw the net and just scored a goal."



2012 first-round pick Zemgus Girgensons
gets pulled into Zadorov's infectious personality
and sense of humor at Sabres Development Camp.
(via WGR 550)

Yesterday's highlights.

Nick Baptiste postgame



"I'm no scout, but those two looked beastly on the backend."

That was a quote from Aaron Portzline of BlueJackets Xtra on the pairing of Sabres defense prospects Rasmus Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov at the opening game of the Traverse City Tournament between Columbus and Buffalo.

Portzline has been covering the Blue Jackets since their inception in 2000.

The Sabres defeated the Blue Jackets 3-2 with Ristolainen scoring the game winner early in the second period on a 5-on-3. The defenseman took a cross-ice pass from Johan Larsson and snapped a shot that went through a Columbus d-man and found the back of the net.

Nicholas Baptiste and Justin Bailey also scored for the Sabres putting the team up 2-0 just over three minutes into the game.

Zadorov assisted on Baptiste's goal while Peter Trainor and Colin Jacobs assisted on Bailey's. Trainor is with the club on a tryout.

Tougher to play against has been the mantra for the Sabres moving forward and it's something that the team focused upon at the 2013 NHL Draft.

Apparently, accoring to Portzline, the Sabres prospects played a hard-hitting game. While commenting on Jackets' d-man Ryan Murray, playing his first game in nearly a year, he said that Murray's game held up well after taking "plenty of jarring hits from the physical young Sabres."

Despite having to cling to a one-goal lead for nearly a period and a half, and despite "feeling probably a little too good about [themselves]" after jumping to that early lead, according to Sabres coach Chadd Cassidy, the youngins toughed it out and came through with a win.


Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com was on the scene at Traverse City and gave his three stars for the Sabres:  1st, Nathan Leiuwen; 2nd Dan Catenacci; 3rd, Zadorov.

For more on how individual prospects fared, Baker offers up the prospects report for Sabres.com.

Next stop, the NY Rangers prospects today at 4pm.


Click here for highlights of yesterdays game.

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."

Buffalo Sabres prospects begin their title defense in Traverse City today

Because of new owner Terry Pegula's wealth and commitment to player development, the Buffalo Sabres travelled to Traverse City, Michigan for the first time back in 2011 to face off against seven other teams' prospects.

The Sabres won that tournament.

With the tournament a lockout casualty in 2012, the Sabres begin their defense of the crown today at 4pm vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets prospects.

Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com is on the scene at the tourney and gives a quick synopsis of each team. Of Columbus he says,

"Four Big Buckeyes

With high-level talent at every position, the Blue Jackets could present the Sabres' greatest challenge in the Ted Lindsay Division. Up front, hard-nosed OHL products Boone Jenner and Kerby Rychel will set a tone with their blend of edginess and opportunistic offense to form two-thirds of the Jackets’ top forward unit. The duo will be backed by Ryan Murray, a skilled and mobile defender chosen second overall at the 2012 draft, and Erie Otters backstop Oscar Dansk, who will likely be the starter for Team Sweden at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship."

As for Buffalo, who will be coached by Rochester Americans bench-boss Chadd Cassidy, the roster boasts a bevy of first round picks playing for the team (even with Mikhail Grigorenko deemed ineligible) including returnee Mark Pysyk on defense. Forward Daniel Catenacci and goalie Nathan Lieuwen were also a part of the 2011 championship team.

In addition to seeing how the team plays under Cassidy, an area to watch is if the team will be able to finish against Dansk who is one of the best goalie prospects out there.

Individually, we'll be following a few players closely to see how the fare against their peers:

• Zemgus Girgensons--mature beyond his 19 yrs. "the Latvian Locomotive" looks to build upon his stellar (albeit short) playoff performance for Rochester last season. Although it might be a bit early to dub him a man-child, one should expect a dominating performance from him as he plays against players his own age. Last year he was the youngest player in the AHL and slowly ramped up his game as the season went on. Tougher to play against is the Sabres mantra moving forward and Girgensons embodies the skill and will necessary to bring it.
• Johan Larsson--was Girgensons' center last year during the playoffs and assisted on all three of his goals. One would expect those two to be on the same line once again. At 21 yrs. old Larsson may be the Sabres' most NHL-ready forward. His two-way game is solid and he's versatile enough to play any forward position. One should expect a very strong performance from him as he gears up for his first Sabres training camp.
• Pysyk, Catenacci and Lieuwen--the vets of the tournament will be expected to lead the youngins and excel in their roles. Pysyk is gearing up for Sabres training camp and possibly his first full season with the big club. Catenacci will be looking to make an impact in Rochester as he enters his first full season and Leiuwen will be battling for the back-up goalie spot for the Amerks behind Matthew Hackett.
• Joel Armia--a few weeks ago at eliteprospects.com, he was listed at 203 lbs, a big jump from his listed 187 lbs, which is pretty exciting. A power forward in the making with a wicked release, this will be Armia's first season in North America. The knock on Armia is that he'll disappear for stretches only to come back and score a big goal. He probably has more skill than any player for the Sabres at this tourney. But does he have the will to play a North American pro-style game?
• Rasmus Ristolainen--Picked eighth-overall at the draft and a player the Sabres coveted, Ristolainen was said to be the most NHL-ready of any d-men outside of Seth Jones. He brought a steady game to the Sabres' prospect scrimmage and will be expected to do the same in Traverse City. How he handles the power of Columbus' Jenner, as well and the fiestiness of Rychel and the skill of the Rangers' Oscar Lindberg and Jesper Fast should help determine the extent of his NHL-readiness. Getting his sure shot through from the point and adding offensive production is to be expected from a player who spent the last two years playing against men overseas.
• Nikita Zadorov--"I like to hit." Maybe more telling than those four words uttered by Zadorov at his draft presser was the way he said them. The big Russian d-man had a Cheshire grin on his face and a look of steel-eyed confidence that reached deep down in his soul. He's a tough customer, just ask Brad Navin who was laid out on a nice open-ice hit courtesy of Zadorov at the Sabres Development Camp. The opposition should be well aware of what he brings, if not, someone will get hurt. One should expect a strong presence, an aggressive attitude and some glimpses of his offensive upside. 
• Justin Bailey--Bailey can skate and he can weave his way through traffic. He has power forward size and room to grow. Rated #2 behind Armia on the right side, there's a bit of a gap between the two in the system. Bailey showed tremendous promise at the development camp but is extremely raw. He spent the off season training in his hometown Buffalo and should be ready to go. One should expect high energy along with some mistakes. He will score, just based upon how he moves throughout his shift and positions himself around the net.

At this point we're not sure what the line combinations or defensive pairings will be, but as a fan, seeing Girgensons and Larsson work the ice with Armia unleashing his wicked wrister would be great to see. And having Ristolainen and Zadorov makes for a very intriguing pairing on defense.

We'll see at 4pm today as Buffalo takes on Columbus.

Buffalo Sabres lineup sheet tweeted by Kris Baker
of sabersprospects.com

Edit:  Mark Pysyk will not be playing in the tournament. Although exempt from restrictions, the Sabres decided not to bring him along to allow a better look at the other youngsters.

Puck Daddy chimes in on the Sabres

Yahoo's Puck Daddy, aka Greg Wyshynski, is doing his 2013-14 NHL previews using an Olympic theme and yesterday he covered the Buffalo Sabres in his Gold Medal Preview.

After rehashing a 2013 season that saw Thomas Vanek carry the team early on and Lindy Ruff getting fired, Puck Daddy puts the puck where it belongs with the Sabres clearly in rebuild-mode.

As he goes through the progression from Ruff's exit to Ron Rolston's promotion to the departure of Jason Pominville, the lingering questions concerning veterans Vanek and Ryan Miller remain as both were on the block but remain with the team.

The Sabres had a relatively quiet off season considering they're rebuilding. Andrej Sekera was traded, Jamie McBain was brought in. Some moves for Rochester. And there's the return of Hank Tallinder to the Sabres blueline.

Tallinder is and always will be tied in to the performance of defenseman Tyler Myers, who's play has been declining since his Calder-winning debut, a debut that featured Tallinder as his defense partner. "Tallinder coming back to Buffalo," writes Puck Daddy, "means Myers should be reunited with a veteran that brought out his best. The Sabres hope so."

Christian Ehrhoff is pointed out as having played the most minutes in his career at 25:11 per game. Ehrhoff was clearly the team's best d-man last season and the question heading into the season is who will be his partner on the top pairing. McBain is mentioned but clearly, in this bloggers eyes, Myers needs to be the one to step fully into that role and begin his ascension to the top-pairing talent that lies within his grasp.

Barring a trade, the defense will be relying on Miller in net, with back-up Jhonas Enroth probably taking on a bigger role.

Puck Daddy pulls the Olympic card with Miller saying, "The best news for the Sabres isn’t that Miller is back, it’s that he’s back in a year where he’s trying to make the Olympic team. The last time that happened, Miller played like a Vezina winner for the first three months of 2009, earning the starting job."

Fact is, Miller had a serious chip on his shoulder that season because he was snubbed for the 2006 Olympics. This season will be different.

As per usual with these team overviews, there's the mention of forward Drew Stafford and his six goals in 46 games for $4M/season as well as the token shot at Ville Leino's contract, "[Stafford's deal] which compared to Leino’s $4.5 million through 2017 boondoggle looks like a steal."

Puck Daddy takes it a step further by taking a shot at enforcer John Scott who was re-signed for another year, "Scott will beat up someone smaller than him and then get beat up by Shawn Thornton."

Someone needs to remind "the daddy" that not many players are Scott's size and that he so thoroughly whooped Thorton that he was genuinely worried about the health of the Bruins tough-guy. It should also be noted that the Sabres toppled the Bruins in that game 7-4, as Scott's role on the team was clearly defined, and went on to post a 3-2 record vs. their long-time nemesis.





The bottom line is that Puck Daddy rightfully predicts the Sabres out of the playoffs this season and more of a youth movement with the probable departures of Miller and Vanek.

Maybe he should have added, with the departures of those two vets as well as a rookie coach heading into his first full season, the Sabres are more than likely headed towards their highest first-round pick since nabbing Thomas Vanek #5 in the 2003 draft. Possibly even top-three.

"Would Ryan Miller for Paul Stastny make sense," was the question posed by Lyle Richardson...

...for The Hockey News' Rumor Roundup.

Richardson of spectorshockey.net was taking on a rumor that had been getting a lot of attention lately. In an off season with little movement and no major surprises, news is pretty hard to come by. The Miller for Stastny rumor seemed to work on the surface, but one shouldn't get their hopes up.

The similarities between Sabres goalie Miller and Avalanche center Stastny are uncanny.

Both carry a $6M+ cap hit (Miller-$6.25, Stastny-$6.6) and will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the 2013-14 season.

Both at one time were highly regarded at their positions--Miller won the Vezina in 2010, Stastny scored at nearly a point/game pace in his rookie season and was second for the Calder Trophy behind the Penguins Evgeni Malkin.

Yet both have seen their numbers decline in the last few years of their contract. They're on teams that are in various stages of a rebuild and both it could be said play at a position of strength in the organization.

Even though it might seemingly make sense, Adrian Dater of The Denver Post came right out and shot down the idea writing, "There were a couple of reports the last two days that a Paul Stastny-Ryan Miller trade could be happening. But it won’t. I’m told by reputable types that there is nothing to the rumors, that the deal won’t happen."

The Miller/Stastny rumor is packaged real nice. Packaged so nicely that any hockey fan, blogger, wanna-be blogger, rumor monger or rumor site could make a strong case for it to happen.

And it really could happen. But both the Sabres and the Avalanche have other needs while the players Miller and Stastny would supposedly unseat are still growing into their roles and have untapped potential.

In July 2011 the Avalanche traded away a first round and a second round pick to Washington for Semyon Varlamov who was coming off of a strong campaign in a limited role for the Caps. They immediately signed him to a three year/$8.5M contract as their #1 goalie.

Since going to Colorado, Varlamov's number have declined, but most attribute it to a porous defense (which also leads many to wonder why the 'Lanche didn't pick defenseman Seth Jones first overall at the draft.)

Does Miller heading to Colorado make sense? Will he be able to rescue their poor defense?

No. He hasn't been able to do it in Buffalo and he won't be able to do it their either. He's not that type of goalie. Miller's numbers have been in a similar decline to those of Varlamov.

As for Stastny, the Sabres no doubt could use a top-line center. But is Stastny a bonafide #1 center?

Stats would say no. He may have been four or five years ago, but right now he should be considered a top-six center.

At 27 yrs. old, Stastny is just hitting his prime, but his statistical output seems to be leveling off somewhat. Matt Duchene seems to have eclipsed him on the depth chart, and 2013 first-overall pick Nathan MacKinnon wasn't drafted to play third-line center.

The Sabres certainly have questions at the center position right now, but the answers will come within the organization this year and possibly even next.

Cody Hodgson looks to be the teams' #1 center for the upcoming season. He's young and showing signs of steady improvement. This year he scored 15 goals and had 19 assists in 48 games (Stastny had 9 goals, 15 assists in 40 games.)

Stastny and Hodgson are very similar players with a very similar build. The bid difference between the two seems to be upside. Stastny's may be limited while Hodgson still has a room to make a big jump.

This proposed trade really doesn't make a lot of sense for either team, but it does give hope to fans who have wanted to see both of them moved off of their respective teams.

It was fun to consider, and great for a debate, but this one's pretty much dead in the water.

Like Dater wrote, "let's move on to the next rumor."

Let the predictions begin. The Hockey News has Buffalo finishing...

7th in the new Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.

THN's puck panel bases this upon the Sabres "installing a new young core." Although growing pains will come with this transition, they think that Buffalo is "in better position to do a relatively quick turnaround than some (coughCalgarycough.)"

A "relatively quick turnaround" after this season is very possible for this team. As for this season, if the Sabres move on from veteran goalie Ryan Miller and veteran winger Thomas Vanek, who represent the best two players on the roster, it could get ugly in 2013-14.

Miller, says THN, "is a plus though his numbers haven't been quite as good the last three seasons" since winning the Vezina Trophy. Even so, they think Miller gives the Sabres the "comfort level of a reliable goaltender."

That "comfort level" will be needed on the back end.

Even though the Sabres will have nine or 10 NHL d-men heading into camp, quantity does not always beget quality as they proved last season.

The group of defensemen has vets like Christian Ehrhoff, Henrik Tallinder and Alexander Sulzer and they have a couple heading into their prime in Mike Weber and Jamie McBain

The charge of the younins on the back-end begins with 23 yr. old Tyler Myers. THN points to his declining production since winning the Calder Trophy and they, like everyone else in the hockey world, will be watching his play closely. Most think that his play will improve.

All-in-all, this is still a pretty vanilla group with only Weber showing signs of aggression on a regular basis.

Although the success of the forwards rests upon Vanek's shoulders, THN rightfully points out transition down the middle.

Cody Hodgson is a top-six lock, if and when he signs, and is slated to take on top-line responsibilities. After that they're looking at 19 yr. old Mikhail Grigorenko to transition into a second-line center and fellow 2012 first round draft pick Zemgus Girgensons to make his way on to the team later in the season in a bottom-six role.

The Sabres aren't as thin at center as they once were, but they're a lot younger than "the core" days. That alone indicates more growing pains.

Other forwards to note:  Drew Stafford who's coming off of an abysmal 2013 season; Steve Ott who will be thrust into a spot that's just above where he should be; Marcus Foligno who needs to find his niche.

Look for Girgensons' line-mate in Rochester, Johan Larsson, to make some waves by possibly making the team out of camp.

Lastly, THN takes a poke at Ville Leino and his signing two seasons ago with their peripheral prediction that he "will continue to under-produce for his $4.5 million cap hit and earn $500,000 for each goal he scores."

Yowch!



Quick reaction to the prediction:

Seventh place in the Atlantic is not all that far-fetched, simply based upon the strength of the division. As long as Ryan Miller is in net, the team shouldn't finish lower than that and will probably be looking at finishing somewhere around the bottom-quarter of the league next season.

Take away Miller and Vanek and one could easily see a top-three draft pick next year.

But, like the boys at THN mentioned, with the depth the Sabres have and the cap room that they'll have moving forward, they are positioned for a quick turnaround.

How quick a turnaround will rest squarely on the shoulders of head coach Ron Rolston and his staff.

Rolston has been developing young players througout his coaching career although this will be his first full season behind an NHL bench.

He has a diverse group of players with varying degrees of talent at his disposal and it will be interesting to see where he takes them.