Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
For the first 21 years of its existence the NHL Scouting Combine was held in hotel ballrooms and convention centers in a large Canadian metropolitan city that likes to call itself "The Centre of the Hockey Universe," which happens to be home to NHL and NHL Central Scouting Services.
The idea for the Combine was basically a two-fold approach where teams could get an up close and personal look at prospects eligible for the upcoming draft. During the week long Combine teams will conduct player interviews with an expected 120 or so players this year (for a full list, click here) before attention is directed a the players' physical attributes. One-on-one interviews are set to take place June 1-5, with individual medical examines on June 4 followed by endurance and fitness testing on be June 6th.
"The goal is to present an event that allows NHL personnel to interact with the future stars of our game and assist the NHL clubs in their pursuit of gaining as much knowledge about the draft prospects as possible," said Dan Marr, the Director of NHL Central Scouting.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
On why the Buffalo Sabres hired Dan Bylsma as their head coach
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
There's a cynicism that permeates the Buffalo sports landscape and at times it can grow to the point where it will swallow us fans whole. But there are other times, usually in a window of change, where pessimism abates and hope springs eternal. Those are times usually defined with the term "cautious optimism." The NFL and NHL Drafts are annual events that bring hope to non-playoff teams like the Buffalo Bills have been for the past 15 years and the Buffalo Sabres for the last four seasons. Front office changes can also help deter cynicism for a little while as do ownership changes, of which both the Bills and the Sabres have gone through. The Pegula's, Terry and Kim, bought both of the Buffalo franchises within four years.
Cynicism is woven into the fabric of our Buffalo sports being and until a championship is won, it will maintain it's place in our psyche, the extent of which is personal yet is revealed on a daily basis when reading the comment sections at various websites.
There's a cynicism that permeates the Buffalo sports landscape and at times it can grow to the point where it will swallow us fans whole. But there are other times, usually in a window of change, where pessimism abates and hope springs eternal. Those are times usually defined with the term "cautious optimism." The NFL and NHL Drafts are annual events that bring hope to non-playoff teams like the Buffalo Bills have been for the past 15 years and the Buffalo Sabres for the last four seasons. Front office changes can also help deter cynicism for a little while as do ownership changes, of which both the Bills and the Sabres have gone through. The Pegula's, Terry and Kim, bought both of the Buffalo franchises within four years.
Cynicism is woven into the fabric of our Buffalo sports being and until a championship is won, it will maintain it's place in our psyche, the extent of which is personal yet is revealed on a daily basis when reading the comment sections at various websites.
Friday, May 29, 2015
From Babs to Byls, the Buffalo coaching saga continues
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
After the Buffalo Sabres lost out to the Toronto Maple Leafs on the Mike Babcock sweepstakes they immediately turned their attention to former Pittsburgh Penguins bench boss, Dan Bylsma.
Bylsma had done some fine work for the Penguins but the organization, with new GM Jim Rutherford in charge after replacing Ray Shero, decided to go in another direction. Bylsma had taken over the reigns of a struggling Penguins team when Michel Therrien was fired February 15, 2009 and lead the team to the Stanley Cup that spring, ironically enough, defeating the Babcock-coached Wings in a tough seven-game series.
That Penguins team was relatively young and was lead by a "once in a generation player" in Sidney Crosby, and a definitive No. 1 center in Evgeni Malkin. Along with those two were second overall pick Jordan Staal and first-overall pick, goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. All were drafted between 2003 and 2006 and were in their early 20's that Cup-winning team.
From Rutherford and the Penguins, however, it would seem as if Bylsma rode that Cup-win long enough. After five seasons of making the playoffs, and making the conference final once, Bylsma was shown the door on June 6, 2014. He did not coach last season.
Everything seems to be in place for the Sabres to hire him save for one little hitch--Rutherford and the Penguins are looking for compensation in the form of a third round draft pick. TSN's Darren Dreger tweeted this around noon today, "Sounds like dispute/clarity over draft pick compensation is one of the few things holding up the Sabres hiring Bylsma. Can't be deal breaker."
After the Buffalo Sabres lost out to the Toronto Maple Leafs on the Mike Babcock sweepstakes they immediately turned their attention to former Pittsburgh Penguins bench boss, Dan Bylsma.
Bylsma had done some fine work for the Penguins but the organization, with new GM Jim Rutherford in charge after replacing Ray Shero, decided to go in another direction. Bylsma had taken over the reigns of a struggling Penguins team when Michel Therrien was fired February 15, 2009 and lead the team to the Stanley Cup that spring, ironically enough, defeating the Babcock-coached Wings in a tough seven-game series.
That Penguins team was relatively young and was lead by a "once in a generation player" in Sidney Crosby, and a definitive No. 1 center in Evgeni Malkin. Along with those two were second overall pick Jordan Staal and first-overall pick, goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. All were drafted between 2003 and 2006 and were in their early 20's that Cup-winning team.
From Rutherford and the Penguins, however, it would seem as if Bylsma rode that Cup-win long enough. After five seasons of making the playoffs, and making the conference final once, Bylsma was shown the door on June 6, 2014. He did not coach last season.
Everything seems to be in place for the Sabres to hire him save for one little hitch--Rutherford and the Penguins are looking for compensation in the form of a third round draft pick. TSN's Darren Dreger tweeted this around noon today, "Sounds like dispute/clarity over draft pick compensation is one of the few things holding up the Sabres hiring Bylsma. Can't be deal breaker."
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Bylsma/Buffalo inevitable?
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Puck Daddy's Greg Wyshynski seems to think that the Buffalo Sabres and Dan Bylsma would make for a pretty good marriage. "There are glaringly obvious reasons why Bylsma and the Sabres are a fit," wrote Wyshynski today. "There’s the fact that Buffalo is slowly becoming the cradle of USA Hockey, and Bylsma is a prominent part of that program. There’s the Jack Eichel connection, as Bylsma coached him as an assistant at the world championships in Prague."
Although Wyshinski does intoduce a far-reaching connection between Sabres GM Tim Murray, Cliff Fletcher and Bylsma, via Sportsnet's Elliot Friedman, he feels that there's one undeniable, underlying current in all of this:
"Let’s be honest here," continued Wyshynski, "one of the main reasons this is a match is Terry Pegula, who will meet whatever price Bylsma is asking for if Murray wants him; and after Mike Babcock spurned the Sabres for the Toronto Maple Leafs, one assumes Pegula would like to have a coach with some prominence and a Stanley Cup to his credit over, say, an AHL coach like Luke Richardson, who is also expected in the mix."
Puck Daddy's Greg Wyshynski seems to think that the Buffalo Sabres and Dan Bylsma would make for a pretty good marriage. "There are glaringly obvious reasons why Bylsma and the Sabres are a fit," wrote Wyshynski today. "There’s the fact that Buffalo is slowly becoming the cradle of USA Hockey, and Bylsma is a prominent part of that program. There’s the Jack Eichel connection, as Bylsma coached him as an assistant at the world championships in Prague."
Although Wyshinski does intoduce a far-reaching connection between Sabres GM Tim Murray, Cliff Fletcher and Bylsma, via Sportsnet's Elliot Friedman, he feels that there's one undeniable, underlying current in all of this:
"Let’s be honest here," continued Wyshynski, "one of the main reasons this is a match is Terry Pegula, who will meet whatever price Bylsma is asking for if Murray wants him; and after Mike Babcock spurned the Sabres for the Toronto Maple Leafs, one assumes Pegula would like to have a coach with some prominence and a Stanley Cup to his credit over, say, an AHL coach like Luke Richardson, who is also expected in the mix."
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Next man up in the Buffalo Sabres coaching search--Dan Bylsma
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
According to Sportsnet's Elliott Friedman, the Buffalo Sabres will move on from the Mike Babcock saga by interviewing former Pittsburgh Penguins benchboss, Dan Bylsma later this week.
Ironically enough, it was Penguins that walked away with a Stanley Cup split versus Babcock's Detroit Red Wings in the 2008 and 2009 Finals. Babcock took the first meeting with Conn Smythe-winner Henrik Zetterberg and a host of playoff-hardened Red Wings veterans defeating a young, upstart Penguins club while Bylsma would take the rematch as Evgeni Malkin along with first overall picks Sidney Crosby and Marc-Andre Fleury would take the hard-fought seven-game series.
Neither coach would reach the Stanley Cup Finals again. Babcock would go 23-30 in six playoff seasons thereafter never making it past the second round while Bylsma would post a 27-27 record in five seasons before getting fired by the Pens on June 6, 2014 while reaching the conference finals once.
Other contrasts between the two coaches are Babcock's Canadian and now the coach of an iconic franchise in Toronto while Bylsma is American. Babcock never played in the NHL while Bylsma played in 429 NHL games. And, of course, Babcock moved on after 10 years in Detroit while Bylsma was shown the door by new Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford after 5 1/2 seasons coaching the Penguins.
Said Friedman, "The expectation is that [Bylsma] will visit the Buffalo Sabres this week."
According to Sportsnet's Elliott Friedman, the Buffalo Sabres will move on from the Mike Babcock saga by interviewing former Pittsburgh Penguins benchboss, Dan Bylsma later this week.
Ironically enough, it was Penguins that walked away with a Stanley Cup split versus Babcock's Detroit Red Wings in the 2008 and 2009 Finals. Babcock took the first meeting with Conn Smythe-winner Henrik Zetterberg and a host of playoff-hardened Red Wings veterans defeating a young, upstart Penguins club while Bylsma would take the rematch as Evgeni Malkin along with first overall picks Sidney Crosby and Marc-Andre Fleury would take the hard-fought seven-game series.
Neither coach would reach the Stanley Cup Finals again. Babcock would go 23-30 in six playoff seasons thereafter never making it past the second round while Bylsma would post a 27-27 record in five seasons before getting fired by the Pens on June 6, 2014 while reaching the conference finals once.
Other contrasts between the two coaches are Babcock's Canadian and now the coach of an iconic franchise in Toronto while Bylsma is American. Babcock never played in the NHL while Bylsma played in 429 NHL games. And, of course, Babcock moved on after 10 years in Detroit while Bylsma was shown the door by new Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford after 5 1/2 seasons coaching the Penguins.
Said Friedman, "The expectation is that [Bylsma] will visit the Buffalo Sabres this week."
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Sabres/Canes could swap bad contracts
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Before we go on, I'll preface the following by saying I know full-well that Carolina Hurricanes RW Alexander Semin isn't exactly the most industrious, hard-working forward in the NHL. And I'll also add that at 31 yrs. old, Semin isn't exactly in Tim Murray's wheelhouse age-wise as the Sabres GM is geared more towards younger additions to the team.
That being said, there are few things that would make trading Buffalo Sabres forward Cody Hodgson to Carolina for Semin a legitimate move:
--both have bloated contracts with term on them. Hodgson has four more years left at $20 million while Semin has three left at $21 million.
--both are coming off of career lows in production. Hodgson had 13 points (6+7) in 78 games while Semin had 19 points (6+13) in 57 games.
--both are potential buyout candidates as we speak
--both could use a change of scenery.
Before we go on, I'll preface the following by saying I know full-well that Carolina Hurricanes RW Alexander Semin isn't exactly the most industrious, hard-working forward in the NHL. And I'll also add that at 31 yrs. old, Semin isn't exactly in Tim Murray's wheelhouse age-wise as the Sabres GM is geared more towards younger additions to the team.
That being said, there are few things that would make trading Buffalo Sabres forward Cody Hodgson to Carolina for Semin a legitimate move:
--both have bloated contracts with term on them. Hodgson has four more years left at $20 million while Semin has three left at $21 million.
--both are coming off of career lows in production. Hodgson had 13 points (6+7) in 78 games while Semin had 19 points (6+13) in 57 games.
--both are potential buyout candidates as we speak
--both could use a change of scenery.
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Is Kerby Rychel a good fit for the Buffalo Sabres? And...
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
...do they have a player the Columbus Blue Jackets would be interested in?
First off, hockeybuzz colleague Todd Cordell alerted us to the possible availability of Rychel (citing Elliot Friedman, via today'sslapshot.com) by saying: "The Columbus Blue Jackets recently made Kerby Rychel available for trade in hopes of bringing in some help on defense.
"It doesn't sound like that will be much of a problem for [Jackets GM] Jarmo Kekalainen and co., as Rychel is generating a lot of interest around the league."
Columbus is loaded for bear up front and as Friedman pointed out, three youngins--Boone Jenner, Marko Dano and Alexander Wennberg--are in the top-nine mix going forward with Oliver Bjorkstrand not far behind. It's a bit of a quandary for Kekalainen, and as was mentioned by Rick Gethin of FOX Sports Ohio, the Blue Jackets at one point had five free agent forwards to make a decision on.
One of the youngins, RFA Cam Atkinson, was kept in the fold with a three year contract extension signed on March 2nd. Heading into the off season Columbus now has 14 forwards signed with decision to be made on UFA's Mark Letestu and Jack Skille as well as arbitration-eligible RFA Matt Calvert.
“Everybody knows the roster only holds 23,” Kekalainen said via the Columbus Dispatch back on May 9th. “When you count the guys and see the young guys pushing, you know we need to do some planning with that."
...do they have a player the Columbus Blue Jackets would be interested in?
First off, hockeybuzz colleague Todd Cordell alerted us to the possible availability of Rychel (citing Elliot Friedman, via today'sslapshot.com) by saying: "The Columbus Blue Jackets recently made Kerby Rychel available for trade in hopes of bringing in some help on defense.
"It doesn't sound like that will be much of a problem for [Jackets GM] Jarmo Kekalainen and co., as Rychel is generating a lot of interest around the league."
Columbus is loaded for bear up front and as Friedman pointed out, three youngins--Boone Jenner, Marko Dano and Alexander Wennberg--are in the top-nine mix going forward with Oliver Bjorkstrand not far behind. It's a bit of a quandary for Kekalainen, and as was mentioned by Rick Gethin of FOX Sports Ohio, the Blue Jackets at one point had five free agent forwards to make a decision on.
One of the youngins, RFA Cam Atkinson, was kept in the fold with a three year contract extension signed on March 2nd. Heading into the off season Columbus now has 14 forwards signed with decision to be made on UFA's Mark Letestu and Jack Skille as well as arbitration-eligible RFA Matt Calvert.
“Everybody knows the roster only holds 23,” Kekalainen said via the Columbus Dispatch back on May 9th. “When you count the guys and see the young guys pushing, you know we need to do some planning with that."
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