Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-12-2018
C--Rasmus Asplund
20 yrs. old
5'11" 189 lbs.
2016, second round (33rd overall)
Rasmus Asplund had himself a helluva Prospects Challenge tournament and the traits he displayed while arguably being the best player on the ice for Buffalo, and possibly the entire tournament, won't all of a sudden disappear. Asplund led the tournament with six points and his lone goal was a beauty as he undressed four Pittsburgh Penguins at the blueline. The attributes that had the two-way center as a first round pick before dropping to the early second round are what have been constants throughout his professional career which includes competing against men for almost four full seasons in the Swedish Hockey League.
At 5'11" 189 lbs. Asplund doesn't have the ideal size for an NHL'er, but he isn't small and actually looks bigger on the ice. And at 20 yrs. old, with 170 SHL games under his belt, he's not a kid anymore either. The Sabres decided that it was best for him to spend one more season in the SHL last year, a decision that Asplund initially didn't agree with, but by the end of the season had warmed to. "I was a little mad that I didn't get over," he told the gathered media at the rookie showcase in Toronto last month, "but after the season, I'm happy that I stayed another year. I feel more ready than ever now to get over here and play."
That wasn't the first good move the Sabres organization made concerning Asplund. The first one was trading up to get him.
Asplund was widely considered a mid-lower first round talent but at the end of Day-1 at the 2016 NHL Draft, he was still on the board. Buffalo had the 38th pick and prior to the second round they consummated a trade with the Florida Panthers of defenseman Mark Pysyk for Dmitry Kulikov with Sabres GM Tim Murray insisting that they swap second-rounders. Buffalo had to throw in the 86th pick to get the deal done but in the end, much to the delight of their scouting department, they were able to move up to No. 33 and select Asplund.
Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com who had him ranked as the 21st best prospect in the 2016 draft. "Slippery and competitive," wrote Baker, "Asplund’s ability to hound the puck, force turnovers and quickly transition into offense with a smooth playmaking sense makes him an attractive candidate to mature into a quality NHL forward. Asplund may tote around an average frame and not appear to be the most physical player on the ice, but he’s very detail oriented with an ability to do the little things like winning faceoffs, jamming shooting lanes with his stick, and making short passes from deep in his zone to spark the transition game.
"Teams looking for a sneaky playmaker who will comfortably slot into a workmanlike role will likely have Asplund on their radar."
All of that was on display at the Prospects Challenge last weekend and what also really stood out for those in attendance was Asplund's vision and hockey sense. The Athletic's Corey Pronman noted in his 'Standout Performances at rookie camps' recap yesterday that Asplund, "showed his standard high-end hockey sense in how he can see the ice, slow the game down and make plays." His colleague at The Athletic, Joe Yerdon, said that if there was an MVP of the tournament, Asplund "would probably be a unanimous selection" while noting he was "a tenacious forechecker with speed, and a dynamite penalty killer.
"He showed aggressiveness with the puck and without it," continued Yerdon, and "his hockey IQ was also on display all weekend."
There is some danger slotting Asplund as a rookie No. 3 center for the team overall. Twenty-one year old Jack Eichel will continue as the team's top center while 19 yr. old rookie Casey Mittelstadt looks like he'll be No. 2. Having another rookie centering the third line could make for a precarious situation but that's why your have seasoned vets on the team.
Jeff Skinner and Kyle Okposo are two veteran wingers slotted for the top-six and while 26 yr. old winger Conor Sheary may not have the vast experience of those two, he's played on two Stanley Cup winning teams for Pittsburgh and was a strong contributor to the first one. Botterill traded a way veteran second line center Ryan O'Reilly who had taken many of the tough assignments for the Sabres but received two vet forwards in return--Patrik Berglund and Vladimir Sobotka--who have combined to play in over 1,100 regular season games and 111 playoff games. Plus there's 35 yr. old Jason Pominville who has nearly 1,000 regular season games and 81 playoff games.
You want experience, there it is.
The cool part about this year's roster building exercise is that there will be a lot of difficult decisions to make in the bottom-six forward group and that it probably won't be sorted out until the final game of the preseason. Slotting Asplund here as third line center might be a reach at this point when you base it upon a three-game tournament against a group of players that had many low-end prospects, AHL'ers and undrafted players. However, of the remaining centers on Buffalo, Asplund is more of a complete package than any of them, he's hungry and has a high compete-level and seems to have the smarts to be able to play and adapt as he goes along.
The SHL is no slouch league and some would argue that with the way the NHL is played today, it might be a better development league than the AHL. Asplund will be fighting against bigger, stronger, meaner opponents in North America and will be doing so on a smaller rink. Yet he seems to have the skating ability, the faculties and the mental toughness to make it work, not to mention the drive. "I've been working for the NHL," Asplund said at the showcase, "and that's the goal I'm going to go for, and we'll see how far it goes."
Building the 2018-19 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Conor Sheary / C, Jack Eichel / RW, Sam Reinhart
LW, Jeff Skinner / C, Casey Mittelstadt / RW, Kyle Okposo
_____________ / C, Rasmus Asplund / ______________
LHD, Marco Scandella / RHD, Rasmus Ristolainen
LHD, Rasmus Dahlin / RHD, Zach Bogosian
G, Carter Hutton
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Buffalo finishes 2018 Prospects Challenge strong. On to training camp.
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-11-2018
Buffalo defenseman Rasmus Dahlin did not play in the final game of the 2018 Prospects Challenge at HarborCenter in downtown Buffalo, but the Sabres still iced some star power with Casey Mittelstadt and Alexander Nylander. The two forwards were joined in the lineup yesterday by Rasmus Asplund, who made a name for himself throughout the tournament, and a group of players that featured eight undrafted players and a slew of lower-round picks.
The Pittsburgh Penguins prospect roster was that of a team only one year removed from back-to-back Stanley Cups. It featured only one player, Calen Addison (2018, 53rd overall) drafted in the top three rounds, one player drafted in the fourth round (Sam Lafferty, 2014, 113th) and 12 undrafted players. It's the price you pay for winning Stanley Cups and there's not a person in Sabreland who wouldn't trade positions with Pittsburgh.
But as we well know, hockey in Buffalo right now is about the future, and the future looks very bright.
Dahlin had a whale of a tournament as he busted out of the gate with two goals and an assist in the first game and looked every bit as advertised against his peers. His d-partner, Will Borgen, was a beast reveling in his role as a physical, stay-at-home defenseman while forward Tage Thompson (2016, 26th, STL) looked strong wearing the Blue and Gold for the first time.
With those players out of the lineup and the Sabres playing against a weak Penguins squad, it was time for players like Mittelstadt and Nylander, a pair of eighth-overall picks (2017 and 2016, respectively) to take over the game, which they eventually did.
Mittelstadt centered Buffalo's top line with Nylander on his left wing and undrafted forward Cole Coskey on the right. Although it took Mittelstadt and Nylander two periods to click, when they did it was pretty magical. Nylander scored his first goal just :20 seconds into the third period with a nasty wrister that picked the top corner to make it 4-0 and he finished off a nifty give-and-go with Mittelstadt to make it 6-2 at the 6:21 mark. Nylander also had two assists, both primary, to finish the day with four points.
The driving force on both of Nylander's goals was Mittelstadt who admittedly wasn't at his best through the first two games and the first two periods of this one. "The first two games and a little bit of the third (game) I might have been pushing it a little bit," he said post-game yesterday. "There were times I should have been shooting it or make a quicker play but I think I'm getting back into it. Even in the third (period) I started making plays I normally make with my hands and feet."
That he did.
The first of his three consecutive primary assists came on Nylander's first goal when Mittelstadt controlled the puck along the wall and drew two Pens defenders to him before slipping a short pass to his winger who stealthily split the d. The second came when he sent a pass through the slot right on the stick of defenseman Nicholas Welch who was pinching in on the play and the last was that give-and-go with Nylander.
Buffalo GM Jason Botterill liked a lot of what he saw over the weekend and into Monday and has been talking about having more internal competition for roster spots at training camp. This tournament was the first opportunity for players to put their names into the conversation and perhaps no one did so more than center Rasmus Asplund.
The 2016 draft pick (33rd overall) just came over from his native Sweden and impressed at the Challenge. We'd read about his strong two-way game playing in the SHL and he brought that with him this weekend but he showed off some skill and moxie on his goal yesterday as he undressed four Pens at the Pittsburgh blueline before finishing strong. Asplund also brings a very high hockey IQ to the table, some great on-ice vision and a lot of compete as well.
"You see the play he made on his goal," said Mittelstadt of Asplund, a teammate he's spoken highly of this off season. "You see him do things like that but there are a lot of other things he does that people miss. Winning faceoffs, he's always in the right spot defensively and in the neutral zone."
One of the things that you won't see on the highlight reel was his compete on Buffalo's first goal yesterday. After picking up the puck inside his own blueline he fought through a check, got through an entanglement with the ref in the neutral zone and fought off another check at the Pens blueline before hitting defenseman Devante Stephens who was trailing on the play. Stephens then sent a shot to the net with Andrew Oglevie potting the rebound.
Asplund looks bigger than his 5'11" 189 lb. frame and skates extremely well. He finished with a tournament-high six points (1+5) and may be in the mix for a bottom-six slot on the Sabres.
In addition to Dahlin, Mittelstadt (for a full season) and Asplund, there's a big wave of talented players coming into the organization this year. Forward Victor Olofsson (2014, 181st) will be making his North American debut as will defenseman, and fellow Swede, Lawrence Pilut whom the Sabres signed to a free agent contract. Borgen, who played eight games with Rochester last season after leaving school early, leads a group of college players that includes Brandon Hickey, who's rights came over in a trade with the Arizona Coyotes and who signed with Buffalo, and forward Oglevie (an FA signee) who will be battling for spots in Buffalo and/or Rochester. And, although Botterill didn't commit to any training camp invites amongst veteran players and/or Challenge invitees "right now," they have talked to players about that possibility which would further the competition for spots.
"We've talked a lot as a group about bringing in more internal competition and giving [head coach] Phil [Housley] more options at different positions," said Botterill yesterday. "We think we've done that this summer, especially at forward, bringing in some guys but also having some young guys who are going to be competing for positions."
And by the looks of it, they've done pretty good job.
The 2018 Prospects Challenge is in the books and it's on to the opening of training camp on Thursday with physicals and Friday they start practice. Here's the schedule:
Buffalo's first preseason game is Monday at 7 pm in Columbus vs. the Blue Jackets.
Buffalo defenseman Rasmus Dahlin did not play in the final game of the 2018 Prospects Challenge at HarborCenter in downtown Buffalo, but the Sabres still iced some star power with Casey Mittelstadt and Alexander Nylander. The two forwards were joined in the lineup yesterday by Rasmus Asplund, who made a name for himself throughout the tournament, and a group of players that featured eight undrafted players and a slew of lower-round picks.
The Pittsburgh Penguins prospect roster was that of a team only one year removed from back-to-back Stanley Cups. It featured only one player, Calen Addison (2018, 53rd overall) drafted in the top three rounds, one player drafted in the fourth round (Sam Lafferty, 2014, 113th) and 12 undrafted players. It's the price you pay for winning Stanley Cups and there's not a person in Sabreland who wouldn't trade positions with Pittsburgh.
But as we well know, hockey in Buffalo right now is about the future, and the future looks very bright.
Dahlin had a whale of a tournament as he busted out of the gate with two goals and an assist in the first game and looked every bit as advertised against his peers. His d-partner, Will Borgen, was a beast reveling in his role as a physical, stay-at-home defenseman while forward Tage Thompson (2016, 26th, STL) looked strong wearing the Blue and Gold for the first time.
With those players out of the lineup and the Sabres playing against a weak Penguins squad, it was time for players like Mittelstadt and Nylander, a pair of eighth-overall picks (2017 and 2016, respectively) to take over the game, which they eventually did.
Mittelstadt centered Buffalo's top line with Nylander on his left wing and undrafted forward Cole Coskey on the right. Although it took Mittelstadt and Nylander two periods to click, when they did it was pretty magical. Nylander scored his first goal just :20 seconds into the third period with a nasty wrister that picked the top corner to make it 4-0 and he finished off a nifty give-and-go with Mittelstadt to make it 6-2 at the 6:21 mark. Nylander also had two assists, both primary, to finish the day with four points.
The driving force on both of Nylander's goals was Mittelstadt who admittedly wasn't at his best through the first two games and the first two periods of this one. "The first two games and a little bit of the third (game) I might have been pushing it a little bit," he said post-game yesterday. "There were times I should have been shooting it or make a quicker play but I think I'm getting back into it. Even in the third (period) I started making plays I normally make with my hands and feet."
That he did.
The first of his three consecutive primary assists came on Nylander's first goal when Mittelstadt controlled the puck along the wall and drew two Pens defenders to him before slipping a short pass to his winger who stealthily split the d. The second came when he sent a pass through the slot right on the stick of defenseman Nicholas Welch who was pinching in on the play and the last was that give-and-go with Nylander.
Buffalo GM Jason Botterill liked a lot of what he saw over the weekend and into Monday and has been talking about having more internal competition for roster spots at training camp. This tournament was the first opportunity for players to put their names into the conversation and perhaps no one did so more than center Rasmus Asplund.
The 2016 draft pick (33rd overall) just came over from his native Sweden and impressed at the Challenge. We'd read about his strong two-way game playing in the SHL and he brought that with him this weekend but he showed off some skill and moxie on his goal yesterday as he undressed four Pens at the Pittsburgh blueline before finishing strong. Asplund also brings a very high hockey IQ to the table, some great on-ice vision and a lot of compete as well.
"You see the play he made on his goal," said Mittelstadt of Asplund, a teammate he's spoken highly of this off season. "You see him do things like that but there are a lot of other things he does that people miss. Winning faceoffs, he's always in the right spot defensively and in the neutral zone."
One of the things that you won't see on the highlight reel was his compete on Buffalo's first goal yesterday. After picking up the puck inside his own blueline he fought through a check, got through an entanglement with the ref in the neutral zone and fought off another check at the Pens blueline before hitting defenseman Devante Stephens who was trailing on the play. Stephens then sent a shot to the net with Andrew Oglevie potting the rebound.
Asplund looks bigger than his 5'11" 189 lb. frame and skates extremely well. He finished with a tournament-high six points (1+5) and may be in the mix for a bottom-six slot on the Sabres.
In addition to Dahlin, Mittelstadt (for a full season) and Asplund, there's a big wave of talented players coming into the organization this year. Forward Victor Olofsson (2014, 181st) will be making his North American debut as will defenseman, and fellow Swede, Lawrence Pilut whom the Sabres signed to a free agent contract. Borgen, who played eight games with Rochester last season after leaving school early, leads a group of college players that includes Brandon Hickey, who's rights came over in a trade with the Arizona Coyotes and who signed with Buffalo, and forward Oglevie (an FA signee) who will be battling for spots in Buffalo and/or Rochester. And, although Botterill didn't commit to any training camp invites amongst veteran players and/or Challenge invitees "right now," they have talked to players about that possibility which would further the competition for spots.
"We've talked a lot as a group about bringing in more internal competition and giving [head coach] Phil [Housley] more options at different positions," said Botterill yesterday. "We think we've done that this summer, especially at forward, bringing in some guys but also having some young guys who are going to be competing for positions."
And by the looks of it, they've done pretty good job.
The 2018 Prospects Challenge is in the books and it's on to the opening of training camp on Thursday with physicals and Friday they start practice. Here's the schedule:
Friday, Sept. 14
Session one: 9:45 – 10:20 a.m. (New Wave Energy Rink) / 10:25 – 11:15 a.m. (KeyBank Rink)
Session two: 11:45 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. (New Wave Energy Rink) / 12:25 – 1:15 p.m. (KeyBank Rink)
Saturday, Sept. 15
Session one: 9:45 – 10:20 a.m. (New Wave Energy Rink) / 10:25 – 11:15 a.m. (KeyBank Rink)
Session two: 11:45 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. (New Wave Energy Rink) / 12:25 – 1:15 p.m. (KeyBank Rink)
Sunday, Sept. 16
Practice: 9:45 – 10:15 a.m. (Both rinks)
Scrimmage: 10:30 – 11:15 a.m. (KeyBank Rink)
Buffalo's first preseason game is Monday at 7 pm in Columbus vs. the Blue Jackets.
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Building the 2018-19 Buffalo Sabres roster--RHD, Zach Bogosian
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-9-2018
Zach Bogosian
28 yrs. old
6'3" 221 lbs.
2008, 3rd-overall (ATL)
Acquired in a trade with the Winnipeg Jets, February 11, 2015
Career stats: 552 games | 49 goals | 121 assists | 170 points | -82
Dependent upon how things shake out at camp, 28 yr. old veteran defenseman Zach Bogosian will probably be the first one to hit the ice as a d-partner for Buffalo Sabres rookie phenom Rasmus Dahlin. That is, of course, if nothing happens to Bogosian along the way, which unfortunately is always a possibility.
Bogosian, a third-overall pick in 2008, was drafted for his size, skating ability and skill and was thrown right into the fray in Atlanta as one of the Thrashers top defensemen for the 2008-09 season. However, in what would become a harbinger of things to come, Bogosian left a game vs. the Philadelphia Flyers on October 28, 2008 with a broken leg and would miss a big chunk of his rookie campaign. Outside of the 2009-10 season where he would miss only one game, Bogosian was injured for huge chunks for most of the ensuing eight seasons playing in only 424 of a possible 622 games.
Last year because of injury Bogosian's season didn't start until December 1 and it ended 18 games later as he and the rest of his season was done in by a hip injury. Bogosian underwent hip surgery in early February and with a 4-6 month recovery time now past, he's ready to go for the upcoming season.
Other than the 21 games he played for Buffalo in 2015 after being acquired as part of the Evander Kane trade, Bogosian has been the butt of jokes concerning his injury problems and/or his play. However, people tend to forget that he had a good first full (for him) season for Buffalo in 2015-16. Bogosian and the Sabres seemed to be on the rise and that season he took rookie Jake McCabe under his wing with the duo forming a very solid second-pairing. McCabe scored four goals and 14 points in his first full season and lead the team with a plus-6 rating.
Much has been said about the hiring of Phil Housley as coach of the Sabres and what he'll be able to do for mobile defensemen like Bogosian. Housley likes active defensemen who can join the rush and at last year's training camp he said (via Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times,) "[Bogosian] can be part of the rush. I can definitely see him pinching down walls and keeping pucks in, and when you say that, it means you have to get up ice.” Housley also noted that the veteran defenseman was "doing all the right things out there" while helping the young players.
The young player Bogosian might be helping this season is Dahlin, at least until the 18 yr. old Swede gets acclimated enough to take on a top-pairing role.
Dahlin can do everything that Housley wants without a hitch and can do so at top speed but what he and the team might need is a player that can hold the fort while he's getting up ice. During the first Prospects Challenge game that guy was Will Borgen who was said to be punishing players throughout the 6-4 win while Dahlin was busy scoring two goals and adding an assist. Bogosian can play that role. It's something he did for Dan Bylsma when he was the Sabres coach for two seasons, but it's not something he was thrilled with.
As a veteran who's never made the playoffs in his 10-year career, and as a player who's missed a lot of time due to injury, one would think that any role, especially alongside a franchise defenseman would suit him moving forward. Bogosian's spent a lot of time either injured or playing for bad teams but this Buffalo team offers a lot of upside and a reduced role may actually keep him on the ice more.
Sure, Bogosian has the skill set to be the one jumping up into the play and he should have enough veteran experience to pick his spots more judiciously, but at least to start, he may be the one watching Dahlin take control of the ice on offense. It's not to say that he won't be activated, but moreso Bogosian will be expected to cover for the rookie as he gets a feel for the North American game at the NHL level.
One should have every reason to believe that Bogosian will take on that role and relish helping Dahlin, just as he did with McCabe. And who knows, if they click real well and he stays healthy, Bogosian has enough skill and skating to ride shotgun with Dahlin in a top-pairing role.
However, maybe it's best to entertain more modest goals for Bogosian like a 70-game season in a second-pairing role for a team that's a playoff contender for at least a good portion of the season. And even that might be asking too much.
Building the 2018-19 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Conor Sheary / C, Jack Eichel / RW, Sam Reinhart
LW, Jeff Skinner / C, Casey Mittelstadt / RW, Kyle Okposo
LHD, Marco Scandella / RHD, Rasmus Ristolainen
LHD, Rasmus Dahlin / RHD, Zach Bogosian
G, Carter Hutton
Zach Bogosian
28 yrs. old
6'3" 221 lbs.
2008, 3rd-overall (ATL)
Acquired in a trade with the Winnipeg Jets, February 11, 2015
Career stats: 552 games | 49 goals | 121 assists | 170 points | -82
Dependent upon how things shake out at camp, 28 yr. old veteran defenseman Zach Bogosian will probably be the first one to hit the ice as a d-partner for Buffalo Sabres rookie phenom Rasmus Dahlin. That is, of course, if nothing happens to Bogosian along the way, which unfortunately is always a possibility.
Bogosian, a third-overall pick in 2008, was drafted for his size, skating ability and skill and was thrown right into the fray in Atlanta as one of the Thrashers top defensemen for the 2008-09 season. However, in what would become a harbinger of things to come, Bogosian left a game vs. the Philadelphia Flyers on October 28, 2008 with a broken leg and would miss a big chunk of his rookie campaign. Outside of the 2009-10 season where he would miss only one game, Bogosian was injured for huge chunks for most of the ensuing eight seasons playing in only 424 of a possible 622 games.
Last year because of injury Bogosian's season didn't start until December 1 and it ended 18 games later as he and the rest of his season was done in by a hip injury. Bogosian underwent hip surgery in early February and with a 4-6 month recovery time now past, he's ready to go for the upcoming season.
Other than the 21 games he played for Buffalo in 2015 after being acquired as part of the Evander Kane trade, Bogosian has been the butt of jokes concerning his injury problems and/or his play. However, people tend to forget that he had a good first full (for him) season for Buffalo in 2015-16. Bogosian and the Sabres seemed to be on the rise and that season he took rookie Jake McCabe under his wing with the duo forming a very solid second-pairing. McCabe scored four goals and 14 points in his first full season and lead the team with a plus-6 rating.
Much has been said about the hiring of Phil Housley as coach of the Sabres and what he'll be able to do for mobile defensemen like Bogosian. Housley likes active defensemen who can join the rush and at last year's training camp he said (via Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times,) "[Bogosian] can be part of the rush. I can definitely see him pinching down walls and keeping pucks in, and when you say that, it means you have to get up ice.” Housley also noted that the veteran defenseman was "doing all the right things out there" while helping the young players.
The young player Bogosian might be helping this season is Dahlin, at least until the 18 yr. old Swede gets acclimated enough to take on a top-pairing role.
Dahlin can do everything that Housley wants without a hitch and can do so at top speed but what he and the team might need is a player that can hold the fort while he's getting up ice. During the first Prospects Challenge game that guy was Will Borgen who was said to be punishing players throughout the 6-4 win while Dahlin was busy scoring two goals and adding an assist. Bogosian can play that role. It's something he did for Dan Bylsma when he was the Sabres coach for two seasons, but it's not something he was thrilled with.
As a veteran who's never made the playoffs in his 10-year career, and as a player who's missed a lot of time due to injury, one would think that any role, especially alongside a franchise defenseman would suit him moving forward. Bogosian's spent a lot of time either injured or playing for bad teams but this Buffalo team offers a lot of upside and a reduced role may actually keep him on the ice more.
Sure, Bogosian has the skill set to be the one jumping up into the play and he should have enough veteran experience to pick his spots more judiciously, but at least to start, he may be the one watching Dahlin take control of the ice on offense. It's not to say that he won't be activated, but moreso Bogosian will be expected to cover for the rookie as he gets a feel for the North American game at the NHL level.
One should have every reason to believe that Bogosian will take on that role and relish helping Dahlin, just as he did with McCabe. And who knows, if they click real well and he stays healthy, Bogosian has enough skill and skating to ride shotgun with Dahlin in a top-pairing role.
However, maybe it's best to entertain more modest goals for Bogosian like a 70-game season in a second-pairing role for a team that's a playoff contender for at least a good portion of the season. And even that might be asking too much.
Building the 2018-19 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Conor Sheary / C, Jack Eichel / RW, Sam Reinhart
LW, Jeff Skinner / C, Casey Mittelstadt / RW, Kyle Okposo
LHD, Marco Scandella / RHD, Rasmus Ristolainen
LHD, Rasmus Dahlin / RHD, Zach Bogosian
G, Carter Hutton
Sunday, September 9, 2018
Sabres prospecst take on Boston tonight after taking names vs. NJ
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-8-2018
It was pretty much everything a Sabres fan could want out of the first Prospects Challenge game. From Rasmus Dahlin scoring two goals and adding an assist to Victor Olofsson showing off his quick release and wicked shot to Alexander Nylander with some magic stickwork while potting one of two Sabres short handed goals to Tage Thompson getting on his horse and scoring the second shortie on a breakaway, a lot of things clicked for the youngins last night (see highlights below.)
This is the future of the Buffalo Sabres and for the 1,800 fans in attendance at HarborCenter they put on a helluva show in a 6-4 win over the New Jersey Devils last night.
With no disrespect to center Casey Mittelstadt, Dahlin leads this wave of young players. The fact Dahlin nudges out Mittelstadt, who played so well in his short six-game stint in Buffalo last season leading to a No. 2 center slot heading into this season, is an indication of just how good the prospect pool is at the top.
Dahlin was the first pick in the 2018 NHL Draft and was said to have franchise-changing qualities. At Sabres development camp Dahlin's skill level was on display as he flew through drills with ease and did everything except dominate the score sheet in the 3-on-3 tournament. However, that was against his fellow prospects and camp invitees. The Prospects Challenge would be his first taste of action against the best prospects from other NHL teams and after Round-1, the reviews were outstanding.
"Obviously he's a special player," Sabres Prospects coach Chris Taylor told the gathered media post game. On Dahlin's second goal the 18 yr. old native of Sweden jumped on a loose puck in the neutral zone and fed tournament invitee Myles Powell at the Devil's blueline before barreling towards the net. Powell sent a low shot far side that was kicked out to the right circle where Dahlin was there to blast home the rebound. Using that play as an example, Taylor said Dahlin's "instincts are amazing," and that "he's a smart player, knows when to go (on the attack) and when not to go" while also having "the confidence and ability to get back."
Sabres fans might be breathing a brief sigh of relief at Nylander's performance. Nylander was said to be engaged throughout the game and his shorthanded goal was a product of following the play and heading to open ice in front of the net. The skill Nylander showed on that goal was the type that had him labeled as possibly the most skilled player in his draft class yet his Houdini acts on the ice have him moving perilously towards bust status.
Nylander's shortie was set up by Rasmus Asplund who drew two defenders to the Devils left face off circle and outworked them to get the puck to a wide open Nylander. Asplund also set up Victor Olofsson for a one-timer on the powerplay. Olofsson used that patented one-timer on many occasions in Sweden while on his way to a league-leading 27 goals in the SHL last season, but his quick release blast from the slot wowed the fans at HarborCenter who were seeing it live for the first time.
The Svensk Brigade of Dahlin, Olofsson, Asplund and Nylander stole the headlines at this one but there were many other who made their mark. Thompson, acquired from the St. Louis Blues in the Ryan O'Reilly trade, showed great speed for a big man (6'5" 205 lbs.) as he jumped on a puck in the neutral zone while shorthanded and went in for a breakaway. He also showed off some deft stickwork with a deke and a shot that went top-shelf from in tight. Matej Pekar (2018, 94th) had two assists in the game and defenseman Will Borgen (2015, 92nd) patrolled the ice with a physicality that everyone at HarborCenter noticed.
Buffalo went into this tournament with what is widely considered one of the best, if not the best, prospect pools in the NHL and it showed. Dahlin lead the charge, the rest got their jiggy on and the Devils had no answer of which SB nation's John Fischer wrote, "On the ice, [the Sabres] were mostly a better team from start to finish. Their passes were better. Their puck control was better. They committed fewer and less costly turnovers. They appeared to have more attack time than New Jersey. They definitely had more odd-man rushes and breakaways. Their special teams were better. Most importantly, their best players on paper were the best players on the ice."
For Sabres fans the future, especially encapsulated in Fischer's last sentence, is pretty exciting.
*****
The Sabres take on the Boston Bruins tonight at 7 pm and despite The Athletic's Corey Pronman ranking
the Bruins prospect system as 27th in the league, they still have some good quality players in the system. Boston's prospects beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 in the matinee yesterday.
2018 Prospects Challenge highlights--NJ Devils vs. Buffalo Sabres (via sabres.com)
It was pretty much everything a Sabres fan could want out of the first Prospects Challenge game. From Rasmus Dahlin scoring two goals and adding an assist to Victor Olofsson showing off his quick release and wicked shot to Alexander Nylander with some magic stickwork while potting one of two Sabres short handed goals to Tage Thompson getting on his horse and scoring the second shortie on a breakaway, a lot of things clicked for the youngins last night (see highlights below.)
This is the future of the Buffalo Sabres and for the 1,800 fans in attendance at HarborCenter they put on a helluva show in a 6-4 win over the New Jersey Devils last night.
With no disrespect to center Casey Mittelstadt, Dahlin leads this wave of young players. The fact Dahlin nudges out Mittelstadt, who played so well in his short six-game stint in Buffalo last season leading to a No. 2 center slot heading into this season, is an indication of just how good the prospect pool is at the top.
Dahlin was the first pick in the 2018 NHL Draft and was said to have franchise-changing qualities. At Sabres development camp Dahlin's skill level was on display as he flew through drills with ease and did everything except dominate the score sheet in the 3-on-3 tournament. However, that was against his fellow prospects and camp invitees. The Prospects Challenge would be his first taste of action against the best prospects from other NHL teams and after Round-1, the reviews were outstanding.
"Obviously he's a special player," Sabres Prospects coach Chris Taylor told the gathered media post game. On Dahlin's second goal the 18 yr. old native of Sweden jumped on a loose puck in the neutral zone and fed tournament invitee Myles Powell at the Devil's blueline before barreling towards the net. Powell sent a low shot far side that was kicked out to the right circle where Dahlin was there to blast home the rebound. Using that play as an example, Taylor said Dahlin's "instincts are amazing," and that "he's a smart player, knows when to go (on the attack) and when not to go" while also having "the confidence and ability to get back."
Sabres fans might be breathing a brief sigh of relief at Nylander's performance. Nylander was said to be engaged throughout the game and his shorthanded goal was a product of following the play and heading to open ice in front of the net. The skill Nylander showed on that goal was the type that had him labeled as possibly the most skilled player in his draft class yet his Houdini acts on the ice have him moving perilously towards bust status.
Nylander's shortie was set up by Rasmus Asplund who drew two defenders to the Devils left face off circle and outworked them to get the puck to a wide open Nylander. Asplund also set up Victor Olofsson for a one-timer on the powerplay. Olofsson used that patented one-timer on many occasions in Sweden while on his way to a league-leading 27 goals in the SHL last season, but his quick release blast from the slot wowed the fans at HarborCenter who were seeing it live for the first time.
The Svensk Brigade of Dahlin, Olofsson, Asplund and Nylander stole the headlines at this one but there were many other who made their mark. Thompson, acquired from the St. Louis Blues in the Ryan O'Reilly trade, showed great speed for a big man (6'5" 205 lbs.) as he jumped on a puck in the neutral zone while shorthanded and went in for a breakaway. He also showed off some deft stickwork with a deke and a shot that went top-shelf from in tight. Matej Pekar (2018, 94th) had two assists in the game and defenseman Will Borgen (2015, 92nd) patrolled the ice with a physicality that everyone at HarborCenter noticed.
Buffalo went into this tournament with what is widely considered one of the best, if not the best, prospect pools in the NHL and it showed. Dahlin lead the charge, the rest got their jiggy on and the Devils had no answer of which SB nation's John Fischer wrote, "On the ice, [the Sabres] were mostly a better team from start to finish. Their passes were better. Their puck control was better. They committed fewer and less costly turnovers. They appeared to have more attack time than New Jersey. They definitely had more odd-man rushes and breakaways. Their special teams were better. Most importantly, their best players on paper were the best players on the ice."
For Sabres fans the future, especially encapsulated in Fischer's last sentence, is pretty exciting.
*****
The Sabres take on the Boston Bruins tonight at 7 pm and despite The Athletic's Corey Pronman ranking
the Bruins prospect system as 27th in the league, they still have some good quality players in the system. Boston's prospects beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 in the matinee yesterday.
2018 Prospects Challenge highlights--NJ Devils vs. Buffalo Sabres (via sabres.com)
Quick Scoresheet:
Rasmus Dahlin--3 pts. (2 goals, 1 assist)
Rasmus Asplund--2pts (2 assists)
Matej Pekar--2 pts. (2 assists)
Victor Olofsson--1 pt. (1 goal)
Tage Thompson--1 pt. (1 goal)
Cole Coskey--1 pt. (1 goal)
Alexander Nylander--1 pt. (1 goal)
Kevin Hancock--1 pt. (1 assist)
Oscari Laaksonen--1 pt. (1 assist)
Eric Cornel--1 pt. (1 assist)
Myles Powell--1 pt. (1 assist)
Primary assists:
Asplund--2
Hancock, Powell, Dahlin--1 each
Saturday, September 8, 2018
Building the 2018-19 Buffalo Sabres roster--LHD, Rasmus Dahlin
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-7-2018
LHD--Rasmus Dahlin
18 yrs. old
6'2" 181 lbs.
2018 first-overall
This should be the one and only time that Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin will be placed this low in the lineup heading into a season. Dahlin, the first-overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, is a defenseman the likes of which Buffalo hasn't seen in decades and beginning sometime this season, we'll see him on the top-pairing logging big minutes for the Sabres.
The only comparable defense prospect to Dahlin in Buffalo would be Phil Housley, drafted out of St. Paul High School, Minnesota. The 18 yr. old Housley was a pure offensive dynamo from the blueline who's 338 goals and 1232 points helped punch his ticket to the Hockey Hall of Fame. However, his offensive prowess was directly proportionate to his defensive liabilities to the point where early in his career he was so bad on defense that Hall of Fame head coach Scotty Bowman moved him to wing where he scored a chunk of his points during his eight-year playing career in Buffalo.
Other than that, some of the Sabres top defensemen throughout their history include Jim Schoenfeld, Mike Ramsey, Jerry "King Kong" Korab and Brain Campbell all of whom played very well for Buffalo, but none of whom were considered close to elite.
Buffalo got lucky when the ping pong balls fell their way at the 2018 draft lottery. With Sabres logo in hand, Buffalo GM Jason Botterill stood on stage while Sabreland had visions of Dahlin dancing in their heads. Sure, none had seen him live, but the highlights were full of jaw-dropping moments see below) with some saying that Dahlin could be the best defenseman to hit the NHL since Hall of Famer Denis Potvin who lead the NY Islanders to four straight Stanley Cups (1980-83.) Potvin's Legends of Hockey bio at the Hockey Hall of Fame website noted that he was the first defenseman to score over 1,000 points and is considered "one of the most complete bluliners ever to step on the ice."
When Dahlin hit the ice in Buffalo for development camp the skills he displayed were that of a forward with skating that was fluid and fast. For those who were seeing him for the first time live, it was a wonder to behold his hip movement, stickwork and angles on defense showing that he's not just a pure offensive-defenseman.
As an 18 yr. old rookie, Dahlin will have a lot to work on and will go through a lot of growing pains but his skating alone will ease the workload and dull some of the pains. Tonight he begins his career in the Blue and Gold skating on Buffalo's top-pairing in the annual Sabres Prospect Challenge. This will be an opportunity for him to show where he stands along side his peers as prospects from three other NHL teams--the Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins--battle in a round-robin event at HarborCenter in downtown Buffalo.
Dahlin has been playing against men in Sweden's top professional league for the last two seasons and finished his SHL career with a seven-goal, 20-point season prior to Buffalo drafting him. He has a poised demeanor on the ice (and off the ice as well,) projecting a confidence in himself and his skill-level. There's no reason to think that all of his traits won't be on display beginning 7 pm tonight when the Sabres prospects take on their counterparts from New Jersey.
It's the type of tournament that he should dominate. Even if he doesn't today or at any point in the tournament, it's only a matter of time. Hockey, unlike other North American pro sports, is usually spot on when they dub draft prospects as franchise-changers. They don't come along that often but when they do if you're lucky you'll be in the position to land one.
And Buffalo certainly was lucky to land Dahlin.
Building the 2018-19 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Conor Sheary / C, Jack Eichel / RW, Sam Reinhart
LW, Jeff Skinner / C, Casey Mittelstadt / RW, Kyle Okposo
LHD, Marco Scandella / RHD, Rasmus Ristolainen
LHD, Rasmus Dahlin /
G, Carter Hutton
For those who have missed Dahlin's highlights here's some of them from on YouTube from Krypts:
*****
Rochester Americans head coach Chris Taylor is in charge of the prospects for The Challenge and according to sabres.com, here were his lines and pairings from practice yesterday:
Forwards
41 Victor Olofsson - 37 Casey Mittelstadt - 72 Tage Thompson
92 Alex Nylander - 74 Rasmus Asplund - 52 Andrew Oglevie
83 Shane Eiserman - 77 Vasily Glotov - 75 Judd Peterson
73 Matej Pekar - 86 Kevin Hancock - 79 Cole Coskey
76 Pascal Aquin - 78 Myles Powell - 46 Eric Cornel
Defensemen
26 Rasmus Dahlin - 33 William Borgen
45 Brendan Guhle - 67 Arvin Atwal
44 Brandon Hickey - 58 Oskari Laaksonen
24 Lawrence Pilut - 84 Nicholas Welsh
61 Devante Stephens - 70 Tobie Bisson
Goalies
34 Jonas Johansson
1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
LHD--Rasmus Dahlin
18 yrs. old
6'2" 181 lbs.
2018 first-overall
This should be the one and only time that Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin will be placed this low in the lineup heading into a season. Dahlin, the first-overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, is a defenseman the likes of which Buffalo hasn't seen in decades and beginning sometime this season, we'll see him on the top-pairing logging big minutes for the Sabres.
The only comparable defense prospect to Dahlin in Buffalo would be Phil Housley, drafted out of St. Paul High School, Minnesota. The 18 yr. old Housley was a pure offensive dynamo from the blueline who's 338 goals and 1232 points helped punch his ticket to the Hockey Hall of Fame. However, his offensive prowess was directly proportionate to his defensive liabilities to the point where early in his career he was so bad on defense that Hall of Fame head coach Scotty Bowman moved him to wing where he scored a chunk of his points during his eight-year playing career in Buffalo.
Other than that, some of the Sabres top defensemen throughout their history include Jim Schoenfeld, Mike Ramsey, Jerry "King Kong" Korab and Brain Campbell all of whom played very well for Buffalo, but none of whom were considered close to elite.
Buffalo got lucky when the ping pong balls fell their way at the 2018 draft lottery. With Sabres logo in hand, Buffalo GM Jason Botterill stood on stage while Sabreland had visions of Dahlin dancing in their heads. Sure, none had seen him live, but the highlights were full of jaw-dropping moments see below) with some saying that Dahlin could be the best defenseman to hit the NHL since Hall of Famer Denis Potvin who lead the NY Islanders to four straight Stanley Cups (1980-83.) Potvin's Legends of Hockey bio at the Hockey Hall of Fame website noted that he was the first defenseman to score over 1,000 points and is considered "one of the most complete bluliners ever to step on the ice."
When Dahlin hit the ice in Buffalo for development camp the skills he displayed were that of a forward with skating that was fluid and fast. For those who were seeing him for the first time live, it was a wonder to behold his hip movement, stickwork and angles on defense showing that he's not just a pure offensive-defenseman.
As an 18 yr. old rookie, Dahlin will have a lot to work on and will go through a lot of growing pains but his skating alone will ease the workload and dull some of the pains. Tonight he begins his career in the Blue and Gold skating on Buffalo's top-pairing in the annual Sabres Prospect Challenge. This will be an opportunity for him to show where he stands along side his peers as prospects from three other NHL teams--the Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins--battle in a round-robin event at HarborCenter in downtown Buffalo.
Dahlin has been playing against men in Sweden's top professional league for the last two seasons and finished his SHL career with a seven-goal, 20-point season prior to Buffalo drafting him. He has a poised demeanor on the ice (and off the ice as well,) projecting a confidence in himself and his skill-level. There's no reason to think that all of his traits won't be on display beginning 7 pm tonight when the Sabres prospects take on their counterparts from New Jersey.
It's the type of tournament that he should dominate. Even if he doesn't today or at any point in the tournament, it's only a matter of time. Hockey, unlike other North American pro sports, is usually spot on when they dub draft prospects as franchise-changers. They don't come along that often but when they do if you're lucky you'll be in the position to land one.
And Buffalo certainly was lucky to land Dahlin.
Building the 2018-19 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Conor Sheary / C, Jack Eichel / RW, Sam Reinhart
LW, Jeff Skinner / C, Casey Mittelstadt / RW, Kyle Okposo
LHD, Marco Scandella / RHD, Rasmus Ristolainen
LHD, Rasmus Dahlin /
G, Carter Hutton
For those who have missed Dahlin's highlights here's some of them from on YouTube from Krypts:
*****
Rochester Americans head coach Chris Taylor is in charge of the prospects for The Challenge and according to sabres.com, here were his lines and pairings from practice yesterday:
Forwards
41 Victor Olofsson - 37 Casey Mittelstadt - 72 Tage Thompson
92 Alex Nylander - 74 Rasmus Asplund - 52 Andrew Oglevie
83 Shane Eiserman - 77 Vasily Glotov - 75 Judd Peterson
73 Matej Pekar - 86 Kevin Hancock - 79 Cole Coskey
76 Pascal Aquin - 78 Myles Powell - 46 Eric Cornel
Defensemen
26 Rasmus Dahlin - 33 William Borgen
45 Brendan Guhle - 67 Arvin Atwal
44 Brandon Hickey - 58 Oskari Laaksonen
24 Lawrence Pilut - 84 Nicholas Welsh
61 Devante Stephens - 70 Tobie Bisson
Goalies
34 Jonas Johansson
1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Friday, September 7, 2018
Buffalo has a lot of talent heading into 2018 Prospects Challenge
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-5-2018
The third annual Buffalo Sabres Prospects Challenge is set to commence this Friday with the Sabres and three other teams--Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins--trotting out their prospects in a round-robin tournament. Here's the schedule:
Friday, Sept. 7
The Sabres announced their Prospects Challenge roster yesterday and amongst the youngins that will be hitting the ice are center Casey Mittelstadt and defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, both of whom are expected to be in Buffalo's opening night lineup on October 4.
Mittelstadt was selected eighth-overall in 2017 by Buffalo and displayed NHL talent while playing in six games for the Sabres at the end of the last season. The 6'0" 209 lb. center left the University of Minnesota after his freshman season and scored his first NHL goal while adding four assists in six games for the Buffalo.
Dahlin was drafted first-overall at the 2018 NHL Draft and put on a skills clinic at Sabres Development Camp in June. The 6'3" 186 lb. Swedish defenseman is making the jump to the NHL as an 18 yr. old and this will be his first taste of competition against other NHL teams.
For Buffalo fans, you can't ask for much more when it comes to those two prospect headliners but there are some other intriguing names ready to hit the ice beginning Friday as an array of picks and free agents from various years compete to not only win, but also catch the attention of Buffalo's brass. In just under a year and a half, Sabres GM Jason Botterill has culled together a group of youngins that was recently dubbed the top farm system in the NHL by The Athletic's Corey Pronman. "And it wasn't even close," Pronman wrote.
Besides blue-chippers Mittelstadt and Dahlin, the Sabres Challenge roster includes defenseman Brendan Guhle (2015, 51st-overall,) who just finished his first full season with Buffalo's AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. The very athletic and smooth-skating Guhle looked poised for an opening night roster spot in Buffalo until the Sabres drafted Dahlin yet he still might force his way into the conversation come opening night. Guhle was dominant at development camp in June and there's no reason to think that he won't take all the professional experience he's gained the last year-plus and use it to make an impact at the tournament.
Two-way center Rasmus Asplund is making his North American debut this season after spending the last three seasons playing against men in the SHL, Sweden's top hockey league. The 20 yr. old said at this year's NHLPA’s Rookie Showcase in Toronto that initially he was disappointed he had to spend last season in Sweden but that afterwards he was happy that he played with Farjestad in the big role he was given for a playoff team.
The Swedish invasion continues with forward Victor Olofsson and defenseman Lawrence Pilut, both of whom were 2018 SHL award winners and acquitted themselves well at June's development camp. The 23 yr. old Olofsson is a 2014 seventh round draft pick (181st) who enjoyed a breakout season in the SHL as he sniped his way to a league high 27 goals earning the Hakan Loob Trophy given to the league's top goal scorer.
Pilut also enjoyed a breakout 2017-18 season in the SHL with career highs in goals (eight) and points (38.) The 22 yr. old lead all defensemen in points and assists (30) and was 13th in the league overall in scoring garnering him the Borje Salming Trophy as the SHL's best defenseman. He was one of only three undrafted defensemen to win the award. (For more on his game click here.)
An American duo coming from different directions will also be skating for he Sabres. Winger Tage Thompson was selected with the 26th-overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft by the St. Louis Blues. He was a part of the return when Botterill traded Ryan O'Reilly to St. Louis. The burgeoning 6'5" 196 lb. powerforward has a good skill package and has a top-six opportunity waiting for him this fall. That opportunity begins now for the 20 yr. old native of Glendale, Arizona who decided to turn pro in 2017 after two years at the University of Connecticut.
Undrafted free agent Andrew Oglevie left Notre Dame after his junior season. The 23 yr. old from Fullerton, California finished his NCAA career with 41 goals and 89 points in 107 collegiate games for the Irish. Oglevie left college after leading Notre Dame to the NCAA Finals where he scored their lone goal in a 2-1 loss to the University of Minnesota-Duluth in the championship game.
Two fan favorites will also be skating for the Sabres in the 2018 Prospects Challenge.
Seventh-round pick Vasily Glotov churned his way into the hearts of fans at development camp with his Max Afinogenov-type darting and quickness while earning himself an AHL contract with Rochester. Glotov was selected 190th-overall at the 2016 NHL Draft and finished his two-year QMJHL career with 93 points (44+49) in 128 games.
Matej Pekar was selected at the top of the fourth round (94th) in June and made his mark at development camp as a pest in the Brad Marchand mold. Pekar dished out a hit to Dahlin and received an earth-shattering one in return from the 2018 first-overall pick. He also needled Mittelstadt off his game in their first 3-on-3 matchup at D-camp to the point where sticks were raised. Not only did Pekar draw the ire of Mittelstadt he also got a physical greeting from winger Brett Murray (2016, 99th) who take kindly to what Pekar was doing to his team mate. Something that got lost in Pekar's rat-like tendencies at D-camp was him undressing Dahlin for a goal in the first game of the 3-on-3 tournament. (For more on Pekar click here for Part I and here for Part II.)
The most intriguing name for Sabres fans might be left winger Alexander Nylander. The 2016 first rounder (eighth-overall) is battling bust-status not because of his immense skill but, moreso because of his seeming lack of desire. Nylander has struggled through his first two pro seasons, first as an 18 yr. old who made the jump direct from Sweden's Junior league to the North American pro game after the draft and last season he after suffering an injury early in the off season. Although it's still a little too early to dub the 20 yr. old a bust, he's got his work cut out for him.
Other notables include well-traveled 22 yr. old defenseman Brandon Hickey, who was acquired from the Arizona Coyotes along with Mike Sislo in exchange for winger Hudson Fasching. Hickey was a 2016 third round pick (64th) of the Calgary Flames who traded his rights to the 'Yotes. Hickey finished his college career this season at Boston University as captain of the Terriers and signed with Buffalo.
Left wing Pascal Aquin, an undrafted free agent out of the QMJHL, signed an AHL contract in May and had himself a strong development camp. Another undrafted free agent to keep an eye on might be LW, Kevin Hancock who tallied 54 goals and 154 points in 121 games for the OHL's Owen Sound over the past two seasons.
And finally, goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen opted to sign with the Sudbury Wolves (OHL) rather than return to his native Finland and because of it finds himself at the Prospects Challenge. The towering (6'4" 196 lb.) Luukkonen was a 2017 second round pick (54th) of Buffalo. The Sabres other goaltender this weekend is Jonas Johansson, a third round pick (61st) in 2014. At 6'5" 214 lbs. Johansson is physically huge in net but despite that size he hasn't been able to get the job done in North America.
Here's the full roster from Sabres.com:
Number--Player, Position
Forwards
76-Pascal Aquin, LW
74--Rasmus Asplund, C
46--Eric Cornel, C
79--Cole Coskey, RW
83--Shane Eiserman, C
77--Vasily Glotov, C
86--Kevin Hancock, LW
37--Casey Mittelstadt, C
92--Alexander Nylander, LW
52--Andre Oglevie, C
41--Victor Olofsson, LW
73--Matej Pekar, C
75--Judd Peterson, RW
78--Myles Powell, C
72--Tage Thompson
Defensemen
67--Arvin Atwal, RHD
70--Tobie Bisson, LHD
33--William Borgen, RHD
26--Rasmus Dahlin, LHD
45--Brendan Guhle, LHD
44--Brandon Hickey, LHD
58--Oskari Laaksonen, RHD
24--Lawrence Pilut, LHD
61--Devante Stephens, LHD
84--Nicolas Welsh, RHD
Goaltenders
34--Jonas Johansson
01--Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
The third annual Buffalo Sabres Prospects Challenge is set to commence this Friday with the Sabres and three other teams--Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins--trotting out their prospects in a round-robin tournament. Here's the schedule:
Friday, Sept. 7
- Pittsburgh vs. Boston, 3:30 p.m.
- Buffalo vs. New Jersey, 7 p.m.
- New Jersey vs. Pittsburgh, 3:30 p.m.
- Buffalo vs. Boston, 7 p.m.
- Boston vs. New Jersey, 9:30 a.m.
- Buffalo vs. Pittsburgh, 12:30 p.m.
The Sabres announced their Prospects Challenge roster yesterday and amongst the youngins that will be hitting the ice are center Casey Mittelstadt and defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, both of whom are expected to be in Buffalo's opening night lineup on October 4.
Mittelstadt was selected eighth-overall in 2017 by Buffalo and displayed NHL talent while playing in six games for the Sabres at the end of the last season. The 6'0" 209 lb. center left the University of Minnesota after his freshman season and scored his first NHL goal while adding four assists in six games for the Buffalo.
Dahlin was drafted first-overall at the 2018 NHL Draft and put on a skills clinic at Sabres Development Camp in June. The 6'3" 186 lb. Swedish defenseman is making the jump to the NHL as an 18 yr. old and this will be his first taste of competition against other NHL teams.
For Buffalo fans, you can't ask for much more when it comes to those two prospect headliners but there are some other intriguing names ready to hit the ice beginning Friday as an array of picks and free agents from various years compete to not only win, but also catch the attention of Buffalo's brass. In just under a year and a half, Sabres GM Jason Botterill has culled together a group of youngins that was recently dubbed the top farm system in the NHL by The Athletic's Corey Pronman. "And it wasn't even close," Pronman wrote.
Besides blue-chippers Mittelstadt and Dahlin, the Sabres Challenge roster includes defenseman Brendan Guhle (2015, 51st-overall,) who just finished his first full season with Buffalo's AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. The very athletic and smooth-skating Guhle looked poised for an opening night roster spot in Buffalo until the Sabres drafted Dahlin yet he still might force his way into the conversation come opening night. Guhle was dominant at development camp in June and there's no reason to think that he won't take all the professional experience he's gained the last year-plus and use it to make an impact at the tournament.
Two-way center Rasmus Asplund is making his North American debut this season after spending the last three seasons playing against men in the SHL, Sweden's top hockey league. The 20 yr. old said at this year's NHLPA’s Rookie Showcase in Toronto that initially he was disappointed he had to spend last season in Sweden but that afterwards he was happy that he played with Farjestad in the big role he was given for a playoff team.
The Swedish invasion continues with forward Victor Olofsson and defenseman Lawrence Pilut, both of whom were 2018 SHL award winners and acquitted themselves well at June's development camp. The 23 yr. old Olofsson is a 2014 seventh round draft pick (181st) who enjoyed a breakout season in the SHL as he sniped his way to a league high 27 goals earning the Hakan Loob Trophy given to the league's top goal scorer.
Pilut also enjoyed a breakout 2017-18 season in the SHL with career highs in goals (eight) and points (38.) The 22 yr. old lead all defensemen in points and assists (30) and was 13th in the league overall in scoring garnering him the Borje Salming Trophy as the SHL's best defenseman. He was one of only three undrafted defensemen to win the award. (For more on his game click here.)
An American duo coming from different directions will also be skating for he Sabres. Winger Tage Thompson was selected with the 26th-overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft by the St. Louis Blues. He was a part of the return when Botterill traded Ryan O'Reilly to St. Louis. The burgeoning 6'5" 196 lb. powerforward has a good skill package and has a top-six opportunity waiting for him this fall. That opportunity begins now for the 20 yr. old native of Glendale, Arizona who decided to turn pro in 2017 after two years at the University of Connecticut.
Undrafted free agent Andrew Oglevie left Notre Dame after his junior season. The 23 yr. old from Fullerton, California finished his NCAA career with 41 goals and 89 points in 107 collegiate games for the Irish. Oglevie left college after leading Notre Dame to the NCAA Finals where he scored their lone goal in a 2-1 loss to the University of Minnesota-Duluth in the championship game.
Two fan favorites will also be skating for the Sabres in the 2018 Prospects Challenge.
Seventh-round pick Vasily Glotov churned his way into the hearts of fans at development camp with his Max Afinogenov-type darting and quickness while earning himself an AHL contract with Rochester. Glotov was selected 190th-overall at the 2016 NHL Draft and finished his two-year QMJHL career with 93 points (44+49) in 128 games.
Matej Pekar was selected at the top of the fourth round (94th) in June and made his mark at development camp as a pest in the Brad Marchand mold. Pekar dished out a hit to Dahlin and received an earth-shattering one in return from the 2018 first-overall pick. He also needled Mittelstadt off his game in their first 3-on-3 matchup at D-camp to the point where sticks were raised. Not only did Pekar draw the ire of Mittelstadt he also got a physical greeting from winger Brett Murray (2016, 99th) who take kindly to what Pekar was doing to his team mate. Something that got lost in Pekar's rat-like tendencies at D-camp was him undressing Dahlin for a goal in the first game of the 3-on-3 tournament. (For more on Pekar click here for Part I and here for Part II.)
The most intriguing name for Sabres fans might be left winger Alexander Nylander. The 2016 first rounder (eighth-overall) is battling bust-status not because of his immense skill but, moreso because of his seeming lack of desire. Nylander has struggled through his first two pro seasons, first as an 18 yr. old who made the jump direct from Sweden's Junior league to the North American pro game after the draft and last season he after suffering an injury early in the off season. Although it's still a little too early to dub the 20 yr. old a bust, he's got his work cut out for him.
Other notables include well-traveled 22 yr. old defenseman Brandon Hickey, who was acquired from the Arizona Coyotes along with Mike Sislo in exchange for winger Hudson Fasching. Hickey was a 2016 third round pick (64th) of the Calgary Flames who traded his rights to the 'Yotes. Hickey finished his college career this season at Boston University as captain of the Terriers and signed with Buffalo.
Left wing Pascal Aquin, an undrafted free agent out of the QMJHL, signed an AHL contract in May and had himself a strong development camp. Another undrafted free agent to keep an eye on might be LW, Kevin Hancock who tallied 54 goals and 154 points in 121 games for the OHL's Owen Sound over the past two seasons.
And finally, goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen opted to sign with the Sudbury Wolves (OHL) rather than return to his native Finland and because of it finds himself at the Prospects Challenge. The towering (6'4" 196 lb.) Luukkonen was a 2017 second round pick (54th) of Buffalo. The Sabres other goaltender this weekend is Jonas Johansson, a third round pick (61st) in 2014. At 6'5" 214 lbs. Johansson is physically huge in net but despite that size he hasn't been able to get the job done in North America.
Here's the full roster from Sabres.com:
Number--Player, Position
Forwards
76-Pascal Aquin, LW
74--Rasmus Asplund, C
46--Eric Cornel, C
79--Cole Coskey, RW
83--Shane Eiserman, C
77--Vasily Glotov, C
86--Kevin Hancock, LW
37--Casey Mittelstadt, C
92--Alexander Nylander, LW
52--Andre Oglevie, C
41--Victor Olofsson, LW
73--Matej Pekar, C
75--Judd Peterson, RW
78--Myles Powell, C
72--Tage Thompson
Defensemen
67--Arvin Atwal, RHD
70--Tobie Bisson, LHD
33--William Borgen, RHD
26--Rasmus Dahlin, LHD
45--Brendan Guhle, LHD
44--Brandon Hickey, LHD
58--Oskari Laaksonen, RHD
24--Lawrence Pilut, LHD
61--Devante Stephens, LHD
84--Nicolas Welsh, RHD
Goaltenders
34--Jonas Johansson
01--Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
Building the 2018-19 Buffalo Sabres roster--RW, Kyle Okposo
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-4-2018
Kyle Okposo
30 yrs. old
6'0" 220 lbs.
2006, 7th-overall (NYI)
Signed as a free agent July 1, 2016
Career stats: 670 games | 173 goals | 285 assists | 458 points | -101
The 2017-18 NHL season for Buffalo Sabres right winger Kyle Okposo is being widely regarded as a mulligan for the 30 yr. old. Okposo's health issues, stemming from treatment for a concussion, landed him in the intensive care unit in April, 2017 and as the off season hit, for him it wasn't about gearing up for the following season it was more about whether or not he'd ever be able to play the game again.
Okposo did recover and when he was seen skating in Da Beauty League, an annual charity tournament in his home state of Minnesota, there was a strong sense that everything would be OK with him. But in addition to losing the last chunk of the 2016-17 regular season, Okposo missed a lot of off-season workouts geared towards being ready for the upcoming season. And it affected him immensely.
"Last summer was just a lot about working on my mind and making sure I could play the game again," he told the gathered media after a recent informal workout with some team mates. "Now it's like, OK, I can play, let's get back to trying to be an elite player. That's something that I just didn't have the base last year and excited that I put the work in this summer to get it back.
"It was a big relief to where I could just train the way I want to and do the things that I know make me a successful hockey player."
The successes that Okposo had on the ice translated into career averages of 21 goals and 56 points per 82 games but last season he had only 15 goals and 44 points in 76 games. It took him six games to register his first point and 11 games to register his first goal and during the 2017 portion of the season, Okposo had scored only six goals and 16 points in 36 games.
After finishing the season strong, a pensive Okposo said at locker cleanout that the 2017-18 campaign for him was more about being able to play the NHL game again. "Looking back on this year, " he told the gathered media, "and looking back to where I was a year ago, all things considered I'm pretty happy that I played a full season.
"I didn't know if I was going to be able to at this time last year and honestly I wasn't even thinking about hockey at that time."
Considering that he did play a full season (minus a handful of games) and managed to produce nine goals and 28 points through the final 40 games while looking like old self in the process, a mulligan for the season is certainly warranted.
However, Okposo is now facing another hurdle--Father Time. The 30 yr. old is at a point where, generally speaking, players begin to decline. "I’ve been around this game awhile now," he said, "and you get on the other side of 30 and a lot of guys say, ‘Oh he’s past his prime’ and 'If he has a couple of bad years, he’s on the way down' and I’m very aware of that and seen it happen to many guys.
“I’m not going to be happy just riding off into the sunset."
Buffalo hopes he doesn't do that either as the contract he has with the Sabres still has five more years left on it (all with a modified no-trade clause,) at a $6 million cap-hit, which is second on the team only to Jack Eichel and his $10 million cap-hit that begins this year. GM Jason Botterill was left with a lot of dead weight by his predecessor and he doesn't need another anvil weighing his franchise down.
The good news is that Okposo started out his first year in Buffalo leading the team in scoring through 63 games with 43 points (19+24.) The bad new is that it all went downhill with his health issues. This year things are looking up and if he can hit his career averages it will be a pretty strong accomplishment for him.
Unless there is some problem with Sam Reinhart and his contract negotiations Okposo will probably be Buffalo's No. 2 right winger with rookie Casey Mittelstadt or veteran Patrick Berglund at center. In either instance he expects, and is expected, to succeed.
Building the 2018-19 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Conor Sheary / C, Jack Eichel / RW, Sam Reinhart
LW, Jeff Skinner / C, Casey Mittelstadt / RW, Kyle Okposo
LHD, Marco Scandella / RHD, Rasmus Ristolainen
G, Carter Hutton
Kyle Okposo 2017 locker cleanout via Sabres.com:
Kyle Okposo
30 yrs. old
6'0" 220 lbs.
2006, 7th-overall (NYI)
Signed as a free agent July 1, 2016
Career stats: 670 games | 173 goals | 285 assists | 458 points | -101
The 2017-18 NHL season for Buffalo Sabres right winger Kyle Okposo is being widely regarded as a mulligan for the 30 yr. old. Okposo's health issues, stemming from treatment for a concussion, landed him in the intensive care unit in April, 2017 and as the off season hit, for him it wasn't about gearing up for the following season it was more about whether or not he'd ever be able to play the game again.
Okposo did recover and when he was seen skating in Da Beauty League, an annual charity tournament in his home state of Minnesota, there was a strong sense that everything would be OK with him. But in addition to losing the last chunk of the 2016-17 regular season, Okposo missed a lot of off-season workouts geared towards being ready for the upcoming season. And it affected him immensely.
"Last summer was just a lot about working on my mind and making sure I could play the game again," he told the gathered media after a recent informal workout with some team mates. "Now it's like, OK, I can play, let's get back to trying to be an elite player. That's something that I just didn't have the base last year and excited that I put the work in this summer to get it back.
"It was a big relief to where I could just train the way I want to and do the things that I know make me a successful hockey player."
The successes that Okposo had on the ice translated into career averages of 21 goals and 56 points per 82 games but last season he had only 15 goals and 44 points in 76 games. It took him six games to register his first point and 11 games to register his first goal and during the 2017 portion of the season, Okposo had scored only six goals and 16 points in 36 games.
After finishing the season strong, a pensive Okposo said at locker cleanout that the 2017-18 campaign for him was more about being able to play the NHL game again. "Looking back on this year, " he told the gathered media, "and looking back to where I was a year ago, all things considered I'm pretty happy that I played a full season.
"I didn't know if I was going to be able to at this time last year and honestly I wasn't even thinking about hockey at that time."
Considering that he did play a full season (minus a handful of games) and managed to produce nine goals and 28 points through the final 40 games while looking like old self in the process, a mulligan for the season is certainly warranted.
However, Okposo is now facing another hurdle--Father Time. The 30 yr. old is at a point where, generally speaking, players begin to decline. "I’ve been around this game awhile now," he said, "and you get on the other side of 30 and a lot of guys say, ‘Oh he’s past his prime’ and 'If he has a couple of bad years, he’s on the way down' and I’m very aware of that and seen it happen to many guys.
“I’m not going to be happy just riding off into the sunset."
Buffalo hopes he doesn't do that either as the contract he has with the Sabres still has five more years left on it (all with a modified no-trade clause,) at a $6 million cap-hit, which is second on the team only to Jack Eichel and his $10 million cap-hit that begins this year. GM Jason Botterill was left with a lot of dead weight by his predecessor and he doesn't need another anvil weighing his franchise down.
The good news is that Okposo started out his first year in Buffalo leading the team in scoring through 63 games with 43 points (19+24.) The bad new is that it all went downhill with his health issues. This year things are looking up and if he can hit his career averages it will be a pretty strong accomplishment for him.
Unless there is some problem with Sam Reinhart and his contract negotiations Okposo will probably be Buffalo's No. 2 right winger with rookie Casey Mittelstadt or veteran Patrick Berglund at center. In either instance he expects, and is expected, to succeed.
Building the 2018-19 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Conor Sheary / C, Jack Eichel / RW, Sam Reinhart
LW, Jeff Skinner / C, Casey Mittelstadt / RW, Kyle Okposo
LHD, Marco Scandella / RHD, Rasmus Ristolainen
G, Carter Hutton
Kyle Okposo 2017 locker cleanout via Sabres.com:
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