Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
For Rochester Americans forward Tim Schaller, making the Buffalo Sabres roster out of training camp just might be the "easiest" part of his hockey journey thus far.
The undrafted free agent who signed with Buffalo out of Providence College last year only has his game to think about as he stands on the precipice of the NHL.
"It's there for me to take if I want it," he said. "From the coaches comments during [development] camp, if you work hard and play hard in camp then it's there for you. If I want it, it's there."
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Friday, August 15, 2014
Bryan Trottier's bringing a "tried and true" championship philosophy to Buffalo
Reprinted with permission form hockeybuzz.com
With the Buffalo Sabres rebuild now fully engaged in the "build" aspect of the equation, player development is at the fore, and newly named assistant head coach Bryan Trottier will be the focal point at the NHL level.
The seven-time Stanley Cup winner with 1425 points in 1279 NHL games was on WGR' Hockey Hotline yesterday introducing himself to the Buffalo listening audience.
Although I'm sure there's a smile every time he talks about his incredible playing career "at the same time," he said, "the present and future are more important to be talking about right now."
That "present" would be bringing the knowledge of over 40 years in the game of hockey--as a player, in the front office and on the bench--to a large group of young players that constitute the Buffalo Sabres future.
Said Trottier, who fondly remembers his days as a young player full of vim and vigor, "There's a lot of knowledge I want to share with young hockey players. It's a fun time in [their] life, they're playing a game that they absolutely love to death."
With the Buffalo Sabres rebuild now fully engaged in the "build" aspect of the equation, player development is at the fore, and newly named assistant head coach Bryan Trottier will be the focal point at the NHL level.
The seven-time Stanley Cup winner with 1425 points in 1279 NHL games was on WGR' Hockey Hotline yesterday introducing himself to the Buffalo listening audience.
Although I'm sure there's a smile every time he talks about his incredible playing career "at the same time," he said, "the present and future are more important to be talking about right now."
That "present" would be bringing the knowledge of over 40 years in the game of hockey--as a player, in the front office and on the bench--to a large group of young players that constitute the Buffalo Sabres future.
Said Trottier, who fondly remembers his days as a young player full of vim and vigor, "There's a lot of knowledge I want to share with young hockey players. It's a fun time in [their] life, they're playing a game that they absolutely love to death."
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
The 2012 and 2013 draft classes are looking pretty solid
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
For the past two drafts the Buffalo Sabres have been laying a pretty good foundation for the future.
The 2012 draft was a good haul as six of the eight players drafted that year are signed with the club.
Twenty year old Zemgus Girgensons will be heading into his second NHL season and fellow first-rounder Mikhail Grigorenko will be in his third season with the club. After bouncing around, Grigorenko will be settled in to Rochester to continue his development.
Three other 2012 draftees--D, Jake McCabe (44th overall,) F, Justin Kea (73rd) and D, Brady Austin (193rd)--will begin in Rochester this season having signed their entry-level contracts.
Goalie Linus Ullmark (163rd) is on a sliding ELC and will remain in Sweden for another year before coming to North America next season.
And if this off-season is any indication, the 2013 draft class may be even stronger.
For the past two drafts the Buffalo Sabres have been laying a pretty good foundation for the future.
The 2012 draft was a good haul as six of the eight players drafted that year are signed with the club.
Twenty year old Zemgus Girgensons will be heading into his second NHL season and fellow first-rounder Mikhail Grigorenko will be in his third season with the club. After bouncing around, Grigorenko will be settled in to Rochester to continue his development.
Three other 2012 draftees--D, Jake McCabe (44th overall,) F, Justin Kea (73rd) and D, Brady Austin (193rd)--will begin in Rochester this season having signed their entry-level contracts.
Goalie Linus Ullmark (163rd) is on a sliding ELC and will remain in Sweden for another year before coming to North America next season.
And if this off-season is any indication, the 2013 draft class may be even stronger.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Is this the apex of "analytics movement?"
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
"There are three kinds of lies. Lies, damned lies and statistics."
American satirist Mark Twain used that phrase, possibly borrowed from British politician and writer Benjamin Disraeli who was said to have coined it.
A few years down the road from now as we sit at the possible apex of the analytics movement, will National Hockey League satirists and writers end up changing "statistics" in that quote to "analytics?"
The advanced stats trend is rolling forward full force to the point where the Edmonton Oilers earlier this week just hired a blogger to help out.
The Oilers have been in a slump since losing the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals. (to this point there's been no mention of a curse on the Edmonton franchise for being the first Canadian franchise to lose the Cup to a "non-traditional market" team like Carolina)
"There are three kinds of lies. Lies, damned lies and statistics."
American satirist Mark Twain used that phrase, possibly borrowed from British politician and writer Benjamin Disraeli who was said to have coined it.
A few years down the road from now as we sit at the possible apex of the analytics movement, will National Hockey League satirists and writers end up changing "statistics" in that quote to "analytics?"
The advanced stats trend is rolling forward full force to the point where the Edmonton Oilers earlier this week just hired a blogger to help out.
The Oilers have been in a slump since losing the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals. (to this point there's been no mention of a curse on the Edmonton franchise for being the first Canadian franchise to lose the Cup to a "non-traditional market" team like Carolina)
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Growth of a Hockey Department
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
"Starting today, there will be no financial mandates on the Buffalo Sabres hockey department. There is no salary cap in the National Hockey League on scouting budgets and player development budgets. I plan on increasing... increasing our scouting budgets, both with bodies on the ground, and in areas we may not be hitting capably, and also enhancing our video department. Starting today, we will bring in more player development coaches, to help these guys become better hockey players, work on their weaknesses, or whatever the coaches think. We will aspire to be the best in the league at finding, developing, and keeping our players in their new Buffalo Sabre family."
--Terry Pegula, February 22, 2011
With those words, Sabres owner Terry Pegula began a mission to restock a bare-bones hockey department.
"Starting today, there will be no financial mandates on the Buffalo Sabres hockey department. There is no salary cap in the National Hockey League on scouting budgets and player development budgets. I plan on increasing... increasing our scouting budgets, both with bodies on the ground, and in areas we may not be hitting capably, and also enhancing our video department. Starting today, we will bring in more player development coaches, to help these guys become better hockey players, work on their weaknesses, or whatever the coaches think. We will aspire to be the best in the league at finding, developing, and keeping our players in their new Buffalo Sabre family."
--Terry Pegula, February 22, 2011
With those words, Sabres owner Terry Pegula began a mission to restock a bare-bones hockey department.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Maybe Tyler Myers contract wasn't so foolish afterall
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Montreal Canadiens defenseman PK Subban just got himself one helluva contract extension yesterday.
The deal keeps him in Montreal for 8 years at an extremely high price: $72M.
The $9M average is third on the list behind Alexander Ovechkin ($9.538M) and Evgeni Malkin ($9.5M) and places the 25 yr. old Subban above Sidney Crosby ($8.7M) and Corey Perry ($8.625M.)
Amongst defenseman Subban rose far above Shea Weber ($7.85,) Ryan Suter ($7.5M) and Kris Letang ($7.25M.)
It's some pretty lofty company for Subban.
And it's a pretty strong commitment made by the Canadiens and their GM, Marc Bergevin.
Montreal Canadiens defenseman PK Subban just got himself one helluva contract extension yesterday.
The deal keeps him in Montreal for 8 years at an extremely high price: $72M.
The $9M average is third on the list behind Alexander Ovechkin ($9.538M) and Evgeni Malkin ($9.5M) and places the 25 yr. old Subban above Sidney Crosby ($8.7M) and Corey Perry ($8.625M.)
Amongst defenseman Subban rose far above Shea Weber ($7.85,) Ryan Suter ($7.5M) and Kris Letang ($7.25M.)
It's some pretty lofty company for Subban.
And it's a pretty strong commitment made by the Canadiens and their GM, Marc Bergevin.
Friday, August 1, 2014
Sabres owner puts the hammerlock on other bidders for Bills
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Many years ago, when Terry Pegula was broke trying to get his East Resources company off the ground Pegula told a friend that if he ever had the wherewithal to purchase his favorite hockey team, the Buffalo Sabres, he wouldn't hesitate.
Decades later, after selling East Rescources for $4.3B, he did just that.
Pegula had come across then Sabres owner Tom Golisano in Florida. Both were very wealthy men and both had ties to Western New York.
Golisano had bought the Buffalo Sabres from the NHL for roughly $90M in 2003 and had balked at offers to sell the team, mainly to Jim Balsille, for an huge return.
He knew what the Sabres meant to Western New York and held out until the right person came along.
That person was Pegula.
Many years ago, when Terry Pegula was broke trying to get his East Resources company off the ground Pegula told a friend that if he ever had the wherewithal to purchase his favorite hockey team, the Buffalo Sabres, he wouldn't hesitate.
Decades later, after selling East Rescources for $4.3B, he did just that.
Pegula had come across then Sabres owner Tom Golisano in Florida. Both were very wealthy men and both had ties to Western New York.
Golisano had bought the Buffalo Sabres from the NHL for roughly $90M in 2003 and had balked at offers to sell the team, mainly to Jim Balsille, for an huge return.
He knew what the Sabres meant to Western New York and held out until the right person came along.
That person was Pegula.
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