The Sabres acquired Nathan Beaulieu, D, from Montreal for a measly 3rd round pick. Some thoughts & observations: 1) Nat hails from Strathroy, ON, Canada. That is the hometown of one Brian F. Campbell who once, you may recall, played D for the Sabres and acquitted himself very well. Oh boy! love me some Strathroy D! 2) Nathan was a 1st round pick not too long ago by the Habs. If he had played to his draft status he'd never have been traded. 3) If it weren't for the exp. draft he'd never have been traded either, at least not for a 3rd. 4) He is 24 yrs. old; the age that d-men traditionally come into their own in the NHL. It is much too early to project his career trajectory based on his NHL stats. 5) The Sabres recently hired a HC that has a reputation for working well with young d-men to help them develop. Obviously it's too early to say for sure what impact teh Phil Housley will have on the Sabres, but it is reasonable, (even understated), to say that he may have a positive impact. Antipin, Beaulieu, and possibly Guhle will be new blueliners next season. Ristoleinen, McCabe, and Beaulieu (Antipin is exempt)will be protected in the exp. draft. Kulikov* and Franson are as good as gone. God bless the Vegas Golden Knights if they select Gorges or Bogosian. (* Kulikov will probably make his new team very happy. It could have been different if the bench door hadn't hit him on the ass the first week of the season, and if he hadn't been traded to a Bylsma coached team.) So far, so good. The Sabres D will almost assuredly be much more stout next season - granted, that's not actually saying much.
There's room for one more top-four d-man if Botterill can find a reasonable trade partner. There are a lot more options than just Anaheim and Minnesota for those teams looking for D. Montreal has probably unloaded what they will, but the Islanders have D, (I think de Haan could be had and he's underrated). Hex in Philly might trade D in for the right return. Both VAN & CHI could be cajoled out of D during the entry draft - if not already arranged expansion draft moves. Of course Vegas may benefit from the demand for D by drafting & flipping, which could result in players moving to teams that typically do not trade with each other.
It's been "reported" widely that former GM Tim Murray had an expansion draft deal in place with his buddy McPhee. Of course that's not binding on new GM Jason Botterill, but the word is that the TM deal involved Vegas taking Matt Moulson in return for not selecting a G, Larsson, Carrier, or Girgensons (one or more of which may be exposed). That's likely to cost a fairly high draft pick and a decent prospect. Moulson is a Cornell guy so it'll be sad to see him go, it's also sad to lose a player that genuinely loves playing in Buffalo. That is all offset by the subtraction of his $5.25MM salary for the next 2 seasons.
Nathan Beaulieu for a 3rd is a steal... he's only going to get better. Had career highs in goals assists and points last season. As a Wings fan who's team is lacking good defensive talent, I'm jealous. __________
The exp. draft protected list for the Sabres: Forwards Ryan O?Reilly Kyle Okposo Evander Kane Johan Larsson Marcus Foligno Tyler Ennis Zemgus Girgensons Defensemen Rasmus Ristolainen Jake McCabe Nathan Beaulieu Goaltender Robin Lehner The biggest names left unprotected by Buffalo include Will Carrier, Zach Bogosian, Matt Moulson, and Linus Ullmark. This is pretty much what I expected with only a mild surprise the Tyler Ennis was protected at Will Carrier's expense. Carrier or Linus Ullmark will be most attractive to Vegas if they go with young talent. There are persistent rumors that the Sabres & Golden Knights have a deal worked out that would probably protect these two, and would see Matt Moulson along with a pick and/or prospect going to Vegas. All in all, the expansion draft probably represents more of an opportunity for Buffalo than a risk. Losing Carrier would not feel good, but that's the worst that could happen. Meanwhile, BUF may drop salary and/or take a flip from Vegas for some other team's more valuable asset.
https://theleafsnation.com/2017/05/26/because-its-the-cap-buffalo-sabres-offseason-preview/ this is from last month and seems really harsh! I did think overall it was a good informational read. I'm just not sure how reliable it is ?
Consider the "Laffable" source. Yes, that's an intended play on the Toronto Laffs. Buffalo got an F for the 2016-17 season and it doesn't take much insight to recognize that. Otherwise, this "analysis" was extraordinarily shallow - even insipid even by the normally egregiously biased perspective of Leafs fans. The commentary on Ristoleinen was devoid of any context. It was an abuse of advanced analytics that looks at the "facts" (the stats) and makes no effort to put them in context of team and coaching style. In fact, it seems devoid of any awareness that context even matters. The Sabres need to do a lot this offseason, but that is not commentary - it's the obvious. In fact, they already have: - The team has a GM that can much more effectively communicate to others within the organization. And, BTW, one who is purported to be an absolute wiz with salary capology. - The team hired a new head coach that is expected to utilize a system that is recognizable as 21st century hockey. - The D has already gotten younger and faster, and with players that can carry the puck with the additions of Antipin and Beaulieu. There were several anomalies to last season's fail that are not so easily explained with the pat "they a suck" style of analysis. - The Sabres were number 1 in the NHL in PP. For a team that purports to have had trouble scoring (which they did on 5v5 and in PK and SO), that's a statistical outlier that should not be overlooked. It states - in effect - that when D is not the normal factor, Buffalo can score with alacrity. Maybe an improved D and a new coaching system can result in much improved overall results in a hurry. There's no assurance of this being the case in 2017-18, but to ignore it demonstrates the lack of intellectual capital inside the knowledge box of the writer. The inference for those that wish to look a bit below the surface is that things could turn around very quickly for this young & talented group. - The Sabres had a playoff-worthy record vs. teams that actually made the playoffs last season. Unfortunately, they sucked hind tittie to those teams that finished outside the playoffs. This belies a young team that cannot play consistently throughout the schedule; ultimately an undisciplined team. That can be the fault of the players, but those roster issues fall more on the GM than the players. Mostly it's the fault of the HC. To not comment on this anomaly tells me that this fucking joker has his head up his ass and should not allow his mind to wander; it's too small to be let out on its own.
I am bemused by the number of Sabres fans that are upset about losing William Carrier, LW, to the Golden Knights. Granted, I like him a lot; he's 22 and very fast which is what the NHL now dictates. He also had 5 goals last season, (he missed about half the year). I think it's relatively easy to find middle to bottom line wingers. I think he could be a nice piece for the VGK's should they develop into a playoff team in a few years. Still, Vegas paid 1/2 a billion dollars for the right to build an NHL roster and for that the owners could not offer mere crumbs.
Adding Marco Scandella is a huge boost to Buffalo's defense. The other pieces in today's trade are really just spare parts. Tyler Ennis' best hockey were two year's ago. A healthy Poninville is more than an adequate replacement. Marcus Foligno is interchangeable with Johann Larsson in Buffalo, and it's good to open up a roster spot for a prospect that gives the Sabres better balance and flexibility. This could be a win for both teams, but it is definitely a win for Buffalo due to Scandella.
Left Wing These LW's have been removed from the Sabres roster this offseason: 1) Will Carrier, VGK, expansion 2) Tyler Ennis, MIN, trade 3) Marcus Foligno, MIN, trade And it is openly discussed, even expected by some, that Evander Kane will be dealt. Justin Bailey and Alex Nylander could become top six LW's but they're 1 to 3 years from realizing their NHL potential. Improving the defense was simply an imperative, and that has been done. In fact, a vastly improved D along with better coaching schemes could easily directly lead to better F scoring. It is somewhat remarkable that after subtracting three vet. LW's that the scoring hit to Buffalo is not much. It points to how thin this position really was for the Sabres. Still, GM Botterill must now look at LW as a very high priority; be it trade or FA. Thomas Vanek is on record stating he'd like to skate for BUF again before retiring. With his buddy Pommer now back in town, he may be ready to accept a modest salary to provide bottom six production. I think GM JB will inquire if Marleau would like to finish his career as a Sabre, (don't laugh, he grew up as a Buffalo fan). There should be plenty of trade options, but getting a top six type may be more challenging.
While I whiled away composing the message above, Jason Botterill was busy signing old friend Chad Johnson, G, and also LW, Benoit Pouliot. They both signed for one year, and that's perfect for the Sabres needs - both for the short term and for the long term. I still think they'll try to sign one more FA LW. And I think Botterill will prowl for opportunities that may arise in the LW trade market.
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Buffalo Sabres forward Kyle Okposo happily looks to the future now that he's fully recovered from the concussion-related symptoms that nearly derailed his career in March. Saying he's not dwelling on the past, Okposo was eager to rejoin the Sabres after skating with numerous teammates for practice a little more than a week before the team opens training camp. Though he has been skating for much of the summer, Tuesday marked his first time on the ice in Buffalo since being hospitalized late last season. "It was obviously a tough situation, a tough road," Okposo said. "I'm just happy to be back and happy to be able to play again, and play at a high level." He acknowledged questioning if he would ever get better before he started feeling "clear" in May. "It was definitely a scary thing," Okposo said. "Your mind starts to question a lot of things." In a letter posted on the Sabres website in July, Okposo wrote he began losing weight and had difficulty sleeping after what he described as "a routine hit" in practice. He played one game before the symptoms worsened. Okposo then spent nearly a week in April in Buffalo General Hospital's Neuro Surgical ICU to be stabilized. The 29-year-old from St. Paul, Minnesota, had 19 goals and 26 assists for 45 points in 65 games during his first season with Buffalo. Okposo signed a $42 million, seven-year contract with the Sabres in free agency last year. __________ _____________________ Wish him the best...
Thought of you, Dan when I read this... check it out. _____ ____________ Housley focused on making Sabres ‘an aggressive team’ The Buffalo Sabres haven’t been a playoff team in quite some time, but the organization is hoping that their major offseason changes will help them take a few steps in the right direction. One of those major changes came behind the bench, as the team hired Predators assistant Phil Housley to be their head coach. Housley did some terrific work with defensemen like Ryan Ellis, Roman Josi, Mattias Ekholm and P.K. Subban last season. A big part of Nashville’s attack came from defenders pushing the pace from the back. “We want to be an aggressive team,” Housley said, per NHL.com. “I think everybody we’ve talked about playing aggressive offensively but we need to play aggressive defensively. I think defense gives you a chance to win every night and they’ll understand that we want to be fast and aggressive. The days are gone when a guy wants to make a breakout pass and the [defense] just watched the rush go up and play; they have to get up in the play not only to maybe join the rush and add to the attack, but to be in the offensive zone, being able to keep pucks in, or else you’re going to start playing defense.” The Sabres could use an offensive boost from their defense (or anyone really). Last season, Jack Eichel collected 57 points in 61 games, which comes out to an impressive 0.934 points-per-game. But Unfortunately for the Sabres, no player topped 60 points in 2016-17. Buffalo changed the look of their defense during the summer, as they acquired Nathan Beaulieu from Montreal and Marco Scandella from Minnesota. Both guys are capable of moving the puck, which should help Housley execute his plan. Also, it’ll be interesting to see if Housley can take Rasmus Ristolainen‘s game to the next level. The 22-year-old has surpassed the 40-point mark in each of the last two seasons. He’s also served as the big-minute guy on the Sabres blue line. “We’re here to learn from him and pick his brain, he was a [heck] of a player in his day,” defender Zach Bogosian said. “He gets the game. He’s played for a while, he’s coached for a while, he’s been around forever. “Guys are looking forward to playing that style.” (from PHT) ____________ ________________________ I'm looking forward to watching these Sabres... best of luck this season!
Will, the Sabres also added Antipin from the KHL. He was an all star in what many consider to be the second best hockey league in the universe; we cannot know for sure what to expect from him, but we do not want to leave him out of the discussion. The Sabres D should be the most-improved - by far - in the NHL this season. From where they were that's not saying that much, but quick turnarounds are common in the NHL when talent aligns with system. Also, the much maligned Bogosian could be a huge beneficiary of having Phil Housley and not Dan Bylsma dictate style. We look at him and see a huge dude, and it can be easily forgotten that Zach can skate very well. This season will be a lot more fun as the Sabres will be much more competitive. They're still overly reliant on unproven talent on the left wing once you get past E. Kane. But some of the youngsters are at the point where they may be ready to make the true jump to NHL regulars. Of course with Alex Nylander and potentially having Casey Middlestadt slide over from the pivot, the future for the Sabres is glaringly bright.
Sabres claim Jordan Nolan off waivers from the LAK. Hmmm, may not be a dumb ass move as was my initial reaction.
As I write, the Sabres have played nearly 8 full periods of regular season hockey plus one OT. They're looking atrocious. It is far, far too early to get panicky, but it is clear that there's an awful lot of adjusting still needed for this roster to align to HC Housley's new system. (He my gain the honorific of TEH Phil - but he won't get that until after he's notched some W's.) The team looks like shite on a shovel, as they say in Ireland. As noted, it's too soon for panic time, but we've already gotten past the point of being very concerned. Another season is going to get away from us real fast if this is not turned around. It's not the lack of W's - it's the lack of discipline and effort that many are putting forth that causes our current angst. I do take some degree of comfort noting that Sabres fans are not very forgiving right now, for a city that famously had parades for their losing championship teams in the 1990's, it is good that the fans are not complaisant about the losing ways. I hope the players get on board with this sentiment real soon!
Relying solely on Eichel’s line to score every goal won’t cut it. Someone else, anyone else, needs to find the net.
Reinhard, for all his alleged "hockey IQ", has looked lost or invisible back at his "natural position" of C. ROR is doing nuttin' so far. Last season the team dug a hole with Jack out the first 21 games. They're just digging a whole lotta suckitude this season.
