Three years from now, the Buffalo Sabres will be a completely different team, but that could be said about any team.
The Sabres have a big couple of years ahead of them that will prove whether or not they will be a contender come playoff time.
The management will likely change soon, which may not be a bad thing. Lindy Ruff did and will face criticism, regardless of what happens. Some fans complain that he can’t get them far in the playoffs, while others are content that the team even got into the postseason.
If you take a look at the Toronto Maple Leafs, you will see how good their management really is. In a few years, the entire Northeast Division may fear the Leafs. General manager Brian Burke knows what he is doing with every move he makes.
After winning the Stanley Cup with Anaheim, Burke headed to Toronto and has basically started from scratch. His first move was acquiring J.S. Giguere, who is signed through this upcoming season for $6 million.
Burke then took a private jet to go see Jonas “The Monster” Gustavsson, who is currently a restricted free agent. Seeing that Dion Phaneuf wasn’t happy in Calgary, Burke signed him too. Phaneuf’s physical play and strong defense earned him a $32.5 million contract through 2014.
Now, there are plenty of free agents about to hit the market on July 1, and Burke is probably ready to make a few offers. This is the difference between the Maple Leafs and the Sabres.
After watching Burke lead Anaheim to a Cup, and now piecing together Toronto, it’s scary to think where Toronto will be in the standings in a few years.
Sabres fans know what Darcy Regier has done in the past. While he has made some solid moves, it’s all been downhill since the Sabres won the President’s Trophy in the 2006-2007 season.
Buffalo has some holes to fill in the roster and will have a huge opportunity this summer.
There have already been rumors that the Sabres have interest in Tomas Kaberle. He would be an instant 40-50 point defenseman, and would improve the defensive core even more.
Buffalo allowed 207 goals last season, good for fourth best in the league. Imagine what the team could do with Kaberle and Myers as the first defensive pairing.
Kaberle shouldn’t be the main priority for Buffalo, but he would be a nice addition. The Sabres need to prove to their fans, and the rest of the NHL, that they are not going to sit back. Although Buffalo won the division last season, they need to show that they can repeat that success.
Many players will leave, be traded, and retire over the next couple of years, so somewhere Regier is going to have to acquire some players. One or two solid additions would have the team set to go for a couple years.
This summer, the differences between Burke and Regier will be highlighted once again.
Even though I can’t stand the Leafs, I’m excited to see how well they will do with Burke as the GM.
Hopefully, the Sabres will be able to keep everything together and improve in order to make a deep run in the playoffs.
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September of 1993 I decided to take my girlfriend Stacy (My Wife today) to a Pre season Sabres game in the Memorial Auditorium against the NY Islanders. My cousin Carl and his girlfriend at the time went along with us. We sat just above the glass right behind the net in the visitor’s end of the ice. “An earshot” from the goal crease. They were wonderful seats in the Golds.
Mark Fitzpatrick of the Islanders started the game, and in the Sabres crease unknown backup goalie named Dominik Hasek. When the Sabres took the ice, I was extremely disappointed because I was looking forward to watching NHL Hall Of Fame goaltender Grant Fuhr play. I had never seen Grant play live that’s why we chose to purchase seats behind the net. When Hasek was announced as the starting goaltender for the game, I was disappointed and pouted a bit….but got over it.
The first period was exciting! The Sabres were on fire and so were we! We had a great time heckling Islander Goaltender Mark Fitzpatrick non-stop for the entire first period! Chants of “Swisspatrick” and “minor leaguer” filled the air .During breaks in play Fitzpatrick would look back at us… shake his head, and talk to himself. He must have thought we were “out of our minds” because this was a pre-season game. Fitzpatrick did not hide the fact that he was annoyed by our heckling. His reactions added fuel to the fire and we were not about to let up.Fitzpatrick gave up 3 terrible goals in the 1st period, and was pulled from the game during the first intermission….he didnt even return to the teams bench.
But that is not the reason for this story……
While I was goofing off really not fully paying attention to the game, my girlfriend Stacy was. Hockey was new to Stacy…she maybe had gone to 3 or 4 games in her life. She was still learning the rules of game as well as the names of the players. Partway thru the first period Stacy nudged me and said” Who is that guy the Sabres have in net? I told her “that’s Dominik Hasek the Sabres back up goalie.” “This guy is good” she exclaimed. I did not really respond to her statement and went back the more important job at hand of annoying Fitzpatrick.
At the midway point of the 2nd period, Stacy got my attention by her next response. ” Dave, this guy is better than Grant Fuhr”. I responded in shock ” better than Grant Fuhr? Better than Fuhr? How can you compare a “no name” backup goaltender to one of the greatest clutch goaltenders of all time? Grant Fuhr has 5 stanley Cup rings…how can you compare the two?” I told her that “ When Hasek has 5 Stanley Cup rings then i will say he is better until then lets not compare. She told me“ you will see this guy is better”….we agreed to disagree and enjoyed watching the Sabres beat the Islanders.
The 1993-94 season was a tough year for some of the Sabre star players. Pat LaFontaine suffered various injuries and missed most of the season as well as starting goalie Grant Fuhr. Dominik Hasek was forced to take over the starting goaltender duties half way thru the year and Hasek’s career never looked back.
He continued to deliver brilliance for an 12 additional seasons in the NHL (7 additional with the Sabres) earning 6 Vezina Trophy’s as NHL’s best goaltender, 1 Olympic gold Medal , 2 Stanley Cup rings & 2 Hart Trophy’s as NHL MVP. Dominik also ranks 8th all-time in shutouts & 14th all time in wins. Hasek was the dominant goalie in the NHL …and earned the nickname “The Dominator”.
Hasek is now retired from the NHL but…to this day my wife reminds me that “she told me so”.
Guys isn’t it hard to admit when we are wrong? Especially when your Girlfriend or Wife knows less about the sport than you! Well….she was right…. and we enjoyed following his career together.
I now admit that today that Hasek was better….even though he didn’t earn 5 Stanley Cup rings.
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Another turn has been taken in the Zack Kassian saga.
Buffalo Sabres general manager Darcy Regier announced on Tuesday that the team would postpone contract negotiations with the 13th overall pick in the 2009 NHL entry draft.
Kassian was charged with assault late last week after his involvement in a fight at a Windsor bar on May 30 .
“It’s obviously not something we condone,” Regier told The Buffalo News on Tuesday. “It’s unfortunate. I happen to believe Zack’s a good kid.
“He just put himself in a position that going forward you can’t put yourself in those types of positions. It’s a learning process.”
While Buffalo has by no means given up on the youngster, Regier has not given a date as to when contract talks will resume.
“We were in negotiations,” Regier said in HSBC Arena. “We felt it was appropriate to stop negotiations at that time.”
The 19-year-old Kassian is fresh off his first Memorial Cup with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. He finished with seven goals and 16 points in 19 playoff games, and also had 38 penalty minutes.
His run-in with the law was not the first negative incident to put Kassian in the spotlight with the Windsor Spitfires.
Back in January, Kassian received a 20-game suspension for an open-ice headshot on Matt Kennedy of the Barrie Colts.
“We’re going to continue to work with him,” Regier continued. “I told him that on one hand there’s no way we’re going to abandon him, we’re going to help him, but he’s got some work to do on the other hand.
“He’s had three things over the course of the year that have all been opportunities to learn, and he really needs to. The critical issue is that he learns from them and that we help him learn from them.”
It is important for the Sabres to make sure that Kassian transforms into a more responsible player, one who can help mold the team into a winner for years to come.
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With numerous talented free agents hitting the market this summer, expect the Buffalo Sabres to be involved. While they may not have done much in the past, this year should be different.
Buffalo will see many changes over the next few years, and this upcoming season is just a start. Lindy Ruff and Darcy Regier are likely on their way out in the next season or two. Not only that, but Rick Jeanneret isn’t going to announce the games much longer.
There are a number of players currently on the Sabres team who do not need to be there. Despite winning the Northeast Division this past season, Buffalo has many weaknesses, especially with quite a few free agents to sign.
Players such as Drew Stafford, Adam Mair, Steve Montador, Paul Gaustad, and Tim Connolly could all be better off with a different team.
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A goaltender is something that Regier said the team needs for next season. A veteran goalie that could play about 20 games a year would be ideal. Rumors have been floating around that fan favorite Martin Biron could make a return, which may not be a bad decision at all. If Regier fails to sign a goaltender, the Sabres can turn to Jhonas Enroth as the backup.
Buffalo is also in need of a first line center and/or a power forward. Patrick Marleau is unlikely to come and play for the Sabres. Regier should take a look at Florida’s Nathan Horton, who could make a huge impact with Buffalo.
Horton is 25 years old and has collected at least 45 points in each of the last five seasons. Although he does not have any playoff experience, the 3rd overall pick in the 2003 draft would be a huge pickup for Buffalo.
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Craig Rivet is expected to miss at least four months due to shoulder surgery that he will have in the near future. Rivet tallied 15 points in 78 regular season games, and remains under contract for another year with Buffalo.
After two sub-par seasons with the Sabres, it may be time to move the “C” onto some one else’s jersey. It seemed like a good trade when the Sabres acquired Rivet from the Sharks in 2008, but he hasn’t performed as well as hoped.
While I am not suggesting that they get rid of him, I believe the Sabres have plenty of better options for the captaincy. Although, I don’t see what goes on in the locker room and off the ice. From what I see on the ice, I don’t believe he should be Buffalo’s captain. What do you think? Leave a comment below with any thoughts.
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Buffalo Sabres prospect Zack Kassian was recently arrested for an altercation that occurred in a bar. Kassian was earlier suspended 20 games by the OHL for his hit on Matt Kennedy.
Kassian is already on his way to becoming a very dirty player for the Sabres. He is compared to Milan Lucic and his favorite player is Todd Bertuzzi, but he can do a lot more than play physical. In his last 99 games, he has scored 94 points.
Buffalo has high expectations for Kassian, but he needs to stay out of trouble, both on and off the ice.
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Shortly before Wednesday’s Stanley Cup Final Game 3, Mark Messier formally announced the three finalists for a trophy in his honor: The Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award.
Shane Doan of the Phoenix Coyotes, Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres were selected as the three players “who exemplify great leadership qualities to their team, on and off the ice during the regular season.”
Miller is up against two incredible opponents, but he has to be the favorite.
On ice, the 2009-10 regular season was Miller’s best season to date.
The 29-year-old finished second in the league in goals-against average (2.22) and save percentage (.929), and fourth in wins with 41—all three statistics are career-highs. He also almost single-handedly led the Sabres to their first Northeast Division crown since the 2006-07 season.
Miller’s numbers have also made him the favorite for the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender where he will be going up against Ilya Bryzgalov of the Coyotes and Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils.
The Buffalo netminder also led Team USA to a silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics and was named the tournament’s MVP.
While Miller’s on-ice achievements certainly make him a viable contender for the prestigious award, it is his off-ice accomplishments which make him the favorite against Doan and Crosby.
Miller formed the Steadfast Foundation in 2006 to help cancer patients, more specifically children, and their hardships with the disease.
In 2007, Miller’s cousin, Matt Shoals, died from complications with leukemia. He was the motivation for the foundation. Shoals is honored every game by his cousin who has “Matt Man” on the back of his helmet.
In just four years of existence, the Steadfast Foundation has raised more than $500,000.
Miller also donates suite tickets for every Sabres home game to Carly’s Club, a support group for children and families who are fighting cancer.
His efforts with the Steadfast Foundation, along with numerous charity events for the Sabres, also made Miller one of three finalists for NHL Foundation Player Award.
“Ryan has perhaps become the premier goalie in our game…more importantly, he has tremendous compassion for children in his off-ice work,” Messier told NHL.com after the announcement of the three finalists.
The combination of Miller’s on-the-ice talents with his off-the-ice compassion and charity makes him not just a rare hockey player, but a rare human being—and an easy favorite for the Mark Messier Leadership Award.
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The Buffalo Sabres may have gotten more than they bargained for when they drafted Zack Kassian 13th overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
The Windsor Star has reported that the 19-year-old Kassian was arrested and later released early Sunday morning after an “altercation” with another man at a Windsor bar.
Kassian recently collected his first Memorial Cup with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. He finished with seven goals and 16 points in 19 playoff games, and also had 38 penalty minutes.
The arrest is not the first problem the young prospect has had so far this year.
Back in January, Kassian received a 20-game suspension for an open-ice headshot on Matt Kennedy of the Barrie Colts.
“I’m shocked that Zack received 20 games,” Spitfires coach Bob Boughner told The Sporting News after the suspension was handed out. “I thought it was a pretty steep penalty, especially after the presentation the organization made to the league. You can agree or disagree with the decision, but at this point there is nothing that we can do about it.”
Standing at 6’3” and weighing 215 pounds, Kassian’s massive frame—to no fault of his own—gives him the ability to throw his weight around in the OHL against some of the players who may have not completely physically developed yet.
The Sabres drafted Kassian to add a strong, skillful, hard-hitting forward into a lineup with little tenacity—aside Patrick Kaleta—and even less size.
Sabres star forward and leading scorer Derek Roy stands at 5’9”, as does future star Tyler Ennis. Nathan Gerbe, another potential star in the Buffalo organization, is the smallest player in the NHL.
Kassian was drafted with players like Roy, Ennis, and Gerbe in mind.
But as his playoff numbers with the Spitfires suggest, Kassian is more than just a big hitter. During the 2008-09 OHL season, he finished with 24 goals and 63 points in 61 games with the Peterborough Petes.
While the opening stages of Kassian’s career might not have gone as planned, the best part about him is that he is only 19, and there is plenty of time to improve his decisions both on and off the ice.
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