With Ron Rolston calling up his core from Rochester and Jhonas Enroth showing promise, is most of the current Buffalo Sabres team being put on notice? Hopefully.
Brian Flynn, Kevin Porter and now Mark Pysyk are all now wearing the cross swords. I believe the arrival of these players is only a precursor to a “housecleaning” by Darcy Regier leading up to the trade deadline and during this offseason. It’s becoming more and more clear that this team, as much as they have been performing better since Rolston took over, is still probably too far behind to make the playoffs.
There is a list of players—Jochen Hecht, Drew Stafford, Jordan Leopold and Robyn Regehr—that should consider their time with the Sabres running out. Hecht has been a healthy scratch and was a favorite of former coach Lindy Ruff. Stafford has recently expressed interest in leaving. Leopold and Regehr are over 30 and have expiring contracts.
That is a large chunk of salary cap as well. This team will have plenty of space under the cap to make a move or two. There is also another move that seems to be zipping around: trading Ryan Miller.
It’s really no secret that Miller’s time is also short. If this team is to rebuild, he probably isn’t interested himself and the team probably needs to explore a younger option. One of those options is Jhonas Enroth, who had a very strong showing last night against the Montreal Canadiens.
I’m not saying that Enroth is the answer, but he did pass last night’s test with flying colors. There are other options to replace Miller, including the talents of Jonathan Bernier, which are wasting away behind Jonathan Quick in Los Angeles. One thing is for sure: The front office has invested so much in Miller that there are no options in the system outside of Enroth.
There also needs to be a change in player leadership. Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek are suitable assistant captains, to me. Pominville just doesn’t possess the right personality for team captain. That’s no slight against him. He’s just not that type of leader.
I love what Steve Ott brings to this team, and Ville Leino seems to be showing why Regier paid him to come to town, but neither strike me as what they need in a captain. I feel like the only player on the roster who may be a solid choice is Tyler Ennis.
We also shouldn’t necessarily look at guys like Flynn and Porter as guys who are locks to be on the roster. Honestly, neither seems like nightly NHL talent. There are options in free agency. The names that stand out to me include Valtteri Filppula, Dustin Penner, David Clarkson, Stephen Weiss and Mark Streit. Streit could also be a candidate for captain.
Regardless, there will be many changes. There may even be a new coach, although Rolston seems to be making progress with the current team. There will be quite a few changes, and it could start leading into the trade deadline.
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The Buffalo Sabres are descending toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference and may have just been dealt a crushing blow in Tuesday night’s tilt versus the Montreal Canadiens. According to John Lu of TSN, winger Thomas Vanek left the contest with an injury suffered after taking a slap shot to his upper body:
UPDATE: Friday, March 22 at 12:45 p.m. ET by Matt Fitzgerald
According to Sabres beat reporter Bill Hoppe of the Times Herald, Vanek plans to return to the ice tomorrow night for Buffalo’s road contest against the Montreal Canadiens.
Paul Hamilton of WGR550.com asked Vanek directly about playing tomorrow night.
Venek said:
“Yes, I assume so unless I have a setback tonight, but as of right now I feel good.”
–End of Update–
UPDATE: Thursday, March 21 at 11:30 a.m. ET by Tim Daniels
It’s now official. Vanek won’t play for the Sabres on Thursday night against their division rivals from Toronto, as reported on the team’s Twitter feed. Interim head coach Ron Rolston hopes he’s ready to return by Saturday vs. the Montreal Canadiens.
—End of update—
UPDATE: Thursday, March 21 at 10:40 a.m. ET by Tim Daniels
The Sabres’ official Twitter feed reports Vanek didn’t take part in the morning skate ahead of tonight’s game against the Maple Leafs. Although he hasn’t been ruled out yet, it certainly doesn’t bode well for his chances of playing.
—End of update—
UPDATE: Wednesday, March 20 at 1:50 p.m. ET by Tim Daniels
Vanek is considered questionable for Buffalo’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday, reports Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. Interim head coach Ron Rolston didn’t rule him out, saying the decision will come down to Vanek’s ability to handle the pain.
“He’s a little bit better but still going to be day-to-day, what he can tolerate,” interim Sabres coach Ron Rolston said this afternoon inside the First Niagara Center. “He’s certainly a possibility.”
—End of update—
Positioned deep in the Canadiens zone during a power play, Vanek was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Teammate Christian Ehrhoff loaded up for a shot from back near the blue line, and it struck Vanek’s upper body. He was then taken out of the game and did not return to the ice with his teammates following the second-period intermission.
The entire sequence was strangely familiar for the 2012-13 Sabres. They were 10-15-4 heading into Tuesday night’s game, good for 24 points and a second-worst standing in the Eastern Conference. The team has struggled on power plays and just about every other scoring opportunity and could be in store for a major overhaul by the April 3 trade deadline.
Despite all of his teammates’ struggles, Vanek has remained one of the few bright spots. He came into Tuesday night’s game with a team-high 31 points, scoring 14 goals and adding 17 assists. A 29-year-old winger in the prime of his career, Vanek has been one of the faces of the franchise since Buffalo drafted him back in 2003.
Though their playoff dreams are just about finished, the Sabres will undoubtedly want to get a good view of their future the remainder of the season. There are bound to be even more new faces in the future, and they will want to evaluate how each plays within varied lines.
Without Vanek—the team’s franchise player—in the lineup, there is no proper way to do that. So while the team won’t be rushing him back, they certainly will be anxiously awaiting word on his condition. Any long-term injury could not only hurt the team’s present, but its future, as it tries to climb out of a season-long abyss.
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Ryan Miller is an elite NHL goaltender and one of the few bright spots in what has been a disastrous 2013 season for the Buffalo Sabres.
With the team sitting in 13th place in the Eastern Conference and its chances of the making the playoffs very small, the Sabres could begin to think about rebuilding their team.
How does Miller fit in with the team’s long-term plans? Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos talked about Miller’s future in Buffalo during the latest edition of Hockey Central Insiders (click here for full video):
The other interesting name that is starting to float around, is yes, Ryan Miller. Ryan Miller’s got another year at over $6.0 million next season, but he’s not going to get a contract extensions and it’s time to move on off of Ryan Miller.
They’d dearly love to move him at the deadline, but with that shrinking goaltender market out there it might not be the case. They might have to wait until the summer or even into next season.
But Ryan Miller’s days are numbered in Buffalo.
Should the Sabres part ways with Miller and begin to rebuild?
Yes, the club’s current core of players is not going to contend for the Stanley Cup, and the best decision that general manager Darcy Regier can make for the franchise’s future is to trade his starting goaltender for a package that could include young NHL players, top prospects and draft picks. Cody Hodgson is the team’s only young star at forward, and other than Tyler Myers (who’s had a terrible season), there is very little young talent on the blue line.
Buffalo has spent a lot of money since Terry Pegula took over as the team’s owner in 2010, but playoff success has not resulted from the increased amount of funds that management has been given to use in free agency and the trade market.
It’s time for the Sabres to start drafting and developing more homegrown players, and since the 2013 draft class is so strong, this is the perfect year to stockpile first, second and third round picks.
Many of the Sabres’ best players have just one more year left on their contract, and if the team is going to rebuild, trading these players before they can leave in free agency must be considered.
| Player | Age | Position | Salary Cap Hit | FA Status |
| Thomas Vanek | 29 | LW | $7.143 million | UFA 2014 |
| Jason Pominville | 30 | RW | $5.3 million | UFA 2014 |
| Tyler Ennis | 23 | C | $2.812 million | RFA 2014 |
| Steve Ott | 30 | C | $2.95 million | UFA 2014 |
| Ryan Miller | 32 | G | $6.25 million | UFA 2014 |
Parting ways Miller would be a good first step for the Sabres if they choose to rebuild, but they must wait until the right deal comes along before trading him, because if this team is going to undergo a successful rebuild in the near future, it must get as much value for Miller as possible.
He’s arguably the team’s most valuable trade chip because of his No. 1 goalie status. It should also be noted that Miller has a no-trade clause in his contract, and according to Capgeek, he “can list eight teams he will not accept a trade to.”
Since there is no one on Buffalo’s roster or in their organization who’s capable of being the No. 1 netminder of the future, the Sabres should look for Miller’s future replacement via trade. Los Angeles Kings backup Jonathan Bernier would be a great fit for this team. He is an RFA at the end of the season, and since Jonathan Quick is the No. 1 goalie in LA, it’s possible that the Kings could move Bernier this season.
Kypreos mentions in the passage above that the Sabres may look to trade Miller in the summer rather than before the April 3 trade deadline, and I think that’s the best scenario. The number of teams that could be looking for goaltending will probably be larger in the summer when clubs lose free agents and players are bought out.
Miller is still an elite player, and since he’s only 32 years old, he should be a No. 1 goalie for many more years. He won the Vezina Trophy in 2010 and has played well in high-pressure situations throughout his career (Winter Olympics included).
As the chart below shows, his stats have been consistently impressive over the last four seasons, especially when you consider the fact that the Sabres have not played well defensively over the last two years.
| Year | W/L/OT | GAA | SV% |
| 2009-10 | 41-18-8 | 2.22 | .929 |
| 2010-11 | 34-22-8 | 2.59 | .916 |
| 2011-12 | 31-21-7 | 2.55 | .916 |
| 2012-13 | 9-12-3 | 2.83 | .914 |
The number of quality goaltenders expected to hit the free agent market this summer is small (per Capgeek), and includes players such as Niklas Backstrom, Evgeni Nabokov, Tim Thomas (who is not playing in 2013), Mike Smith, and Jimmy Howard.
It’s hard to imagine the Phoenix Coyotes and Detroit Red Wings failing to re-sign Smith and Howard, respectively, so there will likely be no franchise goaltenders for teams to pursue in free agency during the offseason.
This means that Miller could be the best option for playoff contenders that think they are a goaltending upgrade away from competing for the Stanley Cup.
Miller and the one year remaining on his contract is a better solution for a contending team’s goaltending woes than Vancouver Canucks star Roberto Luongo (nine more years left on his contract) or Philadelphia Flyers netminder Ilya Bryzgalov (if he’s bought out in the summer and becomes a UFA).
Depending on how free agency goes and which players are bought out, there could be several playoff contenders looking for goaltending help in the summer, including the Tampa Bay Lightning, Minnesota Wild, Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, Edmonton Oilers and the Flyers.
There’s no rush to trade Miller because he is under contract for next season and there is still a slight chance Buffalo will make the playoffs this season, but if he’s not part of the team’s long-term plans, it would be wise of the Sabres to see what kind of value he has on the trade market.
Nicholas Goss is an NHL Lead Writer at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter. He was a credentialed reporter at the 2011 Stanley Cup Final and 2012 NHL playoffs.
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It’s always sad when any professional sports team says goodbye to someone who has been synonymous with their organization for years. Never has that been more true than with Lindy Ruff‘s departure as head coach of the Buffalo Sabres. So how will fans of the blue and gold, and hockey fans in general, look back at his career behind the bench in Western New York?
Most will remember it fondly. With Ruff at the helm, Buffalo enjoyed success this city and team had not seen since the mid-70s.
The franchise itself became crucial to the overall success of the NHL. It proved that hockey could thrive in a small market and it eventually took over what had always been a football town.
Lindy embodied all the things the people of this area pride themselves on: hard work, determination and a genuine passion for his profession.
Ahead, we’re going to take a look back at four different stages of Ruff’s coaching career in Buffalo. While some were more successful than others, his longevity with one team must be appreciated.
After yesterday’s 3-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the fact that Lindy Ruff was no longer the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres really started to sink in.
Was the change needed? Without a doubt.
Ruff’s 16 years certainly had its ups and downs, but it just seemed that the team wasn’t responding to him anymore. The calls for him to be fired began a few years ago, but they really did not gain any traction until last season’s awful December and January, which saw the Sabres fall to 15th in the Eastern Conference for a couple games.
But beyond the product on the ice, when you have someone in such a prominent position around for 16 years, they find a way to indoctrinate themselves into your lives.
If anything can be said about Lindy Ruff, it’s that he fit the Buffalo persona perfectly.
He never backed down from the challenge that was the Sabres’ roster for many years. He was hardened by so many people telling him how bad his city and team were . He was rough around the edges and wore his emotions on his sleeve most nights.
Simply, he fit in perfectly in Buffalo. The fans loved him, and most still do. And despite all the memorable moments in this 16-year love affair, there is one moment that sticks out above all others.
In fact, it occurred six years ago today.
The Sabres were the class of the Eastern Conference and their rivalry with the Ottawa Senators was at its peak, having beaten them four games to one in the previous year’s Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The game was extremely fast-paced, as the Sens had their stellar line of Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley at the time, and the Sabres were leading 3-2 about five minutes into the second period. That’s when Ottawa tough guy Chris Neil came across the slot with a borderline elbow to the head of then-Sabres captain Chris Drury.
Drury was dazed on the hit, with the iconic shot of him sitting awkwardly on the ice with a pool of blood under his head ingrained in so many Sabres fans’ minds.
The Sabres and Ruff took exception to this, and with the benefit of having the last change as the home team, sent Patrick Kaleta, Adam Mair and Andrew Peters out on the ice against the Alfredsson-Spezza-Heatley line.
Then chaos reigned.
Mair jumped Spezza. Heatley took a baseball swing at Peters’ head. Marty Biron “fought” Ray Emery. Spezza ducked into the referee’s arms to avoid fighting Peters.
Then came the part when every single Sabres fans was on Team Ruff.
The Senators’ coach at the time (and general manager) Bryan Murray started screaming at Ruff from his bench. After a minute, Ruff responded, yelling across the broadcasting gap between the benches at Murray and eventually delivering the line that would find its way onto t-shirts and signs for years to come:
“Don’t go after our [expletive] captain.”
Ruff was suspended for a game and fined $10,000, which the City of Buffalo raised for him (it was donated to charity). But what stood out was the lengths Ruff went to protect his team, especially on a team that was known for its offensive proclivity and not its “toughness.”
A lot of Sabres fans can tell you where they were for that game and how they felt after it. Most probably won’t be able to tell you the Sabres ended up winning a barnburner 6-5 in a shootout, but that didn’t matter. Lindy Ruff had essentially ascended to deity status in Buffalo.
And despite the lows of the past two seasons and the fact that it was probably his time, that’s how Lindy should be remembered.
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Lindy Ruff may not have seen the hammer coming down immediately, but he knew there was trouble in Buffalo.
The Sabres appeared to have a good chance at making a run at the Boston Bruins in the Northeast Division at the start of the season. The Sabres had been soft last year, and they added gritty Steve Ott from Dallas and humongous enforcer John Scott.
That definitely made the Sabres tougher, but it did not make them better.
It was one step forward and two steps back for Buffalo in this truncated season, and General Manager Darcy Regier decided he had seen enough when the Sabres dropped a 2-1 decision to the Winnipeg Jets in Buffalo.
The loss dropped the Sabres to 6-10-1. They are in last place in the Northeast Division.
Regier fired Ruff and brought in Rochester Americans head coach Ron Rolston (source: NHL.com) as the team’s interim head coach for the rest of the season.
Rolston will have a chance to make a claim for the full-time head coaching position in the team’s 31 remaining games. However, he is by no means a cinch to keep the job.
Here’s a ranking of the top five candidates. Much could change as other coaches are hired and fired, but here’s a look at how things stand as of Feb. 20.
The Lindy Ruff era in Buffalo is over. The Buffalo Sabres official twitter account tweeted earlier Wednesday that Ruff had been “relieved of his duties.”
Darcy Regier announced this afternoon that Lindy Ruff has been relieved of his duties as head coach of the Buffalo Sabres. More to follow.
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) February 20, 2013
Ruff had been the head coach of the Sabres since 1997, with a career record of 571-432-84 and 78 ties. He also played for the Sabres from 1979-1989.
The move comes after a 2-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets that left fans, players and even coaches sounding fed up with the way the team has played this season. The Sabres are now 6-10-1, last in the Northeast division and 13th in the Eastern Conference.
After weeks of speculation on Ruff’s future, the only speculation that remains will be Ruff’s replacement. A few options include Sabres assistant coaches James Patrick or Kevyn Adams, Rochester Americans head coach Ron Rolston and former NHL goaltender Patrick Roy. Roy was the coach of Sabres rookie Mikhail Grigorenko in the Québec Junior League.
Other speculation will be if Sabres general manager Darcy Regier will be with the team much longer. Regier, of course, will be responsible for Ruff’s replacement. His job security may be determined if the coaching change results in a playoff appearance.
The Sabres also waived forward Cody McCormick Wednesday. The move clears up a roster spot that would allow a player to to be called up from Rochester. If McCormick clears waivers, he would be another veteran addition to the Amerks. The Sabres waived Matt Ellis and Adam Pardy this season, and both ended up in Rochester.
The Sabres will look much different by the time they take the ice in Toronto on Thursday night.
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The Buffalo Sabres made a huge change on Wednesday as they fired longtime head coach Lindy Ruff.
TSN’s Darren Dreger first reported the news on Twitter:
Ruff had been the head coach for the Sabres since the 1997-98 season, making him the longest-tenured head coach in the NHL prior to this news. In that time, he reached the postseason eight times, reaching the Stanley Cup Finals once.
Unfortunately, he was no longer having the same level of success with the squad.
Last season, Buffalo narrowly missed the playoffs, finishing three points behind the Ottawa Senators for the final spot in the Eastern Conference. This year has been even worse as the squad started with a 6-10-1 record.
Only two teams in the east had fewer points than the 13 points of the Sabres, and both of those squads had played two fewer games.
The Sabres were able to score efficiently, but they ranked 26th in the NHL in goals against. Their power-play percentage of 12.9 was also second worst in the league.
When asked about the struggles last week, Ruff told the media, “It’s on me to clean up this mess. And I’m not done trying” (via USA Today).
It appears that the ownership was also done waiting for the turnaround to come.
Before coaching, Ruff was a player that spent 12 years in the NHL. Besides a few years with the New York Rangers, he spent the rest of his career playing in Buffalo.
Unfortunately, his longtime relationship with the franchise has come to an end. Hopefully, the 53-year-old coach will be able to find another position after a successful stint with his old team.
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Despite being the longest tenured head coach in the NHL, the Buffalo Sabres have parted ways with Head Coach Lindy Ruff after 15 years behind the bench, this according to the team.
The team has scheduled a press conference 5:00 pm EST to discuss further details.
Ruff’s Sabres are experiencing one of the worst seasons during his tenure, starting the season 6-10-1, sitting 13th in the Eastern Conference Standings at the moment.
Buffalo reached the playoffs eight times under Ruff and won the Eastern Conference Championship during the 1998-99 season, losing to the Stanley Cup Champion Dallas Stars in six games.
Ruff won 571 times in 1165 games as the Sabres’ head man, and finished first in the Eastern Conference Regular seasons standings twice (2006-07, 2009-10).
In 2005-06, Ruff was named the Jack Adams Award winner as the top coach in the National Hockey League.
Unfortunately the groans and rumors calling for Ruff’s firing grew even louder after Buffalo missed the playoffs last season and played so poorly in the early going, including back-to-back losses to Pittsburgh and Winnipeg in the past two games.
Buffalo Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier has not announced a replacement.
Buffalo visits Toronto on Thursday, the first game without Ruff behind the bench in 15 years.
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The Buffalo Sabres should have the team that came out for the third period against the Bruins Friday night stick around for a few games. After being serenaded with boos from the home crowd after the second period, Buffalo got its wakeup call.
The Sabres didn’t just outplay the Boston Bruins in the third period; they dominated the deepest team in the Eastern Conference. Buffalo outshot Boston 10-3 in the third and outscored Boston 3-0.
Wherever Tyler Myers and Drew Stafford were hiding through 14 games, they showed up in Buffalo Friday. The two players that have been the biggest goats of the season thus far were the two—and only two—reasons Buffalo won Friday.
Stafford is the player that can get Buffalo out of its funk. He finally got the puck in the net for the first time this season, but his play on his assist was more impressive. Instead of dumping into the corner, he skated hard toward the net and put a shot on goal, and Christian Ehrhoff put in the rebound. It’s a good sign for Buffalo to see Stafford become aggressive.
The same can be said for Myers. He did score a goal, but his assist was more impressive. He skated through five Bruins deep into the corner and threw the puck to Cody Hodgson, who tipped it in. Myers’ best stat, though, was having a plus-two rating. If Myers and Stafford have regained some of their confidence, Buffalo’s season may not be over.
Unfortunately for the Sabres, the schedule is not in their favor. The schedule up to now should have been the easier portion, despite the much-talked-about 14 games in 24 days.
Buffalo has yet to play the Penguins, Devils, Rangers, Jets and Lightning, who lead the NHL in scoring. Buffalo has three games remaining with those five and the Montreal Canadians.
The Sabres already have one game down with the Capitals, Islanders and Panthers and two down with the Hurricanes. The Sabres only have two points in those five games. If they miss the playoffs by a couple points, they will look back on those missed opportunities.
However, the schedule could be looked at as a positive. Buffalo will be playing the teams they are chasing, which will make it easier to climb in the standings. They still have two games left with the Maple Leafs, Bruins, Senators and Flyers. Ottawa especially should take a tumble, with Jason Spezza out until late March and after losing Erik Karlsson for the year after a gruesome Achilles injury.
The Sabres had some much-needed rest this week, and they have three out of the next four at home. They have momentum to build off of after the way they defeated the Bruins, although they were in the same situation two weeks ago and they squandered the opportunity.
It’s a positive sign for the Sabres that they could win a game Thomas Vanek didn’t have a point in. It may have only been one period, but Buffalo has a lot to be happy after defeating the Bruins.
Now they have an opportunity to rack up the points and turn their season around.
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