Sep 16, 2015
Sabres begin climb back to relevance
Following a season in which the Buffalo Sabres were not terribly concerned with winning hockey games, as they aimed for prime lottery position, they are now ready to embark on the climb out of the cellar. As TSN's team preview of the Sabres explains, the club did enough to at least be competitive.
Following a season in which the Buffalo Sabres were not terribly concerned with winning hockey games, as they aimed for prime lottery position, they are now ready to embark on the climb out of the cellar.
The Sabres drafted Jack Eichel second overall and traded for Ryan O’Reilly. Along with last season’s trade acquisition Evander Kane and perhaps top prospect Sam Reinhart, as well as holdovers Matt Moulson and Tyler Ennis, the Sabres are looking at a significantly upgraded roster. At least enough that they should be competitive.
Defensively, the Sabres are still a work in progress, though their late-summer acquisition of Cody Franson was a smart way to address the issue. Zach Bogosian is the workhorse and Josh Gorges is the shot-blocker, but young guys like Rasmus Ristolainen, Mark Pysyk and Jake McCabe should be part of the the future core.
For all of the Sabres’ improvements, there’s still uncertainty over their goaltending, as Robin Lehner has not yet established that he’s an NHL starter and Chad Johnson is coming off a subpar season.
In total, though, the Sabres should be significantly better. Not likely good enough to reach the playoffs, but leaps and bounds more competitive than they were last year.
OFF-SEASON HEADLINES
May 28: Sabres name Bylsma head coach
June 26: Sens trade Lehner, Legwand to Sabres
June 26: Eichel heads to Sabres as second overall pick
June 26: Avalanche trade O’Reilly to Sabres
September 9: Sabres sign Franson to two-year, $6.65-million deal
2015-16 BUFFALO SABRES
* Off-season Addition
Projected Lines
LW | C | RW |
---|---|---|
Evander Kane | Ryan O'Reilly* | Tyler Ennis |
Matt Moulson | Jack Eichel* | Brian Gionta |
Sam Reinhart | Zemgus Girgensons | Johan Larsson |
Marcus Foligno | David Legwand* | Jamie McGinn* |
Nicolas Deslauries | Cody McCormick |
Fighting For Jobs: C Phil Varone, C Cal O'Reilly, RW Jerry D'Amigo
Projected Pairs
LD | RD |
---|---|
Zach Bogosian | Rasmus Ristolainen |
Josh Gorges | Cody Franson |
Mike Weber | Mark Pysyk |
Carlo Colaiacovo* |
Fighting For Jobs: LD Jake McCabe, LD Matt Donovan, RD Chad Ruhwedel
Projected Goalies
No. 1 | No. 2 | No. 3 |
---|---|---|
Robin Lehner* | Chad Johnson | Andrey Makarov |
Off-season Departures: D Nikita Zadorov, C Cody Hodgson, C Mikhail Grigorenko, D Andre Benoit, G Anders Lindback
Projected Lineup: Mike Harrington/Buffalo News
SERAVALLI'S THREE QUESTIONS
1. Can Sam Reinhart make a permanent leap to the NHL?
2. Will Zach Bogosian or Josh Gorges skate with signee Cody Franson?
3. Who will move to the wing: Sam Reinhart or Zemgus Girgensons?
BUTTON'S TOP PROSPECTS
Top 2015-16 Prospect
C Jack Eichel (Boston University, H-East): Franchise centre who has the makings of being an elite, complete player.
Long-Term Prospect
D Jake McCabe (Rochester, AHL): Real steady, competitive and a leader. Capable of rounding out a nice core on the blue line.
* Listed with 2014-15 teams
BY THE NUMBERS
THREE-YEAR BREAKDOWN (LEAGUE RANK)
2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | |
---|---|---|---|
Points | 82 (23rd) | 52 (30th) | 54 (30th) |
Goals For | 2.5 (T-22nd) | 1.8 (30th) | 1.9 (30th) |
Goals Against | 2.9 (T-22nd) | 3.0 (25th) | 3.3 (29th) |
Power Play | 14% (29th) | 14% (29th) | 13% (30th) |
Penalty Killing | 79% (26th) | 81% (T-19th) | 75% (30th) |
SAT% Possession | 45% (28th) | 43% (29th) | 38% (30th) |
* 2012-13 points: Pro-rated lockout-shortened total
ESTIMATED PAYROLL vs. CAP - $60.1M/$71.4M
Coming up from rock-bottom like the Sabres does mean that Buffalo’s roster comes cheaply, though having cap room allowed the Sabres to add Ryan O’Reilly and Cody Franson this summer, moves that should expedite the rebuilding process.
PARTING SHOT