Author: Chris Ostrander

The Instigator Podcast 12.1 – PSE Dissolved and what Comes Next

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Monday was a big news day as it was announced that Pegula Sports and Entertainment has been dissolved and, most notably, the Bills and Sabres will be operating as separate entities moving forward. Pegula will also now serve as president of the Sabres, a title he also holds for the Bills and at PSE prior to its dissolution. We talk about the news, what it means for the Bills and Sabres and how it has helped to fuel rumors surrounding the future ownership of the Sabres.

RJ Night Episode: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/49323198

The Instigator Podcast 11.44 – Listener Questions for the Dog Days of Summer

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As we are in the dullest point of the hockey offseason, it felt like a good time to reset and take listener questions once again. This week’s episode includes questions on the Bills and red helmets, prospect trade options, goal tending targets and analytics projections. Thanks to everyone who submitted questions for this week’s show.

The Instigator Podcast 11.43 – The Future of Women’s Hockey Unfolds

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One of the most significant stories in hockey this year is unfolding as the PHF was acquired by the Mark Walter Group in a step that will see professional women’s hockey moove forward under a single banner. This will unify all of the best talent in one league, creating an opportunity for new growth in the women’s game and an exciting outlook for the future of the new league which is set to begin play in January.

The Instigator Podcast 11.42 – Tackling the Sabres Next Steps Beyond Free Agency

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We are back breaking down Buffalo’s moves on the opening day of free agency and looking back at the Sabres’ haul from the 2023 Draft. We talk about how Connor Clifton and Erik Johnson will fit on the depth chart and how the selection of Zach Benson and the rest of the 2023 draft class affects the organizational pipeline.

We also dig in to the excess bodies the Sabres have on the roster in the wake of signing Clifton and Johnson. With nine defensemen under contract and questions lingering over Victor Olofsson’s future, we explore what Kevyn Adams faces as the offseason continues.

The Instigator Podcast 11.41 – Sabres Draft Preview

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Draft week is here and we dig in on some of the players we think could be targeted by the Sabres with their first round pick and their pair of second round selections. We talk through a number of topcis, including the kick off of the trade activity and whether or not we see the Sabres making a notable move ahead of Wednesday’s draft. Our focus on potential draft picks was mostly on picks 13, 39 and 45, though we explore a few names for mid- and late-round selections as well.

The Instigator Podcast 11.40 – New Deals for Girgensons and Rousek

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The Sabres handed out contract extension to Zemgus Girgensons and Lukas Rousek on June 20. We talk about the decision to re-sign both players and dig into where each of them will fit in to the Sabres roster this coming season. Our conversation follows the extensions for both players in addition to how the contracts could affect how Kevyn Adams goes about bringing in new players this summer.

The Instigator Podcast 11.39 – Landing Spots for Olofsson

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The Stanley Cup Final has wrapped up and we go deep on the series betwen the Golden Knights and the Panthers. We touch on the dominance Vegas exerted in the series and dig into Jonathan Marchessault’s Conn Smythe winning performance.

We also tackle the report that Victor Olofsson expects to be traded this offseason. We discuss the significance of the report and select a few teams which we feel would be good fits for him in a trade.

Two in the Mailbox: Making Space for the Offseason

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It’s been a while since I ran a mailbag post. So here’s a smattering of questions from the Twitterverse on the Sabres roster, their outlook as contenders and arcade game preferences.

@jsymon86: Realistically, how do you see us creating 2-3 spots in the forward ranks to bring up a couple of the kids or bring someone in via trade/signings? Olofsson is low hanging fruit, but after that how would you rank candidates to be replaced in terms of likelihood / possibility?

The trade market has already gotten fired up and the draft is less than 20 days away, so I would expect to see something from the Sabres sooner rather than late. You’re right that Olofsson is low hanging fruit. He was replaced on the top powerplay, will be playing on an expiring deal, was a regular healthy scratch in a playoff push and there are at least two prospects with the type of shooting talent to further supplant Olofsson.

I expect to see Zemgus Girgensons move on, and there’s been speculation that Tyson Jost may not be qualified. Assuming Olofsson is moved, that’s three roster spots and only one would require a move. I’m not sure if there’s anyone else in the forward group who could possibly be moved, barring a blockbuster acquisition. But those three spots would leave two openings in the forward ranks, at minimum.

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The Instigator Podcast 11.38 – The First Trade of the Offseason

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This week, we take listener questions and offer up some reactions on topics such as the Bills stadium project, arena renovations, choices in goal and Buffalo’s front office outlook. We kick things off with a breakdown of the three-team trade that sent Ivan Provorov to the Blue Jackets and a bucket of players and picks to the Flyers.

Hellebuyck is the Rare Goalie Worth the Acquisition Cost

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Finding an upgrade in goal is perhaps the most pressing need of the offseason for Kevyn Adams and the Buffalo Sabres. The sting of missing the playoffs by such a narrow margin is only that much more frustrating when you think of the number of games that slipped away due to leaky goals and below average goaltending.

Devon Levi certainly didn’t wilt under the spotlight after making his NHL debut, and he’ll have the inside track at one of the NHL roster spots come training camp. Who the team chooses to play in tandem with him will be an extremely important decision. It seems unfair to expect Levi to take the bulk of the starts at just 21. Not only would it be unfair to him to add that much more pressure to the situation, but the team would be asking him to take on a workload (45-plus starts) he was ever asked to handle between college or junior.

The incumbents, Eric Comrie and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, provide some insurance for the club, though neither truly impressed last year. At even strength, the pair finished with a -5.6 and -7.1 goals saved above expected, respectively. To expect either to share any notable level of workload with Levi – let alone starter’s duties – would be a significant gamble for a team with playoff aspirations in 2023-24.

Assuming the team agrees that neither Luukkonen or Comrie have the ability to provide Levi with a stable partner, they’ll need to mine free agency or the trade market for a suitable option. Perhaps the most notable name that has been floated is Connor Hellebuyck, the perennial Vezina candidate with one more year left on his contract at $6.16 million cap hit. Hellebuyck’s rumored availability has sparked a fair bit of debate over his contract status, workload and acquisition cost.

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