Bandits front office turned upside down

Chris OstranderLeave a comment

According to a Buffalo News report, Darris Kilgour will only be making decisions from behind the bench next season.

Budd Bailey reports that Kilgour has been relieved of his duties as general manager, but will remain on as head coach. The report also indicates that Derek Graham will no longer serve in a position with the team.

This is a huge decision for the Bandits to make. Kilgour has played a major role in he franchise’s impressive run since the early 2000s. His skills as a coach haven’t wavered much, but it seemed as if the burden of doing both jobs was affecting his success rate.

Kilgour stepped down from his duties as GM and coach a couple of season ago, allowing Graham to cover most of the major personnel decisions as the associate GM. However, that seemed like a decision made merely in the title and that Kilgour would certainly remain a major part of the decision making process when it came to drafting, trades and decisions with contracts.

This is a step towards giving the Bandits a clean sweep of sorts. Much like the Sabres, fans have begun to wonder if the message with the Bandits had begun to grow stale. Kilgour has been a fixture behind the bench much like Lindy Ruff. While there is little reason to remove one of the greatest coaches in NLL history, Kilgour will be under a bit more scrutiny from those above him.

As to who may fill the void in the front office is up for debate. There are plenty of strong lacrosse minds out there who would certainly compliment Kilgour’s hard-line coaching style well.

Talent will be on display at Sabres Development Camp

Chris OstranderLeave a comment

With Development Camp set to open on Monday morning, the Sabres will be rolling out a few firsts with this year’s version of the evaluation camp.

The first, and biggest change is that First Niagara Center will be home base for the week. The camp was previously held at Dwyer Arena at Niagara University. The twin rink facility there lent itself well to getting the entire camp roster on the ice. However, hosting at FNC will allow for greater fan access, thus leading to greater exposure. Bravo to the Sabres for leveraging this situation into something that benefits them and the fans.

Thursday’s Blue and Gold Scrimmage is bound to draw a large crowd, I’m expecting the lower bowl to be fully occupied by fans wanting to see players like Joel Armia, Mikhail Grigorenko, Zemgus Girgensons and others. Armia, Grigorenko and Girgensons represent the other set of firsts which will be rolled out next week. In addition to the three young forwards, Cody Hodgson and Mark Pysyk will be the other first round picks in attendance for the camp. Providing fans a close look at so many first round talents will not only provide a great look at the future, it will help to generate significant buzz amongst the fan base.

It will be particularly important for some of the invitees to set a good example with these practices. Grigorenko has already been rumored to be working on a deal, while Girgensons can play in the AHL next season should he sign his ELC. Marcus Foligno Hodgson, Luke Adam, Corey Tropp and Brayden McNabb will be hoping to further convince the staff to keep them around next year; while players just into their ELCs (Armia, Pysyk, Kevin Sundher, JGL, Dan Catenacci) will be looking to make a solid first impression.   Continue reading →

Can scoring depth be found on UFA market?

Chris Ostrander2 Comments

With free agency nearly a week old, the Sabres are still in a position of need when it comes to filling holes left after last season.

Darcy Regier has been quiet in the early going of the free agency period, acquiring more grit and toughness for the Sabres’ bottom six. His only NHL signing has been one for the fringe ($600K for John Scott) and he did make a fairly significant trade when he sent Derek Roy to Dallas in exchange for Steve Ott and Adam Pardy.

Peter Mueller is one of the few right wingers on the open market that could help the Sabres.

Since the Sabres have nine defensemen under contract – ten if you’re counting T.J. Brennan and Brayden McNabb – and a glaring need for additional offensive depth, preferably at center.  The trade market is where Regier is hoping to patch the rest of the holes in his ship, but it seems as if a stagnant free agent market is now slowing the trade market.

Buffalo has been tied to just about any player rumored to be on the block since the Stanley Cup Final. Whether it be Bobby Ryan or Jordan Staal, people have easily drawn conclusions between the Sabres, their need for talent up front and the current trade market. However, the only trade that has been made so far was a balanced hockey trade that brought the Sabres more pugnacity. Yet, they remain very much in the market for help in the goal scoring department and at center. The two needs may or may not be mutually exclusive.

The Sabres are currently in a situation where they may have an 18-year old rookie (Mikhail Grigorenko) and two 22-year olds (Tyler Ennis and Cody Hodgson) on their opening night roster. Grigorenko’s status is still up in the air, but the other two are sure locks. Behind them lies a pair of empty spots on the depth chart. Filling those spots is becoming increasingly difficult. However, there are a few names on the open market who could potentially end up with a contract in Buffalo for next season.

As for finding scoring depth, the free agent market for centers is rather devoid of that trait. However, there are plenty of wingers available who can give the Sabres some additional scoring depth on wing.

If my previous idea of flipping Thomas Vanek to right wing doesn’t fly, which is more than likely, the Sabres will probably want to snag a right winger to settle in behind Jason Pominville and Drew Stafford on the depth chart. Continue reading →

Vanek at right wing could provide balance

Chris Ostrander3 Comments

With development camp set to open next week and training camp around the corner, the Buffalo Sabres roster still remains in a state of flux.

The acquisition of Steve Ott and Adam Pardy stripped another center off a roster that was already in need of an upgrade at the position. Although the trade further depleted the Sabres down the middle, it wasn’t as if Darcy Regier was treating getting a number one center with low priority.

In all fairness, acquiring Ott was a great hockey trade. Despite having a need for center depth, Roy was an expendable piece for an organization with an abundance of undersized forwards. With Nathan Gerbe, Tyler Ennis and even Dan Catenacci under contract, the Sabre won’t miss another small forward. While Roy’s departure does create a vacancy, it provides the infusion of size and grit the Sabres had been searching for.

The Sabres could be served well to try Thomas Vanek at right wing.

Losing out on an offensive center is not a good situation for a team that struggled to score in 2011-12, Ott does provide the Sabres with a flexible option. While the goal to acquire a true center is still the ultimate goal for the Sabres, it won’t be the easiest feat to accomplish. In addition to their deep defensive corps, the Sabres are overloaded on the left side at forward.

Ott is one of those left wingers, but he is capable of winning faceoffs and I fully expect to see him on the ice for defensive zone draws on penalty kills and at even strength. If absolutely necessary, Ott could fill a role as Buffalo’s third line center; unlike Ville Leino, he is capable of playing the position.

The true solution, in my opinion, is to keep Ott on the wing to take advantage of his offensive skillset. Yes, he is capable of producing points. The key lies with Thomas Vanek. Continue reading →

Sabres culture change continues with acquisition of Ott

Chris Ostrander1 Comment

The Buffalo Sabres mission to get tougher took another step forward this evening when they acquired Adam Pardy and Steve Ott from the Dallas Stars for Derek Roy.

After opening free agency with John Scott, Darcy Regier made a major decision in parting with Derek Roy, part of the post-Drury core. Not only does Roy’s departure rid the Sabres of one of their undersized forwards, it rids them of a player whose opinion of the coaching staff and organization seemed to have soured.

Ott is obviously the gem of the trade for Buffalo. He is a gritty center who will fit Lindy Ruff’s system beautifully. Ott hovers above the 50% rate in the faceoff circle, likes to hit and once got in Peter Laviolette’s face. What’s not to like?

Whether or not the Sabres win this trade is debatable. They lose a talented, second line center to pick up a grinder and a fringe defenseman. That isn’t an ideal situation for a team who went through long scoring droughts last season. However, for a locker room widely regarded as stale, mentally weak and in need of a shake up, Ott is exactly the type of player you’re looking for. Continue reading →

Patience a virtue on slow UFA Day

Chris OstranderLeave a comment

For months writers, hockey insiders and fans had talked about the thin free agent market for 2012. Apparently all of that was forgotten during one of the slowest openings to free agency in recent memory.

There were 59 total signings yesterday with a number of players working out a deal to stay with their former team. None of the big names inked their name to a contract, even the second-tier UFAs held off on making a decision. There were a few theories tossed around as to why players like Parise, Suter, Semin, Jokinen and others held off on signing. Some blame the expected trades of Bobby Ryan and Rick Nash, some point to others waiting for the dam to finally break. Some just blame the thin market.

The biggest signing (money) of the 2012 Free Agency period, thus far.

The reason for the dull showing yesterday probably lies in a number of different areas. The most obvious is that the top free agents are now waiting to make their final decision until they have heard and weighed every offer. NHL free agency is becoming less of a one day free-for-all and more of a two-three day process of discussion, offers and decision making. The Ryan and Nash trades likely have something to do with some of the waiting, but I suspect the shallow pool and the pending decisions for Parise and Suter likely have a lot to do with why next to nothing happened yesterday.

Looking down the list of transactions there isn’t one true winner. The Canucks got the biggest name, so far; the Senators made a trade and Anaheim tried to sign every defenseman on the market. Nothing of any profound impact occurred and I am of the belief that Parise and Suter will indeed set the firestorm for the rest of the league.

Those teams losing out on Suter will be screwed because Matt Carle is the only arguable top four defenseman left. Those teams hoping for Parise will either turn to Alex Semin or scramble for footing in the Nash and Ryan sweepstakes. Either way, there will be more action once today’s signings occur.

As for the decision by Darcy Regier to hold out and only make one marginal signing, I like it. Regier wasn’t quick to the trigger on overpaying for marginal talent, I’m certain he put out offers to those he wished to pursue and I think it is a safe bet that Uncle Terry pushed for a serious pitch to the Parise Camp. Continue reading →

Sabres get tough with Scott

Chris OstranderLeave a comment

The Buffalo Sabres got big and nasty with their only signing on July 1. The Sabres agreed to terms with John Scott on a one-year contract reportedly worth $600K.

With the rest of the Northeast Division investing in tough, gritty players, the Sabres were looking awfully thin in the pugnacity department as the day wore on. After another year in which people questioned Buffalo’s grit, Scott should help fill the void.

Buffalo was silent for nearly the entire day and it seemed as if they were falling further behind in the toughness department as compared to their biggest rivals. Montreal re-signed Travis Moen last week and then threw a wheelbarrow of money at Brandon Prust. The Maple Leafs added Jay McClement and every just seems to be keeping up with the big, bad Bruins.

Scott is capable of playing wing or defense, although his contributions at each position will be severely limited. He will be better suited as a fourth line winger who sees a maximum of eight minutes each night that he dresses.

The decision to sign Scott is wise, don’t think that this is a waste. First, he isn’t impacting the cap one bit. Secondly, he is a player that is difficult to play against and that is precisely what Darcy Regier has been looking to add.

Don’t expect Scott to be an every night player. He will mix well with Cody McCormick, Pat Kaleta and Corey Tropp. Buffalo would still be wise to find one more capable fourth line player so that Matt Ellis doesn’t need to be counted on each night. Since Ellis’ contract switches to a two-way deal this year, he is an affordable choice for Rochester.

It would seem as if Scott has been brought in to add a massive dose of toughness and that every shift grit that the Sabres sorely lacked on a near nightly basis last season. He will most certainly dress against Boston, Montreal and at least half of the games against Ottawa and Toronto. The Rangers (his former team) boast plenty of goons, so he will likely see a few games there. I’d count on him for 40 games, more depending on injuries.

Don’t count on Scott to be Darcy Regier’s only move for the rest of the summer. Understand his patience with an ultra-thin market and the fact that he did get a player who can fill two roles if absolutely necessary.

Like it or not, the rest of free agency will be a wait and see operation for the Sabres and their fans.

Having some fun with free agency

Chris Ostrander1 Comment

One of the bloggers I follow on Twitter is Puck Sage, while he does blog about the Bruins, he does some great work. Puck Sage runs a contest every year surrounding free agency and based on rundown, this is totally something I can get behind.

This contest has four parts: Picking who will be signed first. Picking who will give out the most ridiculous contract. Picking Zach Parise’s destination and, finally, creating a 22-player roster of pending UFAs.

Here is my foray into the contest. Continue reading →

NHL vs. KHL could fill in for All-Star game

Chris OstranderLeave a comment

While most of the CBA negotiations will revolve around revenue sharing between the players and owners, there will be other topics put on the table; Olympic Participation, a World Cup schedule and more will be hammered out as well.

I’d be interested to see one other international connection made during these talks. Not only should a solid transfer system be worked out between the NHL and KHL, I think some sort of Challenge Cup competition should be developed as well.

The Victoria Cup was an interesting development and certainly a step in the right direction. However, the execution wasn’t ideal and the failure of the Champions Hockey League added to the difficultly in formatting. Taking some elements from the Champions League and Victoria Cup would be a good starting point for creating an effective replacement.

First off, the Champions Hockey League was a brilliant idea and it is a shame it had to fold. Combining Europe’s elite leagues into one massive tournament – just like FIFA does – created a unique product. I would assume it just didn’t have enough time to get legs.

Having the Champions League winner play the Stanley Cup Champion for the Victoria Cup was also an obvious step in the right direction. However, forcing the Stanley Cup champs to start the season in Europe was a mistake. This creates problem number one, even rotating the hosts will royally piss off one of the two clubs participating each season. However, it does create the first obvious solution; the NHL’s top club should be playing Europe’s top club for this trophy.

Perhaps scaling this competition back to just the NHL and KHL would be the first logical step towards a solution. This way the world’s two top leagues – in terms of talent – would be putting their best teams on display against each other. Continue reading →

Ranking the 2012 UFA class: Defense and Goalies

Chris OstranderLeave a comment

My final group of free agents to analyze will be combined between defense and goaltenders. While there is an impressive number of defensemen hitting the market, there are only a few goaltenders available to be signed.

Despite being deep, I feel the defensive market only has a bit of cream which has risen to the top. As for the goalies, there isn’t much of anything to write home about from top to bottom. If you wish to read part one or two of this set of posts, click here for centers and here for wingers.

Defensemen

Ryan Suter – Age: 27 – 11-12 team: Nashville – 11-12 Cap Hit: $3,500,000

While Zach Parise is also going to be among the biggest fish landed this weekend, Suter is probably the most sought after commodity on the market this year. He is going to be due a raise in the $7M category and could possibly creep above $8M depending on who is bidding. He is an all-around talent who can be an anchor for any team’s blue line for a number of years.

Justin Schultz – Age: 21 – 11-12 team: Wisconsin (NCAA) – 11-12 Cap Hit: none

A rare occurrence, Schultz did not come to terms with Anaheim and will be a very young unrestricted free agent. Reports entering the weekend indicate that he is down to only a few teams, but he will still be sure to hit for an impressive pay day. There are certainly some question marks with no professional experience behind him, but he is NHL-ready and will be a mobile threat right away.

Matt Carle – Age: 27 – 11-12 team: Philadelphia – 11-12 Cap Hit: $3,437,500

Carle is still be courted by the Flyers and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him re-sign in Philly. The acquisition of Luke Schenn likely spells the end for either Carle or Pavel Kubina, but the Flyers seem to be high on Carle. I’ve never thought much of him when he hasn’t played with Chris Pronger, but that’s just me. Still, he is offensively gifted and has plenty to offer at a young age. If Philly doesn’t lock him up, he will get an impressive raise. Continue reading →