Buffalo Sabres

Buffalo Sabres coverage. Related to the Sabres, their prospects and the minors.

Sabres Trade Tiers

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Going back to the spring, many Sabres fans have been waiting on a trade that hasn’t come. 

As Buffalo morphed into a playoff contender, there was a growing expectation that Kevyn Adams would make some deals to round out his roster. But his action at the deadline was more measured than some may have guessed, and he completed the offseason without any notable deals being made (save for dealing Ilya Lyubushkin to alleviate a numbers crunch on the blueline). Victor Olofsson is on record saying he was prepared to be moved, but no deal materialized for him, a goaltender or any other position which could have helped the Sabres take the next step to the playoffs. 

It’s understandable that Adams hasn’t been in a rush to shake up his group. The forward group is brimming with young talent while a pair of first overall picks anchor the blueline. Buffalo boasts a core many teams can only dream of. The need to materially alter this group is reserved to maybe two or three spots across the entire roster. Unlike previous years during this decade-long rebuild, the team isn’t in a position where they’re lacking depth on the NHL roster or in their pipeline. It’s a luxury which will put them in a position of strength when the time comes to take a big swing. 

And that time is approaching. 

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The Instigator Podcast 12.7 – Start of Season Mailbag

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Let’s kick off the opening week of the NHL season with a listener mailbag. On this episode we’ll tackle Owen Power’s contract, how the Sabres should handle Matt Savoie, what a successful start to the year looks like for Zach Benson and more.

The Instigator Podcast 12.6 – Analyzing the Sabres Roster Choices

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The regular season is nearly here. With the Sabres wrapping up their preseason schedule, we try and determine what Don Granato and Kevyn Adams’ final decisions will be in forming Buffalo’s roster. We dicsuss the backup goaltending decision, how many defensemen the team will choose to keep and which forwards will earn the precious few spots which are available. We wrap up the show discussing where we see the Sabres finishing the season in a wide open Eastern Conference playoff picture.

The Instigator Podcast 12.5 – Benson’s Early Statement

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Zach Benson has been advertised and then some in the early stages of training camp and the preseason. He’s had two impressive games and has looked the part of a player who could threaten for a spot in the lineup. Of course, the Sabres tight pipeline makes that a much tougher feat and we talk about just how well Benson has played, and the opportunity he has to carve out a role on this roster. Our conversation leads us to discuss Jiri Kulich, Isak Rosen, Matt Savoie and several others. We wrap up this week’s show with a quick update on the Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power contract negotiations and remind you there’s no need for panic despite the lack of a deal.

Sabres Goaltenders and Custom Pads

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Custom goal pads have been revolutionized by the introduction of digitally printed graphics. CCM introduced their printed graphic technology a few short years after Bauer’s digiprint was released. Now, virtually every NHL team features at least one goalie whose equipment uses the technology.

The technology’s applications are practically limitless, Linus Ullmark had a few unique looks of his own, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen does as well (both Bauer wearers) and Devon Levi will be taking advantage of CCM’s feature this season.

One of the most popular utilizations of this technology has been to recreate graphics from years past. It’s a fun way to remember some guys gear, and one day I’d love to see Sabres goalies honor some of the best looks of the team’s past. Especially with the distinctly different looks of the goatheads and the team’s home and away uniforms.

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The Instigator Podcast 12.4 – Gone Campin’

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Somehow, Sabres training camp is upon us. While this year’s camp isn’t loaded with roster battles and opportunities for young players to grab spots, there is still the question of how the Sabres will fill the void left by Jack Quinn’s injury. We talk about who could be in contention for the spot, how the defense corps may shake out and sprinkle in a bit about the goaltenders.

We lead into our training camp discussion with a brief chat about this past weekend’s Prospect Challenge and the latest developments related to Mike Babcock and his departure from the Columbus Blue Jackets.

On the Wire: A Retrospective of Sabres Waiver Claims

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In 50-plus years of existence you might think the Sabres would have a litany of waiver acquisitions sprinkled throughout their history. As it turns out, the Sabres have made a tidy 18 claims in their history. 

That figure does need an asterisk due to the existence of the NHL’s Waiver Draft, which ran from 1977 to 2003. The Sabres selected nine players in various Waiver Drafts over the years, so depending on how you would categorize those acquisitions, you may feel the club has made 27 waiver claims. You may also wish to consider the Waiver Draft separate from the traditional waiver wire. 

The Waiver Draft is a curious entity itself. A relic of the 70s-era NHL, it was introduced when it was determined the Intra-League Draft was no longer viable. As detailed here, the Waiver Draft was meant to carry on the function of the Intra-League Draft; providing teams an avenue to acquire players who could improve the rosters of the league’s worst teams. Each team would have the ability to protect a list of players and the rest of the league could select from each club’s unprotected list. In theory, the league’s worst teams would be able to supplement their roster with quality, but not star-level, talent from the more successful teams around the league. For example, the Sabres selected Tim Horton from the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1972 Intra-League Draft. 

For a short time there was also an Inter-League Draft, but we don’t need to go down that road today. 

The various machinations of a growing league are interesting to examine. The post-expansion NHL was ripe with player movement. Trading players for cash wasn’t unusual and events like the Intra-League or Waiver Draft seem so foreign to today’s highly sanitized offseason. Even considering Buffalo’s selections in the Waiver Draft, the team doesn’t have a lengthy list of acquisitions. Of their true waiver claims, 10 of the 18 have come in the previous 10 years. That is thanks in large part to the rebuilding years of the tank. In fact, if you set aside the Waiver Draft, the Sabres went 12 seasons without making a single waiver claim. 

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The Instigator Podcast 12.3 – Prospect Challenge Prep

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The Prospect Challenge kicks off this week, which means there is (semi) meaningful Sabres hockey to discuss. We talk about some of the most notable players coming to face Buffalo’s prospects and run through the Sabres’ Prospects Challenge roster. We talk about which players we’re most interested in watching, who we expect to shine, who has a chance to improve their stock and which players might be most likely to surprise. We also touch on the situation unfolding between Paul Bissonnette and Mike Babcock after Bissonnette’s comments on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast.

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.