Buffalo Sabres

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

The Instigator Podcast 11.4 – The Growing Crisis Surrounding Hockey Canada

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The spotlight on Hockey Canada has only gotten brighter in recent days as the investigation into how the organization has handled sexual assault claims continues to reveal deeper and darker issues with their operations. We discuss the nature of the claims against Hockey Canada and how recent revelations and announcements have raised new questions about what’s next for Hockey Canada and whether or not they’re capable of the introspection needed to enact tangible change.

We wrap up the show by digging into the lines the Sabres look set to enter the season with. We touch on the strengths of the lineup and some of the areas where issues may arise. We look at how the roster make up could affect the long and short term roster management through recalls and changes with line combinations.

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The Instigator Podcast 11.3 – Preseason Kicks Off plus Listener Q&A

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With preseason underway, we reflect on the Sabres first few games of the preseason and what positives can be gleaned from the early action. We kick things off with a conversation about Jason Robertson and how the Sabres could go about acquiring him should the rumors of the connection between the Sabres and Stars bear fruit. We close this week’s episode with some listener questions covering a number of topics including line predictions, Matt Savoie and our favorite Sabres of all time.

You can catch The Instigator Podcast on these platforms any virtually everywhere else you find your podcasts:
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The Instigator Podcast 11.2 – Sabres Enjoy Promising Prospect Challenge

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Sabres training camp is right around the corner, with their first preseason game fewer than five days away. The club wrapped up a 3-0 showing at the Prospects Challenge, driven mostly by the play of Matthew Savoie, Isak Rosen, Alexander Kisakov and Tyson Kozak. It was a strong showing for some of Buffalo’s most vital prospects, many of whom will be suiting up for Rochester this coming season.

We also discuss Nathan MacKinnon’s new contract in Colorado and the retirement announcements for Zdeno Chara and PK Subban.

You can catch The Instigator Podcast on these platforms any virtually everywhere else you find your podcasts:
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The Instigator Podcast Featuring Kevin Woodley of InGoal Magazine and NHL.com

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Kevin Woodley joins the show this week to share his goaltending expertise and talk about the outlook for the Sabres in net for the coming season. We talk at length about Eric Comrie’s strengths and weaknesses and his ability to take on a larger workload. Kevin also shares his thoughts on Craig Anderson and how both he and Comrie can work in tandem this season.

We touch on Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and, of course, Devon Levi as we wrap up the show. Along the way you’ll catch some terrific anecdotes about Ryan Miller and other goaltenders Kevin has covered and spoken with during his time with InGoal and NHL.com.

You can catch The Instigator Podcast on these platforms any virtually everywhere else you find your podcasts:
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Don’t forget to use code Instigator when you sign up for DraftKings Sportsbook. New users get $200 in free bets when they place a $5 bet on an NFL game this Sunday!

The Instigator Podcast 10.46 – Listener Q&A on Jerseys, Trades and More

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As we continue through August, it seemed like a good time to field a few more listener questions. This week’s episode tackles a bunch of different topics including the Sabres Reverse Retro sweaters, shoulder patches, goaltending plans, special teams alignments and trade targets. Thanks to everyone who submitted questions for this week’s Q&A.

You can catch The Instigator Podcast on these platforms any virtually everywhere else you find your podcasts:
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The Instigator Podcast 10.45 – When do the Sabres Go for It featuring Chad & Anthony of Expected Buffalo

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Chad and Anthony from Expected Buffalo join the show for another roundtable discussion. This time we talk about when the Sabres will be ready to take the next big step in their rebuild and when the right time for it will be. We talk about how this summer has helped shape the next step in their rebuild and look ahead to whether or not next summer will be the time that Kevyn Adams starts making big splashes. We wrap up by touching on the prospects who could be most impacted by future acquisitions and even toss out a few favorites we’d like to see the Sabres target.

You can catch The Instigator Podcast on these platforms any virtually everywhere else you find your podcasts:
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The Instigator Podcast 10.44 – Sabres Take Care of Business in Free Agency

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It’s a busy show as we spend a little time talking through Buffalo’s draft class before diving into free agency. We discuss the signings of Eric Comrie and Ilya Lyubushkin and how they address the two biggest needs the Sabres had in free agency. We look into how Buffalo’s roster makes it more difficult to freely add additional bodies despite having an apparent need to get further clear of the salary cap floor. We offer up a few names who could be wise additions for the team before moving on to a brief conversation over the biggest moves from the opening day of NHL Free Agency.

Despite Early Movement, Sabres Aren’t Shut Out of Goalie Market (yet)

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As the wheels got turning on the goalie market at the draft, the Sabres have yet to complete a move to round out their crease for the coming season. It’s a subject that’s caused some consternation throughout the fanbase, though I’m not sure theirs is cause for concern just yet.

There are still a few notable names left on the list I laid out last week. Of those remaining options, a few are truly viable targets for the Sabres to pursue in the coming days. Most notably, Eric Comrie and whoever may be available via trade from the Sharks. In the meantime, I think it’s important to consider that the goalie market isn’t completely shuttered because Alex Georgiev and Vitek Vanacek got traded. Combing through the league, you can quickly find another tier of goalies who could almost certainly be had via trade given their respective team’s outlook in net.

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Rapid Reactions to the Sabres 2022 Draft Picks

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The 2022 NHL Draft is in the books and the Sabres made all 11 picks they entered the draft with. Their trio of first rounders are the crown jewel of the Sabres 2022 class, but the latter rounds saw Kevyn Adams fill some thinner areas of the team’s pipeline.

I think there’s a lot to like about the Sabres picks and I’d like to offer up some instant reaction to all 11 selections the Sabres made. If you’re looking for more in-depth scouting reports on these guys, the likes of Kris Baker, Corey Pronman and Chris Peters will have you covered. These are just some quick, off the cuff thoughts on the players the Sabres have brought in.

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Pros and Cons for a Busy Goalie Market

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The talk of the offseason in Buffalo will be over who Kevyn Adams finds to form a goaltending tandem with Craig Anderson. The goalie market is expected to be pretty hot as upwards of eight teams could be on the hunt for a starting caliber netminder. The Sabres will be among that group with Anderson expected to continue to lend a veteran presence in the locker room while playing somewhere around 25-30 games in the 2022-23 season.

Who the Sabres opt to acquire – or perhaps more fittingly, who they’re able to acquire – will give a strong indication on how the season will go. Land a primary target and the good vibes from the end of 21-22 will keep rolling with optimistic expectations for the coming season. Strike out and repeat the UFA day scramble of a year ago and suddenly the outlook on next can shift dramatically.

We’ve seen plenty of reporting that points to Buffalo’s desire to keep the tracks clear for Devon Levi, Erik Portillo and even Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. That indicates that a long-term, big-money acquisition is probably off the table. It seems likely to me that the Sabres will find something akin to Carter Hutton this offseason. A veteran goalie willing to sign a middle-term deal who offers some promise as a starter but lacks a more prestigious resume.

With that in mind, I’ve laid out the pros and cons of signing or trading for some of the goaltenders who are UFAs or have been rumored to be available via trade and whether or not the Sabres could realistically land each goalkeeper.

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