Buffalo Sabres

The Instigator Podcast 13.9 – Good News on the Injury Front

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The Sabres exited their disappointing loss against the Canadiens with some concerning injury potential but they enter the end of the week with a bit of good news on that front. Both Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Tage Thompson couldn’t finish the game but are considered day-to-day, a huge victory as the pair are among the players the Sabres can’t afford to lose. News wasn’t as strong for Mattias Samuelsson as he will be out long term. We talk through the injury news and dig in on the injury-prone nature of Samuelsson and if it’s time for the Sabres to consider a buyout. 

We also touch on Buffalo’s continued efforts to make a splash trade, as Pierre LeBrun was the latest insider to report Kevyn Adams has been burning up the phone lines. 

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The Instigator Podcast 13.5 – Power Outage

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The Sabres enjoyed two strong performances upon their return from Europe, though they only came away with one win. One reason is the team’s power play has yet to score this season. We devote this episode to discussing what has and hasn’t worked for Buffalo’s power play and what areas we think could serve to improve the unit’s potential for success. 

Along the way we touch on the rumors that the Bills may sell a stake to a group of former athletes with ties to no other city but Toronto and we offer some reflection on the touching tribute to Johnny Gaudreau ahead of the home opener for the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

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Sabres, Soccer Could Spur Arena District

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Thursday will be the first opportunity for many Sabres fans to see the team’s new scoreboard in person, among other improvements made at KeyBank Center. 

The new scoreboard is a massive improvement, literally and figuratively, for the building. Pictures don’t do it justice, it’s a stark difference in size and quality within the seating bowl. Few, if any, who questioned the need for a new scoreboard will have those questions answered when they see the new screen in action. It is a truly impressive addition. 

With apologies to the work done on the roof, the scoreboard is the first major step the club has taken in an effort to renovate their 28 year old building. Future plans for the structure remain unknown, but Pete Guelli hasn’t been coy on the subject and I won’t be surprised if more work is to come next offseason. 

In the meantime, it’s possible that the Sabres will have a new neighbor, one that could tie the area around the arena and Canalside into a more cohesive arena district. 

Buffalo Pro Soccer is down to their final two locations for their stadium site, and The Buffalo News lots are one of the two finalists. There’s a long way to go yet, and it’s entirely possible their other location is where they aim to build, but the potential for the club to call the Cobblestone District home could serve as a shot in the arm to further development in the area. 

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The Instigator Podcast 13.4 – Plodding Back From Prague

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The Sabres fell flat in their opening games against the Devils in Prague, with many key areas of their game serving to derail the pair of losses. We discuss the disappointing opening games and what will need to be fixed if the Sabres hope to get back on track. Along the way we touch on James Reimer moving on to Anaheim after being claimed on waivers, the injuries the Sabres are working through and when the right time will be for fans to hit the panic button.

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The Instigator Podcast 13.3 – Who, or What, Makes the Sabres a Playoff Team?

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The Sabres desperately need to snap their playoff drought and if they’re to do it, there are several key factors that will get the job done. In a different type of season preview, we discuss which players will serve as the key drivers for Sabres if they’re to get back into the playoffs. We also touch on other factors that will be at play, such as the power play, and if all of the things the Sabres need to go right, will be too much for a team with a lengthy run without postseason hockey. 

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The Instigator Podcast 13.2 – Sabres Set Roster for Jaunt to Europe

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The Sabres roster has officially split as the team’s 27-man traveling group departed for Europe on Tuesday. The players remaining in camp are made up of the bulk of the Rochester Americans roster. We discuss the final choices to round out that traveling party and how Lindy Ruff may have a tough choice to make in terms of how he handles his goaltenders once the team arrives in Europe. We also offer up some thoughts on the team’s progress early in preseason while running through where some Sabres landed on The Athletic’s player tier rankings. 

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Sabres Recent Cap Spending Doesn’t Paint a Pretty Picture

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The Buffalo Sabres are inching closer to their season opening games with nearly $7 million in open cap space to work with. The remaining cap space has been a point of contention within the fan base, as the Sabres are poised to open their fourth-straight season with a significant gulf in cap expenditure against the NHL’s cap ceiling. 

Buffalo opened their prior three seasons with $8,826,430 (2023-24), $18,648,333 (2022-23) and $16,435,864 (2021-22) in cap space. Barring an 11th hour acquisition, the 2024-25 season will follow suit. (Figures compiled from CapFriendly.)

Some context is required when evaluating Buffalo’s recent cap expenditures. The Sabres had jumped headfirst into a rebuild in the summer of 2021, shedding core players with large cap hits and they weren’t a year removed from trading Jack Eichel and his $10 million cap hit when they hit the ice with over $18 million in space in 2022. Still, over the past 10 seasons, the Sabres have only spent within $3 million of the cap on four occasions. Certainly a reflection of the on-ice results and direction of the front office, but also well out of line with Terry Pegula’s infamous oil well line from his introductory press conference. 

The team’s current cap situation has been well documented. Jeff Skinner’s buyout is largely responsible for the available space and Adams has been on record noting his desire to maintain flexibility for future extensions by not taking on long term commitments via free agency or trade. That does run counter to some of the team’s rumored activity in the summer when they were linked to the likes of Martin Necas, but taking it at face value, it’s fair enough to say that much of the future savings from Skinner’s buyout will be eaten up by extensions to the likes of JJ Peterka, Jack Quinn and others. But don’t forget that the greatest cap benefit to buying out Skinner, comes this season. The decision to buy him out is understandable, logical even given how Lindy Ruff has said he hopes the team will play. To not fully capitalize on those savings is questionable, if not downright reckless in a season as pivotal as this one.

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Storylines for a Unique Sabres Training Camp

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Sabres camp was barely 30 minutes old before the first crisis struck, as Rasmus Dahlin left the ice early on Wednesday. That changes things a bit as it pertains to this year’s camp storylines as Buffalo enters camp with a unique schedule ahead of their season opening trip to Europe. 

Due to their early travel to Germany and then Czechia, the Sabres opened camp on September 18 with a clear line of delineation between what is likely their traveling squad, and the group that will stay behind to finish the preseason prior to the opening of Rochester Americans camp. This isn’t much of a surprise, as Don Granato received criticism throughout last season for spending too much time mixing in prospects with established veterans during camp and preseason. Between the additions made by Kevyn Adams and the onus to have a more effective and competitive camp, it seemed likely that Lindy Ruff would keep most of the key NHL group together. The upcoming departure for Europe made that all the more likely, as there is far less time for tinkering prior to the departure of the club’s 27-player group they will bring to Europe.

The first 24 players on the ice were exclusively established NHLers, with the exception of Kulich. One cut would give the Sabres their 23-man group, indicating Ruff already has a pretty good idea of who he plans to start the season with. Who the Sabres choose to round out their group for Europe is one of the lingering questions as camp opens. Jiri Kulich was a safe bet thanks to his his play the last two seasons in Rochester and his impressive showing at the Prospects Challenge. Being Czech born makes him an even more logical player to bring for the tour as a small gift for the player and the fans in Prague. I don’t think it’s out of the question that Kulich plays in one of the two games against the Devils given his nationality. 

Accounting for Kulich, extra defensemen Dennis Gilbert and Jacob Bryson, and James Reimer as the likely third goaltender for the trip, there will be two spots left for Ruff to use at his discretion. As another Czech and one of the forwards in the running for the 13th or 14th forward spot, Lukas Rousek will be a likely candidate, as will Isak Rosen. Kale Clague, Ryan Johnson and even Nikita Novikov may have already been potential candidates to travel with the club, a possibility that would become much more likely if Dahlin’s status is in question. Beyond the players the Sabres opt to bring to Europe, there are four other storylines I have my eyes on for camp and the preseason.

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The Instigator 13.1 – Few Roster Questions Remain as Sabres Open Camp

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The Sabres hit training camp with 59 players but very few questions about what the final 23-man roster will look like. Kevyn Adams’ offseason yielded a number of new additions and has left very few openings for a training camp surprise like Zach Benson last season. We run through Peyton Krebs’ new contract, the new roof and scoreboard along with Buffalo’s roster as they prepare to open camp on September 18. 

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The Instigator Podcast – Prospects Challenge Preview

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Hockey will be played by players wearing Buffalo Sabres uniforms this week as the Prospects Challenge kicks off on Friday. The Sabres are bringing a few star prospects along for the ride. This episode highlights some of the key players to watch for this weekend at The Prospects Challenge along with others who will have an opportunity to make an impact over Buffalo’s trio of games. Each position group is touched on, with the likes of Nikita Novikov and Anton Wahlberg getting some added focus. 

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