We’re back with a longer episode this week as there was a lot of action from the draft to dig into. Not only do we discuss Buffalo’s picks but offer up our favorites of Kevyn Adams’ class of 2021. The big topics were the pair of trades the Sabres made; sending Rasmus Ristolainen to the Philadelphia Flyers and Sam Reinhart to the Florida Panthers. We provide a quick update on where the Eichel sweepstakes stand and close the show with a bit of conversation on free agency.
Rasmus Ristolainen
The Instigator Podcast 9.26 – A Busy Summer Awaits featuring Lance Lysowski
Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News joined the show to run down some of the biggest topics surrounding the Sabres. And at the moment, that is a long list. We talk about the impeding Jack Eichel trade and all of the implications (both positive and negative) that carries with it. We talk through some of the expected destinations where Eichel may land, and the sort of return you can expect to see once the trade goes down. Draft talk was also on the table as this week’s rumor that the Sabres are expecting to have two top-10 picks could put them in a somewhat rare position to come away from the draft with two blue chip prospects. Along the way we touch on goaltending and a few other trade targets who fans should keep track of.
The Instigator Podcast 9.22 – Locker Cleanout Meltdown featuring Joe Yerdon
It was quite the day for the Sabres as Jack Eichel’s comments at locker cleanout day made headlines throughout the hockey world as he was extremely transparent about the disconnect between his camp and the organization. We discuss the potential fallout from Monday’s interview as Eichel certainly sounded like a player who was on his way to being dealt. Not to mention to similarly negative outlook portrayed by Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen.
The Instigator Podcast 9.11 – Scratches, Injuries and Some Signs for Hope
While the last week and a half has been pretty rough on the Sabres, Tuesday night’s win over New Jersey was a nice respite. We close the show with some thoughts on the win but only on the heels of some tougher talking points on Buffalo’s injury luck and Ralph Krueger’s coaching decisions.
The Instigator Podcast is supported by Manscaped. You can get 20% off and free shipping by using the code 2ITB at www.manscaped.com.
The Instigator Podcast 9.7 – Process and Results
For the first time in the history of the sport, the Sabres actually have quality underlying numbers. Despite that fact, they haven’t seen legitimate success early in the season due, in part, to their struggles to score at even strength. We discuss how those underlying results may be indicative of long term success should the Sabres manage to cobble together a better shooting percentage at even strength. We also touch on the Pierre-Luc Dubois/Patrik Laine trade between the Jets and Blue Jackets.
The Instigator Podcast is supported by Manscaped. You can get 20% off and free shipping by using the code 2ITB at www.manscaped.com.
The Instigator Podcast 8.9 – Blueline Decisions Looming for Sabres
The Sabres start couldn’t be going much better, as they’ve shot out of the gates at 8-1-1. Part of their success has come from improved play on the blueline, a unit bolstered by offseason acquisitions. It’s been a crowded group that’s going to get packed even tighter as Brandon Montour is nearing a return to action. His return is going to necessitate at least one move from Jason Botterill and we discussed just what options lay in front of Buffalo’s GM. We also touch on the pros and cons of Buffalo’s third periods, an area that’s lacked some of the consistency that’s defined the Sabres’ success early in the year.
You can listen to The Instigator Podcast on most podcast streaming services, including large providers such as iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio and TuneIn and most other third-party podcast streaming apps. You can find links to subscribe and rate the show below:
Over-Thought: Defenseman Market is Starting to Sizzle
The Sabres have gotten off to a better start than I have this year when it comes to recapping 31 Thoughts. But I’m back on the wagon for Sabres After Dark and there are a few juicy tidbits in this week’s edition. Including trade whispers related to both Buffalo’s and Pittsburgh’s bluelines. Continue reading
Two in the Mailbox: The Lines, The Outlook and The Goalies
Another season of Sabres hockey is underway and the 2ITB Mailbag is back for another run. This will be a weekly (sometimes) edition that runs down questions on the Sabres, Bills and just about anything else you can come up with.
I’m also going to use this as a quasi-season preview since I haven’t done one quite yet and it’s worth trying a different approach when it comes to a season preview. Especially when it’s written during the first game of the year and every other season preview is days or weeks old.
This is the first season in quite a while that I didn’t look forward to with some level of optimism. That’s softened a bit after Thursday’s performance, but it was still hard to really get up for the opening of the season with so many of the same faces on this roster. Not only are players like Sobotka, Scandella and Girgensons still around, but they’re all playing prominent roles. Add in the new coach giving them all sorts of love in the press and any frustration from the end of last year comes roaring back.
Sobotka got tons of credit for his play in the preseason, but I saw a lot of the same from last year. A black hole when the puck goes near him and very few positive traits. How he wound up in Buffalo’s top six is beyond me and I can only hope Krueger finds a new spot for him in short order.
It’s nice that Thursday went as well as it did, because that will help stoke the flames of optimism. The Mittelstadt line looked excellent and despite being an island of misfit toys, the Girgensons, Larsson and Okposo line was efficient as well. If there’s one spot on the roster I’m optimistic about, it’s the blueline. And that unit was quite good on Thursday. So, let’s see if they can string some wins together and prove everyone who was doubting their roster decisions wrong.
Now, on to the questions. Continue reading
Over-Thought: Seven Days Out and Waiting for Action
It feels a little soon for the Sabres to be playing actual hockey games, but we’re a week out from the start of the NHL regular season and given the Sabres seemingly perpetual state, there isn’t much room for optimism.
There’s still time for Jason Botterill and Ralph Krueger to actually remove some players from the roster that finished in the bottom five last year. It’s just getting harder to have confidence anything substantial is going to happen when all of the usual suspects are still around.
Rasmus Ristolainen is the elephant in the room and his presence on the trade block is a matter of debate. Not only is there debate in the fanbase over whether or not he should be traded but whether or not the Sabres are actually shopping him or if they’re simply taking calls on him. Beyond Ristolainen there’s Vladimir Sobotka, Zemgus Girgensons and Johan Larsson occupying the fan’s doghouse. There isn’t much in the way of Sabres information in this week’s 31 Thoughts (or last week’s) but it’s still going to serve as the kick off to The OT for this season. Continue reading
The Instigator Podcast 8.5 – Make a Move
Justin Faulk was thought of as a targets for teams sniffing around Rasmus Ristolainen. Rumors that he would be dealt created some concern for Sabres fans hoping to see Ristolainen dealt. But Faulk’s final destination of St. Louis kept the teams reported to have the most interest in a right handed defenseman (namely Ristolainen) in the hunt. We analyze the Faulk deal, what affect it may have on the Sabres and just what’s left for Jason Botterill and Ralph Krueger have left to do in order to sort out their roster.
You can listen to The Instigator Podcast on most podcast streaming services, including large providers such as iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio and TuneIn and most other third-party podcast streaming apps. You can find links to subscribe and rate the show below:
Two in the Box 