Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Craig Anderson

Craig Anderson Unsure If He’ll Play Next Season

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

While the Sabres have indicated that they’d like to bring back goaltender Craig Anderson, the veteran isn’t ready to make that commitment just yet.  Speaking with reporters today including Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News, the 40-year-old indicated that he will take the next few weeks to decide whether or not to return for a 20th NHL campaign:

There’s life after hockey and at some point, you really have to consider what the injuries, how they’re going to affect your day-to-day post-career. I haven’t really put too much thought into it. Obviously, you’re dealing with the neck and hip. There’s some serious considerations to take into account. I haven’t thought too much into it. I think in the next two to three weeks see how things calm down. If things calm down the way I’d like them to then that’s when the thought process would kick in.

The 40-year-old made 31 starts for Buffalo this season and posted a winning record (17-12-2), an impressive feat on a non-playoff team.  His decision to join the Sabres proved to be a fruitful one for both sides as he got a chance to play regularly after being on Washington’s taxi squad for most of last season while Buffalo got a nice bargain as Anderson made the league minimum salary of $750K.

However, injuries also took their toll on Anderson as the neck injury he referenced kept him out for three months earlier in the season while the hip injury is a recent one that prevented him from playing over the last week and a half.  With over 700 career NHL appearances under his belt between the regular season and playoffs, there has been a lot of wear and tear on his body so it’s certainly understandable that he’ll want to take some time before deciding whether or not to play again.

All signs point to prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen being one of Buffalo’s two netminders next season with Buffalo wanting a veteran to pair with him.  Anderson would be a logical fit as someone that wouldn’t require a pricey multi-year commitment like many veteran unrestricted free agents would and with Buffalo still in the rebuilding stage, a short-term deal for their other goalie makes a lot of sense.  As for whether or not Anderson is willing to sign up for that, it appears that decision won’t be coming for a while yet.

Snapshots: Anderson, Struble, Kessel

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Going into this NHL season, fans who wanted to accuse the Buffalo Sabres of “tanking,” or intentionally icing a weak roster to lose as many games as possible, could have simply pointed to the team’s goaltending situation and made a decent case. On paper, it looked rough. The Sabres were set to run a tandem featuring 40-year-old Craig Anderson and NHL-AHL tweener Dustin Tokarski, a pairing that inspired very little confidence. While the team has battled injuries in the crease, it’s safe to say that the tandem of Tokarski and Anderson has performed better than expected, and it seems that the Sabres agree. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Sabres have told Anderson that they “would like to have him back” next season, and are willing to wait for him to decide if he wants to continue playing before seeking a replacement to fill his spot.

While a fan looking just at Anderson’s box score numbers, and specifically his .902 save percentage, might scoff at this development, it is more reasonable than it may seem. Anderson is a beloved veteran whose leadership is likely to be increasingly important in the Sabres’ young locker room. Additionally, his overall performance is more impressive when put into the context of the Sabres’ season in general. Buffalo is not a team that has an abundance of talent on their blueline, and Anderson more frequently faces nights without much help than he does nights where his team makes the game easy for him. More than anything, the stability and poise he has brought to the Sabres’ net has helped them come out on top in some big moments this season, highlighted by the team’s win in an outdoor game versus the Toronto Maple Leafs. For a Sabres organization that hasn’t had many highlights to speak of over the past decade, wanting to re-sign the goalie who led the charge during this season’s best moments is not an unreasonable desire.

  • The Montreal Canadiens’ 2019 second-round pick Jayden Struble is one year away from hitting unrestricted free agency as a college graduate, so increased attention has been paid to his thought process on if he wants to turn pro. Sportsnet’s Eric Engels reports that Struble “needs to decide” if he wants to continue his college career at Northeastern University, where he has 36 points in 73 games played over the course of three seasons. If he signs, Struble would be another addition to a Canadiens defense pipeline that has seen the recent additions of Justin Barron (via trade) and Struble’s Northeastern teammate, Jordan Harris. 
  • Despite some interest and months of his name being mentioned in trade rumors, Arizona Coyotes winger Phil Kessel did not end up traded at this year’s trade deadline. But it seems that was not without some effort by contending teams. In his 32 Thoughts blog, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Nashville Predators were “one of the teams interested” in Kessel at the deadline. The Predators are solidly entrenched as the Western Conference’s top wild card team, and the addition of Kessel would have definitely boosted their attack down the stretch. In our trade deadline primer, we listed the need for additional scoring help as one of the major needs for the Predators heading into the deadline, and it seems that GM David Poile may have agreed given his interest in Kessel. But seeing that Nashville’s powerplay currently ranks 7th in the NHL at 24.2% and Kessel is considered a powerplay specialist at this point in his career, it makes sense that he may not have been an absolute must-have for the team, which could be why the Predators did not ultimately end up with Kessel on their roster, despite their league-leading amount of deadline cap space.

Buffalo Sabres “Open” To Bringing Back Craig Anderson

at CDT | by 6 Comments

It’s been quite the career reversal for veteran netminder Craig Anderson. After a reported retirement last season, Anderson may now be returning to the NHL yet again in 2022-23, back with the same team that offered him their starting role last summer. Speaking with both Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams and Anderson, The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski reports both sides would be interested in a reunion for 2022-23.

Battling through injury, the 40-year-old goalie has had quite the season in Buffalo. He’s been by far the team’s best option this season, and he actually has a record above the .500 mark (10-8-0). The other Sabres goalies have combined for a 10-24-8 mark this year.

Buffalo will have a lot of money to spend in free agency, though, and goaltending is obviously a position they’ll look to upgrade. The team looks to finally carry some positive momentum into the following season, and they’ll likely be at least moderately active in filling out their roster.

But the question remains on whether Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will be ready for full-time NHL action next season. He’s struggled at times in the minor leagues but has looked more comfortable in NHL action in limited samples. If the best place for Luukkonen is the NHL, is there room for Anderson if the Sabres choose to buy a goalie on the open market?

There may be still, as Anderson’s not only proved a valuable on-ice contributor in Buffalo but he’s been an incredibly positive voice in helping build back a winning culture in Buffalo this season along with other leaders such as Kyle Okposo and Alex Tuch. It very well may be that Father Time hasn’t come for Anderson just yet.

Snapshots: Draft Capital, Juniors, Anderson

at CDT | by 2 Comments

When it comes to acquiring rentals at the trade deadline, the most used currency is draft picks. Dozens of picks usually change hands, with several first-round selections being tossed around to try and give teams the best chance at the Stanley Cup. This year has an interesting “wrinkle” according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, who reports that 2023 selections are seemingly preferred over 2022 picks at the moment.

There’s no doubt that the excitement around next year’s draft is palpable. Not only is there Connor Bedard and Matvei Michkov at the very top (though the latter’s status is a bit complicated by the recent change in the NHL-KHL relationship) but an early feeling that 2023 will be an impressive draft well into the middle rounds. That opinion manifested in a recent trade between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Arizona Coyotes. In it, the Maple Leafs surrendered a conditional pick that is either a 2023 third or 2025 second. Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong even explained at the time that they believed 2023 would be a very strong draft, and that they would take that pick if “the player is there” when the turn comes up.

  • There soon may be another league for scouts to visit, as Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News reports that an announcement on a new junior hockey league based on the west coast is expected tomorrow. The league, yet unnamed, is backed by four NHL franchises and spearheaded, according to Kennedy, by Ben Robert, founding partner of West Coast Hockey Sports and Entertainment. The league would potentially give players from the area an alternative to the USHL or CHL.
  • Craig Anderson is expected to generate some “tire kicking” according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, though the insider notes that it is likely up to the veteran goaltender on whether he goes or stays. Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman also touched on Anderson in the latest 32 Thoughts podcast for Sportsnet, explaining how much the Buffalo Sabres have appreciated his leadership this season. Anderson, 40, has a .907 save percentage in 18 appearances this season, winning career game number 301 on Sunday at the Heritage Classic.

Buffalo Sabres Announce Numerous Roster Moves

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Everything is happening all at once in Buffalo. The team has been waiting to re-activate several injured players for more than a week now, yet at the same time they have been waiting all day for COVID-19 test results after multiple initial positives earlier. Just ahead of their game tonight against the Arizona Coyotes, the team has now announced it all in a flurry of moves that will re-shape the roster, at least for the time being.

Though less anticipated, the COVID Protocol absences are unfortunately the bigger part of the Sabres’ roster news. The team has placed defenseman Rasmus Dahlin and forwards Victor Olofsson and Rasmus Asplund in the protocol. Assistant coach Matt Ellis was also named as one of five additional members of Buffalo’s traveling party who will be sidelined due to COVID. These three players in particular are obviously a major loss for the Sabres. Dahlin, the 2018 No. 1 overall pick, has taken that next step in his development this season and has been Buffalo’s best player. He leads the team with 28 points and 23:51 average time on ice and ranks in the top five in goals, hits, blocked shots, and takeaways. No loss could impact the Sabres’ more. With that said, Olofsson and Asplund are also major absences. The former is having a down year, but still in the top five in scoring and plays a critical role on the power play. The latter has already surpassed his career marks in games played and points and is one of the better possession players on the team. For the Sabres’ sake, hopefully the trio are only out short-term as they play such meaningful roles and the club is already missing a laundry list of players due to injury.

That list has shrunk today though. With no options left in net following Michael Houser landing on COVID Protocol yesterday, Aaron Dell suspended and waived, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Malcolm Subban on injured reserve, the Sabres finally activated Craig Anderson and Dustin Tokarski just in time for their game. Anderson had been out since early November with an upper-body injury but has been working his way back in recent weeks, while Tokarski has been out since early December. Anderson was playing very well prior to his injury, especially for someone who was set to retire this past  off-season, so the Sabres will be hoping he can return to form. They also have regained the services of veteran forward Kyle Okposo, who’s having a resurgent season. Okposo has missed the past week, but is still fourth in scoring with 23 points in 37 games. The team can certainly use that offense with Olofsson and Asplund sidelined.

Additionally, Buffalo has also recalled defenseman Casey Fitzgerald from the taxi squad. Fitzgerald has played in four NHL games this year, with one point on the scoreboard, but has nine points in 27 games with the AHL’s Rochester Americans.

Sabres Notes: Quinn, Anderson, Third Jersey

at CDT | by 9 Comments

Buffalo Sabres rookie Jack Quinn just broke into the NHL lineup but now won’t see the ice for quite some time. The team has announced that Quinn will miss the next four-to-six weeks with an undisclosed lower-body injury. Quinn just made his NHL debut last week and has two points in his first two games. The 2020 No. 8 overall pick has been one of the best players in the AHL this season with 35 points in 24 games and appears to be on his way to stardom in the NHL. However, that will be on hold for this season as Quinn will be out until March, at which time he will probably return to action in the minors before seeing another chance in the NHL. While this injury won’t chance much about Quinn’s impressive trajectory, it is disappointing for a Buffalo team with nothing to play for again this season and with numerous injuries already who were hoping to see their exciting prospect play a top role the rest of the way.

  • Veteran goaltender Craig Anderson finally looks ready to return to the Buffalo crease. Sabres GM Kevyn Adams revealed on a radio spot with WGR 550 that Anderson will accompany the team on their upcoming three-game western road trip and could see game action if he continues to progress. Anderson, 40, has been out since early November with an upper-body injury. After being convinced to come out of a brief retirement by the Sabres, this isn’t what Anderson was hoping for this season. However, in his six games prior to the injury Anderson was stellar, posting a .921 save percentage and 2.50 GAA. If he can get back to playing at that level, it could all be worth it for the respected veteran to go out on a high note.
  • The Sabres are bringing back a familiar face from the 90’s. No, not Dominik Hasek or Alexander Mogilny, but the literal face of the Buffalo. Chris Creamer of Sportslogos.net reports that the Sabres will bring back their 90’s primary logo, often referred to as the “Goathead” logo, to grace their third jersey in 2022-23 and beyond. Creamer even suggests that the alternate jersey could bring back the red and black scheme that the Sabres dawned for more than a decade in the mid-90’s into the 2000’s before returning to the blue and gold. It remains to be seen if that will actually be the case – the difference in appearance between the primaries and the alternate would be quite jarring – but it seems the Buffalo head logo will return regardless. A polarizing logo in its time, though far from the worst in Sabres’ history, it will be interesting to see if enough time has passed for the Buffalo fan base to embrace the return in the name of nostalgia.

Injury Updates: Knyzhov, Wild, Anderson

at CDT | by 1 Comment

When Sharks defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov was expected to miss eight to ten weeks after undergoing surgery for a lower-body injury, it appears he’s well behind schedule in his recovery.  The early point of that timeline would have had him returning now but Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News mentions that the blueliner is still very early in the rehab stage and doesn’t appear to be close to returning.  Knyzhov very quietly played in all 56 games for San Jose last season, collecting 10 points while logging nearly 17 minutes a night on the back end.  This slow recovery will make it tough for them to rely on his return in the second half which means the team may need to look to the trade market to try to add some low-cost depth.

Other injury notes from around the NHL:

  • While a firm diagnosis on Joel Eriksson Ek’s injury isn’t yet known, Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribute notes that the Wild center was spotted postgame in a sling which suggests he’ll be out for a little while at least. That would be a big blow to Minnesota’s attack with the 24-year-old on pace for career highs offensively as he currently has 11 goals and nine assists in 30 games.  Minnesota should have winger Jordan Greenway back for their next game on Monday after he missed yesterday’s contest due to a lower-body injury.
  • Sabres goaltender Craig Anderson is making progress as he works his way back from his upper-body injury with GM Kevyn Adams expressing optimism that he’d be back this season, relays Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News. Harrington notes that the injury is believed to be a head or neck issue which would help explain the uncertain timeline; he started off as day-to-day before being re-classified as month-to-month.  Anderson was off to a nice start before the injury, posting a 2.50 GAA with .921 SV% in his first six starts.

East Notes: Giroux, Anderson, Kase, Mikheyev

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With the Flyers off to a sluggish start with only eight victories in their first 21 games, some have wondered if captain Claude Giroux, who’s on an expiring contract, could be a candidate to move between now and the trade deadline in March.  However, he has a full no-move clause and told reporters today, including Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer, that he hasn’t given any thought about waiving that at this time.  The 33-year-old is off to a good start this season with 18 points in 21 games to lead Philadelphia in scoring and with a cap hit of $8.25MM, few contenders would be able to add him at this stage of the year.  If he was to decide to waive his trade protection, a trade closer to the trade deadline would be a little easier to work out.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • The Sabres have released (Twitter link) an updated timeline for their injured players and a notable change is that goaltender Craig Anderson has been reclassified from week-to-week to month-to-month. The 40-year-old has missed a little more than a month now due to his upper-body injury and this change in status likely played a role in their acquisition of Malcolm Subban from Chicago on Thursday.
  • The Maple Leafs could have winger Ondrej Kase back in the lineup on Saturday, relays Postmedia’s Terry Koshan (Twitter link). The 26-year-old has missed the last week with an upper-body injury after providing Toronto with some decent depth scoring to start the season with five goals in 21 games.  Meanwhile, winger Ilya Mikheyev took part in practice for the first time on Friday but Koshan notes that while he is with the team on their two-game road trip, he won’t play.  Regardless, he’s getting close to returning after suffering a broken thumb in the preseason.

East Notes: Flyers, WHL Trade, Sabres

at CDT | by 5 Comments

After a summer that featured plenty of roster turnover, the results haven’t been much different for the Flyers in the early going this season.  They missed the playoffs last season and sit seventh in the Metropolitan early on this year which has them out of the postseason mix for the time being.  Despite that, GM Chuck Fletcher was preaching patience at a recent press conference (video link):

I’d really like to see what we have before we start making changes. I don’t feel I’ve been able to see that to this point in time. We’re always looking, I’m talking to teams every day. If there are ways to make us better, we’ll look at it. But right now, if you just look at how we played the first 10 games versus the last 10 games, clearly one segment was way better than the other.

So we’ve shown the ability to play better than how we are right now. That’s the most important thing, we’ve got to get back, we’ve got to get playing better. Then from there, we’ll get a sense of what we really are and then we can make those decisions.

Philadelphia has battled some injury trouble early on (including in tonight’s game with Joel Farabee leaving early) which hasn’t helped their cause and that’s clearly a point of optimism for Fletcher that as their players return, they could get back on track.  However, if that doesn’t happen over the next couple of months or so, they could be a team to keep an eye on before the March 21st trade deadline.

More from the East:

  • A notable trade occurred in the WHL today when Canadiens prospect blueliner Kaiden Guhle was dealt to Edmonton. The 2020 first-round was acquired for a package of four draft picks including two first-rounders plus two players, headlined by 2021 Senators fourth-round selection Carson Latimer.
  • The Sabres are about to get some help from the infirmary as Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News relays that center Casey Mittelstadt will return on Thursday against Florida after being injured in the season-opener versus Montreal. Blueliner Jacob Bryson will also return after missing Monday’s contest with a nagging injury.  Meanwhile, winger Alex Tuch skated in a non-contact sweater at practice as he works his way back from offseason shoulder surgery while goaltender Craig Anderson also accompanied the team on their road trip although there remains no timetable for a return from his upper-body injury that has kept him out for a month.

When Does Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen Take Over In Buffalo?

at CDT | by 7 Comments

After some truly abysmal seasons and the departures of several top players, including face of the franchise Jack Eichel, it is nice to see the Buffalo Sabres not among the worst teams in the league with more than a month of the season complete. The Sabres sit at .500, which is of course not extraordinary, but is far better than most would have expected, especially when they share the same points percentage as the Pittsburgh Penguins and are ahead of recent Stanley Cup finalists in the Dallas Stars and Montreal Canadiens.

One of the early highlights of the season has been in net, where a tandem that seemed like more of an afterthought than an action plan has performed well. 40-year-old Craig Anderson, pulled from an impending retirement, has a stellar .921 save percentage and 2.50 GAA that no one saw coming. Dustin Tokarski, after unseating Aaron Dell for the second NHL job, has been solid himself at .908 and 2.95. The duo have split starts and seem to be working well, even behind a young, inexperienced team.

With that being said, the reality is that the Sabres are not legitimate playoff contenders and they have no investment in either Anderson or Tokarski. Both veterans are on expiring minimum contracts and are likely to be gone next season. Meanwhile, down in the minors the organization is developing a future starter – or so they hope. The AHL’s Player of the Week is none other than Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen of the Rochester Americans, the Sabres’ 2017 second-round pick. After a horrific October, Luukkonen has a .949 save percentage and 1.77 GAA in November as he is playing the best hockey of his young pro career. The gold medal-winning backstop of the 2019 Finnish World Junior team and the OHL’s Goaltender of the Year the same season, the pro level has not been as kind to Luukkonen thus far. He carries a career .887 save percentage and 3.35 GAA in the AHL. His play actually improved in four NHL appearances last season, posting a .906 save percentage, but his 3.88 GAA skewed the perception. However, Luukkonen’s recent improvement could be a sign that he finally has the pros figured out and is ready for the next level.

So when does UPL get his shot, not just as an emergency recall but as an actual member of the NHL roster? It seems like the time is now. Anderson is currently injured and Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports that he is expected to be out “at least another couple weeks”. Dell made his season debut this past weekend and struggled greatly, allowing five goals on just 26 shots. Beyond just his future value, Luukkonen seems like an immediate upgrade to Dell and with some opportunity could prove that he is already a better option than Tokarski or Anderson. The Sabres also have some reason to throw Luukkonen into the fire sooner rather than later. Though just 22, Luukonnen is already the elder statesmen of the pipeline. Buffalo has two other promising young goalie prospects currently playing in the NCAA: Michigan’s Erik Portillo, 21, and Northeastern’s Devon Levi, 19. Before either one decides to turn pro and start fighting for AHL starts and NHL call-ups, the Sabres should do their due diligence on UPL to see if he is indeed future starter material.

The Sabres deserve credit for exceeding expectations this season, as do Anderson and Tokarski as individuals. Yet, the team cannot lose the forest through the trees. Buffalo is still in a complete rebuild and getting a top young goalie like Luukkonen valuable NHL experience sooner rather than later, especially as he proves himself in the AHL, can only serve to benefit the organization long-term (and maybe even short-term too.)

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top