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Zach Bogosian

Injury Notes: Red Wings, Bogosian, Beleskey, Peca

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The Detroit Red Wings’ defense could look much different to begin the season than many expected. With top pair defenseman Mike Green already shut down and confirmed to be out for at least the team’s opener due to a viral infection, coach Jeff Blashill revealed today that banged-up blue liners Danny DeKeyser, Jonathan Ericsson, and Trevor Daley are all considered questionable to begin the season. As Ansar Khan of MLive.com points out, it could be a very young, inexperienced defensive corps to start the year in Detroit. Niklas Kronwall and Nick Jensen could be the only regulars healthy enough to play, joined perhaps by a veteran like Brian Lashoff or Dylan McIlrath. Outside of those options, rookies will likely make up the rest of the top six. 5’8″ Joe Hicketts, who got a brief look last season, leads the way, with 2016 first-rounder Dennis Cholowski, second-rounder the same year Filip Hronek, and Czech import Libor Sulak in the mix as well.

  • Injury news about Zach Bogosian usually isn’t good and unfortunately, this could be trending in that direction as well. Bogosian has been taking it easy in training camp, working his way back from major hip surgery, but the Athletic’s Joe Yerndon reports that he has still managed to get injured. According to head coach Phil Housley, Bogosian is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Even worse, Yerndon notes that it is a new injury, unrelated to his hip issues. Bogosian’s career has been marred by frequent injuries and an inability to bounce back quickly. The Sabres have to hope that this case is different, as Bogosian and Marco Scandella will be needed to lead a young defensive unit and groom top overall pick Rasmus Dahlin.
  • It didn’t take long for the New York Rangers to get clarification on Matt Beleskey’s status. After head coach David Quinn said yesterday that it was “too early to tell” the extent of Beleskey’s injury, suffered during a fight on Monday night, the Rangers released an update today. Beleskey will be out two to four weeks with a separated shoulder, the team determined. Since Beleskey was a likely training camp casualty anyway, the only change for the Rangers is that he cannot be placed on waiver while injured. Instead, he will be placed on the injured reserve with only a minor salary cap charge.
  • Montreal Canadiens’ free agent addition Matthew Peca is currently sidelined. The team revealed that he is dealing with a minor groin injury. No timeline has been established for his return. Peca’s NHL ability and role for the Habs is still unclear, so missing preseason action and potentially the start of the season is unfortunate. The former Tampa Bay Lightning prospect will have to hit the ground running upon his return.

Matt Hunwick Out Indefinitely With Neck Injury

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The Buffalo Sabres released an injury update today, and it wasn’t good news for veteran defenseman Matt Hunwick. The team listed his timetable as “indefinite” while also including Conor Sheary (week-to-week with an upper-body injury) and Sean Malone (six weeks with a knee injury) on the report. John Vogl of The Athletic reports that Zach Bogosian also did not skate with the team for the third consecutive day, though his name does not appear on the Sabres update.

Hunwick and Sheary came over to the Sabres earlier this offseason in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but were ticketed to play much different roles for the club. While Sheary is likely headed for a top-six role and powerplay time this season, Hunwick’s ice time on the blue line was anything but guaranteed. The veteran defenseman played just 42 games for the Penguins last season and never seemed to find his footing after signing a three-year contract in the 2017 offseason.

Now 33, there is reason to believe that Hunwick is nearing the end of his career as a full-time option in the NHL. Though the Sabres needed all the help they could get to rebuild a defense corps that was underwhelming last season, the emergence of first-overall pick Rasmus Dahlin and other young options like Brendan Guhle and Lawrence Pilut could push Hunwick to the sidelines. An injury of this nature doesn’t help at all, and only will give an opportunity to other players to cement themselves as roster options for the Sabres this season.

Sabres Notes: O’Reilly, Ristolainen, Bogosian, Grubauer

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With the Stanley Cup champions crowned and the offseason getting underway, the trade season is about to get started. In Buffalo, many expect general manager Jason Botterill to make some changes after a dysfunctional season. The most popular name on the trade rumor circuit is Buffalo’s Ryan O’Reilly, who helped out the rumors after his season ended when he remarked he hated losing and lost his passion for the game around a locker room full of players who don’t care.

However, the Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington believes that trading O’Reilly would be a mistake and advises Botterill to hold onto the center. One key reason is the team has now added two key players in Casey Mittelstadt and Rasmus Dahlin, both who should take the talent level up a notch in Buffalo. Trading a quality center in his prime doesn’t make a lot of sense if the goal is to be more competitive. How would the team replace O’Reilly’s minutes if the team traded him away? And that doesn’t even mention his value for his ability to win faceoffs.

Harrington said his comments made after the season makes sense. He wants to win. He is desperate for a winning situation. O’Reilly has already said at the World Championships last month that he was stoked about the Sabres winning the draft lottery and wants to stay in Buffalo. Another argument is that while he has a large contract, O’Reilly’s $52MM contract was heavily frontloaded with Buffalo already having paid $20MM in the first two years. Starting in 2019-20, he will cost just $6MM per year ($5MM signing bonus, $1MM salary), making it a very affordable contract in the coming years.

  • Harrington does say that the team probably should look to move on from defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. With Dahlin coming in, the team doesn’t need him as bad and the scribe believes that the constant losing has gotten to Ristolainen more than anyone and had trouble seeing eye-to-eye with Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart, suggesting that the defenseman might need a change of scenery. Ristolainen’s numbers declined slightly in his fifth year with the team as he had six goals and 41 points in 73 games. He notes a trade rumor of Ristolainen for Edmonton’s Oscar Klefbom as a smart way to give two players change of sceneries without disrupting the team’s overall defense.
  • In the same article, Harrington questions the intelligence of buying out defenseman Zach Bogosian this offseason. With two more years on his seven-year, $36MM deal he signed back in 2013 with the Winnipeg Jets at $5.14MM AAV, the team might be better off sticking with his contract. A buyout would reduce their cap hit to $1.14MM over the next two years, but the Sabres would then have to shell out $2MM for the next two years following that when he wouldn’t be on the books anymore. Considering the team isn’t dealing with major cap implications at the moment, a buyout wouldn’t make much sense.
  • Harrington adds that the Sabres need to be taking a serious look at Washington Capitals goaltender Philipp Grubauer. With a major need in goal and the New York Islanders already showing interest, it would make a lot of sense for the Sabres to trade for the backup goaltender. After taking the starting job from Brayden Holtby for a time near the end of the season, many believe Grubauer is ready for a starters’ role next year.

Zach Bogosian To Undergo Hip Surgery, Out Four To Six Months

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The Buffalo Sabres have decided that its time to shut Zach Bogosian down for the year, as the defenseman will undergo hip surgery to correct an issue that he’s been dealing with all season. The expected recovery timeline is four to six months, meaning Bogosian will not play again this season.

Bogosian, 27, hasn’t made quite the impact many were hoping for since he came over from the Winnipeg Jets as part of the Evander Kane–Tyler Myers deal in 2015. The big, bruising defenseman that broke into the NHL as an 18-year old after being selected third overall in 2008, has seen his role on the Sabres continually diminished as he struggles to contribute offensively. This season, playing in just 18 games, Bogosian recorded the lowest average ice time since his rookie year, and registered just a single point.

Injury isn’t a new experience for Bogosian, who hasn’t played more than 65 games in a season in now seven years, and only once cracked 80 games played. It has seemed like every time he starts to get in a groove he faces another setback, and this time it will be another long-term stint on the sideline.

With two more seasons under contract with the Sabres at $5.14MM, Buffalo will need Bogosian to find some modicum of health and reclaim his place as a minute-munching defender. For a team that has struggled defensively for years, a healthy 2018-19 is paramount to their success. As the team now decides which assets to sell off, you can bet Bogosian won’t be one of them.

Zach Bogosian Out Four-To-Six Weeks

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The 2017-18 season just went from bad to worse for Sabres defenseman Zach Bogosian.  After suffering a lower-body injury in practice earlier today, TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports (Twitter link) that the injury (which is believed to be an ankle issue) will keep him out of the Buffalo lineup for the next four-to-six weeks.

This is the second major injury that Bogosian has suffered this year.  He also missed the opening 25 games of the season with a lower-body issue sustained during the preseason.  As a result, he has played in just 18 games so far, where he has struggled.  He’s averaging his lowest ice time since his rookie campaign back in 2008-09 with Atlanta while being a non-factor at the offensive end with just a single assist.

The 27-year-old has two years remaining on his contract after this one with a cap hit just over $5.14MM.  This injury all but kills the already-remote possibility of the Sabres finding a taker for him before the February 26th trade deadline.

At this point, it’s fair to wonder if Buffalo may consider the possibility of buying Bogosian out at the end of the season, assuming he doesn’t have a resurgent final two months once he returns.  The cost of doing so would result in a cap hit of just over $1.14MM for two years and then $2MM in both 2020-21 and 2021-22.

Morning Notes: Buffalo, Prospects, Offside

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After another disappointing loss at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets last night, the Buffalo Sabres were back on the ice today trying to right the ship. Unfortunately, things didn’t go so smoothly. According to Amy Moritz of the Buffalo News, Zach Bogosian was helped off the ice unable to put weight on his left leg.

Not only that, but tempers appear to be flaring as according to Bill Hoppe of Buffalo Hockey Beat, Evander Kane and Justin Falk got into a shoving match with the latter calling the former “selfish.” Things haven’t gone according to plan for the Sabres this year, who are now in the midst of a five-game losing streak and just three points ahead of the Arizona Coyotes for last place in the NHL.

  • ISS Hockey and Jeff Marek of Sportsnet each released their new draft rankings today, with both agreeing that Rasmus Dahlin has solidified his position as the no-doubt first-overall pick in June’s draft. After that though, the lists diverge with Marek leaving Andrei Svechnikov in the second spot while ISS has moved Brady Tkachuk into that position. The remaining top 10 is a mixed bag, and should make for an incredibly interesting draft day with teams having very different boards.
  • While the entire league is wondering whether the current offside review process will stay the same after another “skate blade incident” for the Edmonton Oilers last night, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that NHL Director of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell will bring up the issue once again at the GM meetings in March. There is a growing belief that the rule should be changed to that of a endzone-type plane that extends straight up, so that a player’s skate doesn’t necessarily need to be touching the ice to be onside.

Sabres Notes: Botterill, Kane, Reinhart, Bogosian

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Although the Sabres are once again hovering around the basement of the Eastern Conference, GM Jason Botterill told MSG in a pregame interview on Friday (Twitter link) that he is pleased with some aspects of the season, particularly how things have gone development-wise with AHL Rochester as well as from an accountability standpoint.  However, given their struggles in stringing victories together, some have wondered if Buffalo will be looking to make some changes.  Botterill noted that given the parity around the league, the trade market has largely stalled which may make shaking things up more of a challenge:

“We’re always having dialogue, whether it’s my assistant general managers or with Phil [Housley, head coach] about what does the team need. I think you look around the league with the parity, there’s not a lot of trades just yet. Teams don’t know ’Are we going to be sellers or buyers?’ They don’t know that situation yet.”

Here is a look at some of the recent roster speculation surrounding the Sabres:

  • Any trade musings have to involve pending UFA winger Evander Kane. He’s off to a hot start which should help his value although, given his past, there is still some skepticism around the league.  In an appearance on Sportsnet 960 (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Kings had interest in him dating back to the summer.  He also suggested that Columbus could have some interest even though Kane isn’t a center while also tossing out the Lightning as a team that might view Kane as the piece that puts them over the top for a Stanley Cup run.
  • TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported on TSN 1260 (audio link) that Buffalo is receiving trade interest in forward Sam Reinhart. The second-overall selection in 2014 hasn’t gotten off to a particularly strong start this year with ten points (5-5-10) through 23 games which has him on pace for the lowest point total of his young career.  Botterill may soon have to make a decision on whether or not Reinhart is part of the long-term plan for the Sabres or if he is expendable in the somewhat near future.
  • Zach Bogosian’s tenure with Buffalo since coming over in the Kane trade with Winnipeg hasn’t gone well so far. In fact, he hasn’t even played yet this season.  Matt Larkin of The Hockey News pegs him as a buyout candidate this summer, arguing that even at half of his cap hit (which would be $2.57MM) there may not be much interest around the league.  A Bogosian buyout next June would have the Sabres carrying a cap hit of $1.143MM for 2018-19 and 2019-20 plus a $2MM charge for the following two seasons.

Atlantic Notes: Rask, Bogosian, Canadiens

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Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask is off to a particularly rough start this season.  He has posted a 2.89 GAA and a .897 SV% through a dozen starts and, at least for the time being, has been passed by Anton Khudobin on the depth chart who makes his third straight start tonight.  Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports Boston posits that the slow start on top of the last two seasons being below Rask’s usual standard is a sign that he should no longer be considered their goalie of the long-term future.

However, they have Khudobin and Zane McIntyre behind him and neither figure to be the solution either.  Rask is signed through 2020-21 with a $7MM cap hit which could make him difficult to trade if he can’t get back to form in the coming weeks unless they want to take a similarly-priced underachieving netminder in return.  Accordingly, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Bruins target a young goalie either through the draft or via trade to start to position themselves for the post-Rask era, whenever that day happens to come.

More from the Atlantic:

  • Sabres defenseman Zach Bogosian is nearing a return to the Buffalo lineup, notes Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. He has yet to play this season after suffering a lower-body injury in their preseason finale back on September 29th.  Originally, the injury wasn’t believed to be serious but Bogosian acknowledged he wound up delaying his own return by pushing too hard trying to return to the lineup the first time.  Considering how long he has been off, he’s still likely a week or so away as he will need several practices with the team before getting the green light but his pending return should still be a boost to a Buffalo lineup that has been injury-riddled on the back end this season.
  • Although the Canadiens find themselves close to the basement in the East, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports (subscription required) that they don’t plan to move any draft picks at this time in an effort to add some help. Particularly noteworthy is that they have two second-round picks already with a good chance at a third (which they will get back if Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev plays 40 NHL games this season) which will give them some ammunition to work with at the draft in June or if GM Marc Bergevin has a change of heart and decides to put some picks in play.

Atlantic Notes: Canadiens, Bogosian, Sheahan

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With the Canadiens struggling considerably out of the gate, some are wondering if a big change is going to be made in the near future.  In his latest column, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that it’s unlikely that ownership would consider changing general managers during the season.  It’s worth noting that GM Marc Bergevin is believed to be signed for four more years after this one so making that change would be an expensive one if it were to happen.

Dreger also notes that the team isn’t willing to consider dealing captain Max Pacioretty just yet although if they were to put him on the block, there would be no shortage of suitors around the league.  Pacioretty has led the Canadiens in scoring for six straight seasons but hasn’t been productive so far in 2017-18 with just one goal through seven games.  The 28-year-old is signed through 2018-19 with a cap hit of $4.5MM which is good value for a player who has hit 30 goals in each of the last four years.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • It doesn’t appear like Zach Bogosian will be suiting up for the Sabres anytime soon. Head coach Phil Housley told John Vogl of the Buffalo News that the blueliner remains week-to-week and that “As we look further into it, we’ll have more information as we move forward”.  Considering that Bogosian’s lower-body issue that was sustained at the end of the preseason was classified as a day-to-day issue for more than two weeks, Housley’s comments suggest that the 27-year-old will be out of the lineup for a while yet.
  • The Red Wings were close to dealing center Riley Sheahan to the Penguins over the offseason but there is nothing imminent on that front currently, reports TSN’s Bob McKenzie (Twitter links). Pittsburgh’s interest in adding another depth center is well-known while Detroit will soon have to shed some salary with Andreas Athanasiou agreeing to terms on a new deal earlier today.  Sheahan is off to a slow start this season, being held off the scoresheet through seven games and carries a $2.075MM cap hit that also represents his required qualifying offer in June.

Injury Updates: Karlsson, Cole, Bogosian, Kronwall

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While the Senators were hoping that defenseman Erik Karlsson would be able to return to the lineup this weekend, GM Pierre Dorion told reporters, including Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, that he will not be able to do so and that they’re hopeful that he will be able to suit up at some point next week.  Dorion was quick to add that Karlsson had not suffered any setback.

The 27-year-old has yet to play this season after undergoing tendon surgery on his foot back in June on an injury he sustained in the Senators’ postseason run.  Garrioch adds that Ottawa could get one of their other defenders back this weekend as Johnny Oduya may be ready to play on Saturday in Calgary.  He suffered a lower-body injury in the season opener last Thursday.

More injury notes from around the league:

  • Penguins defenseman Ian Cole is making progress as he recovers after taking a shot to the mouth against the Predators over the weekend, notes Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Head coach Mike Sullivan wouldn’t estimate how much longer Cole will be out of the lineup but added that he is improving quicker than expected.
  • Although he has missed nearly two weeks now due a lower-body injury sustained at the end of the preseason, the Sabres continue to classify blueliner Zach Bogosian as out day-to-day, reports Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. However, he’s not expected to accompany the team on their four-game Western road trip which would suggest he’ll be out for at least another week.
  • Red Wings blueliner Niklas Kronwall is very close to returning to the lineup and could receive the green light to play on Thursday, notes Dana Wakiji on the Wings’ team site. Kronwall has been battling back spasms and a groin pull since late in training camp and has yet to play this season.  Even if he receives clearance to return, it’s possible that Detroit may hold him out another game as they have a back-to-back coming up and it doesn’t seem likely that they’ll ask Kronwall to play in both just coming off of injury.

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