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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.

Sabres Notes: Mueller, Coaching, Expansion

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Mirco Mueller was dealt from the San Jose Sharks to the New Jersey Devils just before the expansion protection lists were submitted, but they weren’t the only team interested in him. Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports that the Buffalo Sabres were also in talks with the Sharks before they made the move for Nathan Beaulieu instead. It’s clear that the Sabres are looking for every opportunity to improve their defense after finding little consistency from the back end a year ago.

So far, the Sabres project to have some combination of Beaulieu, Rasmus Ristolainen, Zach Bogosian, Josh Gorges, Jake McCabe and Viktor Antipin in their regular group, with Justin Falk, Brendan Guhle and others fighting for the last few spots. That’s a group that could seriously use another upgrade, as various levels of inexperience and inconsistency flow throughout. With Vegas announcing that they’d have defensemen for sale after the expansion draft, it wouldn’t be surprising to hear Buffalo had picked up the phone to try and acquire one.

  • That is of course if Buffalo doesn’t lose a defenseman of their own in the draft. Though we expect the Golden Knights to go after Linus Ullmark (with William Carrier a close second), there is always the chance that Bogosian could be selected. After all, even though he’s been disappointing for the Sabres since coming from Winnipeg in the Tyler Myers trade, he is still just 26 and has the pedigree of a third-overall pick. His contract still has three years left at a $5.14MM cap hit (and actually costs more from a salary perspective) but if Vegas believes he can put his injury woes behind him and become the top-pairing two-way defender he was drafted as they could potentially take him off Buffalo’s hands.
  • John Vogl of the Buffalo News passes on a report that Phil Housley will hire an all-new assistant coaching staff for next season, with Terry Murray, Bob Woods and Tom Ward all not expected to be retained. New GM Jason Botterill is attempting to change the entire culture in the Buffalo organization, and that likely means wiping the coaching slate clean. Interestingly, Murray is the uncle of former Buffalo GM Tim Murray and is a career NHL coach who has held the head position in Florida, Philadelphia, Washington and Los Angeles.

Sabres Extend Justin Falk

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The Buffalo Sabres announced this morning that they have signed defenseman Justin Falk to a one-year extension. Falk had been set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, after signing a one-year, one-way deal with Buffalo on July 1st last year. The extension is identical to Falk’s current contract, carrying a $650K cap hit for next season and no additional bonuses or clauses.

Falk has had a much greater role in Buffalo this season than many expected. Heading into the 2016-17 season, the Sabres had a solid six-man defensive lineup featuring the newly-acquired Dmitry Kulikov alongside Zach Bogosian, Rasmus Ristolainen, Josh Gorges, Cody Franson, and Jake McCabe. Additionally, highly-touted college free agent Casey Nelson was expected to be the next man up. Arguably one of the deepest defensive units in the NHL did not hold up for very long. Injuries set in early in the season, resulting in Kulikov, Bogosian, and Gorges missing a combined 63 man-games (so far). Ristolainen is the only Sabres defenseman to have played in all 51 of the team’s games to date, while Franson and McCabe have been missed very few contests, but Buffalo has faced difficulties making up for the damage to their blue line. Nelson struggled when called upon, and stepping in to take a somewhat permanent spot on the team’s bottom pair was Falk. The 28-year-old, who has bounced back-and-forth between the NHL and AHL for seven years, was added this off-season for veteran depth in the minors, but has surprised with his pro-caliber confidence. Just 12 games away from matching his career high, Falk has played in 35 contests this season and has saved the Sabres with his ability to fit in well as the stay-at-home defenseman of the group. Although he has just four assists and averages just 13:11 in ice time, Falk has been defensively sound and is playing perhaps the most physical, shut-down style of his career. In appreciation of his efforts, Buffalo has rewarded the blue liner with a new contract.

Like nearly all in-season extensions this year, the deal also carries some Expansion Draft significance. Teams have been very wary of the their player eligibility for the upcoming draft this June, and the Sabres are no different. Buffalo had four players that met the exposure requirement of one defenseman with term remaining on his contract that has played 40 games this season or 70 games over the past two seasons: Bogosian, Ristolainen, McCabe, and Gorges. The Sabres will protect three of those players and leave one available to the Vegas Golden Knights. The youngters Ristolainen and McCabe will surely be protected and, unless he is traded, so will Bogosian. However, the extension for Falk gives the team even more flexibility approaching the Trade Deadline. Assuming Falk plays in five more games this season, his extension now adds him to the list of exposure qualifiers. The Sabres have been playing better of late, but a playoff berth still seems like a long shot. If they decide to make a big move and trade Bogosian, or better yet, can find a take for Gorges final year, they no longer have to hesitate on pulling the trigger. Falk is a harmless selection for exposure; both highly unlikely to be picked and not much of a loss if he is.

Sabres Notes: Gorges, McCabe, Playoff Push

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After weeks of nursing his injured hip for the past dozen games, Josh Gorges returned to the Buffalo Sabres last night in triumphant fashion reports Bill Hoppe of Buffalo Hockey Beat. The team beat the Ottawa Senators in all facets and took them down 4-0 in an impressive win. The 32-year old defenseman played just over 16 minutes, but chipped in an assist and was a +2 rating. While his possession numbers are still terrible this season, Gorges adds some grit to a blueline that has sorely missed it this year. With injuries to almost every member at times, the team has had inconsistency and unfamiliarity problems all season.

  • That perhaps is going to go away, now that Gorges and Jake McCabe have returned from their respective injuries. McCabe was sidelined for five games following a shoulder injury and Zach Bogosian, who was injured on Thursday evening against the New York Rangers, is only considered day-to-day. For a team that was expected to take a step forward this season, injuries have come hard and often this year.
  • But it’s the fact that those injuries are starting to heal that has Buffalo fans inspired for the next 30 games. The club has struggled this season to be sure, but with a strong start to 2017 (the team is 8-5-2 in the new year) and a very weak Atlantic Division, there is a chance they could go on a late drive for the playoffs. The team sits at 52 points after their win last night, and though that is tied for last place in the Eastern Conference, they’re only 6 points behind Boston for third place in the division and have played four fewer games. The incredible parity in the Eastern Conference has everyone still believing they’re “in it” at this point in the season, and with Buffalo’s injury excuse, perhaps they really are. When healthy (looking at you Jack Eichel), the team can boast enough goal scoring to keep up with any team, and the duo of Robin Lehner and Anders Nilsson has actually provided excellent goaltending (a team .923 save percentage has them third in the league). A healthy top four that includes Rasmus Ristolainen, Bogosian, McCabe and Dmitry Kulikov isn’t perfect, but may be enough to keep them relevant down the stretch.

Buffalo Sabres’ Jake McCabe Will Not Return To Game

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When Jake McCabe headed to the room earlier in tonight’s game against the Detroit Red Wings there was hope he would return. He’s now been ruled out with a shoulder injury, though it’s unclear how serious it is.

It’s just the latest in a season marred by injury for the Sabres, who have seen Jack Eichel, Zach Bogosian, Ryan O’Reilly, Evander Kane and others all miss time. The team look like it will now be without their top healthy left-handed defenseman, while they still wait for Dmitry Kulikov to make his return. Already a squad heavy on right-handers, Justin Falk now becomes the only healthy lefty.

The Sabres are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference for another year, and though it’s understandable through all the injuries it’s frustrating for fans of the team. It also must be causing a few gray hairs in the front office, as wasted seasons just bring the team closer to having to pay their young talent much bigger salaries. The team was supposed to take a step forward this year, but with the continuing injuries they just haven’t been able to find much consistency.

Sunday Evening Snapshots: Panarin, Mason, Simmonds, Kane

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Super sophomore Artemi Panarin recently inked a two-year extension that will tie him to the Blackhawks through his restricted free agent years. Upon the expiration of the pact, one that carries an AAV of $6MM, Panarin will be a UFA and at 28 should be positioned to land a lucrative long-term deal in free agency. The structure is ideal for Panarin, as it allows him to max out his earnings over the next two years while still allowing him to reach free agency while still young enough to command a max-term deal. As Chris Kuc and Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune write, the deal overcame a late and unexpected obstacle in order to reach the finish line.

Panarin decided to change representation from Tom Lynn to Dan Milstein just before the agreement was finalized but the former stayed on to help the new agent complete the negotiations. Lynn, a former assistant GM with the Wild, has a strong relationship with Chicago assistant GM Norm MacIver and that helped grease the wheels on the arrangement. Milstein credits Lynn for his professionalism in difficult circumstances.

“After Artemi told him about the change, (Lynn) offered to stay on to help in any way he could,” Milstein told the Tribune. “He had called me and offered to pass on any and all things he had worked on previously. He and I consulted closely … (and) the whole thing came together in 48 hours.

“(Lynn) was very instrumental and he’s a class act. Ninety-nine percent of people would have hung up the phone and never spoke to you again. I can’t say anything bad about Tom and I know Artemi can’t say anything (bad) either.”

Panarin, who doesn’t speak English well, made the move because of the language barrier.

“As somebody who doesn’t really speak English fluently, it was a little bit of a hassle to bring everything to a translator first, have meetings and have to go through a translation at some point,” Panarin said via an interpreter. “I felt more comfortable getting somebody who speaks Russian.”

Kuc and Hine report that a source conveyed that despite what Milstein said, the relationship he shared with Lynn “was not as amicable as Milstein portrayed.” Regardless, Chicago and Panarin were ultimately able to find common ground and work out a deal both sides were happy with.

Elsewhere around the NHL tonight:

  • Sam Carchidi of Philly.com wonders whether the Flyers should re-sign goaltender Steve Mason to serve as a bridge to the team’s prospects at the position. According to Carchidi, the plan at the beginning of the campaign was to allow Mason and Michal Neuvirth, both pending free agents, to compete to see which one would earn an extension but injuries to Neuvirth have allowed Mason to take the lead in that competition by default. Ultimately the scribe feels Neuvirth is simply too injury-prone to be counted on as an undisputed #1 goalie. Carchidi believes a strong second half would nearly guarantee that the Flyers would look to re-up Mason. As it stands, should the team extend Mason, the team would have to expose young net minder Anthony Stolarz, who Carchidi feels has potential. The best bet, in the opinion of Carchidi, might be to deal Neuvirth and add another goaltender under contract for 2017-18 and whom they can leave exposed for the expansion draft.
  • Sticking with the Flyers, the Department of Player Safety will not have a hearing with Wayne Simmonds for his hit that knocked Lightning forward J.T. Brown out of yesterday’s game, tweets Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. Smith adds that Brown has been placed on IR requiring him to sit out at least seven days as a result.
  • With Buffalo hosting Winnipeg last night, John Vogl of The Buffalo News revisits the blockbuster trade the two clubs made nearly two years ago. On February 11, 2015, Buffalo acquired winger Evender Kane, defenseman Zach Bogosian, and young goaltender Jason Kasdorf in exchange for defenseman Tyler Myers, winger Drew Stafford, forward prospects Joel Armia and Brendan Lemieux and a 1st round draft pick. While Kane has struggled to produce up to his talent level, he did hit the 20-goal plateau last season and is on an 82-game pace for 26 goals this season. Myers, meanwhile, has missed all but 11 games this season but did contribute 27 points in 73 contests last season. Stafford had a 21-goal campaign a year ago but has slumped to just three this season. Vogl considers it too early to declare a winner, though with the 20-year-old Lemieux and Jack Roslovic – the player chosen with that first round pick – still developing, the Jets have a good chance of ultimately coming out ahead in the swap.

 

Roster Moves: Fedun, Wotherspoon

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Follow this post for all of the day’s transaction news.

  • The Buffalo Sabres today activated defenseman Taylor Fedun from IR and assigned him to Rochester of the AHL, according to Mike Vogl of The Buffalo News. Fedun has been out the last two weeks with a shoulder injury. On the season, the 28-year-old blue liner has four assists in eight games. The assignment of Fedun may mean that Zach Bogosian is ready to return to the lineup, suggests Mike Harrington, also of The Buffalo News (Twitter link). Bogosian hasn’t played since November 1st due to a sprained MCL.
  • Fellow defenseman Tyler Wotherspoon of the Calgary Flames has been reassigned by the club to their AHL affiliate, the Stockton Heat, according to a release on the team’s official website. Wotherspoon has not appeared in a game this season for the Flames but over the course of the previous three campaigns, the former second-round pick has seen action in 26 contests, recording five assists. The assignment of Wotherspoon leaves the Flames with just six healthy blue liners, leading Wes Gilbertson, who covers the team for Post Media, to suggest the team may recall Brett Kulak from the minors. Kulak, 23, has played in 15 games this season and has registered three assists.

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