Buffalo Sabres 2015/16 Season Preview

Sabres 2nd Overall Pick Jack Eichel (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

          The 2014/15 Buffalo Sabres season was one most  would like to forget as the Sabres finished the season 23-51-8 which placed them at the bottom of the NHL standings. However, in a era of rebuilding, the Sabres have revamped their team and are now considered a team that could be contending for a playoff spot. The team may not be 100% perfect, however they have brought in some key pieces that will factor into the formula of this team. The team now has a true top line center in Ryan O'Reilly as they acquired him this offseason from the Colorado Avalanche at the Draft. Also, the big story for the Sabres this off season was Drafting one of the top prospects in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Jack Eichel. Eichel easily could've went 1st overall if it was any other Draft year but of course this year was the year of McEichel. With the Eire Otters Connor McDavid going 1st overall to the Edmonton Oilers, it left the Sabres with the next obvious choice of selecting Jack Eichel out of Boston University. Aside from Eichel and O'Reilly, other key additions to franchise included goaltender Robin Lehner, winger Jamie McGinn, and center David Legwand.

Here are all the roster moves that the Sabres made this offseason:

2015 NHL Entry Draft:

1st Round:
2nd Overall: Jack Eichel, Center, Boston University - NCAA

2nd Round:
51st Overall: Brendan Ghule, Defensemen, Prince Albert - WHL

3rd Round:
No Pick

4th Round:
92nd Overall: William Borgen, Defensemen, Moorhead - Minnesota High School Hockey

5th Round:
122nd Overall: Devante Stephens, Defensemen, Kelowna - WHL

6th Round
152nd Overall: Giorgio Estephan, Center, Lethbridge - WHL

7th Round
182nd Overall: Ivan Chukarov, Defensemen, Minnesota Wilderness - NAHL

Trades:

Buffalo Sabres acquired G Robin Lehner and C David Legwand from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a 2015 1st Round Pick (21st Overall Pick)

Buffalo Sabres acquired C Ryan O'Reilly and LW Jamie McGinn from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for D Nikita Zadorov, C Mikhail Grigoranko, LW JT Compher (Prospect), and a 2015 2nd Round Pick (31st Overall)

Signings (Previous Team in parenthesis)
Evan Rodrigues - 2 year deal (Boston University)
Nathan Lieuwen - 1 year extension (Buffalo Sabres)
Jason Akeson - 1 year deal (Philadelphia Flyers)
Matt Donovan - 1 year deal (New York Islanders)


Ryan O'Reilly (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Cal O'Reilly - 2 year deal (Vancouver Canucks)
Jack Eichel- 3 year Entry Level Deal (Boston University)
Matt Ellis - 1 year AHL Deal (Buffalo Sabres)
Bobby Sanguinetti - 1 year Deal (Vancouver Canucks)
Ryan O'Reilly - 7 year extension (Colorado Avalanche)
Carlo Colaiacovo - 1 year deal (Philadelphia Flyers)
Phil Varone - 1 year extension (Buffalo Sabres)
Mark Pysyk - 2 year extension (Buffalo Sabres)
Jerome Gauthier-Leduc - 1 year extension (Buffalo Sabres)
Tim Schaller - 1 year extension (Buffalo Sabres)
Johan Larsson - 1 year extension (Buffalo Sabres)
Jerry D'Amigo - 1 year extension (Buffalo Sabres)
Brendan Ghule - 3 year Entry Level Deal (Prince Albert Raiders)

Buyout:
Cody Hodgson

Key Loses:
Andre Benoit
Mikhail Grigoranko
Nikita Zadorov
Andrej Meszaros
Andres Lindback
Cody Hodgson
Patrick Kaleta
Matt Hackett

Evander Kane (Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald)

What to expect in 2015/16:

Now that the "Tank for McEichel" is over, the Sabres can finally get back to business and be a contender within the league. The Sabres not only have some new players on the ice, they will also have new head coach behind the bench as they picked Dan Bylsma. Many fans may remember him as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins. In his first season with the Pens, he led them to a Stanley Cup Championship. Now the same isn't expected of Bylsma in his first year in Buffalo, however there is the obvious expectation of a better season. Fans also haven't had the chance to see forward Evander Kane suit up in the Blue and Gold yet as he is returning from injury and is expected to be ready for training camp. Expect the Sabres to have two strong top lines this season and still have some depth to work with (Line Up Predictions Below). The Sabres may or may not make the playoffs this season however what I do know is that it will be an interesting year. If they don't make the playoffs, they will probably be just missing them. Expect their record to be above .500 and in the 45 win range.

If Jack Eichel isn't the top scorer this season, there is no reason to panic yet. It's expected that Jack is going to need a season to adapt to the league, as will McDavid. It could be a very interesting battle between those too and don't be surprised if they continue to be the next Crosby Ovechkin Rivalry. I do however believe there is a strong chance that Jack Eichel will be a top contender for the Calder Trophy. Another thing is, Robin Lehner may not look like the right guy as a starter right now, but give him a chance. Tim Murray scouted him before he was drafted and determined him to have plenty of potential then. if you think about it, he really hasn't had a true shot as a starter before now so it will be interesting to see how he handles the task.



Predictions:

Record:
48-28-6

Division Ranking:
3rd-4th

Conference Ranking:
7th-9th



New Sabres Head Coach Dan Bylsma (Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports)

Leading Scorer:
Ryan O'Reilly

Predicted Lineup (Based off Current Roster):

Forwards:

Kane - R. O'Reilly - Moulson
Ennis - Eichel - Reinhart
Foligno - Girgensons - Gionta
McGinn - Legwand -  Deslauriers

Spares: Johan Larsson, Cody McCormick

Defensemen:

Bogosian - Ristolainen
Gorges - Pysyk
Colaiacovo - Weber

Spare: Donovan

Goaltenders:
Lehner
Johnson

Captains:
Brian Gionta (C)
Matt Moulson (A)
Josh Gorges (A)

Final Note:
As a final note, the 2015/16 season is the season the Sabres Fans have been waiting for since the last time the team made the playoffs. The excitement built around this season is huge and has given fans hope that their team can succeed once again. Playoffs or not, I'm sure that this season will be a season to remember as big things are coming for the Buffalo Sabres.

Struggling Season for Buffalo Sabres

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Before the 2013/14 Season even started, now former, General Manager Darcy Regier said in an interview that there would be a lot of suffering for the fans this season.  However Sabres fans never expected the extent to that statement. The Sabres, who currently sit in last place in the NHL, have suffered almost everything imaginable this season. They have set a franchise record for most players dressed in a season as they dressed a total of 44 total different players. The team is mostly built up of prospects who have never played a NHL game before this season, including some who hadn't even played an AHL game. The team has almost zero production and has had 8 different goalies this season including Halak and Vinz. The Sabres have also traded both of their captains this season and are on their 2nd coach for this season. Though Ted Nolan has been a major impact on the team, they have not been producing at the proper heights of a NHL team.


The Sabres enter tonight's game against the Red Wings with only 51 points on the season and a total of only 21 wins. This season has been more than just a rebuild for the Sabres as most of the key players that started the year in Buffalo have parted including Star Goalie Ryan Miller. Night after Night the team has averaged over 30 shots against which is a huge truck load for any goalie. With injuries to both Enroth and Neuvirth the team currently has two AHL goalies playing for the team. The team is in many pieces and will need to take many steps in order to reach the peek of this rebuild. The team is last in almost all aspects of the league and has no where to turn to. The team is almost guaranteed to get the first overall pick in the Draft Lottery next week and they are quite distant from the other teams in the draft. Also, because of the many call ups throughout the season for the Sabres, the Rochester Americans have also suffered as a result.


Sabres fans have no where to look forward to and ratings continue to drop. Most homes games on TV show tons of empty seats as fans continue to be disappointed by their performance. Fans are attempting to resell their tickets for as low as 1/4 the normal price and some go as far as giving them away. The Sabres need many things to improve the team and it won't be just a one year process. Fans already are preparing for another bad season next year and the off season hasn't even started yet.

Here are 5 things the Sabres need to do in order to make this rebuild successful:

1: Buyout Ville Lenio's contract

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Lenio has been a huge bust for the team ever since he has arrived in Buffalo. In his 3 seasons in Buffalo, he has only managed to score 46 points which is a complete waste for the amount of money they spent on his contract. Also, he has been injured multiple times over the time period in Buffalo. He has yet to score a goal this season and his shootout winner the other night doesn't make up for this lack of preformance. His time in Buffalo I believe has come to an end.

2: Pick up some Key Free Agents
Though the Sabres are pushing for a more younger telented team, the Sabres need to add some vetren talent during the offseason. Some top free agents include Rochester Native Ryan Callahan, Marian Gaborik, Jarome Iginla, Ales Hemsky, and Paul Stastny. There's even a possibility that the Sabres will bring back former captin Steve Ott, that's if he even wants to come back. Either way, the Sabres will have to let lose with some money in free agency this season.

3: Have A Solid Draft
With the Sabres more then likely getting the 1st Overall pick this offseason, they will have the choice to pick anyone they want. In order to make this draft a success, they'll need to pick wisely. Though some picks have not worked out in the past, that thought should be left behind as we now have a new GM who appears more willing to make big moves.

4: Figure out who will be the starting goalie next season
When the Sabres traded Miller to St. Louis, they knew they had a big gap to fill. Jhonas Enroth has stepped up since his departure but so have the other goalies here. Buffalo has a lot of young talent in the net and can work around it. With both Enroth and Neuvirth heading into free agency following next season, the Sabres may already need to look for a a more permanent solution to who will start.

5: Don't become the next modern day Oilers
Like the Sabres in 2006, the Oilers had a strong run in the playoffs as they were the runner up for the Stanley Cup. However the Oilers have spirled out of control since and have been in the top 10 picks since with the exception of 2008 and yet again will be in the top 5 picks this year. over those 3 years, the picks included 3 consectutive 1st overall picks for the team and now they have so much young talent they don't know what to do with it. So the basic statement is that it is important for the Sabres to rebuild as quickly as possible so the same thing doesn't occur.

So as this season comes to a close, the Sabres are now in a complete slump in hopes for better years in the future. The Sabres have lots of work to do in order to become a more competative team and eventually make their return to the playoffs.

Rick Jeanneret Headed to Hockey Hall of Fame

             The long awaited moment Sabres fans have been waiting for has finally arrived. No, sadly it's not the Return of Dominik Hasek or that they decided to reawarded the 1999 Stanley Cup to the Sabres after the mistaken "No Goal." Rick Jeanneret is finally joining the hollowed sacred territory all NHL players, coaches, referees, and personal dream of making it to: The Hockey Hall of Fame. RJ has been along for all the great and sad times in Sabres history. He was inducted into the Buffalo Sabres this past season along with fellow HHOFer Dale Hawerchuk. Also very recently he was inducted into the Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame. Even though RJ has stated making the Sabres Hall of Fame was the greatest honor, bigger then the HHOF would be, I'm sure this has to be a really huge honor for the long term legendary play-by-play. 

"I never dreamed of this when I started", Jeanneret told Buffalo's Channel 7 Sports Director Jeff Russo on Friday. "All of the Halls are special, this one has been my business for over forty years, so it's very special as well. The fact that I will be going into a Hall, a second Hall, with the late Ted Darling means a lot." Darling received the Foster Hewitt Award in 1995 (Read full article from Channel 7 here). Jeanneret has been selected to receive the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award which honors excellence in hockey broadcasting.

            "I'm excited, there's no doubt about that whatsoever," Rick Jeanneret said by phone. "You can try and act blase and try and say, 'Well, it's just another day in RJ's life,' but it's not. It really does mean something."It means a lot to me when the fans recognize me for what I do, but they do that on a regular basis. Organizations such as halls of fame don't do it on a regular basis, particularly the Hockey Hall of Fame. There's been a lot of broadcasters in the NHL who are not in the Hockey Hall of Fame, so it's impressive to me to be allowed within the doors."

            RJ has been the play-by-play for the Sabres for years and has been found as one of the top announcers of all time. Some people think his career behind the mic is finally winding down. RJ had a cut schedule this past season where he called most of the home games and a limited number of away games. Rick has been a mastermind of calling the game. He's made many great calls over the years including the legendary "Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalafontaine," "May Day May Day May Day," "Top Shelf Where Mama Hides The Cookies," "Now Do You Believe!?," and many many more that Sabres and hockey fans will never forget.

           RJ's career started by mistake when he was in an attendance at a junior game in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The normal Play-By-Play was sick so they came into the stands asking for someone to call the game. RJ stating that he never done it before agreed to give it a shot. At that time, a legend was born. RJ then went on to broadcast for the Sabres since their 2nd season in 1971-72 and has done it since. Brad May says that the "May Day" call is a major reason he was made famous around the league. Pat Lafontaine says that almost anywhere he goes, he commonally hears "Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalafontaine" even outside of Buffalo. Marty Biron said in the Sabres DVD "Top Shelf: The Rick Jenneret Story" that he remembers growing up watching the top plays and hearing Rick Jenneret making these famous calls that fans still talk about to this day.

            Rick Jenneret will also be joined in the Hall of Fame by Roy MacGregor who writes hockey articles in the Toronto area. "I have much admiration for Roy MacGregor," Jeanneret said. "I've read him for years and years and years, and I think he's a huge authority on the game of hockey and on the game of life."
The ceremony in Toronto will bring the number of broadcasting and writing honorees in the Hockey Hall of Fame to 88."I'm looking forward to it," said Jeanneret, who will be accompanied by his biggest fan. "My mom, she'll be there again. You know that. She'll be pumped up to be there, for sure. She's gung-ho to go already. She's got her bag to go to Toronto."

          As Rick Jenneret finally is gaining his place in the Hockey Hall of Fame, we leave you with some of the top Rick Jenneret moments of all time. Enjoy!

MIke Robitaille Interview

I just recently did an interview with former NHLer Mike Robitaille. Mike Robitaille spent his career with the Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres, New York Rangers and, Detroit Red Wings. Robitaille's career ended after multiple injuries in 1977. Robitalle joined the Sabres Broadcast crew in 1991 and has been a part ever since. Robitaille played in 382 regular season NHL games, scoring 23 goals and adding 105 assists. Mike still resides in the Buffalo area and is part of the Sabres Alumni Association. Mike and his wife also own Robitalle Real Estate . Though Mike's career has been long over, Mike still interacts with fans in the Buffalo area and has been a fan favorite. This interview is another interview done with the help of The Puck Stops Here Please enjoy! Questions are in Blue and answers are in Green!

1. What do you miss most about living in Canada?

    Nothing much---- I became a U.S. citizen 10 years ago

2. Who did you have the most fun playing with? Also who was your favorite line mate?

 Ab Demarco Jr. and my favorite defense partner was Tim Horton

3. During you career what goalie did you have a particularly hard Time scoring against?

Seemed like all of them but maybe Tony Esposito Chicago Blackhawkes

4. What is your Number 1 regret, what didn't you accomplish during your career?

 Took playing too serious and never had enough fun

 

5. What was the high point of your career?

 Being chosen to play in the NHL All Star game---broke my wrist a week before and couldn't play in the game ----also being chosen for the unsung hero award in the NHL

6. What is your greatest memory of hockey player?

 Being chosen the best defensmen in Jr A hockey ( Kitchener Rangers)

7. Now being a Intermission reporter, what do you miss most about the game? What has been the biggest change since your years in the NHL, compared to the NHL of today?

 Really nothing as the game didn't come easy to me. The biggest changes has been how scientific the game has become---the condition of the players---and the amount of money to be made in such as short amount of time 

8. When you were younger what NHL star did you look up to?

They were all heroes to me as I was growing up.

9. If you could meet any hockey player past or present, who would it be?

Eddie Shore

10. What former teammate/player are you closest to still today?

Larry Carriere my former defense partner with the Sabres

11. What do you like most about being an analyst for the Sabres?

Speaking and explaining the game in simple terms ----- also working for terrific owners who make decisions with morals over money

12. Growing up, what was your favorite team?

Detroit

13. Do you miss playing hockey? 

Not at all---toughest job I've ever had by far

14. Do you like being part of the Sabres Alumni? 

Proud of the Alumni and so many players that have made a difference in our community.

It was another great interview and we appreciate the interview from Mike Robitaille! Stay tuned for more! 

Buffalo Sabres Alumni Spotlight: Andrew Peters

        When Buffalo Sabres fans think about some of the great enforcers during the Franchises history, Original fans think of Jim Schoenfield, Larry Playfair, and Jerry Korab. Then fans during the 90s defiantly can't forget the line of Enforcers consisting of Rob Ray, Matthew Barnaby, and Brad May. Now fans look to guys like Cody McCormick and Patrick Kaleta to stand up for their team. However, Sabres fans can't forget who protected the Sabres after Rob Ray was traded to Ottawa in '03.

             Andrew Peters was selected 34th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1998 NHL draft. Peters wouldn't even have to leave the area for team relations as the Draft was held in Buffalo that year. However, "Prime Time" remained with his OHL Oshawa Generals and his final year with the Kitchener Rangers until 2000-01 when he joined the AHL Rochester Americans. While in Rochester, Andrew got into an on-ice fight with his brother Geoff Peters. Andrew stated in an interview after the game that he did not know it was his brother that he was fighting. Later on, for a short time, the two brothers played together for the Amerks. In Peters 2nd year with the Amerks, he lead the league with 388 penalty mins.

                In Peters' 1st season with the Sabres, Peters played 42 games, scored 2 goals, and had 151 Penalty mins. Peters had taken over right where Rob Ray left off. The two hard nose enforcers even were engaged in a fight during a Sabres VS Ottawa contest. Peters continued to harass players around the NHL. February 22, 2007 was no different.

                On February 22, 2007 Sabres Captain Chris Drury was hit by Sens Enforcer Chris Neil. Drury was taken out of the game with a concussion but the next play is when everything occurred. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff sent out his top fighters to send a message to the Sens that they weren't going to be messed with. As soon as the whistle blew, everyone was looking for a partner including the goaltenders. Marty Biron went after Ray Emery and the scrambled for awhile. After the referees attempted to break up the brawl, Peters skated over to Emery and had some unfinished business to accomplish. The two of them started to go at it for awhile before being split up by the refs. However as this was going on, the coaches also wanted a piece of each other. The coaches started a huge yelling match between the benches. Coincidentally, Rob Ray was once again in the middle of this as he was doing TV work for the Sabres. Peters and a few others were thrown out after the fight. Peters was not only trying to go after Emery, he really wanted a piece of Chris Neil who was sitting in the penalty box during the brawl from the previous hit.

                 Surprisingly enough, on January 6, 2009 Peters was once again involved in an incident with the Senators. Sens forward Jarkko Ruutu and Peters started to get into a scrum. Ruutu was unhappy with Peters and grabbed his hand and bit him. Ruutu denies he ever bit Peters but it was clear he really did. Ruutu even stated, "I had his fingers in my mouth but didn't bite." The next day Ruutu was suspend for 1 game by the NHL. Peters was very shocked by the incident and said he never saw anything like that before.

                 Following the 2009 season, Peters would not return to the Sabres. He was invited to the Devils training camp and later signed to a 2 year deal. However after a poor season, the Devils waived Peters and he was bought out of his 2nd year. He signed with the Panthers the following year and was sent to the Amerks. In October, he was traded to the Canucks and following being kicked off the Amerks, Peters announced his retirement 3 months later.

                 Peters now resides in the Buffalo area and is part of the Buffalo Sabres Alumni. He is frequently spotted attending Sabres games and still very involved with the team. Aside from hockey, in his free time, Peters helps numerous charities, and made several visits to Children's Hospitals in both Buffalo and Rochester during his career.He was also a featured member at Ryan Miller's "Catwalk for Charity" events. In 2008, Peters would tend bar at the Pearl St. Grill and Brewery during the summer with all tips going to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.Peters and his wife also did work to promote the Family Justice Center of Western New York, which works with women who have been victims of domestic violence.In 2010, Peters was a big part of two charity hockey games. In the first ever "Hockey Night in St. Catharines" he was able to gather some other NHL players from the area to play in the game which ended up raising over $100,000 for the United Way. Also, he participated in a game in Rochester for the late Craig Charron, who was a former teammate of Peters.

                  Andrew is always very kind with fans. Always willing to talk and chat. He will also willingly sign autographs for fans who ask. Peters has always been known as a piratical prankster. Peters is also now involved with the Time Warner Sports show Enforcers with Rob Ray.