Pegulaville26

Sabres 12th overall pick this season Mikhail Grigorenko has signed his entry level contract. Both first round picks Girgensons and Grigorenko are now under contract. Unlike Girgensons however, if Grigorenko does not make the team he will go back to the QMJHL with Quebec. The Sabres recently have been more connected to trying to acquire wingers. Could be a sign they are hoping one or both of these player make the opening night roster. Unless Grigorenko is a complete flop in training camp, I think he will be given the 8 game try out at least before he can be sent back to juniors. More info at www.sabres.com

@OccamsRazor I think you just have to be an American Citizen which I'm 99% sure he is. Not 100% sure on the rule though.

Today is the last day of Sabres Prospect Development Camp. All week the Sabres top prospects were ran through on and off ice drills. Every morning they woke up and worked with the Navy SEALS off ice and had a on ice practice open to the public. Last night in front of 5,000 Sabres fans at the First Niagara Center the highlight of the week the Blue and Gold scrimmage showcased the future for the Sabres. The line of Armia-Grigorenko-Girgensons was the main attraction of the night, but they were not the ones who shined the brightest this week. I am basing my assements off of what I read about the practices and what I saw in the Blue and Gold Scrimmage last night. Standouts Jamie Wise- I have to start off with the 1st star of the scrimmage last night. Wise had a hattrick for the Blue team in their 7-3 thumping of the Gold team. I don't have a ton of information on Wise because he was a camp invite on a try out basis and wasn't even listed on the roster that was handed out last night. Ruff described Wise as having a little Kaleta in him. He was hitting everything that moved, but he also showed a scoring touch last night. Wise will probably get a contract and play in Rochester next season. Frederick Roy-F-Quebec Remparts- Frederick is the son of NHL great Patrick Roy. Roy is also in camp on a try out basis. Last year in juniors he put up 92 points playing on a line with Grigorenko. I would say Roy is probably the biggest surprise of the camp this year. He is only listed at 5'10, but still makes me wonder how he did not get drafted. Last night he was all over the ice playing on a line with 2012 3rd round pick Justin Kea and Jamie Wise. Roy would later get a few shifts with Armia and Grigorenko. He looked fast and played with a physical side last night. Like Wise, Roy will probably get a contract and play in Rochester next season. Marcus Foligno-RW- He just looked like a man amongst boys last night and all camp long. He has put on more size and looks faster. He was all over the ice night hitting anything in his way and showing a lot of skill as well. He really seized the opportunity this camp to take up a leadership role for the younger players. Foligno could be wearing the C for the Sabres in a few years with the leadership ability he showcased this week. I am predicting a big season for Foligno this season in his first full NHL season. Joel Armia-LW-Assat- Sabres fans had their first live look at Armia this week in camp. His has silky smooth hands that he showcased over and over again all week, as well in the game last night. To my surprise he also showed a willingness to throw his body around. Cannot wait for him to begin his pro career next year. Zegmus Girgensons-RW/C-USHL- One of the Sabres first round picks this season also made a good impression at camp this week. Such a good impression that the Sabres signed him to his entry level contract and he will not go to the Univeristy of Vermont this year. He had best looking goal of the night last night with a slick move on Nathan Lieuwen. As of right now I say Big Z has a better chance at making the team out of camp over Grigorenko. Jerome-Gauthier-Leduc-D-Remuski- Leduc has a ton of potential on the Sabres blue line. He brings a Kris Letang type dynamic. He had 70+ points last season in 60 games in the QMJHL. He skates extremly well and has size. He showed off his excellent passing last night as well as his ability to get up in the offense and create. He put up two assists in last nights game. Super excited about his potential. Disappointments Kevin Sundher-C-OHL-Sundher struggled in the second half of last season in juniors. He also was not impressive during the scrimmage or during the week in general. Last night he looked nervous with the puck and had a couple bad turnover. He will start the season in Rochester and has to make improvments on his game to be in line for a call up. Luke Adam-F- Adam wasn't terrible last night, but I expected him to stand out more. He played on a line with Tropp and Hodgson, that line in general didn't do a lot to impress. Of the three Hodgson was the most noticeable. Adam is starting to build a habit of disappearing during games. If he wants a roster spot this season he needs to step it up. It also seems the experiment with Adam at center has ended. He played wing last year in the AHL and all this week in camp. Linus Ulmark-G-Modo (jr.)- Now to be fair the kid is 18 and only played two games at the Swedish Elite League Modo, the rest of his season was for the junior team. However last night showed he still has a lot of work ahead of him if he wants to have any NHL career. Perhaps a lot to ask for from a 6th round pick, but he does show potential with good movement side to side and patience in the shootout. Some other noteable names worth metioning are Dan Catenacci, who showed excellent speed and skill. The former second round pick reminds me a little of Tyler Ennis. Corey Fienhage was very physical and solid in his own zone. He is worth keeping an eye on in Rochester. Mikhail Grigorenko showed he has the skill, size, and speed to play in the NHL. However he didn't stand out until the shootout with a nifty move, but at the same time he wasn't a let down either.

The Sabres second 1st round pick this year Zegmus Girgensons will not go to the University of Vermont and has instead signed his entry level contract. Girgensons has turned a lot of heads at Sabres Development Camp this week and could make the team. At this point Girgensons looks to be more likely than Grigorenko to make the club. See story here at NHL.com....http://sabres.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=637872&navid=DL|BUF|home

@hf101 ya I read that too. Im 99% sure a player has to pass a physical and that the injury was disclosed to Dallas or I would think the deal would be voided. Kind of a head scratcher from the Stars view. Although if there's a lockout maybe this won't matter if the season starts in late November or December. Hope not.

@yave1964 from outsider it is hard to see how this works. However this is a perfect example of addition by subtraction. Roy was a problem in the locker and did not get a long wit Lindy Ruff. Two years ago when the Sabres made their crazy run to get into the playoffs the run started after Roy went out. Players were telling reporters off the record that they were going go on a run now after Roy went out. Old players also told stories of how Roy would say in scrums "calm down it's just a game". Another example a few years ago during after a players only meeting to say they need to be more focused off the ice Roy went and handed out invites to a toga party. Does this move make them better? Yes and no. Scoring wise no, but grit and size wise yes. If this is the only move Buffalo makes all season it's a failed offseason. If they bring in another center then it is a success.

By top forward I meant more along the prospect side. The value of goalies in the NHL today is at an all time low. Top goaltenders and mid level goaltenders have very little difference. Is their a big difference between Miller and Hiller? Miller and Pavlec? Bobrovsky and Mason? You can almost do that with anyone, their are no non serviceable goalies anymore. I rather just hang onto Miller and know that he can run off a 20 game lights out streak at any time.

I'm curious to see the return the Nucks get for Luongo. I would move Miller IF I get a top forward and another serviceable goalie in return. For example throwing miller in a trade the sends ryan and hiller back this way.

Aside from the thrilling signings of Kevin Porter and Mark Mancari not much is going on in Hockey Heaven these days. So I thought today I would share my ideas for the new CBA. I hope the NHL and NHLPA to come to an agreement quickly so that we can have hockey in October. However deep down I think the season will start in November or December. First and foremost I think the NHL needs to revisit the rulebook. The NHL needs to get back to calling interference and holding. Nothing makes more mad than seeing Stamkos dump the puck in and Hal Gill hold him up so his D partner can get the puck first. In 05-06 and 06-07 that was a penalty, and still states it is in the rule book. Scoring was at an all time low this season and granting teams power plays will increase the scoring. Now to the different ideas, although this idea has been mentioned in other places, amnesty buyouts. This would allow teams to get out from under bad contracts and keep down the salary cap. This would be a one time buyout. Players like Leino, Gomez, and Thomas are all perfect examples of players teams could get out of the contract without penalty. This could also help bring down player salaries which are getting out of hand. Another idea the NHL should explore is the legal circumvention of the cap. The front loading and long term contracts are driving up the salary cap and player contracts. Hossa, Parise, Suter, Kovalchuk, and Brad Richards are all examples of players that are very unlikely to play out the full term of their current deal. This new way of doing contracts allows for teams to buyout players after about 6 or 7 years with very little penalty to the cap or the player retires. Perhaps a term limit could be put in place. The next idea I thought of that could help players like Suter and Parise from fleeing teams without any compensation is a franchise tag. The NFL has this and teams can "tag" one player on their roster set to become a UFA as their franchise player. With the franchise tag the player would get a one year deal at the average salary of the top 5 players at their position. Other rules can be put into place like for example the team can only franchise tag the same player two times. Something to keep the UFA market interesting still, but also help out the smaller markets. The last thought I want to touch on is setting up a penalty/suspension system for hits to the head. The OHL has a rule set up to penalize any player that delivers a hit to the head regardless of intent. This helps protect the players more and helps against the concussion issue. On the suspension side setting up some kind of system could take away from the inconsistentcy of suspensions. For example a first time offender gets a minmum of two games, second time minimum of 5 and third time is a minimum of 10. Thoughts or any other ideas?

Good day for Minnesota! Nice to see another small market win big.

@radoran I agree 100% it was embarassing as a Sabres fan. I really couldn't believe he believed some of the stuff he said. Also did I see the Stars gave Jagr 4.5 million?!?! Holy overpayment

Whatever happened to that crazy Sabres fan? The guy who thought the Sabres were best team in the NHL and should win the cup every year. He would go along with the Leino for Ryan idea. I'm assuming he finally was banned, he was always good for a laugh with his outrageous points.

Darcy Reiger pulled off the trade that Sabres fans have been waiting for since the end of the 2010-11 season. Derek Roy was traded to the Dallas Stars in exchange for Steve Ott and Adam Pardy. Roy has been on the trade block for almost a year and it was feared he was untradeable. Fans were fed with Roy's inconsistent play and lack of energy and hustle at times. He also never really seemed to be on the same page with Lindy Ruff in his entire time in Buffalo. The rift between the two was magnified at the end of this season when Roy voiced his displeasure with the way Ruff treated some of the players in the media. On the other side of the coin Steve Ott is just the type of player the Sabres needed. Not John Scott who will play 15 games this season with an average ice time of 2 minutes. The Sabres needed to become a team that was not an easy night for the opponet. With Ott, Myers, Foligno, Regher, Kaleta, Tropp, McCormick, and to a lesser Scott, the Sabres are no longer a easy night. You can also include the possible size that Zegmus Girgensons might bring if he makes the roster. Ott averages 15 goals a season in his career in Dallas. I would take that production in a second from a third line role with Ott. However my main role would be for him to make the opponets night as unpleasent as possible. Don't want to forgot Adam Pardy who was basically the throw in on this deal. He makes the 9th NHL defenseman Buffalo has on the roster (Myers, Sekera, Weber, Leopold, Ehrhoff, Sulzer, Regher, Pardy, McNabb). Pardy will likely be placed in Rochester as depth, however with the log jam on the blue I have to think another move is coming. Quickly on Roy, I think he will do well in Dallas. He is in a contract year and needed a change of scenery. He will be surrounded by talent with Erkisson, Ryder, Benn, and Whitney. No reason why he can't have another 70 point season if he plays the game right. He just was no longer a fit in Buffalo. So like the rest of the NHL world I will go back to banging my head off my desk waiting for Parise and Suter to pick a new home. Getting rather annoying these two are holding up the entire offseason, I know it is a hard choice, but come on already. It's an unlikely scenerio, but if both go back to Nashville/NJ at this point I might explode. Also off topic I finally joined the twitter world to deal with my addiction for NHL rumors/entertainment @CP1010 if you want to follow. D Roy's last memory in Buffalo...

That has been in the back of my head the entire time with this Ryan situation. Personally Vanek is my favorite Sabre and it would be a bummer to see him leave. I also think he is very very underrated for what he does, he might not be the fastest or flashiest guy in the league, but he does what very few players in the league do and that is take a beating in front of the net. I would love to see Hodgson get a shot between Vanek and Ryan. However have to give up to get and I wouldn't be to upset if Vanek goes the other way.

@radoran I think the Sabres and Flyers are going to being fighting eachother for Ryan. If the Ducks said any package requires Myers or Ehrhoff then I don't think Buffalo would still be talking. Flyers said they would not part with B. Schenn or Couts and Myers falls into that category for Buffalo. Also the Ducks had no interest at all in Derek Roy so this trade for Ott doesn't effect them in the Ryan sweeps. It all depends on what Anaheim wants, if they want mostly forwards then Ryan is in Philly next season, but if they want mostly defense then he is in Buffalo. Some team also could come out of nowhere and steal him from under the Flyers and Sabres nose. However should be a fun next couple weeks!

Nooooo way that Ville Leino gets you Bobby Ryan. A 30 goal scorer that is big and young is going to cost a lot. A Ryan trade would look more like Ennis Sekera Pysyk 1st round pick. With Nash the first issue is we are not even on his "list" of approved teams, doesn't mean we can't talk him into it, but unlikely. Also Howson is asking for a boat load for Nash so I'm not to crazy about getting in that race. The faster Parise signs the faster we can get answers.

At noon on Sunday the biding war will begin. Large amounts of money will be thrown around, a new Ville Leino will be crowned. Thanks to the poor excuse for a management team in Calgary the free agent market for defenseman just went way up. The Flames handed Dennis Wideman a 5 year 26.25 million dollar contract with a full "no movement" clause. Yes that is a 5.25 millon dollar cap hit for Wideman, people laughing at the Ehrhoff contract (I don't know why) he only has a cap hit of 4 million. Thanks to the Flames players like Matt Carle, Jason Garrison, and Ryan Suter will be rich men soon. Parise will get a boat load of money and the Justin Schultz drama will also finally come to end. Quickly on Schultz, who does this guy think he is? Never played a game in the league and he is channeling his inner Brad Richards and LeBron James. Inviting only a select list of teams to come down to make a pitch for him to sign with their team. He also demanding that teams guarentee him a roster spot and ice time. A lot of demanding going on for a 22 year old whose never played a NHL game and already turned his back on one NHL franchise, talk about instant pressure. Anyways onto who I think the Sabres should target in the UFA market. 1. Zach Parise-LW-NJ Parise is the crown jewel of this year's free agent group. He is fresh off a trip to the stanley cup final as the Devils captain. Parise will proabably demand around 8 million dollars for between 5-7 years. Honestly I think the Sabres chance of landing Parise will be very slim. I think it is going to be a three horse race between Minnesota, Detroit, and NJ. At the end of the day if the skilled winger does not sign back with NJ by Sunday, I think he is just going to use the offers he receives from other teams to go back to NJ and work out a deal. My money is on Parise staying in Newark. 2. Shane Doan-RW-Phoenix Doan is going to be another highly sought after player July 1. His combination of skill, grit, and leadership will attract many teams. At 35 Doan is looking to sign with a cup contending team. He has been in the Winnipeg/Phoenix organization for 17 years and it is hard to see him leaving the desert. Buffalo again may show they have the money, but will be out classed by the likes of Chicago, Detroit, or Pittsburgh. Buffalo just hasn't shown yet they are just one piece from contending. 3. Guillamue Latendresse-LW-Minnesota This may a be a bit surprising to some, but I have always liked what Latendresse has done with the Wild and Habs. Latendresse has delt with injuries and concussion issues the last two seasons in Minnesota, but at 25 years old I think he is worth taking a shot at. He can provide some size, grit, and secondary scoring from a 3rd line winger role. Also Latendresse is capiable of playing the two hockey system that Ruff preaches. The French Canadian winger has expressed his desire to play near his family in Montreal and the Sabres can fulfill his desire. I think he is worth taking a flyer on and should come some what cheap for what his potential could be. One or two year deal at 2-2.5 million is doable. 4. Peter Mueller-C-Colorado Again another young player at the age of 24 that has had injury issues the last two seasons. Mueller has shown the ability to put up points in this league. He can provide size and depth scoring from a third line center roll. Also fits the bill of a two way center. Mueller was offered a qualifying offer by the Avs making him a UFA on July 1. The crop at center is thin this year and Mueller could be a guy worth taking a stab at if the plan is to move Roy and Adam in offseason trades. 5. Jason Arnott-C-St. Louis Arnott signed a one year deal last season with Blues and provided excellent secondary scoring, leadership, and grit for a young Blues team. At 37 Arnott like Doan, will be looking to sign with a contender for one more shot at a championship. Arnott at 6'5 can provide the size they lost with trading Gaustad and also provide excellent leadership along the way. This may be the kind of signing Buffalo makes next season when they are closer to a championship, however like I said with free agent center being thin it is possible. Other options for Buffalo could be Ryan Carter, Kyle Wellwood, and Jiri Hudler. With the Free Agent market being so slim Buffalo will take a swing at the top two or three free agents and then turn back to the trade market.

The 2012 NHL draft weekend didn't disappoint with big trades, rumors, draft winners, and draft losers. Jordan Staal, Sergei Bobrovsky, Lubomir Visnovsky, Mike Ribero and Brandon Sutter all have new homes after the draft weekend. Yakupov went first as expected and Scott Howson made people scratch their heads as expected. Sabres Draft With the their 12th selection Buffalo took the risk and selected highly talented Russian center Mikhail Grigorenko. Grigorenko started as a top 3 prospect in the draft and by the time the draft rolled around he started to slide. Teams feared his work ethic, his willingness to bolt for Russia, and if he was really 18. I am not even going to discuss the age issue this isn't baseball and he is not from Cuba. The young Russian sniper has guarenteed the Sabres if he does not make the team he will return to Quebec to play in juniors. Also Grigorenko arrived in Buffalo yesterday and already began working out. Grigorenko said he would stay in Buffalo to train until camp starts, showing excellent will and work ethic. Regier has stated he plans to begin contract negotiations very shortly with Grigorenko. The Sabres followed the Grigorenko pick up by trading up to the 14th spot with Calgary and giving up their 21st and 42nd pick. Once I saw the Sabres moved up I expected them to take talented Finnish center Teuvo Teravanien. However the new Sabres want size and skill, so instead they selected big Latvian center Zegmus Girgensons. The Latvian Locomotive has been playing in the USHL for the last three years and is commited to play at the University of Vermont. Girgensons can put up points and likes to throw around the body, likes of Callahan and Brown. In the 2nd round Buffalo selected defender Jake McCabe from the University of Wisconson and with the 3rd pick selected another big center Justin Kea from Saginaw. Three of the top four picks were a 6'3, 6'1 and 6'4 center. The Sabres succeeded in their goal of adding down the middle. I would give them an A in this weekend's draft. Staal Trade After the news broke of Jordan Staal turning down a 10 year deal with Pittsburgh it was only a matter of time. Also the only destination seemed to be Carolina and so it was. The Pens and Canes both made out in this hockey trade. The Staal's will the faces of Carolina hockey for the next decade with Jeff Skinner. Sutter will slot in nicely behind Crosby and Malkin as a third line center. Pouliot will also be a nice addition to the Pens blue line in a year or two. Howson Scott Howson never seems to disappoint. How this guy has a job still is beyond me as he continues to drive the Blue Jackets franchise into the ground. First with the Carter trade giving up Coutourier and Voracek. He would eventually get back Jack Johnson when he moved Carter to LA. He decided that the Flyers haven't ripped him off enough so went back and gave up 3 draft picks for Sergei Bobrovsky. In today's NHL goalie value is at an all time low. It is also being reported that the Islanders offered all of their picks this year for the 2nd overall pick. Sure it might be a roll of the dice if the later picks worked out, but is Ryan Murray going to be that more successful than Griffin Reinhart? I think Garth Snow is dumb to offer that, but I think Howson is ever more dumb to not take that deal and collect prospects. Cannot wait to see what Howson gets for Nash.

A few notes from Sabres Draft Q and A today: -Regier and Kevin Devine (Head of Amateur Scouting) believe draft goes 20 players deep. -Sabres are NOT looking to trade into the top 5 more likely scenerio trading up with 21st pick to 14-18 range. -Sabres believe there's no major impact player like Nugent-Hopkins last year. -Management still fears drafting Russian players. -Regier stated he is making more calls out then calls he is receiving on players. -Armia ELC does not start until next season with Armia staying in Finland this season to fulfill military obligation. -Regier confirms Sabres have discussed some players that are being read about in rumors. (Not a lot of meat, but worth mentioning).

The headline of the 2012 offseason outside of the new CBA will be eventual trade of Rick Nash. Nash has been on the block since the trade deadline. This offseason teams will line up to give away prospects, draft picks, and good young players to acquire Nash. However is Nash worth the high return Columbus will receive in any deal? First let me say this, I believe that Nash is a great player in this league. However I don't consider him to be a top 10 player in the NHL talent barely top 25 (see top 100 list blog). The former first overall pick has a great mix of size, speed, and skill. At 6'4 216 lbs Nash has the ideal characteristics of a top flight NHL power forward. With that being said Nash's career high in points was in 08-09 with 79 points. Also Nash has only led his team to one playoff appearance in 9 seasons and 0 playoff wins. Sure great teams were not built around Nash, but as a top player he is supposed to carry the team. Out of the 9 seasons Nash was in Columbus they only came close to the playoffs two or three times. Another red flag teams have to watch out for is that Nash has 6 years at a 7.8 million dollar cap hit. Nash is the 5th highest paid player in the NHL (Staal, Crosby, Malkin, and Ovechkin). Perhaps with the new CBA the team who acquires Nash might have an out. The Flyers, Bruins, Hurricanes, Rangers, Sharks, and Leafs are the rumored front runners for Nash at this point. Lets look at it from the view of the Leafs, it would likely cost them Schenn, top prospect, and probably 5th overall pick. A potential Sharks deal could be Niemi, Pavelski, and a first round pick. That is a lot to give up for a player who averages 60 points a season for his career. At the deadline the Jackets wanted the Rangers to give up Dubinsky, Del Zotto, Stepan, and a 1st round pick. Columbus may come down on the demand for Nash, but not much with all the teams that will make an offer on Nash. I made this point before around the deadline, but I'll make it again. Here are Nash's career numbers: GP: 674 G: 289 A: 258 PTS: 547 +/-: -71 Here are Thomas Vanek's career numbers: GP: 547 G: 230 A: 217 PTS: 447 +/-: +35 Vanek has played 7 seasons to Nash's 9. If you project Vanek's numbers out over 9 seasons he would equal Nash or even surpass his current numbers. Now I am not saying Nash and Vanek are the same player. However if you look at the numbers they have had a similar career. Would anyone give up what they would for Nash for Vanek? Vanek has never had great teams around him as well except for one season. A few other players with similar numbers to Nash drafted in the same season and played less games are Zach Parise and Loui Eriksson. The point I am trying to make is that I believe the team that wins the Nash sweeps may regret it in the end. He is a great player however in the end I think Columbus will end up as big time winners in any deal and begin to turn things around.

This is part three of a four part outlook into the Sabres offseason. This section will focus on potential draft picks at 12th overall to keep it short. Also look into the possibilities of trading up or trading of picks in general. Buffalo is a powerful position with 4 picks in the top 44 this year (12, 21, 41, 44). Potential Picks 1. Alex Galchenyuk-C-Sarnia Sting 6'2 185 lbs Galchenyuk is number 1, 2 and 3 on the Sabres board. Any trade up in the draft Buffalo will be attempting to draft Galchenyuk. The Sabres believe that he can be the franchise center for the next 10 years they have been looking for. The Sting center missed most of 2011-12 with a serious knee injury, however he did return for the playoffs and does not show any sign of the injury lingering. In 2010-11 Galchenyuk had 83 points in 68 games. Galchenyuk has leadership potential and a great work ethic, he is projected to be a first line center and potential star in the NHL. Whatever team drafts him it is likely Galchenyuk would return to Sarnia in 2012-13. 2. Mikhail Grigorenko-C-Quebec Remparts 6'3 201 lbs Grigorenko would not be a bad # 2 option for Buffalo. If they miss out on Galchenyuk it is still possible the Sabres could move up to secure Grigorenko. If this was the old Sabres management they wouldn't touch the young Russian. However in the Pegula era the Sabres have showed they no longer fear European players. The 18 year old center has good size and excellent scoring touch, however he does have some red flags. First being the fear of Russian players going to the KHL, however I see this unlikely with Grigorenko seeing he has played his entire junior career in North America. Grigorenko also has a rap of taking shifts off and not being a good two way player. If you know the Sabres you know that in Lindy Ruff's two way system that will not go over well. See Max Afinogenov. Like Galchenyuk, Grigorenko will likely return to the Remparts next season. 3. Griffin Reinhart-D-Edmonton Oil Kings 6'4 200 lbs Reinhart would be a take the best player available scenerio at 12th. The big defender would just add to an already prospect rich blue line for the Sabres with McNabb, Pysyk, and Gauthier-Leduc. Buffalo could like the idea of pairing up Reinhart and Pysyk who played together in Edmonton. A future top four D-corp featuring the 6'8 Myers, 6'5 McNabb, 6'2 Pysyk, and 6'4 Reinhart could be scary future blue line. Add in the scoring touch of Gauthier-Leduc and the Sabres blue line could be one of the best in hockey for years to come. Reinhart is a big physical defender that can provide some scoring. The big defender had 36 points in 58 games for a surprising Oil Kings team last season. 4. Brendan Gaunce-C-Belleville Bulls 6'3 188 lbs Gaunce would be another player the Sabres could look at with the 12th pick. Gaunce would be the # 3 center on the Sabres board. He has great size, but has issues with consistent play. Gaunce put up 68 points in 68 games with the Bulls this season. Best case scenerio Gaunce could be a top 6 center, however to me he projects out to be more of a 3rd line center that can provide size and secondary scoring. The thing that doesn't fit with the 3rd line center mold is that Gaunce struggles in his own end. He can learn the defensive side of his game in the AHL, however personally I'm not very high on Gaunce and would rather the Sabres stack up the blue line than take a risk on Gaunce. 5. Cody Ceci-D-Ottawa 67's 6'2 207 lbs Ceci would be another luxery pick for Buffalo at 12, with hopes of picking up a center later or via trade. The Canadian defender has the size to play a physical game in the NHL, however he is more known for his offensive side. Ceci could be a great power play quarterback in the making with an excellent shot and skill. Ceci had 60 points in 64 games for Ottawa last season. He also has excellent hockey smarts in the defensive zone that enable him to make up for a mistake quickly. Ceci projects out to be a # 3 or 4 defender. Trades Outside of the possibility of Buffalo trading any of the their top 4 picks for a top 6 center, Buffalo is looking to move up in the draft. About a month ago Buffalo was rumored to be in talks with the Islanders for the # 4 pick eyeing either Galchenyuk or Grigorenko. Buffalo would in return send the Isles the 12th pick and Mark Pysyk. Buffalo may put a little more pressure on Columbus and Edmonton with offers as the draft nears. They have the assets to make the move the only issue is finding a dance partner. With the Oilers and Jackets likely locked into 1 and 2 outside of a crazy offer for the pick, Buffalo may wait to see how those two picks break down. If one or both of the players they want are still available they could become more agressive to jump up. I don't see a scenerio in which the Sabres keep all picks and make no moves. If that was to occur there's going to be a lot of unhappy fans.

Today's blog is part two of my part offseason preview for the Buffalo Sabres. Part two is going to look at the possible trade opportunities that the Sabres may be presented with. I'm going to break it into two categories: players Buffalo may target and current Sabres players on the Trade Block. Targets 1. Jordan Staal-C-Pittsburgh Penguins The Penguins may be looking to deal their big center in an attempt to bring in a top flight defenseman. Pittsburgh is running into a situation where they have to pay their top 4 players all in the next two years. Letang, Crosby, Malkin, and Staal will all be UFA's by the end of the 13-14 season. Also complicating things is the large contract that was handed out to James Neal last season through the 2017-18 season. Another issue that can be coming to the front in Pittsburgh is Staal is looking for more playing time. He currently sits as the 3rd line center behind two of the best players in the world in Crosby and Malkin. Rumors have come out that Staal is becoming annoyed with being the third wheel in Pittsburgh. I personally think these rumors are a stretch and this is more of a cap issue that would cause a trade. The 6'4 center fits the needs of the Sabres perfectly. A two way center who can score, play the PP, PK, size, and leadership qualities. Staal has had injury problems in the past and last season in a injury short season Staal put up 50 points in 62 games and was a +11. Cost: Top 3 Defenseman, Roster Player, Prospect/Draft Pick 2. Patrick Kane- C/RW-Chicago Blackhawks After a disappointing first round playoff exit the Blackhawks may be looking to make some changes. The former first overall pick may be used an example to the rest of the Blackhawks squad. Rumors out of Chicago are that the Hawks may have seen enough of the party attitude of Kane. They were hoping we would mature and they are running out of patience. Chicago is in need of some defensive help as well as goaltending. If this trade was to happen you wouldn't see the much discussed Miller for Kane trade. If Buffalo was to make this move it could be a risk with Kane being on the small side as well as his off ice issues. Ruff likes players that play two hockey and Kaner is 100% a offensive player. Cost: Top 3 Defenseman, Prospect/Draft Pick, Goaltender 3. Jerome Iginla-RW-Calgary Flames Let me start by saying this is unlikely, but still worth mentioning as a possibility. This seems to be more along the line of a deadline deal. Iggy brings the leadership and scoring the Sabres need. With a new coach in Calgary the Flames will likely see what noise they can make with Iginla on the roster before considering to move him. Cost: Top Prospect, Draft Pick, Roster Player 4. Ryane Clowe-LW-San Jose Sharks Clowe may be on the market as the Sharks look to change things up in San Jose. Clowe would be a good fit a 3rd line winger who can bring leadership, size, and experience. The 29 year old only has one year left on his deal, but is still young could be a vital piece for a cup run in the future for Buffalo. Clowe can provide some good secondary scoring, he had 45 points in 76 games last season with 17 goals. Cost: Prospect/Draft Pick, Roster Player 5. Top 5 Draft Pick-2012 Draft Buffalo has 4 of the top 44 picks in this season's draft. The Sabres are trying to move up in the attempt to draft either Alex Galchenyuk or Mikhail Grigorenko. The main target being Galchenyuk, the Starnia Sting center is highly highly covetted by Sabres management. The organization believes he can be the star center the organization has been searching for since Briere and Drury bolted in Free Agency. Buffalo will try to use their prospect depth and bevy of picks to move up. Cost: Top Prospect, Top 6 forward, Top 4 Defenseman, Draft Picks Trade Block 1. Derek Roy-C Roy may have sealed his fate with his interesting comments on locker clean out day. Roy stated his displeasure with the way the Ruff treats his player publicly sometimes. I tend to agree with Roy's comments, but my opinion doesn't matter. Roy had a disappointing season after coming over a severe hamstring injury that caused him to miss most of the 2010-11 season. Roy also suffered through injuries in training camp and the early part of the season. This setback caused Roy to start the season not in and shape and it showed in his performance. With Ennis and Hodgson in the fold, along with Buffalo in the market for another center Roy will find himself as the odd man out. However it would not shock me to see Roy benefit from a change of scenery, he has the ability to be a point per game player. 2. Andrej Sekera-D Sekera had a solid 2011-12 season playing with Regehr against the opponets top line. For some reason he is under appreciated in Buffalo. He carried his strong season into a strong performance in World Championships with Slovakia earning the Silver medal. I am very very against trading Sekera unless it lands Buffalo the top center they are looking for, however with 8 NHL defenseman on the roster currently Sekera could be the odd man out. 3. Mike Weber-D Weber is in a situation similar to Sekera as being the odd man out. However he does not come anywhere near the skill that Sekera possesses. Weber is a # 6 or 7 defenseman at best. If he was to be moved it would be as a throw in or for a late round pick to clear out the log jam on the blue line. 4. Luke Adam- C Adam came on strong to start the season playing on the top line. However he faded as the season went on and never regained his scoring touch in Rochester. Adam appeared in the All-Star weekend and then we sent back to Rochester when he returned. I believe that Adam was given a raw deal by Ruff and killed his confidence. Adam is going to be a top 6 center in this league however I fear like many others Ruff killed his chances in Buffalo. It would be best for the kid to get a shot somewhere else instead of playing on the 4th line under Ruff. He could be a good chip to use in any big trade. 5. Others-Prospects/Draft Picks Mark Pysyk, 12th overall pick, 21st overall pick, 41st overall pick, 44th overall pick, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc, and TJ Brennan

I am going to do a four part preview of the Sabres offseason looking at the Draft, Current Prospects in the system, Free Agency, and the Trade Market. Today I am going to start with the Prospects portion, so let's get to the fun. 1. Joel Armia-Assat-SM Liga Armia was the 1st round pick of the Sabres in last year's draft. He was the first European player selected by the Sabres in five years. The 6'3 200 lb Finish winger has been playing in the Finish Elite League for two years now. Armia has held his own against other professionals in the Finland. This season in 54 games Armia had 38 points (18g 20a). Also Armia started to get attention at this years World Junior Championship when he headlined a surprise Finland team 7 points in 7 games (5 and 2). Armia showed his ability to use his size, speed, and skill to put the puck in the net. The 18 year old should attend his first training camp this season. Buffalo hopes for Armia to be a top 6 forward that can provide size and skill they need badly. The Sabres are hopeful he will play in the AHL and craft his game in North America. If not Armia will head back to Finland for one more season and start to push for a roster spot in the 2013 season. 2. Mark Pysyk-Edmonton Oil Kings-WHL Pysyk was Buffalo's first round pick in 2010 and he is part of a prospect loaded blue line. Pysyk started to break out in his second season with the Oil Kings in his first season as captain. He led all Edmonton defenseman with 6 goals and 34 assists and was a +29. He put up similar numbers again this season with 6 goals and 32 assits, also adding 11 more points in the playoffs. Pysyk also had a good showing for Canada in the World Juniors this season in a disappointing tournament for team Canada. Pysyk was one of the reasons the surprise Oil Kings are still playing in the Memorial Cup after winning the WHL Championship. The Oil King defense also features future first round draft pick Griffin Reinhart, who could be on the Sabres radar come Draft day. Pysyk signed his entry level deal with Buffalo this season will begin his pro career in Rochester next season. 3. Jermoe Gauthier-Leduc-Rimouski Oceanic-QMJHL Leduc was a 3rd round pick in the 2010 draft. The 6'0 185 lb defenseman from Quebec is a scoring machine from the blue line. This season in 62 games JGL had 28 goals and 46 assists while anchoring the Rimouski blue line. He also added 19 more points in 21 playoff games for the Oceanic. Leduc signed his entry level contract this year and will also joing Pysyk in Rochester next season. Leduc will work on crafting his defensive aspect of the game to be successful at the next level. His offensive skill has Sabres fans salivating. A very exciting prospect once his game in own zone is perfected. 4. Kevin Sundher-Rochester Americans-AHL and Brandon Wheat Kings-WHL Sundher was another 3rd round pick in a very promising 2010 draft class for Buffalo. Sundher started with a break out season while playing the Victoria Royals of the WHL with 64 points in 40 games. He was then traded to Brandon and never seemed comfortable, only scoring 11 points in 18 games. Sundher was only one more Sabres injury from making his Sabres debut in the beginning of last season. Sundher eventually joined the Amerks at the end of their playoff series with the Marlies, but never dressed in a game. The 20 year old center will begin next season in Rochester with a lot of eyes on his progression. Buffalo is in desperate need of depth at center and Sundher could have a bright future as possible second line center. 5. Daniel Catenacci-Owen Sound Attack-OHL Catenacci was a 3rd round pick in the 2011 draft that slipped from a projected first round selection. Catenacci is on the small side at 5'10, but he features blazing speed and a never give up attitude a la Nathan Gerbe or Tyler Ennis. Last season for the Attack the 19 year old center had 72 points in 67 games with 5 more points in the playoffs. Catenacci caught some attention last season at the Sabres prospects camp. His skill and speed made a lot people think of Catenacci as a Tyler Ennis type center. He may have to be moved to the wing with Ennis and Hodgson already occupying the small center positions for the foreseeable future. Catenacci will play next year in Rochester after signing his entry level contract and look to prove he can use his speed and skill at the pro level The Amerks have a new movement of promising young players joining the club next season in Pysyk, JGL, Sundher, Catenacci, and goalie Connor Knapp. As per usual the Sabres prospect class is loaded and these are only the top 5 players that will make an impact soon.

You can't remove the entire core in one season (Vanek Pominville Miller Roy). Stafford is only 26 I don't consider part of that old core being moved out. Like I said Roy is likely next, Pominville has the "C" so he's not leaving, Vanek is the top scorer, and Miller is the franchise face/goalie. Ennis likely signs a one year deal to get more money next year with a full season and Kaleta isn't a definate resign with Tropp in the mix. However I think he is back on another one year deal as well. 5.7 now + plus the cap goes up 3 per usual and you move Roy's 4 million out now your sitting at about 12 with 8 NHL D-men. If you want to get greedy and say Leopold or Sekera is moved in a big trade your at about 15 million in cap space. Plenty of room to explore the FA market (Parise) or look for a whale of a center in the trade market.

Very unlikely, Sabres trying to install a new core. Roy probably next to be shown the door of the "old" core.