Time now for Colorado Avalanche Numerology:
Tell me what the following three numbers have in common:
3.12
31.4
$10+ Million
The Avalanche can boast all they want about the all-world forwards, led by Landeskog, O'Reilly, Duchene, MacKinnon, Tanguay, Stastny, and Parentau, among others.
Who is going to block enemy shots? Who is going to defend in the Avs end of the rink? Who is going to break the puck out to the high-octane forwards?
Erik Johnson cannot skate 60-65 minutes a game.
Patrick Roy and Joe Sakic should be very anxious right now with their sad sack collection of pedestrian defenders, which includes: Cory Sarich, Andre Benoit, Jan Hejda, Ryan Wilson, Matt Hunwick and Tyson Barrie.
Former first overall pick in the NHL Draft, Erik Johnson is the exception to the rule in Denver right now. He's the only D who is worthy of praise. The rest of the D corps is a group of
has-been's and
never-will-be's.
3.12: Colorado Avalanche's team GAA in 2013. 26th ranked in NHL.
31.4: Colorado Avalanche's shots against in 2013. 24th ranked in NHL.
$10+ Million: Colorado Avalanche's available cap space for 2013-14.
Patrick Roy better call Darcy Regier to discuss a trade for an NHL echelon D, before Avs training camp begins on September 11th.
Ten NHL-quality D will show up to Sabres training camp for physicals on 9/11. Among them will be:
Tyler Myers
Christian Ehrhoff
Hank Tallinder
Mike Weber
Mark Pysyk
Alex Sulzer
Rasmus Ristolainen
Chadd Ruhwedel
Jamie McBain
Brayden McNabb
Myers, Ehrhoff, Tallinder, and Weber are assured of jobs. the other five D will slug it out for the 5th and 6th jobs.
Pysyk is all but a lead pipe lock to secure a starting six job based on his rock solid 2013 performance in Buffalo. Sulzer is intriguing to me. He has played so well with Ehrhoff ever since the Hodgson trade at the 2011 trade deadline, however, he may be nudged out of Buffalo by Ristolainen, who will make a serious run at a starting six job. If Ristolainen lands one, then Sulzer, and, McBain, who was acquired from Carolina in exchange for Reggie Sekera, will become the odd men out. Sulzer was free to test the market as a UFA, however, chose instead to re-sign in Buffalo. Why would he have re-signed in Buffalo if he knew that he would be traded? For this reason, I think that Sulzer is a keeper. Which
Ruhwedel and McNabb would be top pair guys in Rochester. Both have played NHL games and Rolston would have no hesitation calling one or both up to Buffalo in the event of injury or inconsistent play from an incumbent-veteran.
Were I Regier, I would entertain trading McBain and Sulzer to Colorado.
Buffalo has a surplus of D. The Avs have a Vitamin D deficiency. However, the Avs have a surplus of forwards.
Looks like the two teams can help one another by trading assets.
A player that I would be focused on, were I Regier, is rambunctious RW Steve Downie.
The Atlantic Division will be nastiest division in hockey now that Toronto, Montreal, Boston, and Tampa have loaded up on bangers. Downie is a former first rounder (29th overall in 2005) who can throw hands and can scored. Look at his production from 2009-10 while with Tapa when he scored 22 goals, added 24 assists and collected 208 PIMs. He was =14 that season. Injuries have hampered him since then.
There's nothing wrong with adding jam and sandpaper to a youthful lineup. At age 26, Downie has one year year remaining on his current deal which will make him a $2.65 million cap his this season.
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Woke up in the middle of the night and pulled the comforter over me. Damn it was cold in the middle of the night. Felt like October.
The chilly bite in the August morning air got me to thinking about the Buffalo Sabres and the daunting task that lies ahead of them in Shocktober.
Will the Sabres have a "comforter" to pull over them if the chill in the October air becomes intolerable?
Frankly, the success and failure of the young Sabres in the month of October will act as a leading indicator for the rest of their season.
The 15 game sample that Ron Rolston's young Sabres will put forth in October will define the character and the personality of the team for the rest of the 2013-14 season. A strong, physical start against the best teams in the NHL will serve notice to the rest of the NHL that these Sabres are for real. A passive, mistake-laden start will also say a lot about Rolston's re-tooled Sabres.
Shocktober is right around the corner. Take a look at the first 15 game segment of the 82 game season. There are no walk-over opponents or "gimmes" in the first month of the season. If Rolston's young Sabres are going to re-brand themselves to the other 29 NHL teams and the collective hockey media, they better plan on slaying some dragons. They'll enter this season as serious underdogs. They'll need laser-like focus and mental preparedness from Ryan Miller. They'll also need Thomas Vanek to lead a four line scoring attack. Finally, they'll need Tyler Myers, Christian Ehrhoff and teh Buffalo D corps to command the respect of opposing forwards.
It won't be easy folks. have you seen the Shocktober schedule yet?
The Sabres open this season, on the road, in the little shop of horrors in Detroit. Nothing says "Welcome to the Eastern Conference" to the Red Wings quite like a Ryan Miller return to Michigan. Hello Datsyuk. What's up, Zetterberg? What the Hell are you doing in Detroit, Alfie? How's life been treating you, Jimmy Howard? You think Miller wants to lose to his bro Drew and the Red Wings, in front of friends and family at The Joe? Howard wants to take Miller's job on Team USA. Ryan better be preparing to make one more save than Howard. The Sabres-Red Wing season opener will be broadcast around the hockey world on TSN and the NBC Sports Network. A virtuoso performance by Miller will shut the pie holes of a lot of Sabres Haters in North America. However, a Sabres loss will add gasoline to the "See, I told you so that the Sabres would be weak this season" chirpsters.
Sabres fans should be praying to the hockey gods now that Miller, Vanek, and the rest of the team bring their A++ game to Detroit on opening night. Or else.
Two nights later, Jason Spezza and the pesky Sens will provide resistance in Buffalo's home opener at First Niagara Center. Again, Miller will look down his gun barrel at another USA young punk goalie who wants to steal his Olympic job away from him. Craig Anderson won't yield to Miller. Anderson, like Howard, wants to represent the USA at the Sochi Olympics. Sabres fans will say "Forget about Sochi, Miller". He better have his bleep together for the season opener and home openers, or else the gallery gods and hecklers from last season will make their uninvited return to the home rink.
Immediately after the home opener, Vanek and the boys will charter to Pittsburgh where Sid, Geno and the Penguins will be waiting anxiously for the Sabres. Gotta steal two points from the Pens. The Sabres had a winning record against them in 2013. Miller will have to play better than Fleury in this one.
After a two day hiatus, Steven Stamkos, Jonathon Drouin, Marty St. Louis and the much improved Tampa Lightning will visit Buffalo, Again, TSN and NBC Sports Network will beam the game across the hockey world. Myers, Ehrhoff, Weber and the Buffalo D best be ready for the offensive creativity of the Bolts.
Two nights later, Nick Foligno will lead his Blue Jax into bro Marcus' house. Miller-v-Bobrovsky will be the focal point in this one. CBUS are no longer a push over. They underwent an extreme makeover in 2013 and vaulted from the gutter to the playoffs. Darcy Regier should study the Jarmo Kekolainen CBUS model. Fast re-builds ARE possible. Just look at the the Blue Jax.
On Saturday October 12th, the Sabres travel to the Windy City to face Pat Kane, Jonathon Toews, Patrick Sharp, Duncan Keith, corey Crawford, and the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks. The game will be broadcast on the NBCSports Network. failure is not an option. Imagine what that blow-hard Mike Milbury will have to say about the Sabres if they lose 5-1 on the road in Chicago. Please, Miller. Don't let it end that way.
The population of Pominville will increase by one when the former Sabres captain makes his triumphant return to Buffalo on October 14. Will Rolston start Hackett over Miller for this one? Matters not to me. All I care about is the Buffalo D denying time and space to Parise, Heatley, Niedereiter, Pominville and the aggressive Wild forwards.
The next night, Buffalo will travel to Long Island to play dramatically improved Tavares, Okposo, Moulson, Grabner and the islanders. Never an easy task for the sabres.
48 hours later, John Tortarella will bring his Vancouver Canucks into Buffalo. Luongo-v-Miller. Should be a dandy. Tallinder and the Sabres D and forward will have to play tight-gap on the Sedins, Kesler, Kassian and the Canucks, or else pay the consequences.
Two nights later, Patrick Roy will lead his world renowned boy band into Buffalo. Landeskog, O'Reilly, Duchene, MacKinnon, Stastny, Parentau, and the Avalanche will be looking to rock Buffalo's world. Joe Sacco better have his forwards ready to fight fire with fire. Miller will have to play his very best game in order to win.
The Sabres will get a needed three day respite in order to re-group for a visit from Lucic, Thornton, Paille, Bergeron and the hated Bruins. Again, the game will be beamed across the whockey world on TSN and the NBC Sports Network. John Scott, please.
Then its off to the Sunshine State for back-to-backs vs. new division rivals the Panthers and Bolts.
On 10/28, Lindy Ruff will shoot into Buffalo with his re-vamped Stars squad. Won't be an easy game at all. Steve Ott will have to summon the strength and emotion for this one. Ruff will not want to leave FNC with an "L".
Then, on Halloween night, Alain Vigneault and the NY Rangers will trick or treat in Buffalo. Miller-v-Lundqvist. Should be a beauty!
I don't see the Sabres winning 11 or 12 games in the first month. It would be great, but it ain't gonna happen. Look at the teams that they will be playing. However, I do see them winning 8 or 9 of their first 15 games. Thats what its going to take from them to have a successful start to the season. If they stumble out to a 5-10 start, the leaders will be too far out of reach. They will be chasing the 8-10 seeds all season long.
Pray for a fast start. Waking up with 16-18 (of a possible 30 ) points in the bank on November 1 will go a long way to inspiring Girgorenko, Hodgson, Ennis, Foligno, Vanek, Ott, Stafford, Leino, Miller, Myers, Ehrhoff, Tallinder, etc. to continue to grind out more points.
Whats wrong with playing .550-.600 hockey in the season's first month?
I'm not asking for miracles.
Am I?
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As we await the Buffalo Sabres roster for the upcoming Traverse City tourney, the Dallas Stars have announced their T-City roster.
The Sabres may want follow the lead of the Stars and load up their T-City roster with their best young prospects:
Forwards:
Valeri Nichushkin-Radek Faksa-Brett Ritchie
Cole Ully-Taylor Peters- Curtis McKenzie
Nick Paul-Mike Winther-Matej Stransky
Remi Elie-Gemel Smith-Cody Payne
*Brendan Ranford-Jason Dickinson-Matej Paulovic
Defense:
Patrik Nemeth-John Klingberg
*Etienne Boutet-Jamie Oleksiak
Jyrki Jokipakka-Troy Vance
*Rinat Valiev
Goaltenders:
Jack Campbell
Maxime Lagace
Philippe Desrosiers
The Sabres will be releasing their T-City roster in the days to come. I fully expect Darcy Regier and Kevin Devine to build their roster with the goal of winning the whole enchilada. The Sabres are the defending champions of the Traverse City tourney.
The 2013 NHL Prospects tournament schedule has been finalized. This years tournament will run September 5th through 9th at Centre I.C.E. Arena in Traverse City, Michigan.
Participating teams include
Buffalo, Carolina, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Minnesota, New York and St. Louis.
Divisions
Howe Lindsay
Dallas Buffalo
Detroit Carolina
Minnesota Columbus
St. Louis New York
Thursday, September 5
Practice
8:30 – 9:15 am Carolina (David’s) / New York (West Rink)
9:30 – 10:15 am Columbus (David’s) / Buffalo (West Rink)
10:30 – 11:15 am St. Louis (David’s) / Dallas (West Rink)
11:30 – 12:15 pm Minnesota (David’s) / Detroit (West Rink)
Games
3:30 pm New York / Carolina (David’s)
4:00 pm Buffalo / Columbus (West Rink)
7:00 pm St. Louis / Dallas (David’s)
7:30 pm Detroit / Minnesota (West Rink)
Friday, September 6
Practice
8:30 – 9:15 am Columbus (David’s) / Carolina (West Rink)
9:30 – 9:45 am New York (David’s) / Buffalo (West Rink)
10:30 – 11:15 am Minnesota (David’s) / St. Louis (West Rink)
11:30 – 12:15 pm Dallas (David’s) / Detroit (West Rink)
Games
3:30 pm Columbus / Carolina (David’s)
4:00 pm Buffalo/ New York (West Rink)
7:00 pm St. Louis / Minnesota (David’s)
7:30 pm Dallas / Detroit (West Rink)
Saturday, September 7
Practice
9:30 – 10:30 am Carolina (David’s) / Columbus (West Rink)
10:45 – 11:45 pm New York (David’s) / Buffalo (West Rink)
12:00 – 1:00 pm Dallas (David’s) / Detroit (West Rink)
1:15 – 2:15 pm St. Louis (David’s) / Minnesota (West Rink)
Games
* No games scheduled
Saturday, September 8
Practice
8:30 – 9:15 am Dallas (David’s) / Minnesota (West Rink)
10:45 – 11:45 pm Carolina (David’s) / Buffalo (West Rink)
12:00 – 1:00 pm Columbus (David’s) / New York (West Rink)
1:15 – 2:15 pm St. Louis (David’s) / Detroit (West Rink)
Games
3:00 pm Minnesota / Dallas (David’s)
3:30 pm Carolina / Buffalo (West Rink)
6:30 pm Columbus / New York (David’s)
7:00 pm Detroit / St. Louis (West Rink)
Monday, September 9
Practice
10:00 – 10:45 am 2nd Lindsay (David’s) / 2nd Howe (West Rink)
11:00 – 11:45 pm 1st Lindsay (David’s) / 1st Howe (West Rink)
Games
3:30 pm 7th place - 4th Howe / 4th Lindsay (David’s)
4:00 pm 5th place - 3rd Howe / 3rd Lindsay (West Rink)
7:00 pm 3rd place - 2nd Howe / 2nd Lindsay (David’s)
7:30 pm Championship - 1st Howe / 1st Lindsay (West Rink) 
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