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@OtterN9NE Keys To Success

September 18, 2013, 2:41 PM ET [15 Comments]
GARTH'S CORNER
NHL news by Garth • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Steve Ott recently represented the Sabres at the annual NHL media gathering in NYC.

Ott put a razor-sharpened point on the upcoming season when he said that the 2013 Sabres "were atrocious in the accountability department because in the sense that we didn't make the playoffs'.

Buy that man a shot and a beer!

Sounds like a captain to me.

What is the team identity moving forward away from the abysmal 2013 season?

Here are @OtterN9NE's keys to success in 2013-14:





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Brenden Morrow is tired of kicking his own ass.

The 15 NHL veteran had been skating in Dallas with his former Stars teammates until September 10th. Thats the day that the Stars and 29 other NHL clubs opened the doors to invite their players in for physicals. So today, Morrow reports to the rink, and runs himself through bag skates and shooting drills as he waits anxiously for his cell phone to ring for the call from his agent to tell him that he's going back to work. To morrow, its like the day that never comes. He's the lobo fuerte. The lone wolf. He's the sole surviving, unsigned UFA. In any other summer free agent frenzy, Morrow would have been signed on day 1 or Day 2 of the UFA market in July. Not this July. The shrinking cap and the shortage of salary cap space has pushed Morrow outside the circle. It doesn't seem fair that a decorated veteran like Morrow has to wait until October to see if a team suffers an injury to its core player group. Its a waiting game that GMs are playing right now to see if their organization prospects are all that enough to crack the opening night roster.


Case in point, the Buffalo Sabres inquired about Morrow back in July. The Sabres are still in an evaluation period right now and are in no position to offer Morrow a contract. Darcy Regier and Kevin Devine learned a lot about their top forward prospects at the Traverse City tournament. So much so that Zemgus Girgensons, Johan Larsson, and Joel Armia all have legitimate opportunities to make the Sabres roster. Buffalo have played two exhibition games and their head coach Ron Rolston is experimenting with line combos and giving heavy minutes and responsibilities to Mikhail Grigorenko, Corey Tropp, Girgensons, Larsson, and Armia. Its a work in progress in Buffalo that likely will not be concluded until the final horn rings after the last exhibition game ends. Then, Rolston, Regier and the Sabres coaching staff will have to do their due diligence in order to select the players who are most deserving of a roster spot in Buffalo. There was a time, in July, when Morrow appeared to be a lead pipe cinch to make a team like Buffalo. However, after reviewing the intel that we've gathered on Girgo, Grigo, Larsson, Armia, and Tropp, suffice to say that Buffalo are not in a hurry to go outside the family to fortify the forward ranks. The Sabres have an abundance of skilled young players who will be given first crack at making the Sabres roster. If all players fail, then Darcy Regier will look elsewhere for a solution to the problem. Right now its a work on progress.


How does this relate to Morrow? Well, bringing him in now as a UFA would take ice time and special teams play from a top prospect. It would be no different than the Philadelphia Flyers signing UFA Dan Cleary. Doing so would have taken valuable developmental ice time away from a kid like Scott Laughton.

So, the evaluation of kids continues. Meanwhile, Morrow is getting antsy. He's never been down this road before in his impressive NHL career. He doesn't want to sign a PTO and have to sing for his supper. The book on Morrow is very positive in his favor. At age 34, he is still a complete hockey player. He played 1st and 2nd line minutes after he was traded to Pittsburgh from Dallas last season. He scored 6 goals and added 8 assists in just 14 games after the trade. He also added another 2 goals and 2 assists in 14 playoff games. Morrow thrived after Sidney Crosby was blasted in the face with a point shot and missed a huge chunk of games leading up to the playoffs. I contend that if pens head coach left Morrow along in the top 6 during the playoffs, that Morrow would have led the pens in scoring. He was THAT good in his brief stint Pittsburgh. Once Crosby returned healthy to the Pens' lineup, Morrow was relegated to the checking line. Still, he was able to contribute offense. The Pen had critical decisions to make as it pertained to their cap this summer. They opted not to re-sign all three UFAs that they acquired at the trade deadline in Morrrow, Jarome Iginla, and Douglas Murray.

Morrow said earlier this week that he is encouraged about his situation.

“I feel I’ll play somewhere this season at some time. I am confident in that,” Morrow said.

“But I want it to be the right fit, where I can possibly be there for a little longer time, and where I feel confident I can help. That’s what I’m looking for.


Morrow will add immediate value with whichever team he signs with. Several GMs want to sign him, however, they are waiting for an injury or two to occur to their roster. Another factor impacting Morrow's future is the league-wide the waiver wire process to begin. I'm told that the waiver process will begin as soon as tomorrow (9/19), so that at Noon on Friday 9/20, we may start to see the the type of player movement that will open up roster spots and dollars for Morrow to sign a contract for this season, and perhaps beyond.

Morrow told the Dallas Morning News:

“There’s a lot that goes into it, and money is a part of it,” Morrow said. “But, at the same time, I want to be on a team where I think I can win, where I think I can contribute to a winner. I don’t have a lot of years left, so I’d love to get a couple of runs in there.”


Whichever team signs Brenden Morrow will be most pleased with his leadership and hockey contributions.

His great friend and former teammate Steve Ott told me recently that Morrow is 'worth the wait". I agree, Otter. You can't measure Morrow's value to a team using advanced stats and analytics. The guy is like Clint Eastwood on ice. Tough as nails. Holds everyone accountable.

Morrow will have a job soon.

Dan Cleary found work. Damien Brunner and Brad Boyes found work.

A contender will find Morrow. He will make that team a tougher team to play against.




Perhaps Cal Clutterbuck's loss will be Brenden Morrow's gain.

The rambunctious winger was seriously injured on Tuesday night in this collision with Calgary D-man Dennis Wideman.



Islanders head coach Jack Capuano has said that Clutterbuck's injury will keep him out of the Islanders lineup for "extended time".





Clutterbuck signed for 4 years and $11 million earlier this summer.

Could Morrow assume an energy role on the up and coming Islanders?

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The Buffalo Sabres won their second straight exhibition game on Tuesday night. The Sabres were impressive in all keys ares: offense, defense, goal tending special teams.

Another area of strength for the Sabres in Columbus was their leadership group.

Coach Rolston is rotating the "C" and the "A's" for the exhibition games.

On Tuesday night in Columbus, Thomas Vanek wore the "C", while Cody Hodgson and Christan Ehrhoff donned the "A's".


On Sunday night in Montreal, Steve Ott earned the "C", while Drew Stafford and Hank Tallinder wore the "A's".

At the end of training camp, Rolston and his assistant coaches will convene to discuss and decide upon which player will become the new captain of the Buffalo Sabres.

Vanek and Ott are your front runners right now to be named team captain for the 2013-14 season.

On Day 1 of training camp, said that he didn't have a problem assigning the "C" to a player who is on an expiring contract.




@FrankLeonard18 tweeted me this sentiment on Wednesday morning:





Frank got me to thinking. Who will the next Buffalo "C" be?

I think Vanek and Ott are both fantastic hockey players. I happen to think that they are both natural born leaders. Each has his own style of leadership. Each do all of their leading on the ice. They are vocal in the room, on the bus, and on the bench. The Sabres already have a strong leadership group right now with Vanek, Ott, Ehrhoff, Myers, Weber, and Stafford. The leaders on this squad are going to have to be more patient and more mentoring then ever before what with all of the new, younger faces in the Sabres room. The youth movement will only be as successful as the veteran leadership group will be. In other words, Foligno, Grigorenko, Girgensons, Larsson, Armia, Ristolainen, Zadorov will succeed when they prepare their bodies and minds for the rigors of the NHL grind, and they feel like they are supported by the vets. Knowing that they can take the ice with the confidence that that their veteran brothers have their backs, then they will be able to focus on maximizing their ice time. Also, the kids have to know that their on ice mistakes are going to be tolerated. In a lot of cases, rookies and prospects struggle after they have made critical mistakes on the ice (turnovers, soft goals, blown coverages) because they are disappointed that they have let down the head coach and the veteran leaders. Mistakes and gaffes happen. Thats how the kids will learn. hell, 10 year vets make mistakes on a regular basis in the NHL. Its to be expected when you play in the best hockey league in the world. its not the mistakes you make, its how you learn from it by staying positive and correcting the errors. Thats where the "C" and the "A's" have to step up and support the coaching staff in the romm and on the bench.


Vanek is the home grown hero who we've seen grow up before our very eyes that past 10 years. From the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers Frozen Four championship in Buffalo, to developing into a 40 goal scorer, Vanek has achieved a level of respect inside the NHL and in the WNY community. He'd make a great captain.



The Sabres have an opportunity to make things right with Vanek by installing the "C" on his sweater before the 10/2 season opener in Detroit. You'll recall on 10/611, while on the road to start the regular season in Finland, Lindy Ruff announced his team captain and assistants at a team dinner. Then head coach Lindy Ruff announced that Jason Pominville would be the team's new captain.


Thanks, sabres.com

Was Vanek snubbed by Ruff? Some say yes. Some observers say that Vanek was not happy with Ruff for his public commentary about Vanek's handshake on that evening. Thats all ancient history now. Two years removed from that awkward situation Vanek is older, wiser, and better suited to be the Sabres captain. Perhaps the "C" will be the cherry on top of a new long term contract extension for Vanek to stay in Buffalo. When the team needs a goal to tie or win a game, or a shootout attempt buried, it knows that it can trust Thomas Vanek. He takes a brutal beating every night setting up his office in enemy creases. He gets hacked, slashed, knocked down, speared, and even hit by friendly fire in his ribs and skates. He wears his bruises like badges of honor. He dives on live hand grenades for his team. his valor, courage, and consistency make him the ideal team captain.


Steve Ott learned how to be an NHL leader by listening to and modeling himself after his former teammates Brenden Morrow, Mike Modano, and Bill Guerin. Not bad company, eh?
He's as heart and soul a player as you will ever meet. He has his finger on the pulse of his players both on and off the rink. He's an excellent communicator and is a master motivator.



On a team that averages just 26.1 years of age, Ott and Miller are the only two thritysomethings. Ott's the perfect balance of raw emotion and tactical planning. He's the son of two military parents, so don't let the visor licking and chirping fool you. Ott is a mater motivator/startegist and he inspires everyone from the zamboni driver to the equipment manager to his teammates to give more of themselves at their job. he's a Buffalo guy through and through because of his blue collar, 'whatever it takes" work ethic. Ott will run through a burning building if Ron Rolston asks him to. He's selfless and team-first. Otter doesn't ask his teammates to do things that he wouldn't or hasn't done. He holds the room accountable. Thats why he'd make a great team captain.


batteredotter

Who do you see as the next captain of the Buffalo Sabres? There's no such thing as a bad selection. Vanek and Ott are both very deserving of the honor of being selected the leader of the Sabres. The great thing with Vanek and Ott is that even of one doesn't get the "C", that player will still be a leader and a role model for all of the young kids in the Sabres organization.




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Be prepared for traffic issue. Hurricanes game when when you attend the Sabres vs. Hurricanes preseason game at FNC on Thursday night.


In anticipation of the first home preseason games of the 2013-14 season, the Buffalo Sabres are reminding fans about the limited traffic patterns surrounding First Niagara Center due to the construction of HARBORcenter.


As a result of the construction, vehicular traffic is limited to one lane northbound (away from arena) on Washington Street and one lane southbound (toward arena) on Main Street. While there have been and will continue to be temporary road closures, no closures are currently planned during arena events.

All normal event parking – in both the arena ramp and the surrounding surface lots – will remain open.

Fans that plan on visiting First Niagara Center while the limited traffic routes are in effect should plan on using Michigan Avenue instead of Washington Street. It is strongly suggested that fans plan ahead and leave extra time for traveling to and from the arena.


During First Niagara Center events, the Buffalo Police Department Traffic Division will control all affected intersections and will direct traffic accordingly.


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