Thanks, Dan Hickling
Cooler heads have prevailed.
Pierre LeBrun reports that Sabres agitator Pat Kaleta has decided NOT to appeal to independent arbitrator.
Last week, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman conducted an appeal hearing of Kaleta's 10 game suspension and opted to uphold the suspension. The new CBA allows players like Kaleta to appeal their suspensions of they so choose. its the player's right. Bettman issued a 17 page summary that cited Kaleta's frequent offenses of the NHL conduct rules.
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Meet Matt Moulson
Thanks, sabres.com
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Thomas Vanek practiced with his new Islander teammates on Monday morning. He skated on a line with fellow U Minnesota Golden Gopher alum, Kyle Okposo, and an all-universe center in John Tavares.
After practice, Vanek spoke with NY media members at his new office on Long Island.
I’m still waiting for the audio of the Vanek presser. I’d like to listen to the session start to finish before I comment on this comment on particular:
“I enjoyed my time there (in Buffalo), but I didn’t want to be a part of that”
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"It's been a long 14 hours, or whatever it is," Vanek said.
"It's obviously a shock. I'm not surprised. I knew it was going to happen sooner or later with the situation in Buffalo. Obviously when it does happen, initially you're shocked.
"I'm excited to come here. They have a great, young team, up-tempo style. I'm looking forward to it."
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When asked if he will be signing a long term contract extension with the Islanders, Vanek reiterated that he’s in now position to speak on that subject right now.
"I haven't gotten that far … I didn't sleep at all last night," Vanek said. "I'm going to catch some sleep first and get to know these guys and figure the rest out later."
Vanek said that he is pleased with the trade and that he is focused on making this new beginning the best experience that it can be.
"I'm just happy to be here right now, taking it all in," Vanek said. "An opportunity like that doesn't come around much, so I'm going try to make the most of it."
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John Tavares on Vanek:
"A tremendous player with the puck," Tavares said of Vanek. "Great patience and deception around the net. I think everyone saw how he started off, how hot he was last season and how much he can dominate a game. We're excited to have him. He's been in the League and proven himself. He has a great skill set."
Lindy Ruff spoke with media after his team's practice ends.
Kevin Oklobzija of the Rochester D and C reports that Ruff is feeling for his old club:
"Some of their young guys are playing really good hockey. I think there's a real bright future there."
Thanks, Stars TV
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Ruff said that he had a strange feeling walking into the rink today.
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Ryan Miller will be facing Kari Lehtonen tonight.
Lehtonen missed 5 games earlier this month with an injury. The Stars' goal tending and D have been a big areas of disappointment for Ruff this season.
The Stars have already used three goaltenders in their first 11 games.
Perhaps Ryan Miller will be auditioning for the Stars tonight?
Another team said to be very interested in Ryan Miller is the NY Islanders, who have a 40 year old, injury-prone Evgeni Nabakov in net right now. Isles GM Garth snow said at Monday's media mixer that he is not done dealing players.
The Islanders just gave a 1st and 2nd rounder to Buffalo is exchange for a rental player in Thomas Vanek. Therefore, the Sabres could not ask Garth Snow for another 1st and 2nd rounder in exchange for Miller.
I've heard rumblings that the Sabres are very interested in acquiring super center Ryan Strome in exchange for Miller. The next best thing to a 1st rounder, is a former first rounder.
Strome was selected by the Islanders in the first round (5th overall) of the 2011 National Hockey League Draft.
Last season, Strome led the Niagara IceDogs in scoring with 94 points (34 goals / 60 assists) in 53 games during his fourth and final season in the Ontario Hockey League. Strome led Niagara in assists and plus-minus rating (+43), establishing career highs in each category. He added three points (2 goals and 1 assist) in five OHL Playoff games.
Count the Edmonton Oilers, Nashville Predators and Minnesota Wild as teams who are desperate for an upgrade in their net. These teams have 1st and 2nd rounders to invest in a rental. The Preds and Wild have already given Darcy Regier first and second rounders in the past two seasons. Lighting has a way of striking twice.
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Thomas Vanek and Kyle Okposo are University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. Today, they flanked John Tavares at practice.
Talk about an intimidating line to play against!!!
Lines at Islanders prax today :
Vanek-Tavares-Okposo
Bouchard-Nielsen-Bailey
Grabner-Nelson-Regin-Clutterbuck
Martin-Cizikas-McDonald-Boulton
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Updated 11:30 am:
Ron Rolston has confirmed that Steve Ott is now the full time captain of teh Buffalo Sabres.
To be ceratin, this is an emotionnal day fro Ott with his former team of 11 years in the building for tonight's game.
Before the Vanek trade, Ott was the road captain while vanek served as the home boss.
Now, Ott is the man 100% of the time. I commend the Sabres for this move. Ott has been the leader of his men since he skated in the door in July 2012. Now he gets the "C" sewn on his sweater on a permanent basis.
I don't mean to minimize Vanek's importance to the team when I say this, however, Ott was always the best candidate to be named the full time leader of this squad. Ott wants to sign a long term contract to stay in Buffalo even though he'll be UFA in July. Darcy Regier said today that he got the feeling last summer that Vanek wasn't interested in wanting to stay and re-sign a long term deal in Buffalo. Now, Vanek can test unrestricted free agency in July. Ott has told me numerous times that his first choice is to stay in Buffalo and to win it all here. He, his wife and daughter love the Buffalo community and all that it offers. Buffalo is a hop, skip and a jump from Ott's folks, siblings, and in-laws in Windsor and Toronto.
Ott is Buffalo. Buffalo is Ott.
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Updated 10:40 am EDT:
Matt Moulson is on the ice with his new Sabres teammates this morning in Buffalo. Moulson is wearing Thomas Vanek's #26, the same jersey number the Moulson wore on Long Island. I don't have a problem with it, do you?
Its a game day skate with Lindy Ruff and the Dallas Stars in town.
Look for Moulson to be in the lineup tonight.
Did you know that Moulson once scored four goals in a game vs. Dallas?
Ryan Miller will be the starter
This has the making's for a great party tonight in Buffalo with Moulson on the ice and Lindy Ruff back in town.
Here's a GREAT marketing and promotional idea: 2 For 1 Moulson and Miller Lite!
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Here's Moulson at the podium for his introductory presser in Buffalo
Much more to come today......
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Classy move by Thomas Vanek. He will be missed!
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For a 9th round draft choice, #263 overall in 2003 selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Matt Moulson has defied all of the long odds against him. Its easy to root for a guy like Moulson because nothing was handed to him. He’s earned all of his fame and notoriety through his own hard work, durability, and determination. Moulson proved a lot of NHL GMs and scouts wrong. In some ways, he’s a lot like Henrik Zetterberg (#210 overall, 7th round draft choice 1999). NHL diamond that just needed to be buffed-up.
Did you know that since he first joined the NY Islanders as a free agent signee in 2009-10 that Moulson has only ever missed one NHL game?
The thing I love about Moulson is that he he’s been a great player on a losing team for 75% of his time on Long Island. This tells me that the guy wants to win and that he’ll do everything in his power to help his team win. Like the 2013-14 vintage of the Buffalo Sabres, the Islanders have been a wok in progress since Moulson and Tavares arrived on Long Island in the summer of 2009. That’s being nice. The Islanders were a re-building team when Tavares was selected first overall in 2009. Great statistical teams don’t select first overall in the NHL entry draft. The worst of the worst do. Moulson immediately assumed the role of prime mover on a gawd awful team in his first season on Long Island.
In 2009-10, the Islanders finished the season outside of the playoffs with a 34-37-0-11 record. In 82 games, Moulson scored 30 goals and added 18 assists. In 2010-11, the Islanders finished outside of the playoffs with a 30-39-13 record. In 82 games, Moulson scored 31 goals and added 22 assists. In 2011-12, the Islanders finished outside of the playoffs with a 34-37-0-11 record. In 82 games, Moulson scored 31 goals and added 33 assists. In 2012-13, the Islanders finally qualified for the playoffs. After three consecutive unsuccessful attempts to play postseason hockey, Moulson and Tavares pushed their team into the playoffs. In 47 games, Moulson scored 15 goals and added 29 assists. This season, the Islanders started poorly with a 4-4-3 record.
Moulson’s steady offensive production tells me that he’s able to block out all of the “white noise” swirling around his team off the ice so that he can focus on his tasks at hand, like being a dependable scoring leader for all of the youngsters in his lineup. Does losing bother him? I’m sure it does. Moulson is human. He’ll turn 30 years of age this Friday. He’s not n NHL kid anymore. For the first time in his NHL career he got a taste of playing in the NHL playoffs for the first time. His Islanders gave the Pittsburgh Penguins all that they could handle. In the end, the Islanders lost to a better team. Moulson knows the taste of losing. I can’t speak for the man but he’d probably tell me that he hates losing more than anything. All competitors hate to lose. He’ll have to prepare himself mentally for losing that is happening in Buffalo right now. Will he be freaked out by the fact that there are four teenagers in the starting lineup and that the team is 2-10-1? My gut tells me that it won’t faze Moulson. He’s played on losing teams and been a key player in a losing organization before on Long Island. My guess is that once he walks into the First Niagara Center later this morning, and shakes hands with his new teammates, coaches, and equipment managers, he’ll sit in his stall, pull on his new Sabres gear, take a look at the players surrounding him in the locker room and smile to himself. Moulson has seen and been a part of a much worse re-building process with the Islanders. He’s played in front of sparse crowds in a dark, dingy, outdated barn that could use a new coat of paint. Importing a fresh, positive perspective from outside the organization can only help the Sabres right now. While some of the veteran players are seeing the team’s cup as half empty, Moulson may convince them that its truly half full. I have a friend who is close with Moulson from having spent time around him on Long Island. I’m told that Moulson is a super guy with a contagious smile and a very serious, workman-like work ethic. My friend says that Moulson has settled nicely into his role a new Dad. He says that Matt is ecstatic that his parents are now an hour drive down the QEW away from seeing the new baby.
He has to work harder. He was a 9th round draft choice. He wasn’t a bonus baby. He’s still got to prove to his critics that he is one of the best forwards in the NHL.
A three or four game winning streak may change this season right now. Moulson knows about winning from having tasted losing as much as he did with his Islanders teams the past four seasons.
Playing with an all-star center like John Tavares is a dream come true for a young player like Moulson. I’ve often contemplated who made who? Did Tavares make Moulson the prolific 30+ goal man that he is for getting the shifty winger the puck in scoring areas, or, did Moulson make Tavares the stud that he is for his uncanny ability to put JT’s deft passes behind NHL goalies?
Tonight, we’ll get to see.
Moulson and the Sabres will hit the ice for the game day skate at 10:30am.
Oh, by the way. Some guy named Lindy will be in the house tonight.
Do you like the Vanek trade?
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Photo credit: Dan Hickling
To know Steve Ott is to know that he is an intensely loyal and prideful man.
Ott hates that his Sabres are 2-10-1 right now and are dead last in the Eastern Conference standings. Ott is a co-captain of his Sabres squad and he's doing everything in his power to turn his team's fortunes around. Otter is hitting, fighting, for checking, back checking, scoring and agitating each and every game. He's trying to teach his four teenager teammates and the legion of twenty somethings the right way to play Sabres hockey.
Ott is all about living up to and exceeding the standards. Ott is reinforcing the positives and trying to get rid of all of the negatives that are natural by products of playing on a re-building NHL team. Ott remembers all too well the days of being a teenager in the Dallas Stars organization. He relied on the tutelage and guidance of vets like Moke Modano, Bill Guerin, and Brenden Morrow to show him the right way to play the NHL game. Right now, the 31 year old Ott is the heartbeat of the Buffalo Sabres, and he is paying it forward by sharing his experiences and knowledge with Grigorenko, Girgensons, Foligno, larsson, Ristolainen, Zadorov, and Pysyk. Ott spent the first eleven seasons of his NHL carer in Dallas. There were good time and bad times for he and his Stars teammates. After years of consecutive playoff appearances, they Stars failed to make the playoffs his last five season in Big D. When he was traded to the Sabres (along with Adam Pardy) in exchange for Derek Roy in July of 2012, it was with the expectation that the veteran-heavy Sabres were building for a deep playoff run in 2012. Then, the NHL lockout reduced the 2012=13 season to just 48 games. Incumbent Buffalo head coach Lindy Ruff was turfed in late February 2012 after struggling out of the gate with a 6-9-1 start to the season. Darcy Regier began purging the vets like Leopold, Regehr, and Pominville.
Once again, Ott found himself on a non-playoff team. he became an instant fan favorite and the mouthpiece of the players in the Buffalo room.
When the Stars and Sabres drop the puck on Monday night, Ott's personal friendships and relationships with Dallas bros will be put on hold. Ott's Sabres need CPR in the form of wins, and they will take them anyway they can get them. Monday night will be the first time the Stars have played against Otter since the Derek Roy trade. i can assure you that Ott will be amped up and ready for battle!
Before they boarded they charter to Buffalo on Sunday afternoon, Lindy Ruff skated his Stars in Frisco, Texas.
Ott's good friend and former Stars teammate told Stars.com that the competitive juices will be flowing between the Stars and their former bro Steve Ott.
“I talked to him this morning. Obviously he is excited to play against us, too. It will be fun,” said Stars defenseman Trevor Daley. “A couple of us will probably get dinner with him tonight. He’ll feed us and then we’ll try to put him through the end boards tomorrow night.”
Daley's tongue-on-cheek "run him through the end boards" comment may appear to be a friendly barb for his bud Ott, however, it would not surprise me in the least if Ott and the Sabres take Daley's smack talk and post it on the dry erase board in the players' room.
You see, the Sabres are not in a good mood these days, especially after having split games in Florida this weekend. The Sabres goalies were forced to 80 make saves (44 on Enroth, 36 on Miller) in Florida. Ott will not be in a chipper mood. He'll be amped up and bouncing off the walls all days long. When the puck drops at 7pm EDT, Ott will set the physical tone for his Sabres teammates. if that means plastering one of his Stars buds with an open ice hit, or dropping the gloves and pounding Daley or another Star, then so be it.
Thats how Ott rolls. His Stars friends know this about him. They better play with their heads on swivels. Daley, a D-man, should take a long nap because he's going to get a full body workout from Ott and a pissed off group of Sabres.
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Lindy Ruff's Buffalo homecoming and Tuesday night's battle in Montreal will be the first of eight of the Stars' next ten games on the road. The Stars are now 1-4-0 away from home after winning their first roadie of the season. Ruff preaches playing hard hockey on the road. Don't expect a track meet. Riff will trap the crap out of the Sabres. he's not coming back to Buffalo to eat cake and to rake trips down memory lane. He wants two points. Badly. he wants to send a message to Darcy Regier and Ron Rolston. Badly.
Like Ott, Ruff will be in a Game 7 of the Stanley cup finals kind of mood.
“The only way we are going to make up any ground is become a better road team,” said Ruff. “We’ve been real close on the road.”
“It starts with one game, you’ve got to win one game on the road,” said Ruff. “We’ve got to become a better road team. Some of it is defending and some of it is finishing opportunities.”
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