Updated:
Another interesting move by Pat LaFontaine today. He has hired former Edmonton Oilers AGM Kevin Prendergast as a pro scout. Prendergast spent 20 years in the Edmonton Oilers front office. Most recently, he has been the head scout for Hockey Canada.
Prendergast was also the former VP of Hockey Ops and former head scout for the Edmonton Oilers.
He replaced Barry Fraser in the year 2000. He was replaced as head scout by Stu MacGregor in 2007 and made Assistant GM until he was fired from that job in 2010.
Perhaps a Buffalo-Edmonton trade is in order.
Drew Stafford?
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The Sabres are scoring a pathetic
1.6 goals per game this season. They are on pace to finish the 2013-14 season as one of the worst offensive teams in NHL history.
Where's the skill and scoring?
Do the Buffalo Sabres really need another third or fourth line winger right now?
The Sabres have claimed forward
Matt D'Agostini off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins. To create a roster spot, the team has waived versatile forward
Corey Tropp.
Buffalo Sabres president of hockey operations Pat LaFontaine today announced the team has claimed forward Matt D’Agostini off of waivers.
D’Agostini (10/23/86, 6'0", 198 lbs), who was waived by the Pittsburgh Penguins yesterday, has played in eight games with Pittsburgh in 2013-14, recording an assist and four penalty minutes. He joined the Penguins at the start of the season after signing a one-year contract in July.
Prior to the Penguins, D’Agostini played for the Montreal Canadiens (2007-08 – 2009-10), St. Louis Blues (2009-10 – 2012-13) and the New Jersey Devils (2012-13). He has notched 96 points (47+49) through 275 career games in the NHL.
A native of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, D’Agostini was drafted by Montreal in the sixth round (190th overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.
The grinding 27 year old D'Agostini is 6'0 and 200 pounds and plays a heavy game. Much like the younger Tropp does.
Tropp's Buffalo/Rochester career has been marred by a few serious injuries including an anterior cruciate ligament, a broken jaw, and a concussion. Tropp's path to the NHL has been littered with adversity, pain and suffering. He's a warrior who keeps fighting against all odds while lesser competitors would have given up sooner. Not Tropp. He's a gamer.
If the Sabres wanted sandpaper for their Montreal and Toronto games, they could have recalled Pat Kaleta from Rochester.
Ted Nolan must have comfort level with D'Agostini otherwise the roster move is pointless. Perhaps this smaller move will beget a bigger move.
My takeaway:
I don't like the idea of waiving Tropp. The kid is finally healthy and has been playing well.
Tropp will have to clear waivers to get to the Amerks. It wouldn't surprise me if another team or two put in a waiver claim on Tropp.
The former 3rd round pick (89th overall 2007) is a product of Michigan State University.
In 9 games this season, Tropp has an assist. He missed a whack of games in October and November due to the broken jaw that he suffered in a fight with Toronto Marlies heavy Jamie Devane in an exhibition game in Toronto in late September.
Too bad Tropp won't be in the building when the Leafs visit the Sabers on Friday night.
Ted Nolan didn't discuss the D'Agostini waiver claim in his morning presser. Curious move.
Thanks, Sabres.com
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Friends and family are in the midst of traveling home for the holidays.
Welcome, home, Danny Briere.
The Montreal Canadiens kick off a four games in six nights jam session in Buffalo tonight.
Thanks, Habs TV
Michel Therrien has rested his team this week in anticipation for the 4-in-6 grind that it will embark upon in Buffalo.
“This is a tough part of the schedule,” Therrien said. “This is why (Monday) we didn’t go on the ice. We’re trying to save our energy to be fresh not only physically, but mentally as well. I liked the jump we had today at practice, but this is definitely a tough stretch. We’ll look to manage the ice time of our players, but we all understand that it will be a difficult few days.”
Carey Price will start the game for the Habs. Ryan Miller is the expected starter for the Sabres.
This should be a 2-1 hockey game. That’s the way it goes with these two teams. The Sabres are the NHL’s lowest-scoring team in the NHL. The Sabres average 1.6 goals per game. The Canadiens allow 2.1.
Team USA vs. Team Canada Sochi goalie showdown?
Miller and Price are playing like Olympic team starters. Should be a great one!
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The Sabres won 3 of the 5 meetings with the Habs last season. This will be their first meeting of this season.
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The Sabres are the lowest-scoring team in the NHL, averaging 1.6 goals per game, while the Canadiens allow the second fewest (2.1).
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So, the once mighty Anaheim Ducks have gone from hunter to the hunted in a matter of two short weeks.
Owners of a 17-7-3 overall record, the Ducks find themselves looking for answers in the midst of their current 4-4-2 streak of mediocrity.
Goaltending. It can all be traced back to starting goaltending. The Ducks have a goalie by committee arrangement right now with Jonas Hiller and Frederick Anderson sharing the load while Viktor Fasth recovers from his injury that has caused him to miss a week's worth of game action.
On Tuesday night, Hiller inexplicably allowed 3 goals in a :53 second span, in the third period, to the Dallas Stars' fourth line. Certainly not something that Bruce Boudreau and the Ducks were looking for. The Ducks lost 6-3 to the Dallas Stars. Hiller allowed 5 goals on just 32 shots.
On the surface, the Ducks look like a Cup contending team and a bonafide candidate to represent the West in the conference finals. On the computer screen and on the dry-erase board the Ducks appear to be up for the challenge of beating back the Blues, Blackhawks, Kings, and Canucks for the Western conference title.
However, the warts on the Ducks' game for the past two weeks have been exposed. They cannot keep the puck out of their own net. Its almost as if the forwards and d don't have faith in their goalies, be it Hiller or Andersen.
HILLER 16 games played 2.69 GAA 9-4-2 record .904 save %.
ANDERSEN 7 games played 1.66 GAA 6-1-0 record 943 save %.
FASTH 5 games played 2.95 GAA 2-2-1 record . 885 save %.
Hiller will become UFA in July 2014, and he's no doubt playing as if he's heard all of trade rumours that involve his name. Hiller is in the final season of his four-year contract. He has said that he would like to remain in Anaheim for another contract, however, the Ducks really don't need him right now or in the future with Fasth, Anderson, and John Gibson waiting in the bullpen for a chance to play in the NHL.
Hiller knows that win or lose, he's going to get paid as a UFA this summer. Edmonton and Philly will be sniffing around Hiller come July, and they have the cap space to make Hiller a wealthier man than he already is. It makes sense for his GM Murray to move him now to get assets in return, rather than allowing him to skate out of SoCal as a UFA without compensation.
Hiller was awful on Tuesday night and his shoddy performance didn't do anything to inspire his teammates to win the game. The Ducks forwards are scoring enough goals to win games. The D are playing well. The Ducks need to address their net deficiencies now, or else, they will heretofore be known as the paper tiger in the West. To put it bluntly, Hiller and Andersen are not striking fear in the hearts and minds of their opponents. The word around the NHL is out: throw a ton of shots at the Ducks' net. Their goalies are shaky and will allow goals.
The Ducks are built similarly to the Kings and Blues in that their squad is comprised of veterans who want to win it all now. The Ducks will have several UFAs to deal with in July in Selanne, Koivu, Penner, Winnick, Cogliano, Jackman, Fistric, Yonkman, and Hiller. The Ducks are in "Win Now" mode". They are not interested in winning a Cup a year or two from now. They feel like they have the squad to comepte for and win a Cup this season. That is, if they can stabilize their net.
The Ducks need to win now. In order to do so, they will have to seriously consider making a trade to upgrade their starting goaltending.
Ryan Miller may be the salve that can soothe and heal the wind burn on the Ducks and their wings. Give Miller 3-4 goals per game in offense, and he'll slam the door shut for the Ducks in the dog days of winter and long into June. Miller is the man for the job in Anaheim. Ducks GM Bob Murray has been known to pull off blockbuster trades in the past (see Bobby Ryan to Ottawa). If he's serious about getting his team back on the winning way, he should upgrade his goalie position now, before one of his Western rivals like the Kings, Blues, Predators, or Avalanche make a trade for Miller.
NHL teams are feasting on roasted Duck right now. How long will Murray and the Ducks allow this to continue to happen?
The Ducks have $3 million in cap space to fund a trade for Miller. Pat LaFontaine and his future GM (insert name here) would be wise to take Hiller in a trade now, then sell him for large chunks of "currency" (first rounder and a top 6 forward) at the 2014 NHL trade deadline.
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