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Spare The Rod, Spoil The Child |
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Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray certainly is an agent of change. Unlike his predecessor Darcy Regier, Murray makes moves in swift and decisive manner.
Murray has a stable of young D-men who are champing at the bit to earn a roster spot this season. Murray served notice on Wednesday that nothing will be given to the youngsters. If they want playing time, they are going to have to earn it. Murray signed veteran D-man Andre Benoit to add needed depth to the Sabres D corps which was a fatal flaw of the Buffalo Sabres last season. Gone are the days that Ted Nolan will have to avert his eyes every time that Jamie McBain and Hank Tallinder are on the ice. Nolan will now have a more reliable D group to work with. Murray has created another level of pressure on the young kids to have to deal with as they fight for jobs in training camp.
As it stands today, the Buffalo D consists of:
Tyler Myers
Andrej Meszaros
Josh Gorges
Mike Weber
Mark Pysyk
Rasmus Ristolainen
Nikita Zadorov
Jake McCabe
Andre Benoit
Chad Ruhwedel
In no particular order, this is a rather formidable group of D. The additions of Meszaros and Benoit grabs roster spots away from two kids. The kids will have the opportunity to crush it at the Traverse City tournament in September. With strong showings at Traverse City, the kids can go a long way to convincing Murray and Nolan that they deserve Buffalo playing time. However, poor performances at T-City and in exhibition games can earn the kids an EZ-Pass transponder down the I-90 to Rochester. Or, in Zadorov's case, a Nexxus Pass back to OHL London.
I like what Murray and Nolan are saying to the young bucks as we are six weeks away from the start of the Traverse City experience:
If you wanna play, you got pay. In other words, if Pysyk feels like he's worthy of Buffalo TOI this season, he's going to have to earn it. Ditto McCabe and Ruhwedel.
Pysyk will have to bring his A+ game each and every shift if he wants to stay in Buffalo. Benoit is a D-man that is made in the Pysyk-Ruhwedel mold: swift skating puck mover.
With a great Traverse City tourney and training camp, McCabe could force Murray to trade Weber or another D.
Murray and Benoit are familiar with one another having spent time together in the Ottawa/Binghampton organization.
The 30 year old left shooting Benoit (5'11", 191 lbs) graded out very well for the Colorado Avalanche in 2013-14. In 79 regular-season games, the Kitchener Rangers product recorded a career-high 28 points (7G, 21A). In seven playoff games with the Avalanche, Benoit chipped in an assist. In 120 career NHL games, Benoit has accumulated 39 points (10G, 29A).
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Former Buffalo Sabres draft choice Cory Sarich remains in a Calgary hospital bed following a collision involving his bicycle and a vehicle. Sarich suffered multiple broken vertebrae in the crash which occurred in the resort town of Invermere, British Columbia.
Sarich, an unrestricted free agent, who won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Lightning, spent the 2013-2014 season with the Colorado Avalanche.
Sarich was struck by the car while training on his bike in Invermere.
Sarich is in stable condition with non-life threatening injuries.
Via Twitter, Sarich thanked his fans for their support and well wishes.
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