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Jake McCabe and Team USA to face Canadian onslaught today |
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Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray has mentioned on more than one occasion that he’s in the market for a left-handed, top-four defenseman, one that could presumably to play along side the team’s top d-man, Rasmus Ristolainen. And thanks to Buffalo missing the playoffs Sabres fans are well into off season-mode playing keyboard GM as we speculate who said defenseman might be.
Free agent names like Keith Yandle (NYR,) Brian Campbell (FLA) and Alex Goligoski (DAL) have been thrown around in trying to find that fit while trades with teams like Minnesota, who have a healthy stockpile of defensemen, have also been bantered about. There's also a keen focus on the upcoming draft where the Sabres sit at No. 8 and any one of Olli Juolevi (FIN,) Jakob Chychrun (OHL) or Mikhail Sergachev (OHL) would fit the bill. But they're all probably at least a year or two away from hitting he NHL and as prospects, no one's even sure if they'll hit their potential.
One prospect already in the fold, Brendan Guhle (2015, 51st overall,) looked the part in training camp last fall before he was felled by a Dion Phaneuf check in the preseason. Guhle was sent back to his junior team, Prince Albert of the WHL, and progressed nicely scoring 28 points (10 + 18) in 63 games for the Raiders before seeing his first pro action with the Rochester Americans. In six games for the Amerks, the 6'2" 189 lb. Guhle had a goal and three assists while never looking out of place. However, a soon to be 19 yr. old on the top-pairing of an NHL team is a rare occurrence.
One often overlooked defenseman already in the stable for Buffalo is Jake McCabe who's with Team USA at the IIHF World Championships in Russia.
The 6'0", 214 lb. Eau Clare, Wisconsin native just completed his first full NHL season with the Sabres and acquitted himself quite well. Buffalo head coach Dan Bylsma had McCabe on the second pairing with young-vet Zach Bogosian and the two were as solid as can be with McCabe posting 14 points (4 + 10) in 77 games with a team-leading plus-6 in 19:07 of ice-time/game.
McCabe doesn't have the flash or offensive acumen of the players being mentioned for top-pairing duties, but he does the smart things in all areas of the ice and plays a rugged, defensively sound game. Team USA head coach John Hynes (NJD) has him paired with Connor Murhpy (ARI) as the team's anchor on defense both even strength and five-on-five. Murphy's three goals leads Team USA and his offensive acumen has paired well with a defensive stalwart like McCabe.
But the duo will face a huge challenge today as Team USA faces an extremely talented Team Canada.
The Canadians are rolling four lines featuring some big names like Taylor Hall (EDM,) Matt Duchene (COL,) Connor McDavid (EDM,) Corey Perry (ANA) as well as Buffalo's own Ryan O'Reilly and Sam Reinhart. Although the Canadians aren't boasting their usual All-Star line-up for international competition, Team Canada is loaded with talent up and down the lineup and is leading the tournament with 40 goals in eight games on a 15.09 shooting percentage.
There will be plenty of intrigue within the Canadian/American rivalry which is renewed at 1:15 PM EST today in Moscow. The headliner features presumed 2016 first-overall pick Auston Matthews leading Team USA against 2015 first-overall pick, McDavid. Both are franchise players with the latter being hailed as generational. And for Sabres fans there's McCabe and Hudson Fasching facing off against teammates O'Reilly and Reinhart.
Fasching has been playing solid for Team USA in a fourth-line role and also has gained the trust of Hynes on the penalty kill. In last game's upset of the Czech Republic, Fasching twice got to a puck in the slot and swept it out of harm's way denying the Czech team a golden opportunity. The importance of something like that shouldn't be overlooked in a 1-1 game that was eventually decided in the shootout.
Overall this should be a good game to watch featuring plenty of speed and skating, but Sabres fans should keep an eye on the 22 yr. old McCabe. Seeing how he handles the pressure of playing against top-notch talent with a trip to the gold-medal game on the line a should give some indication as to whether he's ready for top-paring duties at the NHL-level.
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