Sabres fans love Big John Scott and the feeling is mutual.
In a dismal season of darkness, Scott and Steve Ott were a few bright spots for the Sabres. Scott created time, space, protection and a massive deterrent for all would-be knuckleheads who dared to take liberties with Miller, Vanek, and the Sabres kids.
The St. Catherines native told me last Summer that he grew up loving the Ted Nolan Era Sabres. He loved the the pugnacity that May, Ray, Barnaby, Boughner ,and Kruse used to play with.
Scott has told me that he grew up hating the Maple Leafs as well. Scott is a perfect fit in Buffalo, NY.
The Sabres have announced that they have re-signed Scott to a one year contract.
Smart move, Darcy.
Capgeek.com calls it a one year, $750,000 deal. Nice.
Buffalo Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier today announced that the team has signed forward John Scott to a one-year contract extension
Scott (6’8”, 270 lbs., 9/26/82) played in 34 games with the Sabres in the 2012-13 season after signing with the club as a free agent on July 1, 2012.
Prior to the Sabres, Scott split the 2011-12 season between the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers, tallying one assist and 53 penalty minutes in 35 games. In five NHL seasons, the native of Edmonton, Alberta has appeared in 180 career games with the Sabres, Rangers, Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild, recording five points (1+4) and 305 penalty minutes.
When you get to spend time around Scott, you see immediately that he is like a cuddly 12 year old in a 6'8 270 pound body. He's the perfect teammate. Never bitches about ice time,, always steps up and represents his brothers. He loves his teammates and his teammates love him. He's a big string man, with a tremendous sense of humor. To say nothing of a wicked right hand.
Jhonas Enroth is the most talked about goalie in the world today.
The Stockholm native dominated at the Worlds in his own home town. Today, he is a gold medal winning goalie.
On Thursday, he avenged the only loss that he has sustained in the World Championships. His shootout win over Canada knocked Lindy Ruff's squad out of the tournament.
Meanwhile, back in Buffalo, Darcy Regier is dusting off his abacus and getting his calculator ready for the upcoming Enroth contract negotiation that will likely happen in July. Jhonas becomes RFA in July, and this time around, Enroth is going to get paid. Handsomely. The Sabres will have to pay enroth north of $2.0-2.5 million per season, or they will risk losing him on the free agent market.
Enroth's bridge contract expires at an opportune time, and he will have three key things working in his favor that he can leverage:
1). He reverted back to his winning form in 2013.
2). His brilliant play at the IIHF World Championships.
3). Ryan Miller likely being traded out of Buffalo.
Enroth single handedly willed his team to the playoffs in 2010-11. He posted a 9-2-2 record while starting in place of the concussed Ryan Miller during a key second half stretch on dominating hockey. The future looked bright for Jhonas, then for some inexplicable reason, Lindy Ruff decided to ride Miller to the point of exhaustion in 2011-12. The Sabres struggled mightily December-February that season and failed to make the playoffs. The seldom used Enroth suffered from an identity crisis and his confidence plummeted through the floor as he posted a disappointing 8-11-4 record. After the lockout ended, Ruff proclaimed Miller his starter "until further notice" which meant that Enroth would have been lucky to 'earn" a handful of starts. Then, on February 20, Ruff was fired. The skies parted, the sun began to shine, and the birds began to sing aloud. It can be argued that no Sabre player benefited more from the hiring of Ron Rolston than Enroth. Rolston wiped the dry-erase board clean and every Sabre (and Amerk) player started with a fresh sheet of ice. Enroth finished the lockout shortened season with a 4-4-1 record, however, he lowered his GAA from 2.70 to 2.60 year over year. Enroth got his groove back with the coaching change. Rolston trusts Enroth more than Ruff did, and the new coach doesn't treat the Swede like an after thought. Were it not for Enroth's late season heroics, the Sabres would not have crept as close to the eighth seed as they did.
The World Championships have illuminated Enroth's sick catching glove and his superior post to post drive. He was Sweden's best player (was voted tournament best goalie at Worlds)
The biggest mitigating factor in my opinion, that Enroth will earn himself a huge pay raise (he earned $675,000 in 2013) is that Ryan Miller will likely be traded out of Buffalo. The Michigan State Spartan will fetch a plethora of jewels, including a scoring winger, a first rounder and a prospect on the trade market. The NY Islanders, St. Louis Blues, Minnesota Wild, Colorado Avavlanche, Anaheim Ducks, and Philadelphia Flyers are going to be among the teams that will be interested in Miller. When Miller leaves, Regier will able to maintain the needed confidence of the rest of the players on the room by inserting Enroth into the number one goalie role. Matt Hackett will be the back-up to Jhonas. The devil you know is better than the devil you don't know. Should Enroth stumble in a number one role, Hackett can be pulsed in as a "1A-1B goalie" rotation. Andrey Makarov and Connor Knapp will battle for David Leggio's net in Rochester.
Enroth has risen to the challenge of being a difference maker and a number one tender. Regier is taking notes.
Take a bow, Jhonas. You were brilliant in your gold medal winning campaign.
"In God We Trust" is printed in the face of U.S. currency.
"Enroth We Trust" will be written on Jhonas' next contract.
Props to Jhonas Enroth and Team Sweden. They are the 2013 IIHF World Hockey Champions. The "Little Engine That Could" is now the most widely regarded hockey goalie in the world.
Sweden defeated the tournament darlings, Switzerland, 5-1 to win the IIHF Worlds on home ice for the first time since 1986. The Swiss had won 9 straight games heading into the gold medal match with Sweden.
The Swiss entered the gold medal game in Stockholm with an 8-0 record in the tourney. Hometown boy, Enroth, sent the Swiss packing with their first loss of the tourney. Enroth made 26 saves in the biggest game of his life to cement the gold medal win for his country, on home ice, in his own hometown.
Talk about fairy tale endings!
The IIHF named Enroth the best goaltender. The Sabres veteran finished the tournament with a 6-1 record. He produced to his highest levels ever, posting a 1.15 GAA and a .956 save %.
Individual Awards as selected by the Tournament Directorate:
Best Goalkeeper: Jhonas Enroth, Sweden
Best Defenceman: Roman Josi, Switzerland
Best Forward: Petri Kontiola, Finland
All-Star Team selected by the media
GK: Jhonas Enroth, Sweden
DE: Roman Josi, Switzerland
DE: Julien Vauclair, Switzerland
FW: Petri Kontiola, Finland
FW: Paul Stastny, USA
FW: Henrik Sedin, Sweden
MVP: Roman Josi, Switzerland
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