Updated 2:30pm EDT:
Buffalo Sabres general manager Darcy Regier today announced the team has assigned the following players to the Rochester Americans (AHL):
Colin Jacobs, Connor Knapp, Alex Lepkowski, Nathan Lieuwen, Eric Locke, Matt MacKenzie, Andrey Makarov, Johnathon McGuire, Jonathan Parker, Kevin Sundher, Shawn Szydlowski and Frederick Roy. Nick Crawford, pending waivers, will also be assigned to Rochester.
The Amerks will open their training camp on Monday morning.
Additionally, Brady Austin and Peter Trainor have been returned to their junior clubs.
Reaction: No huge surprises on this cut list.
This weekend's home and home series with the Toronto Maple Leafs will go a long way to helping Ron Rolston decide which players to keep in Buffalo and which to send down on Sunday night.
More on that shortly...
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From the mouths of babes.
Sabres Sequoia Nikita Zadorov had forgotten one of his belongings from his changing stall after the 5-2 win over Carolina. So, the good natured giant retreated from the dressing room in the back and made a trip to his locker to make his retrieval. He smiled and said “Hello” to me, so I had get his impressions of his first NHL game in Buffalo. Now was my chance.
I told him that the 17,000+ Sabres fanatics in attendance were impressed with his first of hundreds of dominant performances on the Buffalo ice surface.
“ Thank you”, he said with a smile, while extending his hand to shake mine. We fist bumped instead, not because I wasn’t up for a solid handshake, but because Nikita had a dripping ice bag taped to his right hand. I asked him how he suffered the ding.
“I don’t know”, he said with a smile and a shoulder shrug.
And, so you see, there is a dichotomy of Nikita Zadorov.
Thoughtful, well-mannered, quiet in the room.
Nasty, aggressive, and intimidating on the ice.
Zadorov was a monster on Thursday night. Poor Nathan Gerbe found out the hard way that enemy forwards are not allowed to take pucks deep on Zadorov. Gerbe learned a valuable lesson while skating full speed at Zadorov. Gerbe tried to drive down the right wing wall, and make a hard 45 degree angle to Ryan Miller’s doorstep with a puck. Nyet! The hulking 6’5” Zadorov closed his gap on Gerbe then proceeded to deposit the diminutive winger on his back. No harm, no foul. Zadorov would make a similar play on Zac Dalpe in the first period. The puck carrier thought he’d schmooz his way past Zadorov on his way to Miller’s office. Uh, not so fast. This time Zadorov got low and drove his huge shoulder through Dalpe’s chest plate, sending the Canes forward spinning out of control into the coroner like a Mazda Miata that was smashed by a Peterbilt on the QEW. The word will spread like wild fire around the NHL, if it hasn’t already, that Nikita Zadorov will not be taken advantage of by creative forwards. He won’t have any part of it. His wingspan stretches from Seymour H. Knox III Plaza all the way to Fort Erie which means that enemies who enter his zone with a puck on their tape are subject to embarrassment, pain, and suffering. Zadorov won’t allow any shenanigans in his end of the rink. He has zero tolerance for forwards who want to make hima nd his D partner and goalie look bad.
What amazes me about Zadorov is that he’s such a dominant defender at such a young. Hell, he just turned 18 in April! Learning to play the NHL style takes years to perfect. Especially for Europeans and Russians. There’s a learning curve to getting comfortable playing on the 200 by 85.
Its early in his development, however, it appears as though Zadorov has a firm grasp on the nuances of playing aggressive D in the NHL.
“To me, I did a pretty good job. I think everybody played really great (vs. Carolina)", he told me.
His puck retrieval skills are were great when Buffalo drafted him in May, however, they are even better now.
“I have a lot of experience right now. I’ve been playing and practicing with NHL guys (all summer and in training camp) and this is only my second NHL game, but I have more experience. I did a pretty good job today and I want to do better so I can make the team”.
Zadorov led the Sabres is total ice time with 22:36. He seemed fresher in the third period than he did in the first period which is a testament to his off ice nad dry land conditioning work. He was credited with 3 hit, had a couple of blocked shots, and unleashed his accurate shot on Khudobin three times. It appears to my eye that Zadorov is ready for more of a challenge. I’d dress him for both Toronto games this weekend so that he can get a taste of for Randy Carlyle’s brand of heavy hockey. Its very refreshing to see how he and fellow first rounder Ristolianen are scoring “A’s” on their training camp and Traverse City report cards.
Twin towers with size, skill, smarts, sophistication and snarl.
Zadorov was called for a roughing minor in the third period, which ignited the boo birds on the stands. There was no penalty on the play. The ref came to the aid of a poor, clueless Canes forward who got stuck in Zadorov’s vortex. Nikita nuked him with a clean body check, yet he was penalized. I asked him why.
“These guys in the NHL are too small for me, I just hit him hard”, he said smiling.
Two minutes for trying too hard. I’m sure Coach Rolston won’t have a beef with that type of penalty.
“I think this has helped me a lot because I’ve had a pretty good summer, working out here (in Buffalo with Grigorenko, Makarov, and a bunch of vets and prospects). I owe thanks for all the trainers and staff who support me all the time. I feel great right now and I really think I’m ready to play in the NHL”.
I believe Zadorov when he says that he’s ready to play in the NHL. He just needs to keep delivering dominating performances in the three remaining exhibition games so that it will be difficult for Ron Rolston to look him in the eye, shake his hand, and tell him that he’s headed back to the London Knights.
Between you and me, I think Zadorov is going to be a killer in the OHL this season. His London club is hosting the Memorial Cup and it will serve him well in his professional career if he were to go back to junior and dominate his competition for one more full season. Let Dale Hunter play Zadorov 25-27 minutes a night, PP, PK, and all situations. Let the kid get a taste for playing pressure packed hockey against some of the best NHL prospects in the world in the Memorial Cup tourney next spring. When its all said and done, Zadorov can play in Rochester after his London Knights season is over.
Rolston and Regier may have a different opinion. They may want Zadorov and Ristolainen to stick and stay in Buffalo this season, which means that the Sabres will have to waive McBain and Sulzer to make room for the Twin Towers.
Lets just see what tomorrow brings.
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Quickly. Someone should call the Erie County Sheriff's Department and demand that a squad car be sent to First Niagara Center. Sabres GM Darcy Regier should be arrested for performing Grand Larssony on Chuck Fletcher, the GM of the Minnesota Wild. Forget about the Mike Wilson for Rhett Warrener trade. This Johan Larssonous act takes the cake.
April 3. 2013: Regier pulled off his best bank heist yet when he traded with the Minnesota Wild forcenter Johan Larsson, goaltender Matt Hackett, 1st round draft pick in the 2013 draft (Nikita Zadorov) and round 2 pick in the 2014 draft to Buffalo Sabres.
The only assets that Regier had to send west were Sabres captain Jason Pominville and round 4 pick in the 2014 draft. The 30 year old Pommer was a great player in his tenye in Buffalo, however, his contributions will be dwarfed this season and beyond when Larsson, Zadorov, Hackett and the 2014 2nd rounder become NHL impact players. Larsonn and Zadorov are already there. They are playing NHL hockey right now. Larsson skated 15:44 TOI vs. the Canes. He scored 2 goals and added an assist, was +1, and took 7 shots. He was the best player on the ice for 60 minutes of play. He was equally as dominant on the defensive side of the puck an don the PK. Zadorov led the Sabres in total TOI with 22:36 . He was +1 with 3 shots and 3 hits, and a shot block. Zadorov is an 18 year kid for crying out loud! As for Hackett, he will be the starter in Rochester and if/when Ryan Miller is trade this season, he will see net time in Buffalo with Jhonas Enroth.
Regier is using the currency of his Minnesota Brinks truck hold up to re-shape his roster. In real-time. Getting Larsson and Zadorov were strokes of genius for the much maligned Regier. Getting Hackett was a stroke of brilliance.
By now, you've heard about Zadorov and Hackett. two young studs who will play in the NHL for 12-15 years. You may want to bone up on Larsson's resume because you are going tobe hearing his name for many years to come in Buffalo.
He was born on July 25 1992 in Lau, Sweden.
He's a 21 year old who plays like a 26 year old NHL veteran.
Don't let his 5'10" 200 lb. frame fool you. This guy is the real freakin deal! He's a pit bull on skates.
Thats why he was drafted by Minnesota Wild in the 2nd round ( #56 overall) in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Larsson does everything that an NHL GM wants his centers to do: he makes like miserable for opponents in the faceoff circle. He holds onto pucks, can pass the puck with accuracy and pace, can shot from all areas on the ice with success. He back checks harder than he fore checks and he fore checks like a Sherman tank.He can score. He's easily a 30-40 point center won can win 55%-60% of his draws.
There's nothing that this guy can't do at age 21. I have him pegged to start the season in Buffalo. He'll add immediate value to the Buffalo roster by leveraging his many outstanding attributes.
On Thursday night, Larsson had his coming out party in from of 17,000+ raucous Sabres fans at First Niagara Center. He wowed the crowd by scoring 2 goals and adding an assist. He won 71% of his draws and made life a misery for the Carolina Hurricanes. Try as they might, they could not knock Larsson off the puck. Thats the way he likes it.
After the game, in the victors' locker room, Larsson gave me the secret to his success:
"Today the chances went in. You know, you get confidence when you play well. My line mates played well, too. I played with Leino and Tropp and we had some good chemistry together. Those guys are easy to play with".
Ron Rolston said afterwards that Larsson was arguably his best forward of the night. High praise when you take into account that Joel Armia, Thomas Vanek, Cody Hodgson and Tyler Ennis played well, too. and
Check out the power game.
Thanks, Sabres.com
Larsson hates losing draws because you can't play a puck-control when you are always chasing the puck down. Larsson reminds me of a typical Detroit Red Wing player. Gritty, edgy, skilled, humble. Hell, he may well be the next Henrik Zetterberg for all we know. He's that polished and that exceptional a player. His skating and strength on his edges is off the charts. Just a remarkable player.
The Sabres are ecstatic to have such a young, dynamic centerman in their midst right now.
" I tried to improve my face offs last year. I work on it every day and today it worked out. You have to be strong on your skates, its that important", he told me about his faceoff winning philosophy.
Johan Larsson is making it tough on other teams. He's a disruptor in that manner.
What were the Minnesota Wild thinking when they traded him and the 1st rounder that became Zadorov for Pominville and a 4th rounder.
Darcy Regier should be locked up for Grand Larssony.
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Youth is being served in Buffalo. The blueprint, if you will, is coming to fruition in the form of offense from the prospects.
Did you know that 7 of the 12 goals that the Sabres have scored thus far in the three exhibition games have been scored by rookies?
Tonight, Larsson lit the lamp twice and added an assist, while Armia scored his first goal in Buffalo and had an assist.
Brayden McNabb detonated a bomb and added an assist.
In Columbus, Grigorenko scored.
In Montreal, Girgensons scored two beauties.
The plan is beginning to manifest itself.
These kids are good.
3-0 with a home and home with the Leafs this weekend.
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