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Evander Kane did not take the game day skate this morning. He blocked a shot earlier this week.
There was some question as to whether he would play tonight vs. Carolina.
Have no fear. Evander will play on Buffalo's top line with Ryan O'Reilly and Samson Reinhart.
Here are your trios and D pairs:
Scratched are Mike Weber and Johan Larsson.
**
Goodbye U.S. Thanksgiving holiday. Welcome to the 2015-16 NHL Trade Market.
It's Black Friday and I will be at Sabres-Canes game tonight where I expect to see a dozen or more NHL scouts. Many of them will be eye-balling Eric Staal.
The trade market officially opened at midnight.
NHL GMs met in Toronto two weeks ago. Coaches and scouts have evaluated their rosters and those of the competition. Player personnel people have evaluated rosters. Salary capologists have crunched the numbers.
Quiet on the set. Rolling film. Lights. Cameras. Action!
Keep an eye on Canes captain Eric Staal.
His was removed from the 2014-15 trade rumor mill after he and his wife welcomed a new baby into the world. His brother Jordan and his wife also welcomed a new baby into the world.
Eric is not immune to the NHL trade deadline rumors.
He is a winner who can play all three forward positions and can special team it with the best of them. The Carolina Hurricane's have been a dead end team for years. Searching for their identity, the Canes appear to be ready to embrace a full rebuild. They have added some cornerstone pieces in recent drafts, however, they are nowhere near being the Eastern power that they were in 2006.
The future looks bright in Raleigh with D-man Justin Falk, Noah Hanifin, and Ryan Murphy. Forwards Elias Lindholm, Eddie Lack,Sergei Tolchinsky and Victor Rask will be difference makers in the future.
In the weeks to come, I expect the Canes to subtract vets like Eric Staal, Cam Ward, Kris Versteeg, Ron Hainsey, and others. The older Canes will fetch quality young prospects and premium draft picks that will assist GM Ron Francis is the rebuilding of the Hurricanes.
A change will do the eldest Staal a lot of good.
Since winning a Stanley Cup in his rookie year in 2006, Staal has been chasing hockey's holy grail. He will have to leave middling Carolina if he wants to have his name etched on Lord Stanley's Cup for a second time.
I've been hearing his name in trade rumors since last summer.
The 31 year old veteran is about to become an unrestricted free agent at this season's end when his 7 year, $57,750,000 contract expires. Staal is an $8.25 million cap hit right now. Staal represents Carolina's Stanley Cup winning past. He doesn't really factor into their future plans.
Staal has a $9.5 million salary this season, the highest on the team. He and Canes GM Ron Francis have had discussions about his future with the club, however, no financial terms have been discussed. Staal has a no trade clause and he will dictate which teams he will be interested in moving to.
Francis has said he’s hopeful of re-signing Staal and Ward, who are represented by the same agent. Francis also said it has to be the right term and right price for each player.
Translation: Take a hometown haircut and you can stay here.
I don't see Staal and Ward settling for pennies on the dollar to stay with a team that will finish as a 12th or 13th seed in the Eastern Conference this season.
The Canes can trade their captain for a hockey mitt full of players and draft choices.
I'm going to say it right here and right now:
Eric Staal will be traded before the NHL trade deadline.
Staal has 4 goals and 9 assists this season.
He scored 23 goals and added 31 assists last season.
He is a number one center, however, he has played both wings in his career. He is an effective 200 foot performer who gets streaky with his offense output in his career. Given quality linemates, Staal will light the lamp and make plays.
Possible landing spots for Eric Staal:
Winnipeg, Montreal, Nashville, Toronto, Columbus and NY Rangers.
**
Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin a great friends. Tonight, the two Massachusetts natives will play against one another for the first time.
Eichel (Boston University) was the second overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft. Hanifin (Boston College) was the fifth overall pick in the NHL Draft.
Eichel and Hanifin are friends away from the rink and are ultra-competitive on the ice.
Eichel scored his seventh goal of teh season on Wednesday night vs. Carter Hutton and Nashville. Hanifin has a goal and three assists this season.
Hanifin doesn't want to give up a goal to nor get dangled-cellied by his buddy Jack.
***
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Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma said that Evander Kane and Zach Bogosian will be game time decisions tonight. Neither Sabre skated this morning.
Mike Weber took line rushes and can play if needed tonight.
Mark Pysyk (bone bruise) is out again tonight.
Tyler Ennis (upper body) is also out tonight.
**
It took two brutal weeks of heavy lifting but the Buffalo Sabres FINALLY get to play an Eastern Conference foe again tonight.
For the past 13 days, the gauntlet has been an arduous grind for the Sabres who have been battling with Western powers San Jose, Dallas, St. Louis and Nashville.
Tonight marks the first of three meetings with the Carolina Hurricaes.
With 18 points at 8-12-2, Buffalo is winless in its last six games. Buffalo lost 3-2 to Nashville on Wednesday Wednesday night.
At 8-10-4 with 20 points, the Hurricanes defeated Edmonton 4-1 on Wednesday night.
All due respect to the Hurricanes, but they are not a team in the same upper echelon class as the Sharks, Stars, Blues and Predators. The Sabres have come up short against the best of the West, however, the silver lining is that they have learned a lot about themselves as a team and an organization in this recent two week demolition derby. The Sabres have done everything right except bury their chances in their battles with Western supremacy.
The Buffalo goaltending has been solid. The overall team defense has been noteworthy and the forwards have been creating high percentage chances via aggressive puck pressure. The Sabres have been out scored 16-6 in their past six games. They've had their chances to score but haven't lit the lamp.
Were it not for crappy puck luck, the Sabres could have easily defeated San Jose, Dallas, St. Louis and Dallas in their head to head battles in the past two weeks. If they would have buried all or some of their chances they could easily be 5-1 or 4-2 in their last six games. That's how razor thin the margin of error has been.
After Wednesday's loss to Nashville, I spoke at length with Sabres D Josh Gorges who said that he sees his teammates making gradual progress in their quest to become a respectable team in the Eastern Conference.
"We need to eliminate the one or two mental mistakes from our game and we will be right where we want to be", Gorges told me. "When you watch the great teams and the upper echelon NHL teams, you notice that they don't commit mental mistakes and if they do its rare. We have to erase some our mistakes and we will be right there".
Gorges also told me that he is impressed with the manner in which his young teammates have upped their intensity and defensive responsibility levels against the best players in the NHL this season like Steven Stamkos (4x); Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Patrick Sharp (2x); David Backes, Vlad Tarasenko, Kevin Shattenkirk (2x); Shea Weber, Roman Jossi, Filip Forsberg (1x).
Dan Bylsma has been patient with his team as they continue to find their total 60 minute game.
It's not far off. Their development has been slow to happen. I see the Sabres turning it around in the next segment of games. Teams cannot win until they learn how to lose. I see the L's converting to W's.
Their winning has been stalled. I see it taking hold in the next segment of games.
The Sabres will be rewarded for their patience.
The Canes are ripe for the picking right now.
The Sabres are deeper in terms of forward and D depth. Their goaltending is better than that of the Hurricanes.
I see the Sabres beating the Canes by two pucks tonight.
**
Evander Kane didn't take the morning skate for the Sabres. He suffered a lower body injury earlier this week.
Dan Bylsma skated Johan Larsson on L1 LW at today's morning skate.
Will Kane play vs. Carolina?
Larsson-O'Reilly-Reinhart
Moulson-Eichel-Gionta
Deslauriers-Girgensons-Foligno
Schaller-Legwand-McGinn
No Tyler Ennis (upper body).
Mark Pysk's lower body ailment is still a thing.
Zach Bogosian didn't skate this morning. Maintenance? He is not injured.
Mike Weber skated this morning. Earlier this month, Weber underwent a knee procedure to correct a chronic injury.
Your D pairs from the morning skate:
Gorges-Ristolainen
McCabe-Franson
Colaiacovo-Weber.
***
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