Murray Has Ton Of Irons In The Fire (sabres)

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Murray Has Ton Of Irons In The Fire

By GARTH'S CORNER

Apr 11, 2016 • 11:07 pm

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There is never a dull moment with Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray. The guy shoots straight from the hip and always tells it like it is. I appreciate the time that I get spend being around Murray and his team. You always get a candid, smart, truthful answer to a question instead of cotton candy and cliches. Murray is the polar 180 degree opposite of former Sabres GM Darcy Regier who utter thousands of words without saying anything of substance. Murray’s honesty was on display again on Monday afternoon when he and his head coach Dan Bylsma conducted their annual end of season presser at First Niagara Center.

Murray was in a good mood. Well he should be.

His team just made a 27 point improvement in the NHL standings. The Sabres finished the 2015-16 season with a respectable 35-36-11 record. The 23rd ranked Sabres recorded 33 regulation and overtime wins while scoring 201 goals and allowing only 222 goal against. Their -21 goal differential was a night and day improvement over that -113 goal differential (161 goals for, 274 goals against) authored by the 30th place 2014-15 Sabres.

Murray has 12 picks in this June's NHL Draft. He loves creating sonic booms on the draft floor. He has $35 million in salary cap space for the upcoming season.

Murray won't be shy. He never is.

Murray knew that there would be growing pains.

His troops were young and inexperienced. They were working together for the first time in the first 41 games of the season. They were being coached by a brand new head coach and coaching staff. There was new structure. A legit blueprint for success, not the Ted Nolan "go work your asses off and have fun" approach.

For the first time in two and a half seasons, the emphasis was on teaching, developing and winning. Not "let's lose as many games as we can so that we can draft 1st or 2nd overall.

Murray said that the 2016-17 season will demand more from his players. With higher expectations come greater responsibilities.

It's time to stop talking about making the playoffs. Do it. Achieve it.

"I've said to you guys a lot that we just want to improve every year and I think we have done that to a pretty good degree. Again, the goal to make the playoffs next year, it may actually be a realistic goal," Murray said. "So that will be our statement to the players that, yes, our goals is to make the playoffs and we actually do expect that we can do that

I like what I saw of these young, pesky Sabres this season. You did, too.

Count Murray and Bylsma, and presumably Terry and Kim Pegula, as believers in the Murray-Bylsma Way.

In their final 41 games, the Sabres gelled as a team and competed hard on every shift of every period of every game. They didn't go 41-0 in the second half of the season, however, they did win 20 games. Head coach Dan Bylsma said Monday that he wished that his team could have kept playing. In other words, his team was playing playoff style hockey in the last four months of the season and he didn't want to see the season come to an end.

What a difference a year makes. Last April at locker clean out day, it felt like 23 guys couldn't wait to call 23 taxi cabs and head into 23 different directions. The 2014-15 Sabres were busted down, dejected, anxious, and wondering when the next skate would drop.

Murray took the time to tip his hat to the tremendous efforts that goalie Chad Johnson gave his teammates this season. Johnson, a pending UFA, said Sunday that he wishes to be a number one, starting goalie somewhere this season. Murray said that he has spoken with Johnson and has told the 28 year old that he would very much like to have him stick around and play in Buffalo. Under not so ideal circumstances, Johnson won 22 games for the Sabres this season. Murray acknowledged the feat and applauded Johnson. He would now like to reward Johnson with a new contract, however, the Sasky native will have options on July 1.

Robin Lehner started only 21 games for the Sabres this season due to his ankle injuries, however, Murray said that he is very pleased with how well the big Swede performed on a wonky ankle that may have been functioning in the “80 %… range. Murray said that he thinks the mandated NHL goaltending equipment rules changes rule changes will in fact be of benefit the 6’5… 255 lb. hulking goalie. Lehner will be one of only a few NHL goalies who will still be allowed to wear his XL goalie gear due to his physical stature.

Murray said that he would love it if the skies of Hockey Heaven were to drop down to him a “Christmas present… in the form of a top pair left defenseman who will also serve as Dan Bylsma’s PP QB. Murray has been searching high and low for this QB since last July when Johnny Oduya opted to play in Dallas rather than sign a lucrative, long term contract to play in Buffalo. Two words for you: Cam. Fowler. At $4 million per season for the next two seasons, Fowler is the perfect compliment to Rasmus Ristolainen on Buffalo;s top pair. He skates 26+ minutes TOI per game, QB’s the PP, plays PK and thrives five on five. Fowler is just 23 years of age and has 6 years of NHL experience. This summer, Anaheim will be re-signing pending RFA top four D-men Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen to long term contract extensions that will mirror Olli Maata’s 6 year, $24.5 million contract extension. Fowler will be the odd man out on the Ducks blue line and will be replaced by 21 year old stud Shea Theodore, another top four lefty who is too good a player to be in the AHL. Murray and Bylsma are serious about finding the QB who will be Risto’s partner for the next decade. They will likely have to trade for said QB.

Speaking of Ristolainen, Murray said that he and the agent for the dominating Finn D have yet to speak about #55’s new contract.

Murray said that there are pros and cons for Risto to sign long term and bridge contracts with the Sabres. Murray will discuss both options with his internal team and will also discuss with Risto’s agent. Ristolainen will become RFA in July and Murray has not heard from Risto’s reps at top whether they are leaning towards a bridge or a long term contract. Stay tuned for news on the Risto contract. Murray said the bridge has it’s advantages like: Eichel and Reinhart are still on entry-level deals. This means that the Sabres have the extra cap space to add via free agency or trade dynamic, impact players in the near future. Such players may include: Steven Stamkos, Cam Fowler, Andrew Shaw, Jimmy Vesey, Drake Caggiula, and others.

Don’t worry, Bylsma already has written down the names “ Jack Eichel… and “Samson Reinhart… on his lineup card for next season. The wonder twins will be linemates once again. That’s great coaching right there. You show me great players and I’ll show you a great coach. Identifying a power combo and maximizing it to the full potential. Eichel scored 24 goals this season and by his own admission on Sunday, said he should have had 30 snipes. Reinhart potted 23 and could have easily scored 25 goals this season. The rookie duo established special chemistry at the end of this season.

Murray said that he respects Eichel's decision to stay at home rather than play for Team USA at the IIHF World Championships in Russia. Murray said that Eichel will be living along this summer and he wants the 19 year old to spend his time training like a "championship fighter". In other words, block out the distractions, be selfish and train religiously.

Tyler Ennis will be back with the Sabres next season, or so it seems for now. Th e26 year old veteran Is the last link to Buffalo’s past playoff runs. Ennis said at locker clean out day that if the NHL season were one week longer that he would have played in a game. He missed three months from January 1-April 9. By hi sown admission, his concussion symptoms have subsided and he is 100% healthy. Murray looked at Ennis’ serious injury as being a coaching moment: Prepare better. Work harder. Don’t take it for granted.

Murray admitted to having a long exit interview with veteran Matt Moulson, who according to Murray was “pissed off… at Murray for comments the GM made about him in a radio interview last month. Moulson struggled mightily and scored only eight goals this season. Murray told Moulson that he demands better physical fitness and off ice training from the 32 year old this summer. Murray said Moulson committed to working out harder this summer to avoid another abysmal season like the 2015-16 season. Moulson has three seasons remaining on a contract with $5M AAV per season.

Murray said that he is very encouraged by the prospects in Rochester.

Murray said the Sabres remain an option for college free agent Drake Caggiula. The Univesrity of North Dakota star and Whitby, Ontario native recently won the NCAA Men’s Hockey Championship. Murray said Caggiula has also cut down his list of team that he would like to play for and Buffalo is still alive in the sweepstakes.

Then, Murray was asked about Harvard star and pending UFA Jimmy Vesey. Murray declined to speak about Vesey because he still is property of the Nashville Predators until August 15 when he can become a UFA. Vesey and Eichel are close friends and have spoken recently about the merits of playing in Buffalo. Eichel will have direct access to Vesey this week, next week, and for the remainder of the summer as they train together in the Boston area. Murray said that if he were a goal scoring winger that he would want to play with Eichel.

"I have interest in every good player," Murray said. "I can't talk about Nashville's player; he belongs to Nashville. We do have interest in Caggiula and we will talk to him and his agent in the next couple of days. He's got a plan and he's eliminated a bunch of teams and we're still there so I can't say were going to get him or not get him."

Caggiula attended and starred at Buffalo's 2014 summer Development Camp.

"I think Jack is a recruiert because he's a dynamic, young center who could possibly be the best player or in the conversation for best player in this League in the next couple years," he said. "If I'm a winger, if I'm looking around the League, that's one guy that I definitely want to play with."

Cross your fingers Sabres fans. You may have the two most recent Hobey Baker Award winners skating beside one another next season

Cody McCormick missed the entire 2015-16 season with serous blot clot issues will be retiring from the game. He still has one year remaining on his contract.

“Cody McCormick is not going to jeopardize his life or his family by trying to play again,… Murray said. “We support him in that. He was around this winter and did some other things when players were rehabbing. So I don’t know if that’s going to be a future thing or not. That’s something that he dabbled at and seemed to like.…

McCormick, 32, hasn’t played since he was hospitalized when clots moved through his body and came to rest in his lungs after he blocked a shot in January 2015. Blood clots are no joke. They are very serious. McCormick's use of blood thinners will prevent him from playing the punch in the face, high impact, heavy contact game that Sabres fans have grown to love about McCormick.

McCormick failed his training camp physical. He is an 11-year veteran who spent parts of six seasons in Buffalo. He also played in Colorado and Minnesota.

McCormick has 21 goals and 65 points in 405 career games.

McCormick, a Mt. Brydges, Ontario native, earned 550 career PIMs. He engaged is 59 career regular season NHL fights. He logged 20+ other fights in the preseason and while in the OHL.

McCormick has always taken time out to speak with me. Win or lose, McCormick was always a stand up guy in the room that I could always count on to get a true and accurate pulse of his Sabres team. I'm going to miss seeing Cody on the ice and I hope to see him in a scouting or coaching role with the Sabres in the future.

Murray said that defenseman Cody Franson still has vision problems from his concussion. Cal O’Reilly was waived today in order for him to play the final three games of the season in Rochester

**

Team Canada's first round of roster players for the 2016 IIHF World Championship in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia, on May 6 includes:

Defending world champions Matt Duchene (Haliburton, Ont./Colorado, NHL), Taylor Hall (Kingston, Ont./Edmonton, NHL), and Ryan O’Reilly (Varna, Ont./Buffalo, NHL) are among the first group of confirmed players who will be making the trek to Prague, Czech Republic, for a pre-competition camp and pre-tournament game before heading to Russia for Canada’s opening match-up against the United States.

“The opportunity to represent your country in international competition is something that never gets old, as we’ve seen in the enthusiasm of this first group of players to join the squad, and the others we’re still in discussion with as we move through the process of building our roster,… said co-general manager, Brad Treliving.

Canada can name up to 25 players to its roster, and will continue to make additions as players and teams progress through the 2016 NHL playoffs.

“The world championship is always a great event, and coming in as defending champions adds to the cachet of the event. We all want to see the Canadian flag be the one raised at the end of that gold-medal game on May 22,… said co-general manager, George McPhee.

In addition to forwards Duchene, Hall, and O’Reilly, Canada’s roster includes:

• Goaltenders Calvin Pickard (Winnipeg/Colorado, NHL), and Cam Talbot (Caledonia, Ont./Edmonton, NHL)

• Defencemen Cody Ceci (Orleans, Ont./Ottawa, NHL), Ben Hutton (Prescott, Ont./Vancouver, NHL),Ryan Murray (White City, Sask./Columbus, NHL), Morgan Rielly (West Vancouver, B.C./Toronto, NHL), and Chris Tanev (Toronto/Vancouver, NHL); and • Forwards Max Domi (Toronto/Arizona, NHL), Brendan Gallagher (Tsawwassen, B.C./Montreal, NHL),Boone Jenner (Dorchester, Ont./Columbus, NHL), Connor McDavid (Newmarket, Ont./Edmonton, NHL),Brad Marchand (Hammonds Plains, N.S./Boston, NHL) Sam Reinhart (West Vancouver, B.C./Buffalo, NHL), Mark Scheifele (Kitchener, Ont./Winnipeg, NHL), and Mark Stone (Winnipeg/Ottawa, NHL).

Thanks, Team Canada

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