I've been asked the same question several different times the past few weeks.
That is:
What is going on with Buffalo Sabres forward Zemgus Girgensons?
The answer is simple.
The Latvian Locomotive is training for the 2016-17 season. He's training with a vengeance. Girgensons scored 15 goals and added 15 assists two seasons ago, and showed signs of dramatic growth and improvement in his overall game under Ted Nolan. Girgensons played center, his natural position for Nolan. In 2015-16, Dan Bylsma moved Girgensons to third line wing where he struggled to finish his chances and only potted 7 goals. He played some games alongside Jack Eichel, however, he skated most of the season with a host of linemates.
The 2014-15 NHL All Star struggled throughout the 2015-16 season that saw him score only 7 goals.
Girgensons, plain and simply, cannot play center on Buffalo's top two lines because of the dominance of Ryan O'Reilly and Jack Eichel. Bylsma has found his 1-2 punch with ROR snd Eichel. The center situation wil get all the more fascinating if Tim Murray can lure Steven Stamkos to Buffalo in the next month. Stamkos is going to be available as the number one UFA on the open market. Murray and the Sabres have been interested in #91 since last June.
Further complicating the situation at center ice in Buffalo is the emergence of third line center Johan Larsson bumped Zemgus to the wing. Another factor to remember is that Samson Reinhart is a natural center who has found great chemistry alongside I call. There may come a time in the near future when Dan Bylsma wants to play Reinhart at center as well.
The long a short of it is that Zemgus hasn't fully earned Bylsma's trust yet. Girgensons was given an abundance of ice time a even strength and on special teams under his mentor Ted Nolan, who coached him on Team Latvia and in his first two seasons in Buffalo.
Girgensons plays with power, passion and purpose. He gives his coaches and teammates everything that he's got in his tank on every shift. He plays while injured. He keeps a good attitude even when he's slumping. He's the kind of player coaches and teammates love having in the room. However, he may not be long for Buffalo. Because he's also the type of player that opposing teams GM's and scouts really notice when they're watching the Buffalo Sabres play live. In other words, Girgensons is a highly sought-after player who may end up being traded not because of poor play but because he's in such high demand by other teams.
Girgensons is a tremendous defensive center who can win you a D zone draw while defending a lead late in games. His lack of offense was the cause of his switch to the wing. I'm certain that Bylsma would play Zemgus st the pivot more often if he would snap out if his offensive funk.
Girgensons is content to play whatever position his head coach tells him to. However, if he was given a choice, he would always choose playing center over the wing. Zemgus was quoted in an interview last month in Russia at the world hockey championships is saying that he prefers to play center and he feels that that is his natural position that gives him the best opportunity to succeed.
Girgensons is now a restricted free agent. His entry level deal is done. The 14th overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, Girgensons spent most of 2015-16 trying to figure out his role in Bylsma's system. His struggles were well documented. Injuries and ineffective offensive play earned him a reduced role in terms of TOI.
Might Girgensons be traded from Buffalo?
Yes. It is possible. Very possible.
Tim Murray is making no bones about it. He wants to trade up with Edmonton to get to the fourth overall pick in the draft so that he can get his hands on London Knights star and Memorial Cup hero Matt Tkachuk, the power forward.
What would the Oilers need in exchange for their 4th overall pick?
From Buffalo, they would need right shot D Mark Pysyk, Zemgus Girgensons, a prospect D and a second rounder.
Murray may also want to call Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen, who is the owner of the third overall pick in the 2016 draft. Kekalainen is desperately seeking top six center depth, a top four D, and prospects.
Murray should also target the number five overall pick that rests in Vancouver for now. Canucks GM Jim Benning traded 19 year old center Jared McCann later week for 23 year old D Erik Gudbranson from Florida. Benning wants to add a veteran center and wants to retool on the fly his blue line.
We've also got a player rights trade. Riga gets the rights to Zemgus Girgensons from CSKA for the rights to Gustav Possler and Colin Smith.
— KHL News - English (@KHLNewsEN) May 30, 2016
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Jakob Chychrun is a man in hot demand.
The Sarnia Sting star is one of the top ranked prospects in attendance at the 2016 NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo.
Chychrun is currently positioned as the #4 prospect on NHL Central Scouting's report card of North American skaters eligible for the 2016 NHL Draft. Chychrun is currently the #8 ranked prospect on TH International Scouting Service (ISS) ranking,
The host Buffalo Sabres are owners of the 8th overall pick and are also targeting a left D in the draft. Chychrun plays the heavy, rugged style that is Sabres GM Tim Murray's calling card. Murray has options at #8 in that he can hold firm on the pick and hope that Chychrun is still there when it comes time for Buffalo to pick. Or, Murray can try to trade up to #4 with Edmonton.
Chychrun his sophomore season with the OHL Sarnia Sting.
The 6'2", 205 lb. left shot D potted 11 goals and accumulated 49 points in 62 games this season. Chychrun finished the season +23 rating. He scored two goals and eight points in seven games in the OHL playoffs.
A native of Boca Raton, Florida, Chychrun is the son of former NHL player Jeff Chychrun.
Chychrun can flat out do it all. He has the size and strength to play the heavy game. He likes throwing his body around, He blocks shots, eats heavy minutes, makes a great first pass and has a howitzer of an accurate clapper from the point. Chychrun is a smart defender who thinks the game very well.
Chychrun is sharing his NHL Scouting Combine experiences in a blog on NHL.com.
BUFFALO -- Hi everyone!I arrived in Buffalo on Sunday night, a little later than everybody else since I was coming from Boca Raton, Fla. I settled in and got something to eat and had eight interviews Monday. I want to do well in the fitness testing, obviously, and naturally I feel I'm pretty good at these interviews. I think I'm mature and well-spoken and I'm just trying to enjoy the whole process.
Everyone tells me to enjoy the experience so I'm trying to take the advice from the people that know best.
My final interview on Monday was with the Philadelphia Flyers. It was special to be interviewed by the team that drafted my dad. He played five seasons for the Flyers and played with Flyers general manager Ron Hextall, so it was a special team for sure to be in there talking to the guys that really know my dad.
I thought the interview with Philadelphia went well. It's a good group of guys in that room. In addition to Hextall, Rick Pracey, a Flyers amateur scout, was also there, and he asked a majority of the questions. Dennis Patterson, who actually was the scout that drafted my dad in the second round in 1984, was there as well. That was very special and it's something I'll never forget.
I know what people are saying about this draft class. There's talk about how there's so many players who could be selected in the first round in different spots. But for me, I'm not really worried about it. No matter what I do I'm not going to be able to control the situation. I'm going to let everything pan out the way it's going to go and I honestly have no idea what will happen or where I'll end up on draft day. Everybody that I've talked to said it doesn't really matter where you go anyway; it matters what you do after the draft.
I look forward to spending time with my family at the draft. It's going to be a special moment. After that, then I can get excited for training camp in September.
I have 25 total interviews for the week and am looking forward to making an impression. I was asked a lot of the same questions Monday but nobody went off the beaten path.
I rode the bike every single day in Florida to prepare for the Wingate bike test Saturday. I woke up every morning and rode the bike with high intensity. Nothing can prepare you for the actual thing, but I feel as ready as I'm going to be.
I'll file another blog later in the week. Thanks for reading.