Evan Rodrigues' agent Brian Bartlett confirms that his client is now a Buffalo Sabre. Rodrigues accepted Buffalo's offer. Bartlett said that Rodrigues received "multiple offers"
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Some one-timers on a busy Wednesday morning:
• Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray invested quality time in watching Jack Eichel play at Boston University multiple times this past season. Murray and his scouts got not only a birdseye view of Eichel’s gifts but also many looks at Evan Rodrigues. It doesn’t surprise me that Murray has moved swiftly to get Rodrigues under contract for the next two seasons in Buffalo. His 61 points in 41 games were no joke. The kid is a grinding, two-way winger who always has the puck. He had a career season playing alongside Eichel. Both players benefitted from playing with one another. Rodrigues, the 21 year old college senior showed the ropes to the 18 year old freshman. 132 combined points speaks volumes to the uncanny chemistry that exists between Rodrigues and Eichel. There’s not saying whether or not Rodrigues will make the Buffalo roster next season, let alone earn a spot on Eichel’s line. However, having the kid in nearby Rochester won’t hurt.
• TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that BU free agent goalie Matt O’Connor is out of the running to play in Buffalo. That’s fine. I still can’t get his game-tying-goal-glove-gaffe out of my head from the NCAA National Championship game vs. Providence. McKenzie notes that Ottawa, NYR, EDM, VAN are the teams that are still in on the 6’6… puck stopper. Murray has seen enough of O'Connor to make a judgement on whether he can play at the NHL level or not. Perhaps the Murray has changed his mind after watching the Terriers lose the national championship to the Friars.
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UFA G Matt O'Connor of Boston University will visit EDM and VAN this week, NYR next week. Was in OTT on Sunday. BUF is out. Down to 4 teams.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) April 22, 2015
• Speaking of Ottawa and goalies, Andrew Hammond is 0-2 (.914 save %, 3.74 GAA) and Craig Anderson is 0-1 (.959 save %, 1.74 GAA) vs. Montreal in round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Canadiens have the Senators in a 3-0 series lead stranglehold heading into tonight’s Game 4 in Kanata. Should the Senators get swept, goaltending will not be the reason why. The Sens have scored only six goals in 23 games played. Clarke MacArthur has scored two of their goals. Where are goal scorers Bobby Ryan, Kyle Turris, Mark Stone, Erik Karlsson, Mike Hoffman, Mika Zibanejad, and Curtis Lazar?
• Bryan Murray and Dave Cameron have not even looked the way of Robin Lehner to bail the Sens out of this massive sink hole. Now, they are serious about signing O’Connor? The hand writing has been spray painted on the wall for months that Robin Lehner is persona non grata in Ottawa. That's A-OK with Tim Murray, who brought the kid over from Sweden and rode him to a Calder Cup championship on AHL Bingo. Look for Murray to make a play for Lehner, and other Sens twenty-somethings on or before draft day.
• Tim Murray will be putting the full court press on finding his next head coach. Todd McLellan leaves on 4/24 for the World Championships in Prague. If Murray lands McLellan, perhaps former Stanley Cup winning goalie Antii Niemi would follow his former head coach to Buffalo. Should Mike Babcock get the Buffalo gig, Jimmy Howard may follow his bench boss to Buffalo. Petr Mrazek appears to be the present and the future in Detroit’s cage.
* Let's not rule out a massive detonation of the St. Louis Blues organization at season's end. If the Blue get knocked out by the Minnesota Wild in round one of these playoffs, one assumes that heads are going to roll in STL. That would mean that Ken Hitchcock's job will be in peril if the Blues get bounced out. Will Mikle Babcock land in The Loo if Hitchcok gets fired? I'm certain that Tim Murray is watching the STL situation closely as the Blues will be a team that will have massive cap issues this summer. They still have to pay RFA Vlad Tarasenko. The Blues will likely have to trade away big contract players like David Backes, Alex Steen, and/or T.J. Oshie. Murray has cap space and ice time available to any and all comers. Murray may also want to acquire goalie Brian Elliott, whom he brought to Ottawa back in the day.
* The Calgary Flames are laying the boots to the Vancouver Canucks in round one of the playoffs. The Flames lead the Nucks 3 games to 1 and will likely win this series and advance to the next round.
The youth of the Flames is killing the Sedins and the Canucks.
I absolutely love rookie Sam Bennett's gritty, piss-n-vinegar style. Bennett is my series MVP right now despite strong performances by Johnny Gaudreau and Michael Ferland. Bennett scored the GWG in Game 3 and scored again in Game 4. He now has 3 points and 4 PIMs in 4 playoff games played. The kid is cooler than the other side of the pillow right now. No nerves, just jam. Most impressive has been his play on the defensive side of the puck. Not bad for a kid who underwent shoulder surgery in October. When he was healthy. Bennett scored 11 goals and 24 points in 11 games and led his Kingston Frontenacs to the OHL playoffs. He played one game for the Flames before the playoffs began. He is playing like a house on fire right now and he is only 18 years old!
Bennett was the fourth overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft.
* Chicago Blackhawks goalie Scott Darling has been a breath of fresh air in the playoffs. He has made 127 saves on 131 shots faced by the Nashville Predators. The Blackhawks are in the drivers seat with their 3-1 series lead over Smashville.
* The Canadiens are 32-0 when leading playoff series 3-0. They've swept 4-0 22 different times. Thanks for coming, Ottawa.