Get your popcorn ready! Your clam chowder, too!
Jack Eichel will be playing the Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils in Buffalo at the newly announced prospects challenge event that the Sabres announced today.
When you ask?
September 12 through 14 at First Niagara Center and HARBORCENTER.
Oh, the torment is delicious, isn't it?
Eichel, the North Chelmsford, Massachusetts native is already a legend in New England for his exploits on the local rinks in and around Bahstun.
Eichel is just 18 years old and he already is being compared to NHL legends like Mario Lemieux and Mike Modano. It has to still be sticking in the craw of Bostonians that the Sabres selected Eichel second overall at the NHL Draft. Tank you very much, Bahstun!
Rosters will be released at a later date, however, you will likely see Eichel, Sam Reinhart, Justin Bailey, Nick Baptiste, Hudson Fasching, Jake McCabe, Anthony Florentino, Josh Chapman, Brendan Guhle, Jason Kasdorf, Andrey Makarov, Justin Kea, Will Carrier, Cal Petersen and many other youngsters who starred at the prospects camp in Buffalo. The Sabres sold 17,000 tickets for the Blue & Gold scrimmage which took place on the Friday night of development camp in early July.
For the first time in Sabres team history, the Sabres will host a prospects challenge. Earlier this summer, former Sabres President Ted Black had hinted that the Sabres would be creating their own prospects event when it was learned that the Swords would not be participating in the Traverse City Tournament.
The Bruins and Devils will compete in the Buffalo-hosted round-robin event that will feature prospects from each team. The participating teams will play two games during the course of the three-day event. Tickets for the games are $10 each.
Saturday, September 12: Buffalo vs. New Jersey, 7 p.m., First Niagara Center
Sunday, September 13: Boston vs. New Jersey, 7 p.m., HARBORCENTER
Monday, September 14: Buffalo vs. Boston, 7 p.m., First Niagara Center
The Sabres are scheduled to report for training camp physicals on Thursday, September 17, and will be on the ice their first official practices of camp the next day.
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Where in the world is former Sabres first round draft choice D-monster Nikita Zadorov these days?
Why, he's in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. He's in Denver this week to be exact.
According to the Denver Post, Zadorov is participating in the University of Denver’s annual pro alumni camp at Magness Arena. The NHL vets include former Denver University stars Paul Stastny (St. Louis Blues), Tyler Bozak (Maple Leafs), Matt Donovan (Buffalo Sabres) and Nick Shore (LA Kings). The former Avalanche include Kyle Quincey (Red Wings), John-Michael Liles (Hurricanes) and Peter Budaj (free agent).
The camp attendees do skills and drills for an hour then break up to scrimmage at the end of the session.
It's refreshing to see Zadorov putting in the work in early August. I hope that the adventurous, outspoken 20 year old learned a life lesson from his brief stint in Buffalo. In the NHL as in life, it's best to let your game do your talking for you. That and, the NHL is the best league in the world. It's a what have you done for me lately league and it's the ultimately proving ground for young men to show that they are willing to make sacrifices in order to earn and keep a tight grasp on their playing time in the NHL.
Zadorov's million dollar skill size and skill set wows coaches, scouts and fans alike. However, it's his poor decision making that he's become known for in his brief time in the NHL.
Last summer, Zadorov reported to training camp, in shall we say, poor physical condition. He was disappointment at the July 2014 Sabres prospects development camp. Rather than do the work necessary to get himself in killer condition for Buffalo training camp, Zadorov floated through last July and August. He was not committed to his summer workout program and he had nobody to blame but himself for that. The 6'5" aggressor was benched in a 5-1 blowout loss to the Dallas Stars at the Traverse City Tournament last September. Zadorov was clearly over weight and out of shape for the start for the TCity Tourney. What was most disappointing bout Zadorov's 2014 Traverse City disappearing act was that he was arguably Buffalo's best player at the same tournament just one year earlier. Zadorov terrorized opponents with his physicality and his cannon-like left point shot at the 2013 TCity Tourney. So what happened to him in his rookie NHL season? His then head coach Ted Nolan took notice of Zadorov's pudgy mid-section and promptly enrolled the big Russian in Bag Skate University. Nolan and his coaches saw to it that Zadorov had a lot of ice in his diet. So much so that he didn't see the ice in the NHL until he could prove to Nolan and Tim Murray that he was committed to killing it and not just going through the motions because he felt that he had already arrived as a starting D-man in the NHL. Remember the under current of rumors last October involving Zadorov and him playing in the KHL?
Coincidence? I think not. He wasn't happy with his lack of playing time in Buffalo. Meanwhile, he hadn't earned one shift of ice time for a regular season game. Rather than giving himself a serious self evaluation, he was content to point the business end of the stick at his coaches and GM for his lack of playing time. It's a common response from an OHL star turned NHL bonus baby. What Zadorov needed was a solid stint in the AHL with the Rochester Amerks, however, he wasn't eligible to play there. It's too bad how his Buffalo career turned out. He was in total control of his destiny with Nolan and Murray. He failed to make a lasting positive impression with Murray.
Zadorov's lack of dedication to his offseason workouts and his sense of entitlement rubbed many of his players and former coaches the wrong way. In order to get his undivided attention, Nolan humbled Zadorov by taking away his ice time. Slowly, Zadorov earned Nolan's trust back and then earned his playing time. But then, the day after the 2015 NHL All Star game, Zadorov violated team rules when a winter storm caused flights to be cancelled from the Dominican Republic where he was vacationing. He missed practice in Buffalo as a result and was disciplined by Nolan. He then missed a game day skate on a Sunday in March which caused team captains, Nolan and Murray to have yet another chat with him about his tardiness and his laissez faire attitude.
I'm a fan of Zadorov. What's not to like about a 6'5" 240 lb. nasty defensemen who hits like Chris Pronger and can skate like a forward?
I'll tell you what's not to like.
It's his immaturity and his me-first attitude. There were times that I would talk with him and he seemed to have his head screwed on straight. Then, there were times that he would come off sounding like a spoiled brat. Remind me to tell you the story about how during last season's training camp Zadorov was PO'd because veteran UFA signee Andre Benoit drew the number 61 sweater. Zadorov wore number 61 during his rookie season in Buffalo. After Benoit claimed it as his own, Zadorov let it be known that he wasn't happy having to wear the number 51 sweater. To which his teammates told him to "shut up and get over it". Zadorov entered the 2014-15 training camp having played only 7 career NHL games. Just 7. Not 700, but 7.
In 67 career NHL games in Buffalo, Zadorov scored 4 goals and added 12 assists and collected 55 PIMs. He was -14. The Sabres had high hopes for him. That's why they selected him 16th overall at the 2013 NHL Draft. The thought process was that Zadorov would be paired with stud Rasmus Ristolainen (8th overall pick 2013) for the next decade in Buffalo. The only kink in that chain is that Ristolainen has done the work in the weight room and on the ice to earn the trust of his coaches in Buffalo. He has rebranded himself and has become a top pair D force at the tender age of 20. While Risto was running hills and skating gassers last summer, Zadorov was doing the exact opposite and it showed on the ice.
Who the Hell did he think he was pissing and moaning about "his" sweater number to a respected NHL vet like Benoit. That's an example of his immaturity and arrogance. Rather than whine about his sweater number, he should have been doing P90-X workouts at home or running the hills in the Niagara Gorge last summer. Not Nikita. He felt that he had earned his spot on the tanking Sabres' roster. Ted Nolan had to remind the kid "not so fast, big boy".
Earlier this summer. Zadorov was married to his long time girlfriend. Perhaps this will help him to mature to the point where he can put his prior time management indiscretions in his rear view mirror. The good thing is that he and Mikhail Grigorenko are very close friends and they will continue to buddy around together while getting acclimated to life in Denver.
I told you months before the blockbuster trade happened that Zadorov would be included in the trade package that delivered Ryan O'Reilly to Buffalo.I also told you last winter that Tim Murray would trade Tyler Myers to Winnipeg for Evander Kane. In fact, I told you that it would be Zadorov, Grigorenko and the 21st overall pick in the 2015 draft in exchange for O'Reilly. I failed to included JT Compher and Jamie McGinn in the deal. However, before the ROR trade, Murray traded the 21st overall pick to Ottawa in exchange for starting goalie Robin Lehner, otherwise, Colorado would have gotten pick #21 and not pick #31. Had the Lehner deal not happened, Murray would have sent #21 to the Avs and likely would have held onto Compher. The reason that I was insistent on Zadorov being included in the ROR deal was that despite his follies and miscues in Buffalo, he still has an immense amount of talent and a huge upside.
Will Zadorov use his life lessons learned in Buffalo and apply them to his new opportunity in Denver? Or, will he have to start the season in AHL San Antonio in order to get needed seasoning and perspective? Perhaps Nikita should experience what it's like to load the bus and sleep in flea bag motels off the interstate after games in The A. It builds character and a better appreciation for the finer things that the NHL has to offer.
You have to work hard to make it as a featured roster player in today's NHL. You have to work even harder to keep your roster spot when you finally earn it. Nothing is a given nor is anything given for free in the NHL.
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Former Avs center Paul Stastny was asked by the Denver Post to comment on the Ryan O'Reilly trade to Buffalo.
“It’s business. Look at the Brandon Saad situation with Chicago. They win the Cup and say Saad will be there forever, a Blackhawk for life. Then five days he gets traded. Both parties have to look at their interest … O’Reilly is a very smart player. We’ll see how it turns out.…