Group 1:
49 Smith 37 Mittelstadt 23 Reinhart
68 Olofsson 74 Asplund 90 M.Johansson
73 Pekar 17 Sobotka 21 Okposo (12 Porter Roch.)
20 Wilson 25 Ruotsalainen 15 Dea (82 Olson)
19 McCabe 3 Borgen
8 Nelson 62 Montour
44 Hickey 45 Fitzgerald
61 Stephens 38 Redmond (Roch.)
35 Ullmark
36 Hammond
Group 2:
43 Sheary 9 Eichel 13 Vesey (47 Malone Roch.)
53 Skinner 71 Rodrigues 27 Lazar
81 Elie 42 Cozens 72 Thompson
28 Girgensons 22 Larsson 52 Oglevie (46 Cornel Roch.)
26 Dahlin 55 Ristolainen
6 Scandella 33 Miller
78 Bryson 10 Jokiharju (58 Gilmour)
40 Hutton
34 J.Johansson
50 Houser (Roch.)
vesey rw yesterday and dahlin was with risto
https://wgr550.radio.com/...an-add-veteran-leadership
- homiedclown
.
. Jimmy Vesey-Jack Eichel-Conor Sheary
The burgeoning trend in the NHL is to split up the best players to provide more depth. Krueger certainly did that. The line of Skinner-Eichel-Reinhart was Buffalo’s only productive trio last season, and the coach wiped it out with a few swoops of his pen.
Skating on Eichel’s left wing was a nice “welcome to Buffalo” gift for Vesey, who was acquired from the Rangers during the summer and trains with Eichel in the offseason.
“It gives you a shot in the arm the first day of camp,” Vesey said in KeyBank Center. “He’s the captain, and for me, I think it helps things go a little smoother just because I have some familiarity with him. I don’t know many guys here that well, so being on the ice with him and being able to talk to him in between drills or not being afraid to yell for the puck just makes things easier.
“I thought we had some good chemistry, but we’ll see where it goes.”
Sheary, who has seen his goals drop from 23 to 18 to 14 the past three seasons, spent nearly all of last year on the left side. General manager Jason Botterill hinted that Sheary could move to the right wing, and there’s no better spot than next to Eichel.
2. C.J. Smith-Casey Mittelstadt-Sam Reinhart
It’s a gigantic opportunity for Smith. Though he scored 28 times in the AHL’s Rochester last season, he had just two goals in 11 games with Buffalo. He gets an early chance to show he should skate in more games this season.
Mittelstadt struggled centering the second line as a rookie, but Reinhart’s presence can certainly ease the burden.
“Something he’s going to learn is it is a new year,” Reinhart said. “Everyone starts with a clean slate, and I love what I’m seeing out of him already. I’m excited to see how he progresses through training camp and into the season. I can only imagine the opportunity he’s going to get, and we’re going to need him to step up.”
Though Botterill repeatedly said during the summer that Reinhart would drive his own line away from Eichel, the right winger says he wasn’t aware of the statements.
“I wasn’t really in the media,” Reinhart said. “I didn’t know that was a thing.”
3. Jeff Skinner-Evan Rodrigues-Curtis Lazar
Skinner scored 40 times last season. Eichel was on the ice for 31 of them. Obviously, they have a connection.
The Sabres will see if Rodrigues connects with Skinner, too.
“I’m coming in here to be a go-to centerman, a second-line center if you want to say,” Rodrigues said. “The depth on our wings has really increased from last year to this year. It’s obviously going to give a player like me more opportunity to make plays, have guys that can finish.
“I’m looking to take advantage of the opportunity that’s there and hopefully take it early and run with it.”
Lazar has to be feeling good, too. He signed with Buffalo after playing just one game with Calgary last season and immediately found himself with the Sabres’ top scorer.
4. Victor Olofsson-Rasmus Asplund-Marcus Johansson
How many Swedes does it take to light a goal lamp? Buffalo hopes the answer is three.
Fresh off their dominating performances in the Sabres’ prospect tournament, Olofsson and Asplund join one of the marquee offseason additions. Botterill and Krueger promised a true, open competition for roster spots, and Johansson’s presence proves Olofsson and Asplund will get every chance to make the NHL club.
5. Matej Pekar-Vladimir Sobotka-Kyle Okposo. Rasmus Dahlin-Henri Jokiharju
Dahlin is Buffalo’s top blueliner, so he goes in the No. 1 slot. But the odds of this pairing staying intact are slim. The Sabres have high hopes for Jokiharju after acquiring the 20-year-old from Chicago, but it’s not clear whether he’s ready for a full-time NHL gig.
Putting him next to Dahlin allows the Sabres to find out.
2. John Gilmour-Rasmus Ristolainen
Until Ristolainen gets beat out or traded, we’ll designate the longtime top-pair player as a No. 2. Krueger said he liked what he saw in the opening practice.
Gilmour, who signed after scoring 20 times for the Rangers’ AHL team, gets an opportunity to make a solid first impression.
3a. Casey Nelson-Brandon Montour
3b. Marco Scandella-Colin Miller
3c. Jake McCabe-Will Borgen
The first five are established NHLers, and Borgen is on the cusp of being ready. So they’re in a dead heat.
The good news for Buffalo is Montour has fully recovered from a knee sprain suffered at the World Championships.
“I have to wear a brace, but other than that it’s 100 percent,” said Montour, who wants to build on his 20 games with the Sabres last year. “I’m still a younger guy and still kind of coming into my role and knowing what my strengths are and how I can play and how I can be a key part of this team.”
6. Brandon Hickey-Casey Fitzgerald
They played together in the Sabres’ prospect tourney and could remain together as one of the Amerks’ top pairings.
7. Devante Stephens-Zach Redmond
Redmond has an AHL contract, and Stephens is hoping to play in Rochester after spending most of last season in the ECHL.
+ Sheary + 2021-1st (hopefully by then the are a playoff team and the pick is relatively low) [Hell, give them Scandella too if they trade by Monday at noon]f
