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Of Reinhart and Pysyk, plus former Sabres on playoff teams. |
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Sam Reinhart, drafted 2nd overall in the 2014 draft, is getting ready to make his Rochester Americans debut on Friday in the Amerks last home game of the season. They'll play two more games over the weekend, at Binghamton on Saturday and at Adirondack on Sunday in the season finale.
The 6'1" 185 lb. center completed his junior career last week after his Kootenay Ice was eliminated in the WHL playoffs. Reinhart began the season in Buffalo, played in nine games and was sent to Kootenay. Despite only registering one assist in his nine games with the Sabres, some of the attributes that made him the second overall pick were on display during the latter part of the tour. But the big thing holding him back was size.
Sabres GM Tim Murray sent him to junior for the season and said that he wanted to see Reinhart bulk up. At the time Murray said this of sending him down, "I told him, 'you're my first 1st-round draft pick as a GM.' I was cheering for him, but obviously, I can't let emotions come into play.
"I told him he’s just not heavy enough. He’s not strong enough yet. We want him to go back there and get stronger.
“He’s going to have to find a way two or three times a week to slip out on his own and get to the gym and get stronger.”
That, indeed, was the directive from his boss. "I think what [Murray] was harping on," said Reinhart on WGR this morning, "was not to leave it for the summer because it takes work both on and off the ice all year round to make it."
"It's tough to work on [the strength] part. It's hard to get into a gym when you're playing so many games during the year. I was fortunate enough because of the schedule that I was able to get in there quite a bit. Summer, obviously, is a very important part of it. A big summer can change your whole year next year. I'm looking forward to it."
Last month Murray mentioned the same thing, "This summer is huge for him," said Murray of Reinhart. "If he can gain 5-7 lbs. (putting him over 190 lbs. on his 6'1" frame,) he's a different player. The talent's there. The hockey sense is there. Everything's there. Now can he step up and take the constant grind of playing against 10-15 year veterans.
"Strength, to me is the one thing he has to improve [upon] and to me it's the easiest thing to improve. It's a matter of maturing and becoming a man."
Before that, Reinhart will have three games to see where he stands amongst men. When asked after practice yesterday what he expects of himself, his level-headed demeanor came through, "I want to play with confidence," he said. "I want to try and play the same game I've been able to play in junior."
Reinhart's projected to play on the wing on Friday, "just because we've got about 11 centers," said Amerks benchboss, Chadd Cassidy. The coach had Reinhart on a line with Johan Larsson and Phil Varone at practice.
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Larsson and Varone were two of five players the Sabres sent to Rochester. The others were forward Mikhail Grigorenko, defenseman Chad Ruhwedel and goalie Matt Hackett.
Ruhwedel will help fill a d-corps that lost Drew Bagnall and Jake McCabe to injury. Also playing on the blueline tonight will be defenseman Mark Pysyk who hasn't played in a game since collapsing during a pick-up basketball game on February 28th. Pysyk, who went through a multitude of tests over an extended period of time, said of the period, "I've been to enough doctors the last month and a half, hopefully for the rest of my life."
Cassidy said the Pysyk looks like he's ready to play again. "He went through all the testing and all the protocols that wee needed to feel comfortable" said the head coach. "He's been pushing real hard to get back into the lineup and he wants to play badly so we're going to give him a shot as long as he's ready to go on Friday night."
Through all the testing, the only reason that the doctors could come up with for his collapse was dehydration. "They did all the tests they could on me and nothing came back. They did tests of my heart, on my head, nothing," said the 23 yr. old.
Originally it was thought that Pysyk would be out for the season as early developments lead to uncertainty. But the d-man said he's ready to go now and ready to hit the ice even if it's only for a few games.
"I don't want to sit around all the summer months waiting to get into the first game and being unsure of myself in that sense," he said. "It's good to get back on the ice again."
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The Boston Bruins missed the playoffs for just the second time since GM Peter Chiarelli took the reigns of club in 2006. And because they missed this season, he's been fired.
Chiarelli's teams had an overall record of 386-233-85, won the Stanley Cup in 2011 (the first time since 1972,) made the Finals in 2013 and finished with the President's Trophy last season. But it wasn't good enough.
Changes are afoot as the team is aging and will be up against the cap next season. Teams looking for players with rings will have an array of Bruins to choose from as the team retools. As for the Sabres, it would seem as if the players they'd be looking for--the 23-26 yr. olds with skill--will be exactly the types of players Boston will be retooling with.
As the NHL salary cap looks to free up some talent, one player on their roster that looks rather interesting from Sabres perspective is Daniel Paille.
The former Sabres 2002 first round pick (20th overall) was traded to the Bruins in 2009 for third round and conditional fourth round pick. He found a home in Boston on the fourth line killing penalties and was a key ingredient to their cup win.
Buffalo can use another solid player who knows his role, plays the game like it should be played yet can also skate and score. Especially if that player has a Cup ring.
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Speaking of former players, there will be 21 former Sabres playing in the playoffs when they begin tonight while seven other players who were with the organization at one point are now associated with playoff bound organizations.
Only three of the 16 teams do not have a former Sabre--Anaheim, Detroit and Tampa Bay. Two other teams--Chicago and Washington--have goalie Michael Leighton and forward Tim Kennedy, respectively, in their system. The five others in the system for playoff teams are Joel Armia and Brendan Lemieux (WPG,) Nick Tarnasky and Mike Kostka (NYR,) David Leggio (NYI.)
Leggio, a goalie who was with the Sabres organization for three seasons (one with Portland and two in Rochester) is one of three former Buffalo goalies on Long Island. Jaroslav Halak, who was a part of the Ryan Miller to St. Louis trade but never played a game for Buffalo, is their starter and Michal Neuvirth who was part of the return when Murray sent Halak to Washington, is their backup.
Miller, who left St. Louis in the off-season is now in Vancouver joining Zack Kassian who was involved in the deal for Cody Hodgson back in 2012.
The Minnesota Wild have the most former Sabres on their roster as former "core" players Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek were joined by Chris Stewart and Jordan Leopold at the deadline this season.
Winnipeg is next with three. Tyler Myers and Drew Stafford, two integral parts of the Evander Kane trade, joined defenseman Adam Pardy.
St. Louis has Steve Ott and Chris Butler. Calgary has Paul Byron and Dennis Wideman, a 2002 eighth round pick that Regier never signed. Playing for Montreal in the playoffs this year are Brian Flynn and Torrey Mitchell, while 2003 third round pick Clarke MacArthur will be lacing them up for Ottawa.
Dominic Moore is in the Big Apple with the Rangers and Christian Ehrhoff, who was a compliance buyout has been cleared to play for Pittsburgh.
And down in Nashville is the player who represents the beginning of the end of "the core." Paul Gaustad was traded to the Preds by Regier for a first round pick at the 2012 trade deadline. The draft pick that was acquired in this deal was paired with a second rounder to move up to select Zemgus Girgensons in 2012.
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