Tyler Myers. Christian Ehrhoff. Robyn Regehr. Jordan Leopold. Reggie Sekera. Alex Sulzer. Mike Weber. Adam Pardy.
Eight, count 'em eight bonafide NHL D already have their names written on Lindy Ruff's dry erase board.
Brayden McNabb doesn't like the math. Why should he. He's an Alpha Dog. He's a hunter, not a follower. There's nothing he can do about the current traffic jam on the Buffalo blue line heading into training camp. He sees the numbers and he's intent on earning a roster spot. The Sabres brass have already projected McNabb to begin the season in Rochester, where he produced 30 points in 45 games last season.
The onus is now on McNasty to show Lindy Ruff and Darcy Regier that he's ready to stick and stay in Buffalo.
He played 25 games in Buffalo's top 6 last season. He's more than ready to play the NHL. No rookie jitters. No fear factor. No mistakes. Were in not for teh concussion that he suffered vs. Toronto on January 13th, McNabb would have, in my opinion, finished the season in Buffalo. He was THAT much of a differnce maker to his team. He was named to 2012 AHL All-Star Game, which he didnt participate in due to injury. Zack Kassian took his roster spot. He was activated from IR, then, was returned to Rochester on February 1, after being placed on IR in Buffalo on January 16.
The kid is Scott Stevens, Jr. He stole the show in Buffalo after hestepped right in and started rattling the jawbones of his opponents with crushing body checks like these:
McNabb will not go quietly into that good Rochester night. He wants a job in Buffalo and he's prepared to do whatever it takes to earn one.
thanks, sabres.com
McNabb e's playing at 215-220 right now, instead of the 205 he played at last season. He's has added muscle mass and strength to his 6'4 frame. He loves pulverizing his opponents. He and fellow Hell's Angels on ice Ott, Scott, Kaleta, Foligno and McCormick make the Sabres a tougher team to play against. For that reason alone, I see Regier making a move for a centreman by including a veteran D in a deal.
Puck moving D are a premium item right now in the NHL. Look at the fat jack that Matt Carle (6 years, $33 million) and Marc Edouard Vlasic (5 years, $21 million) have signed for in recent days. Regier should move Leopold or Sekera for a scoring forward right now in order to create a roster spot for McNabb.
If Brayden wants a full time NHL job ( and he most definitely does) he's going to have to grab the attention of Ruff and Regier. To do so, he will have to commit to playing with more of an edge than usual, from here on out. Now, if that means crushing a team mate or two in a drill or in a scrimmage, then so be it. After this camp, McNabb will fly back to his native Saskatchewan where he will continue his dry land training and his on-ice regimine.
My money is on this young buck to show up for training camp in September with fire in his belly and a renewed sense of urgency about his game and what is expected of him by his coaches.
All's fair in love and war.
Brayden will have to amp-up his game and become McNastier.
Poor Derek Roy. The guy is turning into King Tut. He's always in bandages.
According to Mike Heika of the Dallas News, Roy underwent successful shoulder surgery in Dallas today. Initial word is that Roy will be out of action until November.
Talk about bad news traveling fast. Jeesh!
Heika says:
Roy was cleared medically for the trade, but upon a more intense physical in Dallas, the shoulder issue came up. Roy hurt himself in the preseasn last year and played through the injury. His plan was to play through it again, Nieuwendyk said. However, after deliberation with the medical staff and the front office staff, the Stars decided to get the surgery now.
“He played through it before and he could have played through it again, but we want the best Derek Roy we can get,” Nieuwendyk said. “It was a group decision, and we felt this was the best decision.”
Roy was acquired in a trade from Buffalo for Steve Ott and Adam Pardy on July 2, had shoulder surgery Wednesday in Dallas and will be out until November, GM Joe Nieuwendyk said.
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With all of the talk of Paul Stastny being the object of trade rumours in Denver, I ask myself why Matt Duchene's name is not being prominently mentioned in such chatter?
Duchene is only 21 years of age and he is a tremendously gifted scorer. He just signed a two year $7 million contract extension in Denver.
In June, Duchene told Adrian Dater of the Denver Post that he's happy with a two year deal, rather than a gargantuan 8+ year deal, like the ones his NHL peers are signing these days.
Duchene is presently in Los Angeles, training this summer with other NHLers players, like Sidney Crosby.
"This deal was good for both sides. I'm very happy with it."
Duchene will earn $3.25 million this coming season and $3.75 million in 2013-14. His base salary last season was $900,000, but with bonuses his cap hit was $3.2 million.
With Ryan O'Reilly, Paul Stastny paying dividends now, and Joey Hishon on the come, the Avs are thick with sick skill up the middle of their roster, and could live without Duchene.
Duchene is a smidge under six feet tall, however is a 200 pound tank that can hold on to pucks, win battles, make playes and finish.
Whats more, Duchene and team mate Cody Hodgson tore up the OHL when they played together on the Brampton Battalion in 2007-08 and 2008-09. Check out this production:
In 08-09, Hodgson scored 43 goals and added 49 assists for 92 points in 53 games. He was +41.
That same season, Duchene scored 40 goals, added 45 assists for 85 points, and was +15 in 68 games.
Duchene will score 30 goals a season, when he's healthy. Last season in 58 games, he scored 14 goals and added 14 assists. His ceiling is high.
In 219 career NHL games, Duchene has scored 65 goals and added 85 assists for 150 points. Not bad for a 21 year old!
The Avs have two glaring areas of need: a scoring winger and a puck moving D.
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He was once considered Buffalo's top D prospect. Who among us will ever forget Grags' coming out party durinng the first round series vs. Philly in 2011. 7 points in 7 games ain't bad, rookie.
Gragnani started slowly for the Sabres in 2011-12, and was eventually dealt to Vancouver on trade deadline day. He was a spectator for most nights after the Hodgson-Sulzer for Kassian-Gragnani swap to Couver, playing in only 14 games and earning a -4 rating in the process.
Today, at age 25, the can't-miss prospect is a Carolina Hurricane.
Marc Andre Gragnani has signed a one year, two-way deal for $800,00 with the Hurricanes. Kirk Muller is looking for Grags to find his scoring touch again. In 2010-11, he scored 12 goals and added 48 assists in 63 games in AHL Portland.
Looks to me like Darcy Regier won this deal fair and square.
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