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Talent For As Far As The Eichel Can See |
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Jack Freakin' Eichel!
WOW! Seriously. WOW!
This beautiful transcontinental voyage defines his love for scoring and his will to want to win.
Boston Bruins Hall of Famer Cam Neeley used to score goals just like this one.
Thanks, @PeteBlackburn
Detroit Red Wings prospect Dylan Larkin led the way with two goals and an assist. He earned player of the game honors.
Fasching added a goal and an assist, and Auston Matthews, Sonny Milano, and Jack Eichel also scored for the Americans.
Germany’s goalie Ilja Sharipov was brilliant in defeat. The Americans outshot the Germans 53-14.
Sharipov earned player of the game award for his team.
Can the Buffalo Sabres please do everything in their power to dive down the NHL standings to the 29th or 30th slot? I'd love to see Eichel pull this move off for the Buffalo Sabres against his hometown Boston Bruins!
Eichel's lovely goal, his second of the WJCs, made the score 5-0 USA over Germany.
The young Americans won 6-0 and will next play Slovakia on Monday.
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Tim Murray traded Brayden McNabb to LA last spring. McNabb benefitted immediately from the trade by being exposed to the Stanley Cup winning culture of the LA Kings organization.
Nic Deslauriers and Hudson Fasching were traded to Buffalo for McNabb.
On Saturday night, Deslauriers scored a goal in the Buffalo 4-3 shootout win over the NY Islanders. Deslautiers has been a bright light for the Sabres in this season of struggles. He hits, fights, scores, and defends like a champ.
On Sunday night, we got a glimpse of Hudson Fasching as he scored his first goal of the World Junior Hockey Championships. Fasching's goal gave the young Americans the 2-0 lead over Germany. Typical Fasching play: he went to the first area below the hashmarks, jammed the blue ice and dominated a loose puck.
Thanks, @PeteBlackburn
The 6'2 210 lb. Fasching is a power forward with fast hands and fast feet. Fasching is a Minnesota native who currently attends Thomas Vanek's alma mater at the University of Minnesota.
Fasching will look great in Blue & Gold alongside Deslauriers, Girgensons, Reinhart, Grigorenko, Armia, Bapiste, Lemieux, Bailey, Compher, McCabe, Pysyk, Zadorov, and Ristolainen in the next couple of years!
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Last Saturday night, Ryan O’Reilly and the Colorado Avalanche skated into Buffalo and dropped a serious 5-1 butt whoopin’ on the Sabres.
Sabres fans can blame Avs center Ryan O’Reilly for the lopsided loss. O’Reilly won 50% of his draws (9 for 18), most of which occurred in the offensive zone, and he was a puck possessing pillager for the Sabres to have to contend with all night long. O’Reilly skated 15:48 TOI, and blocked two shots. The achievement that made my eyes pop out of my head was when O’Reilly dogged Rasmus Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov while killing a penalty. O’Reilly moved so fluently and forcefully, like a great white shark stalking its prey. His anticipation is off the charts. His twitch reflexes and ability to predict where the puck is going to be set him apart from other NHLers.
O’Reilly intercepted a Ristolainen to Grigorenko power play entry pass that ended up on his stick blade. He feathered a beautiful saucer pass to Cody McLeod for the shorthanded opportunity that eventually ended up behind Jhonas Enroth.
At just 23 years of age, O’Reilly is one of the best young players in the NHL right now. He is an absolute terror for opponents to have to game plan against. He will score goal, prevent goals, shut down the other team’s best center man in all three zones, and he will disrupt the flow of the opponent’s offense.
O’Reilly is the type of player that an NHL GM locks up long term to a huge contract to prevent the player from moving on to an enemy team.
So, why has O’Reilly’s name been mentioned prominently mentioned in trade rumors?
Why?
Because the Avs have been desperately seeking a top four D-man for the first three months of the season. The Avs have a surplus of center men and appear to be serious about trading an asset like O’Reilly to land their illusive D-man. The Avs aren’t looking for any old D. They need a play making difference maker who can get the first pass on the tape of their talented forwards while they are moving up the ice. Patrick Roy wants a D man who can join the rush, block shots, as well as protect the fort. He wants a D-man who can skate 23-25 minutes per game while playing 5-v-5, PK, and PP.
Sounds like Roy and Joe Sakic are hunting for Tyler Myers type of defenseman.
O’Reilly is in the first year of a two year, $12 million contract extension that he signed last summer. He’s a $6 million cap hit today. He'll be UFA in July 2016. He'll no doubt command a new contract in the $6.5-$7 million per season range and a term of 5-7 seasons.
Were I the Sabres, would I pay Ryan O'Reilly upwards of $49 million over a 7 year term? Damn right I would!
You are probably asking why the Avs would trade arguably their best two-way centerman?
The answer is that they may not have any other choice. They can’t get their hands on a player of Myers’ ilk without paying a premium price for him. This summer’s UFA market will be thin for difference making D-men. Besides, The Avs want to turn their fortunes around now, not seven months from now. There is no guarantee that O’Reilly will be re-signing a new contract with Colorado after his current deal expires next summer. It’s best for Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy to get maximum value for a player of O’Reilly’s stature before he skates away as a free agent without compensation.
Myers is a $5.5 million cap hit for this season and the next four after that. O’Reilly has one more season left on his current deal.
O’Reilly for Myers is a smart hockey trade because each team would get maximum value in the form of a premium player who can make his new team better immediately. Myers would stabilize the Colorado D and would work wonders in getting the puck to Landeskog, Duchene, MacKinnon and the rest of the Avs forwards. O’Reilly would add immediate leadership, scoring, and intangibles like puck possession and faceoff wins. Sabres GM Tim Murray is not in a position where he has to trade Myers. He’s reportedly been listening to offers for Myers from Detroit and Anaheim. So far, nothing has materialized regarding Myers. That’s not to say that Myers won’t be dealt away. The NHL holiday trade freeze has been lifted. We’re going to hear more chatter about contenders wanting to add players who can help them to win more now. The Avs are fighting for their playoff lives right now with 34 points. It’s do or die time for Patrick Roy. His team has been a major disappointment this season after being the surprise team of the 2013-14 season. Not qualifying for the playoffs this season would be a major failure for the Avs. Last spring, they made the postseason in exciting fashion after missing out for three straight seasons.
The Avs would be wise to pursue Myers while he is still available.
The Sabres are now in position to finish this season with a lottery pick. Trading Myers for O’Reilly would give the Sabres a dynamic, dominant young centerman in the event that they miss out on Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel.
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Buffalo Sabres pending UFA Drew Stafford may a solution to the injury woes that have befallen the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Sidney Crosby’s right winger Patric Hornqvist will now be sidelined for the next three weeks with a lower body issue.
Its ridiculous to read over the Pens' injury list. Jim Rutherford's roster have been a veritable who's who since the beginning of December. Every time a player comes back in good health, another gets injured or contracts the mumps.
They have lost forwards Craig Adams, Beau Bennett, Blake Comeau, Steve Downie, Pascal Dupuis, Scott Wilson, and Zach Sill. D-men Christian Ehrhoff, Olli Maatta, Paul Martin, goalie Thomas Greiss, on are all nursing some sort of ailment.
Now, Hornqvist has been injured.
The news isn't all bad as Sidney Crosby (mumps), Chris Kunitz (foot), Brandon Sutter (sick), and Robert Bortuzzo (upper body injury) have all returned to the lineup.
The pressing need right now is that Crosby needs a right winger in the worst way possible right now that Hornqvist is dinged up. Pascal Dupuis is out long term. Steve Downie is dealing with the mumps infection.
The Pens need to make a move now before they fall down the Eastern conference standings. The Pens are 22-8-5 right now which is good for third overall in the NHL standings. However, they are 5-2-3 in their last ten games. The Pens have lost several key offensive and defensive players to injuries and the mumps outbreak in recent days. They should make a move sooner than later before a long term losing streak begins.
Hornqvist was acquired from Nashville along with Nick Spaling in the James Neal trade.
He has scored 13 goals and has added 16 assists in 33 games played this season.
Stafford would add instant credibility and experience to the Penguins lineup. Stafford would add size, strength and scoring to the beat up Penguins offense. Stafford played alongside Crosby at the “Hogwarts of Hockey” at Shattuck St. Mary’s prep school in Minnesota. Stafford, Crosby and their team mates won the 2003 USA Hockey Tier I 17 & Under National Championship.
Stafford, Buffalo’s second leader scorer with 5G, 14A, will become UFA on July and it’s not likely that Tim Murray will be signing the veteran 30 goal scorer to a new long term contract. The Penguins have long term injury cap space to work with. Tim Murray would also have to take back a Pittsburgh contract in order to facilitate a deal.
At what price Stafford?
The Pens would have to trade away one of two highly touted D prospects Simon Despres or Scott Harrington, plus a draft pick.
What other choice does Pens GM Jim Rutherford have at this point?
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Is this the end of the road for Derek Roy?
Is he headed to the NHL equivalent of the Siberian gulags in Edmonton?
He’s been waived by the fourth best team in the NHL in the Smashville Predators.
The Preds are 23-9-2 (7-3 in last 10 games) and are absolutely loaded at center right now and there simply is no place for Roy to play. Peter Laviolette has 10 centers in the lineup and he has the ultimate faith in his top four centers: Filip Forsberg (34 points, +24) Mike Ribiero (29 points, +14), Craig Smith (10 goals, +6), Colin Wilson (10 goals, +11).
Lavy has to mix and match to find ice time for his other six pivots Mike Fisher, Matt Cullen, Paul Gaustad, Calle Jarnkrok, and Olli Jokinen.
Roy’s been a suitcase ever since he was traded from Buffalo for Steve Ott in July 2012.
His speed game is virtually non-existent now which is why he has been relegated to third and fourth line duties. His hands are still amazing but what good are fast hands when they are attached to slow feet?
He failed to stick and stay in Dallas, St. Louis, Vancouver, and now is on his way out of Nashville.
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It appears as though Matt Moulson's sickness is the gift that keeps on giving inside the Buffalo dressing room.
Rasmus Ristolainen fell prey to the cruddy infection during the second period of Saturday night's 4-4 come from behind win. The young Finn D did not finish the game, Afterwards, Ted Nolan saild that Ristolainen was suffering from illness. The Sabres lost Matt Moulson, Pat Kaleta a few other players before Christmas due to the sickness that is sweeping through the team.
The team has recalled D-man Mark Pysyk from Rochester to take Risto's place in the lineup.
Pysyk is joining the Sabres for his second recall this season. The Sherwood Park, Alberta native is currently tied for second among Amerks defensemen with 11 points (1+10) in 30 games. Buffalo’s first-round pick (23rd overall) in the 2010 NHL Draft, Pysyk has tallied 12 points (2+10) in 65 games for the Sabres since making his NHL debut in 2012.
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Sabres winger Chris Stewart appears has found his groove. Frankly, its been a while since Stewart has been dominant inside shifts and in games.
Its good to see the skilled big man skating, hitting, scoring and being a terror to play against. There have been times this season when Stewart has disappeared from the spotlight and it has been a major cause for concern.
Stewart played a leadership role in inspiring his mates to keep fighting and working their way out of the 3-0 hole that they found themselves in after 40 minutes of play against the NY Islanders. Stewart answered the bell when Pat Kaleta and Drew Stafford found him for the game tying goal.
Against the Islanders, Stewart skated 14:15 TOI (22 shifts) and was +1. He skated as good as I've seen him skate in weeks, which helped him to win loose pucks on walls and to blow by stationary defenders in all three zones.
Stewart now has 5 goals and 4 assists in 35 games played this season.
Stewart, likewise Stafford, is capable of making such dramatic, game changing plays inside games on a nightly basis. So, then why does he struggle so mightily to maintain his consistency? The St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche and now the Sabres are all left wanting more out of the skilled big man. Ted Nolan went so far as to bench Stewart for the Los Angeles game earlier this month. Stewart was infuriated by the banishment to the press box. He wasn't, and likely still isn't happy about it. Nolan wanted to get Stewart's attention and he certainly did by parking him 150 feet above the ice. Stewart has played in eight games since his benching. In those games, he has scored two goals and added three assists. His two goals have come in back to back games vs. Detroit and NY Islanders. Nolan certainly knew what buttons to push on Stewart. Nolan wanted to see more physicality and tenacity out of Stewart at the time of his benching. Stewart has sort of responded to the challenge to finish his checks and to be a bigger pain in the ass to play against. Remarkably, Stewart is ranked 8th on the Sabres in hits. Team leader Nic Deslauriers has landed 113. Marcus Foligno has 92 hits; Zemgus Girgensons and Mike Weber have 75 hits each; Cody McCormick has 58 hits, Rasmus Ristolainen has 56 hits, and Nikita Zadorov 54 hits.
So, how many body shots does Stewart have on his stat sheet this season?
42.
That's not a typo. Stewart has delivered only 42 hits in his 35 games played.
For was well as he is playing offensively the past three weeks, Nolan still wants more physicality out of Stewart. The head coach and player are bound to butt heads once again in the weeks to come. Nolan will get what he wants out of Stewart, or else his ice time will disappear.
It appears to ne that Stewart and the Sabres both know that the end is near. Now that the NHL holiday trade freeze has thawed, there still a half dozen teams interested in trading for the pending UFA right and Sabres GM Tim Murray is in the process of listening to offers for his power forward. Among the teams clamoring to get their hands on Stewart are: Minnesota, Ottawa, Boston, Calgary, Columbus, Los Angeles and Anaheim.
What will it take for Tim Murray to trade Stewart?
A top prospect and a pick in the Connor McDavid Draft.
Will Chuck Fletcher be willing to trade Charlie Coyle or Erik Haulafor Chris Stewart?
Will Bryan Murray be willing to trade Curtis Lazar, Matt Puempel, Robin Lehner, or Mark Stone for Chris
Stewart?
Will Peter Chiarelli be willing to trade David Pastrnak or Alex Khokhlachev for Chris Stewart?
Will Brad Trevling be willing to move Max Reinhart or Tyler Wotherspoon in exchange for Stewart?
Will Jarmo Keklainen be willing to trade Oliver Bjorkstrand or Marko Dano for Chris Stewart?
Will Dean Lombardi be willing to part with Nick Shore?
Will Bob Murray be inclined to trade Nick Ritchie or Nic Cordiles for Chris Stewart?
You may say no to any or all of these trade proposals. That's fine. You are not an NHL GM who is tasked with having to make a deep playoff run into the month of June. NHL owners love the smell of playoff game gate receipts. The average haul for hosting an NHL playoff home game is now $1.3 million. Most NHL owners and their bean counters budget for 2-4 home playoff games. That's a lotta bread.
Tim Murray has been steadfast in his resolve that he is not going to be giving players away just for the sake of doing so. He is going to get maximum return in any trade that he make for Stewart, Drew Stafford, Michal Neuvirth, or Tyler Myers.
Murray's peers know where he stands right now. All is takes is one of them to say yes to his trade demands for his pending UFA power forward. The market is bare right now for 6'3 235 lb. wingers who love to fight and create chaos on the ice. Former Sabres hammer Zack Kassian's name has been buzzing in trade chatter for weeks. He is recovering from surgery on his finger right now. Therefore, demand is at an all time high, supply is at an all time low and the price for Stewart is going to be high. Murray will be the winner of the bidding war that results from a Stewart deal.
The great thing for Murray is that he has added value for those teams that lose out on the Stewart sweepstakes. Drew Stafford is also a pending UFA will likely be on the move before the NHL trade deadline. If teams don't get Stewart they can make a deal for Stafford, who has been playing exceptionally well the past couple of months.
Stafford is now Buffalo's second leading scorer (5G, 14 A) behind Tyler Ennis.
Let the trade games begin.
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