The Buffalo Sabres prospects exceeded all expectations at their recently concluded Prospects Challenge tourney in the Queen City.
The Sabres, Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils all finished with 2-1 records at the annual four day tourney on the banks of Lake Erie. Based on goal differential, the host Sabres “won” the tourney.
From a Buffalo perspective, many of the blue chip prospects turned in memorable performances. Some of late round draft choices and free agents impressed, too.
First overall pick and world class player Rasmus Dahlin played two of three games and was outstanding. In his North American coming out party, Dahlin scored two goals and an assist in Friday night’s Win over the New Jersey Devils.
Dahlin played as advertisted. He played with poise, power, precision, and persistence. On his first shift of the game against the Devils, Dahlin's offensive instincts led him to the New Jersey goal crease. High tide raisses all boats and Dahlin lifted the play of his Sabres teammates.
On Monday afternoon, fourteen different players found the scoresheet in the Sabres’ 10-2 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
On Saturday night, the Boston Bruins scored a late empty net goal to send Buffalo to a 3-1 loss. The Sabres had multiple chances but could not cash them in.
On Monday afternoon, the Sabres atoned for their previous sins and buried ALL of their chances in Buffalo's 10-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Forward Alex Nylander erupted for four points in two goals and two assists. Fellow Swede Rasmus Asplund scored a goal and added three assists in the win.
Nylander’s center Casey Mittelstadt added three apples.
Nylander saved his best performance for the last game of the tournament. The young Swede skated superbly. His skill oozed out of every pore on his body. His confidence was an "11" on a "10" scale. Nylander's performance reminded me of so many of his virtuoso performances from Team Sweden's World Junior Championship tourneys the past three years.
Nylander, 20, has competed at three Sabres Prospects Challenge. He is a veteran in that regard. He needed a big performance at this camp because injuries undermined his performances at July's development camp and last September at the Prospect Challenge.
Nylander played all three games for the Sabres in this tourney and avoided being bitten by the dreaded injury bug. This is great news for a kid who must have a monster training camp if he plans on making the opening night roster for the Sabres. Houlsey needs Nylander to play up to the high expectation of being 8th overall pick (2016). The kid has all the measurables: great feet, excellent vision, full arsenal of shots, dangles, mitts. All of it. He needs to stay healthy and once and for all put it all on display at the NHL level. Otherwise, he will go back to riding the buses in The A.
Nylander iss currently is the best health of his short pro hockey career. He also is in the best physical fitness shape of his life. Being up close to him this past weekend, I can see dramatic muscle growth on Nylander. He's badded muscle through the chest, shoulders, lats, and in his legs. The kid now has increased power in his core-upper body-lower body and is not easily pushed off pucks like he was the past two seasons.
In 116 career regular season games with the Rochestetr Amerks, Nylander has struggled to score. He has 18 goals and 37 assists with the Amerks the past two seasons.
Nylander found unmistakeable chemistry with Casey Mittelstadt (8th overall 2017) on Monday. Mittelstadt will be Buffalo second line center now that Ryan O'Reilly has been shipped out to the St. Louis Blues.
Is Nylander up for the challenge of beating out one of the newcomer veetran snipers Jeff Skinner or Conor Sheary for a top six winger role? Can Nylander edge out fellow prospect wingers Justin Bailey and Nick Baptiste for a bottom six winger role in Buffalo?
We will soon see. I think I'd like to see a top six of :
Skinner-Eichel-Reinhart
Sheary-Mittelstadt-Okposo
The burden of proof is on Nylander to once and for all earn a full time job in Buffalo.
Other notable performers for the Sabres were forwards Tage Thompson, Victor Olofsson, Andrew Oglevie, and Vasily Glotov. Defensemen Will Borgen, Lawrence Pilut, Brendan Guhle and Devante Stephens were also standout performers. Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was also outstanding.
When all was said and done, Jason Botterill and Phil Housley were pleased with the growth and development of their top organizational prospects.
The kids will be carrying this momentum into main Sabres training camp which opens on a Thursday. Botterill and Housley are offering jobs to all who want to battle and compete for them during training camp. I can see a situation where five of the baby Sabres make the big club when camp concludes. Casey Mittelstadt, Rasmus Dahlin and Brendan Guhle are already on the opening night roster. I see Tage Thompson and Rasmus Asplund as having a great chance to steal a job from a veteran Sabres forward like Zemgus Girgensons and Johan Larsson.
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Botterill made roster moves after the Prospect Challenge concluded on Monday
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Botterill met with media after the Prospects Challenge concluded on Monday afternoon. Botterill
Was asked for an update on the contract negotiations of Sabres RFA forward Samson Reinhart.
Botterill reiterated that he and Reinhart's agent are still looking for a fair and equitable contract for the former second overall draft choice.
"I'm excited that Sam's in town here working out with our guys and being a part of things. We continue our dialogue with his agent and still very hopeful to get a deal done”, Botterill said.
Reinhart, 22, scored a acareer high 25 goals last season and ended the season with 50 points.
Consistency, and lack thereof, continues to be a sticking point with Reinhart.
Reinhart totaled 37 points (18G,19A) in his last 38 games of the season. Hhe scored 20 goals in 43 games in 2018, which tied him for 12th-most in the NHL from January 1 onward.
Botterill and Housley want Reinhart to be a poingt a game player for all 82 regular season games, not just 38 of them. The jury is still out on where Reinhart disappeared to in his first 44 games of his contract season.
"We continue our dialogue with his agent and are still very hopeful to get a deal done", Botteril said Monday.
Toronto Maple Leaf forward William Nylander joins Reinhart as the two top unsigned RFA forwards. With training camps opening Thursady, there is now added urgency for their respectyive teams to get both players under contract.
Or, is there?
"We just have to come to a fair deal," Botterill said. "I'm very excited to see Sam and it's evident he's worked very hard this summer, just like a lot of our other players".
Botterill praised Reinhart for showing up last week to informally skate with his Sabres teammates and organizational prospects.
Reinhart said last week he and his agent are not speaking about the contract talks. He said it was a private matter between he, his agent at Newport Sports and Botterilll. However, he did say he is hopeful that his new contract would be finalized soon.
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