@boosbuzzsabres
In this series we build the 2019-20 Buffalo Sabres roster one by one leading up to the season opener on October 3.
Today we fill out a potential final 2019-2020 opening night roster with three more players. As we've gone through this process, more than a few of the names presented here have drawn the ire of many Sabres fans, yet they more than likely will be there on opening night. Names like Kyle Okposo, Johan Larsson, Zemgus Girgensons and Marco Scandella represent bad times in Sabreland however for various reasons they'll probably be there come October 3.
While many have clamored for an influx of youth and vitality, as well as speed and skill, it would seem as if Buffalo GM Jason Botterill will be sticking with the tried and true (at least to start the season) with regards to the lower lines and pairings. Fact is, although there's some talent waiting in the wings, Botterill is a firm believer in developing that talent. He seems willing bring players up full time only if their ready, which is why some youngins will end up in their proper developmental leagues while the Sabres under new head coach Ralph Kreuger trudge their way through yet another season of transition.
With that in mind, the first name we trot out for a reserve spot on the Sabres roster won't make a lot of fans happy, but is logical in the sense that he'll be in a reserve/fourth-line role:
F, Vladimir Sobotka
32 yrs. old
5'11" 189 lbs.
2005 BOS, fourth round (106th-overall)
Career stats: 532 games | 52 goals | 116 assists | 168 points | -24
Sobotka made an impression in his only season in Buffalo. Unfortunately it wasn't a good one. From the time he was recorded in an interview overseas saying he thought of himself as a scorer until the end of a lackluster 2018-19 campaign, Sobotka seemed to rub Sabreland the wrong way and did nothing to reverse those notions.
Is Sobotka that bad of a hockey player? A 500+ game career dispells that notion, but in Buffalo he looked like he belonged in the KHL or AHL, not the best league in the world. It's been said that hockey, as well as sports in general, is 90% mental and Sobotka certainly was a case last season. Fans have been clamoring for a buyout of Sobotka, but that's not in Botterill's DNA and they also routinely point out that there are better players who could take his place on the roster, which is true. But do you want skilled players playing this type of role?
Sobotka can play solid defense and he had the best faceoff-win percentage of any Sabres player with more than 600 faceoffs plus his 54.6% on d-zone draws was the best amongst Buffalo players with 100 or more d-zone faceoffs. He was also a part of the Sabres penalty kill and was seen mostly on the second unit with forward Evan Rodrigues.
F--Curtis Lazar
24 yrs. old
6'0" 205 lbs.
2013 OTT, first round (17th)
Career stats: 246 games | 15 goals | 36 assists | 51 points | -17
The Sabres have themselves a reclamation project in Lazar and he's done well for himself through training camp thus far. Lazar has good size, is an excellent skater, has a strong work ethic and can play any forward position, a trait which Botterill seems to be extremely fond of. He also has character and is said to always be in a positive mood which in and of itself is pretty impressive considering the former 17th-overall pick spent nearly all of last season in the minors and the Calgary Flames gave up on him.
Botterill signed Lazar for depth and versatility and one would think that he was also signed with the idea that he'd be given every opportunity to make the Sabres roster. Rochester is a possibility, but they'll be overflowing with veteran players once the final cuts are made and Lazar has done as much as, if not more than, any other player to earn a reserve spot for Buffalo.
RHD--Casey Nelson
27 yrs. old
6'1" 185 lbs.
Undrafted NCAA free agent, Minnesota State
Career stats: 93 games | 4 goals | 14 assists | 18 points | -15
Sometimes the hate thrown a player's way is deserved and at other times you're left to wonder why a certain player is hated on. With Sabreland still ruffled by the 2011 Milan Lucic/Ryan Miller incident, Nelson was on the ice last season when franchise center Jack Eichel was the recipient of a cheap shot and did nothing. It was something that didn't sit well with the fan base.
Does something like that take away from his overall game? In a way it does, but the ultimate judge of that lies in the locker room not on social media and it seems like Nelson will be on the roster. He's a solid defensive-defenseman with smarts and excellent puck-moving abilities while also showing a propensity to get puck on net from the point. Nelson has a quiet demeanor, is dependable, can be moved in and out of the lineup, has a very affordable cap-hit of $812K and still has some upside. That's a good reserve player.
The Contenders
C, Dylan Cozens--It's not hard to fall in love with his game and a case can be made for him to at least get a taste of the NHL this season. That said, he's only 18 yrs. old and has a bright future in front of him. Best scenario for him (as well as the team) is to head back to junior and dominate while the Sabres establish their identity under Kreuger this year. Ideally both he and the team will be ready in 2020-21 and he can start his NHL career on solid footing
C, Rasmus Asplund--The former second round pick (33rd, 2016) is very close to breaking into the NHL. The Sabres can either keep him with the big club in a bottom-six role surrounded by transient players this season or they can send him back to Rochester to play a top-line role where he can hone his offensive skills. Asplund already plays a strong two-way game and made significant progress last season after a shaky start for the Amerks. There's no reason to believe he won't continue to develop in the AHL this season while also being one of the first-calls when a forward is needed in Buffalo.
RW, Tage Thompson--The team pressed the reset button with Thompson last season sending him to Rochester. He responded very well with nine points (6+3) in eight games. Thompson added some bulk to his frame (15 lbs.) over the summer and has all the physical tools to be an NHL power forward in the making. There are really only two things holding him back from the NHL at this point--he needs more confidence and his decision-making with the puck needs to be better. Rochester will be a good place to work on those, at least early on in the season.
F, Scott Wilson--You can put Wilson into a group of Sabres with similar styles and similar attributes. Girgensons, Larsson, Sobotka, Wilson...they're all interchangeable with two on the team being plenty and three probably too much. Injuries have really crept into Wilson's career and to complicate things for him, he really hasn't had a great camp to this point. Where he ends up is anyone's guess.
F, Remi Elie--Here's another one that can fit into that group above, however Elie's time as an NHL'er in Buffalo seems to be done. Most were stunned that he went to arbitration with the Sabres and they were really surprised that the two sides inked a one-year, two-way deal that pays him a $700K NHL salary and $300K AHL salary.
RHD, Henri Jokiharju--The former Chicago Blackhawk has all the attributes Botterill is looking for in a defenseman including impressive maneuvering on his skates and deft puck-moving abilities. However, Jokiharju is still only 20 yrs. old, there's a log jam on defense in Buffalo and he also waiver-eligible. Injuries have hit the Sabres blueline hard meaning there's a good shot he could end up with the big club opening night, especially thanks to Brandon Montour being sidelined, but once all the injured return, Jokiharju will probably end up in Rochester. In preseason he had a poor game followed by a solid game and, as with most young players, consistency is really the name of the game. Jokiharju is another player with an extremely bright future, no need to stifle that by rushing him if he's not ready for the grind of an 82-game, NHL schedule.
RHD, Will Borgen--Similar to Asplund, Borgen is on the cusp of the NHL. He could probably hold his own at the NHL-level right now but would be better served with another season in Rochester. Borgen is somewhat of an old school/new-era hybrid in that he's a gritty, defensive-defenseman that skates extremely well and can move the puck up ice. He should be making the jump to full-time, top-pairing minutes for the Amerks this year.
LHD, John Gilmour--The former seventh-round pick opened up some eyes with the speed he displayed against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the preseason opener. His finish wasn't bad either as he got behind the defense and buried his opportunity. Gilmour had a rather robust season for the Hartford Wolfpack (NYR) last season with 20 goals and 54 points, both second amongst AHL defensemen. A possible Gilmour/Borgen top-pairing in Rochester is extremely enticing.
Of note:
Defenseman
Lawrence Pilut had off-season shoulder surgery and may be ready for action late October or early November. One would think that the second-year pro will be headed to Rochester once he's cleared to play.
Building the 2019-20 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Jeff Skinner /
C, Jack Eichel/
RW, Sam Reinhart
LW, Jimmy Vesey /
C, Casey Mittelstadt /
RW, Marcus Johansson
LW, Victor Olofsson /
C, Evan Rodrigues /
RW, Conor Sheary
LW, Zemgus Girgensons / C, Johan Larsson / RW, Kyle Okposo
F, Vladimir Sobotka / F, Curtis Lazar
LHD, Rasmus Dahlin /
RHD, Brandon Montour
LHD, Jake McCabe /
RHD, Rasmus Ristolainen
LHD, Marco Scandella /
RHD, Colin Miller
RHD, Casey Nelson
G, Carter Hutton
G, Linus Ullmark
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