Buffalo Sabres News and Discussion

‘Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula has offered to spruce up a section of the city’s waterfront on his own dime.’

‘The very good possibility that he will bounce back makes him an attractive buy-low option for other NHL teams. The numbers say the Sabres should wait until the trade deadline next season to attempt a trade. It may anger fans, but chances are his value will be higher then.’

‘The highest player drafted from the NCAA ranks in the last five years was Corey Tropp in the third round of the 2007 draft so it is safe to say that Buffalo relies more on junior hockey than the NCAA. The Sabres had seven players in the NCAA last season including, one fourth rounder, two fifth rounders, a sixth rounder, and three seventh rounders.’

‘I still think they made out great. When the moves were made, Homgren said he didn’t know if his team would be better, but he knew they would be different. Turns out that their results were the same. They traded away their Captain and one of their leading scorers and still went as far in the playoffs. Now they also have the benefit of being younger and having sent the message to their team that nobody is too established to be moved.’

Jay McKee: finding passion behind the bench (WGR-AM)

Season Rewind With Amerks Goaltender David Leggio (Amerks.com)

‘I bring this up for one reason, there are other teams in the National Hockey League. Buffalo is getting its share these days, but let’s not get crazy every time a player’s name comes up. The salary cap says Nash, Parise, Getzlaf and Ryan can’t all come to Buffalo.’

‘”Once the season ended, we started talking a little bit more about the contract and what was going on, and from there, we came to an agreement,” Lieuwen said. “They would negotiate the contract and bring certain offers to me and during that process, it was an exciting time.”‘

‘“It’s exciting to be able to move on to the pro ranks,” said Lieuwen, who inked a three-year, two-way pact with the Sabres which will likely see him start his career with one of Buffalo’s minor-pro affiliates – the Rochester Americans (AHL) or the Gwinnett Gladiators (ECHL).’

‘Lieuwen (6’5”, 189 lbs., 8/8/91) finished the 2011-12 season ranked third among all Western Hockey League goaltenders with a 2.50 goals against average and ranked fifth with a .914 save percentage. In his second season as the starting goaltender for the Kootenay Ice, Lieuwen went 27-20-6-2 with three shutouts.’

‘If there are any red flags regarding Kassian, it’s that he hasn’t been the same intimidating, crash and bang player he was in junior hockey. A feared fighter when he split four seasons between Peterborough and Windsor, Kassian was questioned by Buffalo head coach Lindy Ruff for not showing those attributes often enough at the professional level. Ruff did acknowledge Kassian’s offensive skills, though. And any first-year pro who puts up 26 points (15-11) in 30 games as a rookie in the AHL, as Kassian did in Rochester, clearly has offensive up-side.’

‘Enroth is one of the three goaltenders for co-host Sweden. The Buffalo backup is the only one with NHL experience and is hopeful of significant playing time in his hometown of Stockholm.’

‘The nightmares begin immediately after the accident, plaguing him night after night. Malarchuk wakes up in his bed, clutching his neck, covered in sweat and gasping for air.’

‘”I absolutely apologize,” Roberts told the AM radio station. “It’s a long story. I apologize for using that word. I should not have used that word. Obviously, emotion was part of my game, as you guys know, and sometimes I didn’t always make the right choice. As you can see, I’m still not making the right choices in maybe that word selection.”‘

‘Gillis’s first-ever draft pick was lauded for his character and intelligence when he was picked 10th over-all in 2008. But a back injury suffered in training in the summer of 2009 and its subsequent misdiagnosis – initially by the Canucks, but also by Hodgson’s own doctors – dealt some damage to that relationship. So did comments from head coach Alain Vigneault dismissing Hodgson after the 2009 preseason as a player using an injury as an excuse.’