2014-15 Sabres Prospect Repository – Part I

[26CornerBlitz]

BAPTISTE CONTINUES TO ELEVATE HIS PLAY

Chris Ryndak - Sabres.com

Few prospects have seen their offensive production escalate in the past two seasons as much as Nicholas Baptiste has.

After recording only eight goals and 27 points in his first season with the Sudbury Wolves in 2011-12, Baptiste broke out with 21 goals and 48 points in 2012-13, thanks in large part to a strong second-half surge. That outburst helped him to get drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the third round of the 2013 NHL Draft (69th overall).

But in 2013-14, he reached new heights.

Baptiste racked up 45 goals and 89 points and was a plus-20 through 65 games. In five playoff games, he picked up a goal and four assists.

 

[Ralonzo]

Was just poking around another thread and it occurred to me... if Reinhart becomes the Sabres' version Toews, and Risto/Zado become the equivalent of Keith/Seabrook... then maybe a nice analogue for Baptiste might be Brandon Saad. Nick's 18-year old year in the OHL was actually a lot better than Saad's, although Saad progressed to dominance as a 19 year old. Similar size, both have great speed. This year will be interesting to see if the progression will track along those lines.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

Little-known goalie Linus Ullmark rapidly developing into one of Sabres’ top prospects

Bill Hoppe - Olean Times Herald

It was a low-risk move. In 2012, the Sabres wanted to find a late-round steal in net. The team’s new European scouts scoured Finland and Sweden, two countries known for producing hidden goaltending gems.

Eventually, the Sabres drafted Linus Ullmark, a little-known Swede, in the sixth round, 163rd overall.

Barely two years later, Ullmark has developed into a legitimate NHL prospect. The 20-year-old enjoyed a breakout season in the Swedish Hockey League last year, compiling a gaudy .931 save percentage and a 2.08 goals-against average in 35 games.

 

[jBuds]

BAPTISTE CONTINUES TO ELEVATE HIS PLAY

Bhappteest could end up being somewhat of an x-factor. This guy seems to me to be a goalscorer and speed guy who can hold his own in his own zone. If he plays like that at the next level, he's a top six versatile winger with valuable offensive punch. Sharp esque

 

[HOOats]

Bhappteest could end up being somewhat of an x-factor. This guy seems to me to be a goalscorer and speed guy who can hold his own in his own zone. If he plays like that at the next level, he's a top six versatile winger with valuable offensive punch. Sharp esque

What's the deal with the exaggerated phonetic spelling? Seen it a few times I must have missed the joke.

 

[Samsonite23]

What's the deal with the exaggerated phonetic spelling? Seen it a few times I must have missed the joke.

It's his thing. Kinda cool
If you ask me.

 

[jBuds]

What's the deal with the exaggerated phonetic spelling? Seen it a few times I must have missed the joke.

It's his thing. Kinda cool
If you ask me.

Yeah, just a thing I don't have a great explanation for doing (and enjoying). It started a couple seasons ago in the GDTs when predicting which obscure fourth line or AHL vet opposing players would miraculously find the scoresheet against us, and the exaggerated phonetic spelling was to speak on the player' slack of notoriety.

I then realized how much fun I had doing it and it stretched into permanent replacements for certain Sabre players. I love seeing just how much I can exaggerate using stupid language rules with it still being legible and identifiable.

If you read each one and sound it out, you'll always know who it is.

My phone automatically picks up certain ones by now.

 

[Paxon]

Baker added a bunch of season highlight packages to his YouTube channel over the past week. The highlights seem to only include non-NHL clips. In the case of Hurley, they're all from the World Jr. A Challenge. Some videos are most excellent in length (Baptiste: 29:21 ) while a few are less than a minute. Great work from Bakes as always. God bless the man.

Armia, Austin, Bailey, Baptiste, Carrier, Catenacci, Compher, Deslauriers, Fasching, Florentino, Grigorenko, Hurley, Isackson, Jacobs, Kea, Leduc, Larsson, Lieuwen, Locke, Makarov, Malone, McCabe, Navin, Peterson, Possler, Pysyk, Ristolainen, Schaller, Sundher, Ullmark, Varone, Zadorov

 

[jBuds]

Baker added a bunch of season highlight packages to his YouTube channel over the past week. The highlights seem to only include non-NHL clips. In the case of Hurley, they're all from the World Jr. A Challenge. Some videos are most excellent in length (Baptiste: 29:21 ) while a few are less than a minute. Great work from Bakes as always. God bless the man.

Armia, Austin, Bailey, Baptiste, Carrier, Catenacci, Compher, Deslauriers, Fasching, Florentino, Grigorenko, Hurley, Isackson, Jacobs, Kea, Leduc, Larsson, Lieuwen, Locke, Makarov, Malone, McCabe, Navin, Peterson, Possler, Pysyk, Ristolainen, Schaller, Sundher, Ullmark, Varone, Zadorov

Good stuff

 

[HOOats]

Yeah, just a thing I don't have a great explanation for doing (and enjoying). It started a couple seasons ago in the GDTs when predicting which obscure fourth line or AHL vet opposing players would miraculously find the scoresheet against us, and the exaggerated phonetic spelling was to speak on the player' slack of notoriety.

I then realized how much fun I had doing it and it stretched into permanent replacements for certain Sabre players. I love seeing just how much I can exaggerate using stupid language rules with it still being legible and identifiable.

If you read each one and sound it out, you'll always know who it is.

My phone automatically picks up certain ones by now.

Ahhsum I ken digg it

 

[26CornerBlitz]

Sabres prospect J.T. Compher earning notice by agitating opponents

Bill Hoppe - Olean Times Herald

Compher’s always going at opponents. Even off the ice, the 19-year-old winger’s a supreme agitator and competitor.

“That’s my game,†Compher said last week inside the First Niagara Center. “I like to play hard and compete at everything I do. Sometimes it’s an agitating type of role. I just try to win at whatever I’m playing at.â€

He added: “I don’t tend to make a lot of friends when I’m on he ice.â€

 

[26CornerBlitz]

CARRIER READY TO MAKE A NOTICEABLE IMPACT

Chris Ryndak - Sabres.com

Like many blockbuster trades, there are a lot of players and assets involved.

When the Buffalo Sabres traded Ryan Miller and Steve Ott to the St. Louis Blues last season, a lot of focus was put on the first-round pick the Sabres acquired in 2015, the conditional pick that became a third-rounder in 2016, wing Chris Stewart and goaltender Jaroslav Halak.

One piece of the trade that might have easily fallen under the radar was the prospect Buffalo also received in the deal, forward William Carrier.

“He was a first-round touted kid that missed half the season with an ankle injury. He’s got size. He’s got skill,†Sabres general manager Tim Murray said at the time of the trade. “He’s got stuff that we have to help him with and that’s another part of it. We’re going to try to really buckle down here with our development program and help young guys get better. He’s just that – he’s a prspect.â€

 

[Revelate]

Baker added a bunch of season highlight packages to his YouTube channel over the past week. The highlights seem to only include non-NHL clips. In the case of Hurley, they're all from the World Jr. A Challenge. Some videos are most excellent in length (Baptiste: 29:21 ) while a few are less than a minute. Great work from Bakes as always. God bless the man.

Armia, Austin, Bailey, Baptiste, Carrier, Catenacci, Compher, Deslauriers, Fasching, Florentino, Grigorenko, Hurley, Isackson, Jacobs, Kea, Leduc, Larsson, Lieuwen, Locke, Makarov, Malone, McCabe, Navin, Peterson, Possler, Pysyk, Ristolainen, Schaller, Sundher, Ullmark, Varone, Zadorov

Nice. I can't help but be super intrigued by Bailey. He was noticeably bigger at development camp and faster too. When a man his size can skate like he can, shoot like he can and deke like he can...it's exciting.

 

[ZZamboni]

Yeah, just a thing I don't have a great explanation for doing (and enjoying). It started a couple seasons ago in the GDTs when predicting which obscure fourth line or AHL vet opposing players would miraculously find the scoresheet against us, and the exaggerated phonetic spelling was to speak on the player' slack of notoriety.

I then realized how much fun I had doing it and it stretched into permanent replacements for certain Sabre players. I love seeing just how much I can exaggerate using stupid language rules with it still being legible and identifiable.

If you read each one and sound it out, you'll always know who it is.

My phone automatically picks up certain ones by now.

I don't know what it is, but I can make out about 90% of them. 10% give my eyes/mind a seizure and can't read what you wrote. I just move on.

I'll try pointing out a few next time I can't read it.

 

[jBuds]

I don't know what it is, but I can make out about 90% of them. 10% give my eyes/mind a seizure and can't read what you wrote. I just move on.

I'll try pointing out a few next time I can't read it.

Yes! Definitely point out any you can't decipher, please. Got to know which ones are too over the top to be coherent.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

Yes! Definitely point out any you can't decipher, please. Got to know which ones are too over the top to be coherent.

I remember ghostdad being a popular prospect poll choice

 

[Beerz]

Corey Pronman ‏@coreypronman 25m

USA vs. Sweden U20 game at 1ET. Streamed on @FASTHockey.

 

[ForsakenSabre]

Corey Pronman ‏@coreypronman 25m

USA vs. Sweden U20 game at 1ET. Streamed on @FASTHockey.

Thanks for sharing this

 

[Zman5778]

Corey Pronman ‏@coreypronman 25m

USA vs. Sweden U20 game at 1ET. Streamed on @FASTHockey.

To be more specific, it's USA White (which has Fasching and Compher) against Sweden (which has Johansson and Olofsson).

Later today is USA Blue (which has Florentino, Malone and Hurley) against Finland.

 

[LaxSabre]

United States Blue Beats United States White 5-2 - USAHockey.com - Saturday, August 2.

Lake Placid, NY - USA Blue raced out to a 4-0 lead in the first half and held on for a 5-2 victory against USA White to begin play at the 2014 United States National Junior Evaluation Camp. Tyler Motte (St. Clair, Michigan/University of Michigan) and Sonny Milano (Massapequa, New York/United States National Under-18 Team) each tallied a goal and an assist for USA Blue.

(LaxSabre - After being down 4-0 after the first half) - USA White got back in the game with two goals in the opening four minutes of the second half. Defenseman Clint Lewis (Burnsville, Minnesota/Cornell University) beat Brandon Halverson (Traverse City, Michigan) low, making it 4-1. Just over two minutes later, Hudson Fasching (Burnsville, Minnesota/University of Minnesota) finished off a tic-tac-toe play on feeds from JT Compher (Northbrook, Illinois/University of Michigan) and Will Butcher (Sun Prairie, Wisconsin/University of Denver).

Alex Tuch (Baldwinsville, New York/United States National Under-18 Team) sealed the win for USA Blue with 7:35 remaining on a rebound from a Jack Eichel (North Chelmsford, Massachusetts/United States National Under-18 Team) shot.

International play starts on Sunday with USA White vs Sweden at 1:00 pm ET and USA Blue vs Finland at 4:00 pm ET. Both games will be streamed LIVE for a FEE at FastHockey.com

http://www.usahockey.com/news_article/show/407268?referrer_id=752796

Roster - United States White - http://worldjuniors.usahockey.com/roster/show/1262608?subseason=166258
Roster - United States Blue - http://worldjuniors.usahockey.com/roster/show/1262607?subseason=166258

Sabres Prospects - United States White - #7-JT Compher, #10-Hudson Fasching.
Sabres Prospects - United States Blue - #5-Anthony Florentino, #19-Sean Malone, #20-Connor Hurley.
Other Noteable Players - United States White - #1-Thatcher Demko, #14 -Sonny Milano, #19-Auston Matthews, #21-Dominic Turgeon.
Other Noteable Players - United States Blue - #9-Jack Eichel, #21-Tyler Motte, #22-Alex Tuch, #31-Brendan Burke.

 

[LaxSabre]

International play starts today when USA White vs Sweden at 1:00 pm ET - USA Blue vs Finland at 4:00 pm ET.
Both games will be streamed LIVE for a FEE ($7.99 each!) at usahockey.fasthockey.com.

Finland is the defending gold medalist from the 2014 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship, while Sweden was the silver medalist.

The United States rosters were adjusted this morning as Sonny Milano (Massapequa, NY/US National Under-18 Team) was moved from USA Blue to USA White. Connor Hurley (Eagan, Minnesota/Green Bay Gamblers) was moved from USA White to USA Blue.

USA White Lineup vs Sweden - United States Blue Lineup vs Finland -
http://worldjuniors.usahockey.com/news_article/show/407363?referrer_id=701370

USA White - Forward - Line #1 - LW-#24 Louis - C-#20 Schmaltz - RW-#10-Fasching.
USA White - Forward - Line #2 - LW-#11 Connor - C-#19 Matthews - RW-#7-Compher.
USA Blue - Forward - Line #2 - LW-#17-Cammarata - C-#19 Malone - RW-#14 - Hayden.
USA Blue - Forward - Line #4 - LW-7-Bjork - C-#20-Hurley - RW-#11- Poganski.
USA Blue - Defense - Line #2 - LD-#2-Belpedio - RD-#5-Florentino.

 

[LaxSabre]

Update - 1:53 pm ET - Sweden leads United States 2-0 after the First Period.
Sabres prospect #30-Jonas Johansson is the goalie for Sweden - faced 16 United States shots - made 16 saves.
Sweden had 12 shots - 2 goals - on United States goalie Evan Cowley.
No First Period stats for Hudson Fasching/JT Compher - guess they will update shots on goal - if they have any - after the game.

Sweden Goal #1 - #10 Axel Holmstrom - (#23-Oskar Lindblom, #17-Adrian Kempe) - 7:46.
Sweden Goal #2 - #27-Anton Karlsson. (Unassisted) - 10:28.

Update - 2:10 pm ET - Sweden still leads 2-0 - 10 mins into the Second Period.

Update - 2:13 pm ET - Sweden to the power-play - JT Compher called for hooking - 13 mins into the Second Period.
Penalty proved to be costly as Sweden scored on the power-play.
Sweden Goal #3 - #28-Lucas Wallmark - (#3-Niklas Hansson, #14-Robert Hägg) - 14:06.

Update - 2:20 pm ET - Sweden scores a shorthanded goal - leads United States 4-0 late Second Period.
Sweden Goal #4 - #27-Anton Karlsson - (Unassisted) - 18:35.

Update - 2:22 pm ET - GOAL UNITED STATES! - #19-Auston Matthews - (Unassisted) - 19:50.
Second Period ends with Sweden leading the United States 4-1.
Shots On Goal - Second Period - United States 8 Sweden 6. Shots On Goal - Game - United States 24 Sweden 18.
Power-Plays - Game - United States 0 for 5 (one shorthanded goal allowed) Sweden 1 for 2.
United States switch goalies midway through the period.
Thatcher Demko replaced Evan Crowley in net and allowed both Second Period goals that Sweden scored.

 

[ZeroPT*]

Ugh, you need to sign up for FASThockey and I'm not down for that.

Would've loved to watch me some Fasching and Johansson.

 

[LaxSabre]

Ugh, you need to sign up for FASThockey and I'm not down for that.
Would've loved to watch me some Fasching and Johansson.

Sign-up is Free and you only get an email once and awhile promoting certain hockey games they are going to show.
(Although I didn't get an email promoting that these United States games will be shown.)
Thing that sucks is that there is a charge of $7.99 per game to watch.
Not getting my money USAHockey/Fast Hockey! These should be free!

 

[LaxSabre]

Update - 2:52 pm ET - United States Goal! - #24-Anthony Louis - PPG - (#20 Nick Schmaltz) - 2:27 - Sweden leads United States 4-2.
The penalty was on Sabres prospect - #12 Victor Olofsson - holding - 48 secs into the Third Period.
So two Sabres prospects get penalties - both lead to goals - put them on the Sabres right away! (LOL!)

Update - 3:00 pm ET - 12 minutes into the third period - Sweden still leads 4-2.
Shots On Goal - Third Period - 6-2 United States. Jonas Johansson still in net for Sweden - looks like he is going to play the whole game.

Update - 3:05 pm ET - United States Goal! - #19-Auston Matthews - PPG - (#3-Will Butcher) - 14:03.
Sweden leads United States 4-3.

Update - 3:20 pm ET - Theres been a scoring change to the first United States goal which was scored by #19-Auston Matthews -
19:50 - Second Period. Give an assist to #7-JT Compher!

Update - 3:20 pm ET - Final Score - Sweden 4 United States 3.
Jonas Johansson picks up the win in net - faced 42 shots - allowed 3 goals - made 39 saves.
Victor Olofsson - 1 2-minute penalty. JT Compher - 1 assist and 1 2-minute penalty. Both penalties led to goals scored.
Shots On Goal - Third Period - United States 14 Sweden 4. Shots On Goal - Game - United States 38 Sweden 22.
Power-Plays - United States - 2 for 7 (allowed one shorthanded goal) Sweden - 1 for 2.

Next game for United States White - Monday, August 4 vs Finland - 4:00 pm ET.
Next game for Sweden - Monday, August 4 vs United States Blue - 1:00 pm ET.

Coming Up - United States Blue vs Finland - 4:00 pm ET.
Note - I'm heading to my Aunts in a hour or so to watch the Bills/Yankees games (two TVs side by side!) so I won't be following this game via the boxscore so no updates from me. Kris Baker - @sabresprospects - tweeted updates from the first game today (wish I would have known while the game was going on, could have "re-tweeted" them here) as well as yesterdays United States Blue-United States White game - so he should be doing the same for this game so check out his twitter feed for updates.