Question is, who's playing right wing on this team? We currently have 2, gionta and ennis
Bylsma confirmed in his WGR interview what I suspected all along when dreaming of O'Reilly on the Sabres - that he could play wing for Eichel and Kane in one line combination that Bylsma has been thinking of. I think that line would be a great blend of similar styles and, as the # 1 line, could handle going up against top defenders because all 3 forwards would present a threat.
Seems like Murray could care less about Regier's guys/picks. He's cleaning house and putting his unique stamp on the team. I got faith.
Absolutely. I think Murray recognized early on which Regier guys he could build around (Risto, Girgensons) and which were obvious trade bait (Armia, Grigorenko), and he's moving fast to capture all the value these picks/prospects offer to the acquiring teams.
I love the way that's happening - it really is refreshing to see a purge of all the soft, underachieving players that Regier was infamous for acquiring. That said....
Regier was good at acquiring picks and he stocked the cupboard. Murray is using that store to reshape the roster quickly.
...some credit does have to go to Regier for acquiring so many of the assets/draft picks that gave Murray the "currency" to deal from.
When the Sabres visited Colorado back in March, I mentioned that Roy's support for Grigorenko remained strong. Now he's an Avalanche. Nice to call one correctly once in a while.
Actually, when Roy and the Avs visited Buffalo last season, the press asked him about Grigorenko's struggles and Roy didn't exactly shower him with praise. It sounded like there were issues Roy knew about and had to deal with during their time together in juniors - and Rob Ray confirmed over this past weekend on WGR that Roy told him that he had to often have meetings to pull aside Grigorenko and get him to step it up. Ray was surprised - as was I - that Colorado agreed to take Grigorenko back but I'm thrilled the headaches of his situation are in the past and another team's problem.
Another observation... the Sabres have a monstrous dose of LEADERSHIP in the room and on the ice now after O'Reilly's acquisition. The boy hates to lose and carries the team crest in his heart and on his back. He called out Roy at the end of the failed playoff run criticizing him for sticking with the same old methods that weren't working. Said that coaches need to be able to adjust and modify on the fly. (that told me he was gone no matter what Sakic's intention to extend was….)
After the Avs were eliminated from playoff contention, O'Reilly was probably the most despondant player in the locker room not wanting to take his equipment and sweater off. He was pissed, hurt and not ready to surrender.
I can't see a player on the roster now who has questionable character or potential to be an underachiever - with the Hodgson buyout underway, I think Murray will have retooled the roster into a solid unit of young guys, sprinkled with some veterans, that will not only have a great work ethic but who may really mesh well.
The only real loss I feel in this trade was Zadarov but for O'Reilly it was expected. After seeing McKees tweet on Zads being a lockerroom headache maybe it was for the best.
There were reports how some of the Sabres players were turned off by Grigorenko's sense of entitlement when he first showed up at camp in 2012 - and also of how players were annoyed with Zadorov's indiscretions last season with team discipline. I'm sure both factored into why Murray deemed them expendable.
The plan is obviously to extend him as soon as possible
Will be interesting to see what # he gets.
O'Reilly wore #9 with Erie in the OHL, but he wasn't going to get that number with the Avs (Duchene). He was just assigned #37 in training camp and stuck with that until his change of #90
Kane is #9.
We think ROR will be 90 and Eichel would be 15
reminds me of the Drury trade so much
A little - which is why, if O'Reilly didn't choose 90, he'd be just as cool wearing 37.
I still cannot believe we finally got him. After over a year of trade rumours..
I know the feeling - I'm still a little numb and in disbelief. It's natural to feel disoriented after wanting something for so long yet believing it would never materialize, only to then see it come true afterall. It was the same way I felt back in '91 when the rumors of the Sabres competing for LaFontaine were there - lots of teams were in the derby for him and it seemed Buffalo was a long shot to get him, until the shocking news made it a reality.
I knew the Sabres were going to give up a player that I didn't really want to move to get ROR, if they were to get ROR.
I'm happy that Zadorov moved and not Reinhart.
MG, JTC, and 31 don't worry me.
I had the same fear - I didn't want to see Pysyk, Reinhart, Baptiste or McCabe go. When the final deal was announced, I was ecstatic because I wasn't crazy about any of the assets the Sabres had to give up.
Now the interesting things will be how does Bylsma make the lines up and who does Murray get to fill the massive hole at LHD he has right now.
I think Bylsma shed a lot of light in his WGR interview this morning when he downplayed any concern for landing a LHD vs. RHD. He said he doesn't place a lot of emphasis on having 3 pairs of LHD-RHD and spoke about how Martin, who is a LHD, played better as a RHD during his time in Pittsburgh. Sounded like he may experiment with both Pysyk and Ristolainen playing the left side in camp.
This, like most of Murray's moves, is both bold and exciting.
We have one of the best GMs in the league.
That's becoming pretty apparent - and what I also find so refreshing and invigorating after 16 years of stale, boring ambiguity with Regier, is how blunt and direct Murray is and how strong his conviction, self-confidence and game plan is. He's laid out from the start and all of his actions consistently follow what he's said he wants to do.
I agree. Many people I talk to are in shock because they thought the tank was permanent. Murray said give me two drafts (at the bottom!). Well, he got Reinhart and Eichel to add to Girgensons & Ristolainen and added Evander Kane, Zach Bogosian, Robin Lehner, and ROR.
We went from the best prospect pool to the best NHL team 24 years and younger.
Nice feeling, isn't it?
ROR on Buffalo radio said he and his agent expect to get something done soon!
Wouldn't surprise me if he signed July 1st.
I almost expect it to be announced with a PC this Wednesday - we all know by now that Murray isn't one to dawdle or drag things out. I'm sure he wants it out of the way so he can concentrate on other things this summer.
