Buffalo Sabres Links: Dan Bylsma, NHL Combine
Good morning and happy Friday, Buffalo Sabres fans! How are we all doing this morning?
For the first time in a while, we saw legitimate, confirmed big news from the Buffalo Sabres yesterday, as the team announced it has hired Dan Bylsma as the 17th head coach in franchise history.
Fan reaction to the news was generally positive, at least for Buffalo Sabres fans, though some were less than thrilled about the required compensation as per the NHL rules.
Alas, it is what it is, and now one piece of the puzzle is complete.
But the Sabres aren’t the only team who solidified their head coach recently. The San Jose Sharks officially announced Peter Deboer as their new bench boss, replacing Todd McLellan, who has since signed on with Edmonton after mutually agreeing to part ways with San Jose.
At least initially, both of these choices – Bylsma and Deboer – appear to be good choices for the teams involved. [Sun Times]
More from Sabres News
- 3 biggest standouts at Buffalo Sabres 2023 Prospects Challenge
- 3 takeaways from the Buffalo Sabres final Prospects Challenge game
- Buffalo Sabres experiment with lesser-known talent in loss to Pens
- Buffalo Sabres 75 Bold Predictions for 2023-24: Prediction 51
- Buffalo Sabres vs. Pittsburgh: A quick look at the Penguins prospects
Aside from that exciting news in the Buffalo Sabres world, the rest of the NHL is focused largely on the Stanley Cup playoffs, which continue this evening.
The last time both conference final matchups went to a seventh game was 2000; this is only the second such occurrence in the history of the modern NHL, and it definitely makes things a whole lot more exciting. [Sporting News]
In other news, the NHL Draft is also coming up very soon, and with that, the draft profiles kick into high gear.
Here’s one from The Buffalo News about Jack Eichel. [TBN]
Another good read this morning about the draft is this Bleacher Report piece highlighting some of the prospects for the 2015 NHL Draft who may be NHL-ready. [BR]
In reality though, there’s no way to predict how a guy will make the jump to the NHL. Part of this, of course, depends on what team he goes to, who he plays with, on what line, how much ice time he gets, etc. Success has a number of varying factors and until a guy actually comes to the NHL, there’s no knowing what he’ll do.
(But is there any surprise that Connor McDavid is at the top of the list?)
A final link to read this morning surrounds the 2015 NHL Scouting Combine, which is being hosted next week in Buffalo.
Nearly 250 NHL Draft prospects will converge on Buffalo for the next week, and they’ll face some new tests and technology ahead. [NHL.com]
Finally this morning, a bit of fun for you guys: check it out as an NHL arena transforms into an 8-bit video game. [Deadspin]
Next: Revisiting the 2006 NHL Draft
More from Sabre Noise
- 3 biggest standouts at Buffalo Sabres 2023 Prospects Challenge
- 3 takeaways from the Buffalo Sabres final Prospects Challenge game
- Buffalo Sabres experiment with lesser-known talent in loss to Pens
- Buffalo Sabres 75 Bold Predictions for 2023-24: Prediction 51
- Buffalo Sabres vs. Pittsburgh: A quick look at the Penguins prospects