Traverse City Game Preview: Buffalo Sabres vs. Carolina Hurricanes

The Traverse City Prospects Tournament begins today with four games on the schedule beginning at 3:30 p.m. Prospects of the Buffalo Sabres will face those from the Carolina Hurricanes in their first game of the tournament at 4 p.m.

GAME INFORMATION

  • Buffalo Sabres vs. Carolina Hurricanes
  • 4 p.m., West Rink (Traverse City, Michigan)
  • Broadcast info: No TV coverage; radio ESPN1520 (Brian Duff, Paul Hamilton)

PLAYERS TO WATCH: CAROLINA

The Hurricanes have five 2014 NHL draft picks at the Traverse City Prospects Tournament, including seventh-overall selection Haydn Fleury. Last season, Fleury had 46 points (8-38) in 70 games with the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League.

Joining Fleury are fellow 2014 draftees Josh Wesley, Clark Bishop, Kyle Jenkins and goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic. Nedeljkovic spent last season with Plymouth of the OHL, where he had a record of 26-27-7 and a .925 save percentage.

The Canes also have six camp invitees on their Traverse City roster — players with something to prove and looking for an NHL contract. That includes centers Brady Vail, Dryden Hunt and Mathew Campagna as well as defensemen Jake Chelios and Patrick McEachen.

Can they make an impact enough to make the Hurricanes offer them a contract?

Other players to watch: left winger Phil Di Giuseppe, who was drafted in the second round of 2012, Sergey Tolchinsky, who had 91 points in 66 games with Sault Ste. Marie last season, and goaltender Daniel Altshuller, who went 31-13-3 with the Oshawa Generals of the OHL.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: BUFFALO

Many Sabres fans will have their eyes out for Sam Reinhart. After a first glance at him during rookie camp earlier this summer, it’ll be interesting to see how Reinhart can play with his fellow prospects in a game that counts for something.

In addition, watch for Jake McCabe, Rasmus Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov, who will all bring varying levels of NHL experience to the defense corps at Traverse City.

Each of these three blueliners brings a little NHL experience to the table, but each of them also brings something different; McCabe stems from college, Ristolainen spent half of last season in the AHL, and Zadorov brings OHL experience. They’ll come together to form a strong backbone of defense for the Buffalo squad in the tournament at Traverse City.

THE DIFFERENCE-MAKER

One notable difference between the Hurricanes and Sabres for the Traverse City tournament is the levels of experience among the players. None of Carolina’s players spent time in the NHL last season, but Buffalo has three with NHL experience last season – all defensemen.

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  • The Sabres also have six players who spent time in the AHL last season, with a combined 199 games of AHL experience from the 2013-14 season. Carolina has seven players (172 games), but three of these are camp invitees and haven’t played with Charlotte, but other teams including Chicago and Springfield.

    Ten players on the Sabres roster for Traverse City are returning from last year’s lineup at the prospects tournament: Armia, Bailey, Baptiste, Catenacci, Kea, Austin, Ristolainen, Zadorov and Makarov. Eight players return for the Hurricanes.

    In addition, the Sabres have the highest number of first- and second-round picks of any team at the Traverse City tournament. Nine of Buffalo’s 22 skaters were selected by the team in either the first or second round of the NHL Draft since 2011. In all, 15 of the 22 skaters were drafted by the Sabres.

    In comparison, just four of Carolina’s 21 skaters were drafted in either the first or second round by the Hurricanes. (Make it five players in all including Nedeljkovic.) In all, 13 of the 23 players on the Hurricanes’ roster were drafted by the team since 2011, including both goaltenders.