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Buffalo Sabres Links: Rookies, Offer Sheets

By Melissa Kania |

Earlier this month, the Buffalo Sabres named Nicolas Deslauriers as the team’s rookie of the year. Now, it’s time for other rookies around the NHL to be recognized, as the league announced its Calder Trophy finalists for this season.

The finalists: Aaron Ekblad, Johnny Gaudreau and Mark Stone. [NHL.com]

This was a marker year for the NHL rookies, as they were a handful of qualified players who could’ve been named finalists. Naturally, some guys had to be left off the ballot, as is the case with any award. Among those missing: Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg.

Last night was an interesting one in the NHL playoffs. The Tampa Bay Lightning came back from a 2-0 deficit, scoring twice within a span of 1:17, and eventually won in overtime to tie the series with Detroit. Vancouver and Nashville both staved off elimination with victories, while the Caps beat the Isles to go up 3-2 in that series.

From CBC, here’s four stories that came out of Thursday night’s games.

Meanwhile, some additional news from Detroit, where the City Council has approved the plans for a new arena. [Click On Detroit]

The Wings’ new arena is expected to open in 2017, so if you’re still hoping to catch a game at the Joe, you’ve still got a few chances to do so. I went to Detroit this past October for a game between the Wings and the Kings, and the sheer history that Joe Louis Arena holds is crazy. It’ll be a shame to see the Red Wings move to a new rink, but I’m sure Red Wings fans will bring the noise to wherever the team ends up.

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In other news, former NHL defenseman Hall Gill has now announced his retirement after 16 seasons. [ESPN]

Gill won a Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009. He also played for Boston, Toronto, Montreal, Nashville and Philadelphia between 1997 and 2014.

As the playoffs continue, we grow ever-closer to free agency. Which players will get offer sheets?

Here’s a ranking of 10 NHLers who could get offer sheets this offseason, from the folks over at Bleacher Report.

None of the Buffalo Sabres made BR’s list, but there are plenty of players within the Sabres organization who ARE set to become restricted free agents and who could receive offer sheets from other teams.

Another link this morning surrounds Chicago Blackhawks netminder Scott Darling, who has risen to the top as a key piece of the Hawks’ playoff run this postseason.

The CBS Sports piece details Darling’s rise to the NHL from the SPHL and his struggles with alcoholism at a young age.

Finally this morning, from Five Thirty Eight, is a piece about why Las Vegas may not be a good place to put an NHL team.

(Okay, to be fair, the article actually says that Vegas is a “terrible” place for an NHL team, then goes on to outline why exactly this isn’t a good idea. Read it, absorb it, but also consider the reasons why the NHL *could* move there. In the end, it’s all hearsay until the league actually does, well, anything.)

Three games on tap for the NHL playoffs this evening. The NY Rangers look to finish off the Pittsburgh Penguins, while the Montreal Canadiens hope to end their series against the Ottawa Senators. Finally, Minnesota and St. Louis both look to take a 3-2 lead in their series.

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