Another good morning from the 716, Buffalo Sabres fans. This morning, there really isn’t a whole lot of news regarding the Buffalo Sabres, but we’ve still got some notes from around the NHL and the hockey world for you to dig through.
First and foremost, we know that for non-playoff teams, one of the things on everyone’s mind: coaching.
There are several teams looking for new head coaches this summer, including the Buffalo Sabres.
One candidate that has really been a quiet name up until now: Guy Boucher, former Tampa Bay Lightning coach who is currently working over in Switzerland.
Reports indicate that Boucher has been contacted about a return to the NHL by at least one team, and there’s a good chance he could be considering it.
As the Sun’s article goes on to say, Boucher is in a pretty good spot with his gig overseas. It’ll take the right kind of team, and the right kind of players, for him to make the move back to North America, but he’s never been shy about the possibility of moving back.
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No word yet as to which NHL team has contacted Boucher, but he’s just one of several good options in the coaching pool this offseason.
Another name: Dan Bylsma, former head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
For me, I’ll always remember Bylsma as the guy who pulled the Penguins up by their bootstraps after Michel Therrien’s departure and led them to a Stanley Cup victory. It’ll be quite strange to see him behind the bench with another NHL team…. but could that be the New Jersey Devils?
That’s the rumor for now, at least. Of course, a lot of that has to do with the recent hiring of Ray Shero, and the subsequent history between Shero and Bylsma. That doesn’t mean there couldn’t be some truth to the rumor, but only time will tell what happens.
Elsewhere, ESPN’s Corey Pronman has released his list of the top 10 goaltending prospects heading into the 2015 NHL Draft.
Everyone is quick to focus on the forwards and defensemen heading into a draft, but for some teams, it can be equally as important for them to pick up a goaltender for depth in that position. Pronman suggests that this year’s goaltending class is less than stellar, and that we may not see a goalie go until the second round.
Last year, the Flames took Mason McDonald as the first goaltender selected, with the 34th overall selection.
Finally, though there are still about five months until the 2015-2016 NHL season gets underway, the Columbus Blue Jackets have already selected their next captain.
Columbus hasn’t had a captain since the departure of Rick Nash, and they’ll name their new captain at some point prior to next season. If rumor and common sense are any indication, it could be Nick Foligno who gets the C. Other options include Jack Johnson, Brandon Dubinsky, Scott Hartnell and Boone Jenner.
Two games on tap tonight for the NHL, as both of the Eastern Conference playoff series are underway. Will the Lightning take a 3-0 series lead over the Habs? Can the Rangers tie up the series with Washington?
Next: Compher Elects to Stay in College
More from Sabre Noise
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- 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