Buffalo Sabres Have Limited Roster Spots Available
With the Prospects Challenge and Training Camp just around the corner, we take a look at the Buffalo Sabres roster and consider how many spots are currently open and which players in the system can potentially fill them.
Now that Jimmy Vesey watch has officially come to an end, the Buffalo Sabres can get back to the task at hand of finalizing their roster for the upcoming season. In looking at the positions that are seemingly filled by players who are returning or have been added since last season, it becomes apparent that only a limited number of roster spots are currently available.
An NHL team can have a maximum number of 23 players on their active roster, consisting of 21 skaters and 2 goalies. Only 20 of those players are eligible to dress for any particular game, ordinarily comprised of 12 forwards, 6 defensemen, a starting goalie and a back-up goalie; but on occasion, especially when injuries abound, we may see teams employ other combinations, such as 11 forwards and 7 defensemen.
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If we look at the returning players from the Buffalo Sabres 2015-16 roster, 17 spots on the 23-man roster are already potentially claimed. This includes:
Forwards
Ryan O’Reilly, Evander Kane, Tyler Ennis, Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, Brian Gionta, Marcus Foligno, Johan Larsson, Matt Moulson, Zemgus Girgensons, Nick Deslauriers
Defensemen
Rasmus Ristolainen, Zach Bogosian, Jake McCabe, Josh Gorges, Cody Franson
Goalies
Insert the 3 players Buffalo acquired this offseason via trade or free agency – Anders Nilsson, Dmitry Kulikov and Kyle Okposo – and that brings the total up to 20. This gives the Sabres 12 forwards, 6 defensemen and 2 goalies, but to reach the 23-man limit, 3 more players will need to be added, presumably for 1 defenseman and 2 forwards (thus making up for the roster spots held by Mike Weber, David Legwand and Jamie McGinn last year).
Of course, there is still the possibility the Sabres could make another acquisition or trade, but for the purposes of scoping out the current roster, let’s assume the Sabres are going to stick with what they have. That said, we turn our attention to the excess prospects and players in the Buffalo system in hopes of determining which players, if any, can step up to fill those vacancies.
We’ll start on defense, where it appears only one spot is available, and going down the list, there are two names that immediately come to mind: Casey Nelson and Brendan Guhle.
Nelson was signed towards the end of last season after a collegiate career with Minnesota State, and as an undrafted, highly sought-after player, there were multiple teams interested in acquiring him. He agreed to sign with Buffalo and got his feet wet after playing seven NHL games, making his debut alongside another college player and Buffalo prospect, Hudson Fasching. After shaking off some nerves in the first couple games, Nelson did fairly well for himself, ending the season with 4 assists, while also being given an opportunity to quarterback the Power Play. Nelson has won a range of awards in the NCAA, and at age 24, he may be the best fit, though it’s possible he could also benefit from a little more experience before making the jump to the NHL.
Brendan Guhle surprised many last year, almost making the team out of training camp before taking a heavy hit from Dion Phaneuf that sort of put things back into perspective. Another year of development was the right move, and Guhle went back to the WHL where he put up 10 goals and 18 assists in 63 games for the Prince Albert Raiders. Though he played a few games with the Rochester Americans late last season, the downside is that Guhle just turned 19 years old, so if he doesn’t make the Sabres roster this year he would have to go back to Juniors again. That may not be a bad thing, but he should still get every opportunity to show what he can do.
The other player that comes to mind is Justin Falk, a more veteran presence for the organization, who at age 27 has already played for a number of NHL teams, most recently with the Columbus Blue Jackets before coming over to Buffalo as a free agent. His NHL numbers may not be the best, but he adds a level of pro experience that other Sabres prospects don’t have.
The forwards can likely be narrowed down to a range of six potential players – Justin Bailey, William Carrier, Nick Baptiste, Cole Schneider, Evan Rodrigues and Alex Nylander.
With two forward spots available, the Sabres will be focused on filling third and fourth lines roles, so unless Alex Nylander has a training camp that is absolutely domineering, I think the more likely scenario is that he’ll be sent down for development, which would also afford him the opportunity to play for Team Sweden at the World Junior Championships. Perhaps, like Sam Reinhart before, the Sabres will give Nylander his 9 game tryout, but with the offensive power the Sabres currently possess (unless some form of punishment is vetted down to Evander Kane), they can afford to give Nylander that extra time.
Among the other players, the name most frequently mentioned is Justin Bailey, who made his NHL debut last year as a call-up from the Rochester Americans. Though the Williamsville native didn’t log any points, his level of determination was particularly impressive, along with his willingness to not give up on a play, an attribute Buffalo fans often have admired. With 20 goals and 25 assists in 70 games last year, the 6’4, 206 lb. forward is probably the most likely candidate to claim a spot.
Nick Baptiste is another player with an offensive upside as well, and while I feel that Justin Bailey is better suited to round out the (current) third or fourth line, I see Baptiste as more of a goal scorer, who is better utilized when playing with top-six talent. In 2014-15 he amassed 53 points in 41 games while playing with Connor McDavid and the Erie Otters of the OHL. If Bailey does move up and claim a role, it may be better for Baptiste to play another year in Rochester, where he’ll get the opportunity to play a top-line role with big minutes for the Rochester Americans.
The other two players that could potentially have a shot in cracking the Sabres roster are William Carrier and Hudson Fasching.
At the Sabres development camp this summer, Carrier looked to be the most NHL ready of all the players on hand, and he also seems the type of player that could be a good fit in a third or fourth line role. Having already spent two seasons in Rochester, I don’t think he’d be missing out any major developmental opportunities by not staying back in Rochester again, so I could see him moving up to claim the second spot.
Hudson Fasching, at 6’2, 207 lbs, is already physically NHL ready, and his first NHL goal, which was scored during his very first NHL game, was a perfect example of what Buffalo fans can expect from the power forward. Fresh out of college, however, with only seven NHL games under his belt, gaining a year of experience at the pro level with Rochester may be a better option.
There’s also Cole Schneider, and one can’t overlook the numbers he put up in past seasons with the Binghamton Senators, but also, like Bailey, he plays with a sense of resolve and willingly goes to the front of the net. As another player from the Sens organization, is it possible he’s gained some rapport with Tim Murray? I would look for Schneider to take the role as one of the main call-ups, now that the Sabres no longer have Schaller and Varone.
Evan Rodrigues is another player that has some potential. Regardless of whether or not the presence of Jack Eichel helped in the signing of Rodrigues, I still think it was a good signing for the Sabres. He seems to have a knack for creating plays, and he’s another player that comes with a solid work ethic. However, I think it will take a lot for Rodrigues to beat our Bailey or Carrier for a spot.
Any of these players can put forth an argument to potentially make the team, and with the Prospects Challenge and then training camp around the corner, the competition could get fairly interesting. The Prospects Challenge will once again take place in Buffalo, where the Sabres will take on the Bruins and the Devils in a round-robin format tournament. The games will take place from Sept. 16 – 19, and tickets are $10 apiece.
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Which of the prospects will break through this year? Or is it more likely the Sabres will look to make another acquisition to fill out the roster? Let us know what you think below.