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00:00The big news today is Jason Zucker, right?
00:02Yeah, yeah. He had sports hernia surgery, so he will not start the season.
00:08Although, Jarmo Kekalainen didn't think it'll be hugely long.
00:11A couple of weeks, maybe. Two, three, somewhere in there.
00:13With that, you never know how long that is going to linger on for.
00:19Crevier had shoulder surgery, but he was visiting with the doctor today
00:23and actually could be cleared for practice tomorrow.
00:26Jarmo didn't know yet, so he seems to be fine.
00:30And that's it. Kulik is ready to roll.
00:34He's fully healed. He's been working out all summer. He's ready to go.
00:38I assume Danforth is ready to go. I did not ask about him specifically.
00:42He only played four games last year, had two different injuries and two different surgeries
00:47to kind of really derail his season.
00:52But, yeah, they seem like, other than Zucker, they seem like they're pretty healthy.
01:00What do you think internal expectations are for them, Paul?
01:04I know out here, you know, I think a lot of fans will be just sort of eager to see
01:09them
01:09pick up right where they left off.
01:10But, I don't know, like, I'm bracing for some early in the season, you know,
01:17after sort of a dreary loss to whomever you want.
01:22Like, you know, we know we can't, you know, we haven't earned anything.
01:26You know, we've got to do it all over again.
01:27The hard work and all that.
01:29I just feel like there's a natural default to, like, that sort of commentary
01:33if they don't get off to a good start.
01:35What do you think they're expecting themselves?
01:38Like, Yarmo and Lindy.
01:39They're expecting to be better.
01:41And one thing that's been stressed, you know, in the meetings with the players,
01:45which I'm sure have happened in the last day or two,
01:48is you've accomplished nothing.
01:52What happened last year is over.
01:54That's gone.
01:55That's done.
01:56Today is day one.
01:57I mean, you have to treat it as day one.
01:59You can't connect seasons.
02:02First of all, it's not the same team.
02:03Never is.
02:04I mean, there's subtractions.
02:06There are additions every single year.
02:08They have some pretty significant subtractions, you know,
02:12in Tuck and Bo Byram off this team.
02:15And, you know, they've brought in a couple of defensemen
02:18but really haven't done anything with the forwards.
02:21And so, you know, it has to be day one that we –
02:25and the thing is, too, that Yarmo brought it
02:27because people are gunning for them.
02:29That wasn't happening in the beginning of the season last year.
02:33They were still – yeah, they're a joke.
02:36You know, we can walk into their arena.
02:38They're not going to do much.
02:39They're not going to hit us.
02:40They're not going to hurt us.
02:41They're not going to do anything.
02:42You know, they may hustle.
02:43They may not type of a thing.
02:45That's the way other teams kind of treated them.
02:48And then all of a sudden it changed.
02:50And the team that really took, I think,
02:54the longest to realize that the Buffalo Sabres were for real was Tampa Bay.
02:57And they figured it out in February.
02:59You know, those home games.
03:02Because I don't think they took the Sabres very seriously then either.
03:06And now all the teams, I think, will be taking the Sabres seriously.
03:11It's not an easy game.
03:13The Sabres play hard now.
03:15And it's not an easy game when you come into this arena.
03:18And that's the biggest difference.
03:20But they have to continue that.
03:21They can't just sit there and say, well, you know, look at us.
03:25We're in the first place.
03:26And, you know, we're really good.
03:28I mean, they have to look at it that teams are going to be gunning for them now.
03:32So, Zucker, you mentioned, Paul, just to circle back to that.
03:35But, you know, it's not long-term, but still, you know, a couple of weeks, maybe longer.
03:42And that is another veteran.
03:44You mentioned the losses of Tuck, who certainly qualifies.
03:48Byram's a veteran player, still a young guy.
03:51Byram was a big part of that room as far as a leader goes.
03:54Yeah, and certainly on the ice, I mean, the way they played, I feel like he fit the system perfectly.
04:00And we'll see how Zellweger does being plugged in there.
04:03But my point is about veterans here.
04:05Like, a team that's already counting on kids.
04:08Like, you know, conveniently, Zucker not being around opens a spot because they've got kind of too many guys, really.
04:15But it's another young guy that's going to go in there.
04:19And really, like, short of Thompson and Norris, their forward group in the top nine, anyway, is all pretty young.
04:28I mean, Quinn is a grizzled veteran amongst this group.
04:31Yeah, no, you're right.
04:32And they'll grow up.
04:34I mean, Noah Oslin, he's actually older than I.
04:37I know he's 22, but I have to remember he's 22 when I talk about him.
04:41You know, I still think of him as 1920 or 20 years old.
04:45But the thing is, too, you know, we didn't see him for two years when he was 18, 19, and,
04:50you know, he was playing over in Sweden.
04:53But he's still a younger player, but he is 22.
04:58He plays a very mature type of a game.
05:02Nothing bothers Helenus.
05:04I think he proved that last year when he walked into Montreal and wasn't phased at all by that, you
05:11know, in the playoffs.
05:11So, and Josh Doan, I think that's the next guy when we're talking leaders.
05:20And I still think there's going to be improvement there.
05:22I mean, look at his DNA.
05:24You know, one of the best leaders in the NHL was his dad.
05:29You know, he was captain for many, many years in Arizona.
05:34And was considered just a huge leader.
05:37So that's what he grew up with.
05:40And, you know, so that's in his DNA.
05:42I noticed it last year just watching him play and the way he worked and the way he went about
05:48his business.
05:49And he's not afraid to be vocal and say things.
05:53And so if you're saying, who do you think could step into that role, I think that's the guy.
05:59Yep.
05:59That could maybe have an A on his sweater.
06:01And I would say earned it.
06:03You know, not just would have the A, but maybe earned it.
06:07You know, getting one of your younger players into that leadership group now.
06:11I like this.
06:11I like this, Paul.
06:12Because it would stand to reason with him, especially Doan.
06:17Your assessment of him, his personality, his style, I think, you know, it fits well enough with what I think.
06:23And it would stand to reason that coming in here as a younger guy, really trying to establish himself as
06:30an NHL regular, that he wouldn't be, you know, maybe comfortable asserting himself quite as much.
06:38But now he's here.
06:40He's obviously a cornerstone player.
06:42They've rewarded him with the contract.
06:44And, you know, a new team, a new year.
06:47I could see him sort of rising to the top there in that way from a leadership standpoint.
06:53Yeah, and deserving it.
06:54And I still think there's more to come with this player.
06:57I think there's more goals to come.
06:59I think, you know, Lindy Ruff had talked about him taking on a penalty-killing role even last year at
07:07the end of the season press conference.
07:09I think Lindy Ruff kind of knew by then that their chances were pretty good he wasn't going to see
07:14Alex Tuck in his lineup again.
07:16And, you know, so he talked about him in a penalty-killing role and getting him more ice time.
07:22So, and even, you remember when we were talking about, well, how can you make room for Tuck?
07:27Well, I was saying he got $3.5 million if you traded Greenway.
07:31He hadn't been traded yet.
07:32And I felt if you traded McLeod, yes, you would miss his speed.
07:36There's $5.5 million there.
07:37There's $9 million there if you were interested in signing Tuck.
07:40But the reason being, I think Noah Ostland can do what McLeod does and probably do it better already at
07:47age 22.
07:48I think he easily could fit that role.
07:51Easily.
07:51And McLeod was kind of on the downtrend in the playoffs by the time he found himself getting very little
07:56ice time near the end.
07:58And so, you know, that was a deal where I thought they could afford, even though you would lose his
08:04speed,
08:05and Ostland isn't even close to being as fast.
08:07I actually think that he, Austin might upgrade that position if he were to play that position.
08:13Paul Hamilton with us.
08:15Coach and GM spoke today.
08:16Paul has a piece up at WGR550.com.
08:19Is it all a wrap then on Hellebuck?
08:22I mean, is it book closed at this point?
08:25No.
08:25No, not necessarily.
08:26You know Yarmul.
08:27Yarmul wasn't going to say much.
08:29He basically said, I've never spoken to anybody in the media about any player I've talked about with a GM.
08:35So he goes, I don't know where this stuff comes from.
08:37Of course.
08:38He said, it didn't come from me because I don't talk to the media about this kind of stuff.
08:42He goes, that's between me and a GM and that type of thing.
08:46So he said, yes, I am aware of the rumors.
08:50He said, I've heard some of them.
08:52He said, if it's a younger player that's involved, he goes, I might talk to that younger player and tell
08:58them what's up about certain things.
09:01But he said, some of our players are involved in rumors.
09:05He goes, their names have not even been brought up in conversations.
09:10And yet they're out there in rumors.
09:12So he said, it's just part of the business that everybody has to deal with.
09:18And he went and said again, which he has said many times.
09:22And Lindy Ruff said it again, that they were quite happy with their three goaltenders.
09:26Lindy Ruff went as far as to say, last year, the alternating seemed to work very well.
09:32And he said, there's a pretty good chance.
09:34He goes, there's a very good chance that's the way they'll start the season, is alternating again, because it works
09:39so well.
09:40So that's the way he's talking.
09:42And both of them talked about how happy they were with the goaltending, knowing that it can still improve.
09:48You know, Luganen has said himself, and when he was over in Berlin doing the NHL interviews, that, you know,
09:55his goal is to be more consistent.
09:58That's what he's working on in his game, is to be more consistent in his game, even though he had
10:03a good year and his numbers were good.
10:05He feels he can still be better by quite a bit.
10:08A couple things here I want to mention.
10:11I heard a bit of Jarmo Kekalainen's news conference, and I heard him say, when you mentioned this, Paul, about
10:20him going to younger players, if they, you know, maybe they're hearing their name and they're wondering what's going on,
10:26and he wants to assure them, you know, I haven't even brought your name up.
10:29But he also said, I think, in the next breath, you know, Wayne Gretzky got traded.
10:34So, like, you know, I can't tell you you're never getting traded, but, you know, right now, like, don't, this
10:40isn't true, say, but, you know, something could happen tomorrow.
10:44I can't really, not that he said all that, but I liked, I liked hearing him say that.
10:49On the goalies, I imagine the carrying the three is still the plan.
10:56That's the start, to start with, yeah.
10:59And, well, especially with the E-Bug thing now, you don't really have to deal with an E-Bug.
11:05What I didn't realize is I thought you had to have one at your own arena for both teams.
11:09No, you have to travel with your E-Bug.
11:11You bring your own.
11:13Emergency backup goalie.
11:14Right.
11:15Right.
11:16So, but the Sabres wouldn't have to if they used a roster spot for a third goaltender.
11:22They wouldn't have to travel.
11:23They have one who is basically doing some goalie scouting for them.
11:28And that type of thing.
11:30But you wouldn't have to have an E-Bug if you have made a goaltender, a third goaltender, one of
11:38your roster spots.
11:39Because as we found out last year, I think maybe a couple of different times, if you dress your two
11:45goalies, one of them gets hurt, the third guy can then go get dressed, but he can't go sit on
11:51the bench.
11:51He's got to sit in the room.
11:53So, I mean, people might be confused here.
11:57Manifestly, what does this mean to their layout, their roster?
12:00They don't need an E-Bug?
12:02They don't need an E-Bug, meaning if it got down to a third goaltender, they're going to throw an
12:06NHL goaltender in because he can come down from the press box if somebody gets hurt and sit and wait.
12:11Okay.
12:12And go in if somebody gets hurt, where if you've got to throw the E-Bug in, he can't have
12:16any NHL experience.
12:17That's part of the deal.
12:19That's great.
12:19That's fine.
12:20That happens once every 20 years.
12:22Right.
12:22Right.
12:23So.
12:23But you know what?
12:25I bet you're going to see more teams with three goalies this year, including the Stanley Cup champions, who did
12:29have three goalies last year.
12:30Well, what would you guys say about that strategy?
12:32Would you think, is it an eye roll?
12:35Like, what are the odds?
12:36No, because I originally had problems with the three goaltenders thing, but they had so many goaltending injuries, it seemed
12:44like they always had one hurt anyway.
12:46They almost always only had the two active.
12:47Don't tell me the Sabres are doing anything about their plans because of this rule.
12:53No, I think it just conveniently fits for them.
12:56It just works out.
12:57Because they like to have.
12:58I think it helps them to understand that, first of all, we did okay with the three goalies last year.
13:04And we really like Ellis.
13:06They got to waive somebody to relieve it or trade somebody.
13:09Right.
13:09They're not getting any of those three through waivers.
13:12So, if they really like Ellis, and I kind of like Ellis, and I've told you guys many times, if
13:19there's an injury and he gets a chance, it wouldn't shock me at all if he becomes the Sabres' number
13:23one goalie like Bussie did in Carolina.
13:26Wouldn't shock me in the least if that happened.
13:28But they're not.
13:28I'm almost kind of expecting it.
13:30They're not going to do it because of this backup goalie thing.
13:35Right?
13:35They're not going to.
13:36They wouldn't.
13:36If they were going to waive him, which they didn't want to do last year, they're not going to not
13:41do it now because, hey, every 20 years we need a guy.
13:46I mean, it's happened how many times in Sabres' history?
13:47I believe it's a small part of it.
13:49I don't think it's a huge part of it, but I think it's a small part of it.
13:53You're right.
13:54I don't think it's the reason he's here.
13:56The reason he's here is because they like him a lot.
13:58Okay.
13:59And they like what they got out of him.
14:01But I think it's a small part of it, and I think you're going to see.
14:05I'll be shocked if you don't see more teams do it.
14:07I hope you're right.
14:08If 31 other teams want to waive somebody good so they can have a third goalie just in case their
14:12two goalies get hurt on the same night, good for me.
14:14Go for it.
14:15Right.
14:16Seems like ridiculous.
14:17I think you're right, Paul, supposing that more teams will do it because more were doing it even last year
14:22than I ever expected.
14:23I feel like the way the offseason went, I think the early forecast was for maybe as many as a
14:30half a dozen teams that have three guys that they're going to want to keep.
14:36So I think it might be one of those new trends in the league is keeping that third guy.
14:42And we all assume that, let's say, the Hellebuck trade is made that they're going to want Lucan in, and
14:47does Lucan in half of them on the no trade?
14:50Who knows?
14:51Maybe they'd want Ellis.
14:53Maybe they want the young kid instead and develop him instead of Lucan in.
14:58Maybe that would be their focus, that, well, it doesn't matter if Lucan in him.
15:02You can keep him.
15:03We'll take Ellis as part of a trade.
15:06That very well could happen.
15:08What's tomorrow's schedule?
15:10And can fans be a part of it or no?
15:13It's at Harbor Center.
15:15It's hard to keep fans out of Harbor Center.
15:17I haven't seen anything in the arena, as far as I know, other than the scrimmage on Saturday is closed
15:23to the public.
15:24But at Harbor Center, I think people, I don't know.
15:27I don't know what security is going to be like there, if they're going to be keeping people out.
15:31But at Harbor Center, even when the Sabres are at practice, there's the odd person there, especially if there's tournaments.
15:38Practice is loaded with people.
15:39You know, when there's tournaments there and that kind of thing.
15:42So, I would tend to think that at Harbor Center, that people could be around in the first two days
15:49are at Harbor Center, tomorrow and Friday.
15:52Okay.
15:54But tomorrow's two sessions.
15:55They'll split the team in twos.
15:59They have a, I believe it's 9 o'clock and a 10.30.
16:03I'm going by memory, but it's about something like that.
16:06Okay.
16:07And, you know, then there'll be one session at 10 o'clock on Friday.
16:12And then things shift over to the arena for the scrimmage at 11.30 on Saturday.
16:18All right.
16:18Here we go.
16:19Anything we missed, Paul?
16:21Nope.
16:21It's a short.
16:22They both talked about the shorter training camp.
16:24And, you know, the guy that really has a great training camp and looks great in the preseason games.
16:29And we all wonder, is he going to push himself on the roster?
16:32Look at this young kid that really has shown up.
16:34And, you know, Derek Roy was like that, I remember, where he came out of nowhere and almost made the
16:39team before they sent him to junior.
16:42And, but that's going to be a lot harder for guys now because the preseason, four games, it's all a
16:47week and you're done.
16:47Yeah.
16:48But now it's like, here we go.
16:49Who is your predict?
16:50I know how much you love to make predictions.
16:52Who is your prediction for who that player might be in our conversations over the next two weeks?
16:57It's not going to be because, as I said, we have a week of preseason games.
17:01No chance.
17:01They don't even, they really can't even, I mean, they've got to kind of go over their systems and stuff.
17:06As Jarmo Kekalainen said, he goes, in this training camp, we basically right now know, pretty much know who our
17:1123 are.
17:12Okay.
17:12Because that's not usually the way we do it.
17:14Murka.
17:14But he said, we almost have to.
17:18And, you know, some of them will get some preseason games and that type of thing.
17:22But he said, we almost have to do that because we've got to get on the systems like a right
17:25away.
17:26And it's got to be kind of with your guys.
17:28You can't have 50 guys in here working on your system.
17:31You know, thinking, you know, this guy or this guy might make the team.
17:35So, he goes, that's where it's going to hurt.
17:37He goes, is that player that thinks that he can take advantage of an opportunity and sometimes does.
17:43He goes, that just may not happen because they just don't have the time.
17:46I'll go with Murka.
17:48Just who will be the player we talk about.
17:50Just have a name.
17:50I didn't love him.
17:51I didn't love him in the tournament.
17:53Well, you can pick someone else.
17:54He needs some seasoning.
17:56I asked you to pick someone else.
17:57Right.
17:58Pick your own guy.
17:59That's fine.
18:00All right.
18:00Thanks, Paul.
18:01Take care, guys.
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