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New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Sabres depth chart projection: 6 key questions about Buffalo's forward group
BUFFALO, N.Y. — When the Buffalo Sabres opened training camp in September, Lindy Ruff didn't have a lot of time. The team had just two weeks of practice and one preseason game before the NHLers went to Europe for an exhibition game in Germany and the season-opening Global Series in Prague. That meant Ruff started camp with his NHL group already decided, despite the fact he was still getting to know his team as a first-year coach. Advertisement This training camp should be a lot different. Ruff is more familiar with these players, the team is coming off another disappointing season, and there are some new faces sprinkled into the lineup. That should give Ruff time to experiment and create more competition. At this point, the defensive pairings seem easy to project on paper. There will be competition for the seventh and eighth spots on the depth chart. But when everyone is healthy, the top six on defense should look like this: Bowen Byram – Rasmus Dahlin Owen Power – Michael Kesselring Mattias Samuelsson – Conor Timmins The real intrigue of camp will be how Ruff and his staff put together the forward lines. We won't know exactly what Ruff is thinking until the Sabres take the ice for training camp in mid-September. Here's my best guess at the forward lines with a look at some of the key questions that will determine the opening-night lineup. Zach Benson – Josh Norris – Tage Thompson Jason Zucker – Jiri Kulich – Alex Tuch Jack Quinn – Ryan McLeod – Josh Doan Jordan Greenway – Peyton Krebs – Justin Danforth But right now, here are a few considerations facing Ruff when Buffalo opens the season against the New York Rangers on Oct. 9. Ruff was clear about two things late last season. One is that he liked Tage Thompson at wing. The other is that he liked Jiri Kulich as a center. As of now, this lineup operates under the assumption Ruff will stick to those two beliefs when he puts together his lineup. The Sabres' center depth hinges on those two decisions. Thompson excelled at wing last season. His offensive game took off, and it seemed to help him stay fresh. Kulich also looked his best at center. He was better able to use his skating ability to open up scoring opportunities. He was also more than capable of handling the defensive responsibility of the position. Though making Thompson a center could strengthen that position, it would create questions elsewhere in the lineup. Here's a version of what the Sabres could look like if Thompson were a center and Kulich a wing. Advertisement Benson – Thompson – Tuch Kulich – Norris – Doan Zucker – McLeod – Quinn Greenway – Krebs – Danforth Extra: Beck Malenstyn Zach Benson handled himself well when he was playing on the top line with Thompson at the end of the season. He's an eager forechecker with playmaking ability and has already proved to be a strong defensive forward. Those skills fit well with the way Thompson plays: The Sabres had a 55 percent expected goal share when Benson and Thompson were on the ice together at five-on-five last season. If training camp started today, Benson would be my first pick to be that top-line left wing. Beyond Benson, the options are less than perfect. The Sabres could stack the top line with Alex Tuch, Josh Norris and Thompson. They could put Jason Zucker on the top line, but that's higher in the lineup than he should be playing. The other interesting option would be Josh Doan, who brings similar forechecking and defensive ability to Benson but has a better shot. I'd let Benson get the first crack at it, though. Norris played only three games after the Sabres acquired him at the trade deadline. He was the team's No. 1 center in all of those games. In one game, he centered Thompson and Tuch. In another, he centered Benson and Thompson. In the other, he centered JJ Peterka and Thompson. If Norris is the No. 1 center, it makes sense to pair him up with Thompson to start. But the question of whether Norris is a No. 1 center boils down to whether he can come close to playing 82 games. He entered the offseason healthy, which is a great sign for a player who has dealt with multiple shoulder injuries in his career. He had 21 goals in 56 games last season, a sign that his 30-plus goal potential is still there. When the Sabres acquired Norris, Ruff said he views him as a No. 1 center. I expect him to play there opening night. Doan is a fascinating player to follow entering training camp. At just 23 years old, he hasn't fully developed into the player he will be. What is Doan's ceiling and how soon can he hit it? We know he is already one of the most efficient forecheckers in the NHL. He also has a dangerous shot and is willing to play at the front of the net. Those skills could make him useful in the top six if Ruff decides to go that route. Advertisement Don't miscast Doan just because he had only seven goals last season. At the very least, he should be a quality third-liner for this team. But as we saw with Zucker last season, the net-front skills can earn a player more ice time in better situations. A strong forechecker who also has back-to-back 20-point seasons, Danforth played center and wing for the Columbus Blue Jackets last season. His experience will be a welcome addition to the locker room. Danforth's career faceoff percentage is just shy of 50 percent. If he plays wing, that allows Peyton Krebs to stay in the lineup. If Danforth is at center, either Krebs could move to the wing or Beck Malenstyn could jump back onto the fourth line. The beauty of Danforth is his versatility. Injuries and performance will dictate who needs to stay in the lineup, and Danforth can plug a hole at center or wing. I have him starting on the wing because it keeps Krebs in the lineup. But Danforth's presence creates some healthy competition at the bottom of the lineup. Where Quinn fits in this lineup has been a lingering question all summer. The Sabres signed him to a two-year extension worth more than $3 million per year, so they have some faith in him. I put him on the third line with Ryan McLeod and Doan, but he needs to be a lot better defensively to handle the matchups McLeod was getting. Ideally, the Sabres might want a line that has Zucker playing with McLeod and either Doan or Jordan Greenway. But to do that, Ruff would need to trust Quinn in a top-six role. After the way he struggled in the first half of last season, that's a risk. The good news is that Quinn still had 39 points last season in what was considered a down year. He is two years removed from the torn Achilles tendon that cost him most of the 2023-24 season and more than a year removed from the broken leg from that same season. His skating suffered last season because of those injuries. If he can regain some of his burst from before the injury, Quinn could give the Sabres some of the scoring they'll need with Peterka gone. (Top photo of Peyton Krebs, Mattias Samuelsson, Alex Tuch and Zach Benson: Hannah Foslien / Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Reuters
18-04-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
NHL sets attendance record, surpasses 23 million fans
April 18 - More than 23 million fans attended an NHL regular-season game in 2024-25, the highest total in the league's 108-year history. The league announced Friday that a total of 23,014,458 people attended a game during the 1,312-game season. That eclipses the previous record of 22,873,142, set last season. In addition to the 32 teams' home arenas, the NHL also played the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field in Chicago, a Stadium Series game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, and Global Series games in Prague, Czechia, and Tampere, Finland. A total of 94,571 fans attended the game at Ohio Stadium, marking the second-largest gathering in NHL history. Fueled by 41 sellouts at the Bell Centre, the Montreal Canadiens led all clubs in total attendance with 865,305 fans.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How Filip Forsberg responded to Andrew Brunette calling out Nashville Predators' leaders
When coach Andrew Brunette called out his players after the Nashville Predators' 4-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday, he targeted the team's veteran leaders specifically. In the team's next game, one of them responded. Filip Forsberg finished with two goals, one assist and a career-high 10 shots on goal in the Predators' 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday at Bridgestone Arena. "A little bit of a statement of what we can do," Forsberg said after the win, which ended a four-game losing streak. "It hasn't been the standard lately, so keep building towards that being the standard for us." Forsberg's first goal broke a 2-2 tie in the second period to give the Predators their first lead of the night. On the play, he carried the puck into the zone, fired a shot on Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll, then jumped on the rebound to send the puck into the net. Not only was it an example of what Forsberg can do when he's at his best, it shows what the Predators can do when their best players are playing like it. "It was some really good positive energy," Brunette said after the win. "I thought the effort was really good tonight." Forsberg, who added an empty net goal to seal the win, is in the third year of an eight-year contract he signed in July 2022. After a 48-goal campaign in 2023-24, he was expected to carry the Predators' offense again, but was unable to match his scoring pace in the first few months. He has 27 goals and 37 assists and likely will finish as the team's leading goal scorer for the second straight season. PREDS IN SWEDEN: Nashville Predators to play two games vs Pittsburgh Penguins in Sweden for NHL's Global Series But Forsberg wasn't the only player bringing his best on Saturday. Luke Evangelista also finished with three points, including his seventh goal of the season, which put the Predators up 4-2 in the third period. "I hope this catapults (Evangelista) where he builds on it and keeps it going," Brunette said. "For him, Saturday night in Smashville and 'Hockey Night in Canada,' being a Toronto kid, it's a big deal. So hopefully this gives him some confidence, a little mojo." Evangelista now has seven goals and 15 assists in his second season with Nashville. Next up, the Predators head on the road, taking on the St. Louis Blues on Sunday (5 p.m. CT, FanDuel Sports Network). Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@ Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How Filip Forsberg responded to Brunette calling out Predators players
NBC Sports
19-03-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators to play NHL Global Series games in Stockholm in November
MANALAPAN, Fla. — The Country Music Association Awards ceremony kicks the Nashville Predators out of their arena for a long stretch every November. This year, they'll use that absence to travel to Sweden. The NHL announced Tuesday the Predators are facing the Pittsburgh Penguins in regular-season games in Stockholm on Nov. 14 and 16 as part of the league's Global Series. 'I think it'll be a good event for us,' Predators general manager Barry Trotz told The Associated Press. 'We're either going on a long trip out West or we can go to Europe.' The games at newly renovated Avicii Arena are set to be the 47th and 48th games the league has held in Sweden and make it the 15th season with regular-season action outside North America. The visit is perhaps one last chance for aging Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby and Swedish defenseman Erik Karlsson to play in Scandinavia. The Predators have a prominent Swede in top-line winger Filip Forsberg, with starting goaltender Juuse Saros hailing from neighboring Finland. 'It's going to be really fitting for us,' Trotz said after a session at the NHL GMs meeting in South Florida. 'Not only we have some Swedish players - a guy like a Filip and a couple others that are really proud that they will go back and showcase their country, and I think Filip's going to try to showcase his hometown. I think for our players, there's not a better learning environment than travel and going to another country to learn more about the culture and understanding of that.' The Penguins have not played in Europe since 2008, fresh off winning the third Stanley Cup championship in franchise history. They have since won it twice more, in 2016 and '17. For Trotz, it will be a return overseas a quarter-century after he coached Nashville against Pittsburgh for two-season opening games in Saitama, Japan, in 2000. He wants his players to look forward to and enjoy the trip while also appreciating they will be meaningful games. 'You'll have the excitement of the start of the season and then you get into November and it starts to get into a little bit of the grind,' Trotz said. 'It might be a really good thing for us just to focus on that. But we've got to focus on it's not a vacation.' The NHL is returning to Sweden for the first time since 2023 after staging games in Finland and Czechia this season. Stockholm has hosted more NHL games than any other European city. Predators CEO Sean Henry said being selected to participate in a marquee event like this is a testament to the organization's support at home and abroad. 'This event will be particularly special for Filip Forsberg, who adores his home country, and the other Sweden natives on our team and in our organization,' Henry said in a statement. 'We had such an incredible time with our fans at the 2022 Global Series in Bern and Prague, and we can't wait for them to bring even more energy and enthusiasm in November.'
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Penguins Selected For 2025 Global Series In Sweden
It looks like the Pittsburgh Penguins will be boarding a plane to Europe next season. On Tuesday, the NHL announced that the Penguins and Nashville Predators will play games on Nov. 14 and 16 in Stockholm, Sweden, as part of the league's Global Series during the 2025-26 season. Sweden, we're coming back! 🇸🇪The @penguins and @predsnhl will face each other in Stockholm at #NHLGlobalSeries on November 14th and och Nashville möts i Stockholm under #NHLGlobalSeries den 14:e och 16:e november! 🙌 — NHL Sverige (@NHLsv) March 18, 2025 And for Rickard Rakell and Erik Karlsson - both of whom hail from Sweden - it's the opportunity of a lifetime. "I came from a small town, so I never got the chance to see any professional hockey until I was probably 16 or 17," Karlsson said. "I think it's a great thing that the NHL does right now." Back to their roots 🇸🇪 — Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 18, 2025 The Global Series during the 2024-25 season featured games in Prague, Czechia and Tampere, Finland between the Florida Panthers, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils, and Buffalo Sabres. And the Penguins will return to Stockholm for the first time since 2008, when they kicked off their season there against the Ottawa Senators as part of the NHL Premiere Series. "It's very exciting," said Rakell, who grew up just 10 miles outside of Stockholm in Sollentuna. "Just the chance to play in my home country and play in front of familly and friends and people growing up, different coaches that doesn't really have the chance to come and see me play over here. And my grandma, just for her to have the chance to see me play... it'll be a lot of fun." WE'RE GOING INTERNATIONAL! 🇸🇪The Penguins return to Sweden for two regular season games against the Predators on November 14th and 16th for the #NHLGlobalSeries! — Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 18, 2025 He also emphasized the prominent hockey interest and Sweden and how much it means to the kids aspiring to become NHL players. "The Swedish Hockey League... it's a good league," Rakell said. "But everybody dreams of the NHL. The hockey interest is huge. "I mean, for kids to have a chance to get close and watch NHL players and guys like Sid, Tanger, and Geno... it's a really big deal." Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
