The Buffalo Sabres have struggled mightily through the first few games of the 2017-18 season, and head coach Phil Housley has already decided to shake things up. The team had a distinctly different look at practice today, with Zemgus Girgensons moving up to the first line with Jack Eichel, and Sam Reinhart moving back to the wing.
The team had hoped Reinhart would take the center position and run with it this year, now entering his third full season in the league. The 21-year old has won just seven of twenty faceoffs in the first three games, and finds himself a -6 on the year already. For now, he’ll skate beside Johan Larsson and try to prove that he can be relied upon at both ends of the rink.
- The New Jersey Devils will have Kyle Palmieri back in the lineup tonight when they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs, lengthening out their already impressive lineup. The Devils have been much better than anticipated to start the year, with players like Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt making immediate impacts. Palmieri will jump back on the top line with Pavel Zacha and Taylor Hall, pushing everyone else down a peg. The Devils are 2-0 in the young season, but will have to contend with Toronto’s firepower tonight in a battle of unbeaten teams.
- Last, but certainly not least, Jaromir Jagr is set to make his Calgary Flames debut according to John Shannon of Sportsnet. Jagr took some time to get accustomed to the Flames system after signing just before the season began, but will now jump into game action against the Los Angeles Kings. The Flames, considered contenders in the Western Conference, are off to a 2-1 start but have scored just eight goals in three games. Jagr’s addition should spark the offense some, and make the Flames a tough team to matchup against.