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Robin Lehner

Teams Gauging Availability Of Buffalo Goaltenders

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The Buffalo Sabres have dominated the headlines this morning with the news that they’ll place Matt Moulson on waivers at noon, and Darren Dreger of TSN has some more information regarding the team. Dreger reports on Twitter that teams have called the Sabres about both Chad Johnson and Robin Lehner, trying to gauge the availability of the two goaltenders. With the Sabres falling even further out of the playoff race with four straight losses, it surely won’t be the only calls they’ll receive on players this year.

Both Lehner and Johnson are free agents this summer, with the former being of the restricted variety. While he’s previously shown an ability to put up excellent numbers at the NHL level, Lehner has been just as much of a disappointment as anyone else on the team. With what would be a career-low .903 save percentage, Lehner would be a tough evaluation for new Sabres GM Jason Botterill and head coach Phil Housley. If the team doesn’t believe he can be their starter going forward, perhaps moving him this season would be the right move. As a 26-year old, he’ll need a long-term contract this summer or be heading for unrestricted free agency next offseason.

None of this is to say that the Sabres would actually move a goaltender, but Johnson certainly has to be getting close to expendable. Brought in on a one-year deal to stabilize the backup position, he’s posted a very poor .883 save percentage and won just a single start. With Linus Ullmark waiting in the wings for another chance at the NHL, Johnson’s place doesn’t seem so secure.

Minor Transactions: 12/01/17

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The calendar has turned to December, and the NHL is flush with trades and rumors. The Ducks and Devils completed a big swap, but there was also a minor trade between old foes and a waiver claim that brought a familiar face back home. Today is expected to be filled with more transactions, and we’ll keep track of the minor ones right here.

  • As expected, the Buffalo Sabres have returned Linus Ullmark to the AHL after spending practice with the team yesterday. Robin Lehner was given a maintenance day, but the Sabres still wanted two goaltenders on the ice. Ullmark’s time will come with Buffalo, as he continues to impress in the minor leagues.
  • Per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Jason Mackey, the Penguins have reassigned Josh Archibald to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on a conditioning assignment. The 25-year-old forward hasn’t been injured; he just hasn’t played this season. Through two months of the 2017-18 season already, Archibald has skated in only two games with Pittsburgh and had to this point avoided the AHL entirely. However, a total time of 21:38 of game action means Archibald needs to get his legs back under him in the minors if he is to be of any use in the NHL this year.
  • The San Jose Sharks announced that they have returned goalie Antoine Bibeau to the AHL, as he’ll head back over to the Barracuda locker room. Bibeau, 23, was arguably the biggest off-season addition that San Jose made this summer, but is still looking for his first NHL action of the year. Bibeau has a very impressive 2.04 GAA and 0.925 save-percentage in the AHL this year, but with Martin Jones and Aaron Dell putting up those kinds of numbers themselves in the NHL, it doesn’t look promising for Bibeau to see extensive big league action this season.
  • The Blue Jackets have recalled defenseman Gabriel Carlsson and forward Markus Hannikainen from Cleveland of the AHL, per a team release.  Both players have spent the bulk of the season with Columbus but had each been sent down within the last week to pick up a bit of playing time at the minor league level to stay in game shape.
  • With Oilers defenseman Adam Larsson heading to injured reserve, the team announced that they have promoted blueliner Ryan Stanton from AHL Bakersfield.  The 28-year-old has a single assist in 11 minor league games this season but is no stranger to the NHL having 120 games of experience under his belt with Chicago, Vancouver, and Washington.
  • The Lightning announced that they have brought back winger Cory Conacher from Syracuse of the AHL.  The veteran has played just once with Tampa Bay this season (on Saturday against Pittsburgh) but he made the most of it, scoring in that game.  As usual, he has been quite productive at the minor league level, collecting 15 points in 18 games.

Buffalo Sabres Sign Robin Lehner

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The Buffalo Sabres have avoided arbitration with goaltender Robin Lehner, signing him to a one-year contract worth $4MM. Lehner was due for a hearing on the 27th to determine his salary. The contract will keep Lehner under team control as a restricted free agent for one more year following its expiration. Robin Lehner

Lehner, 26, can be one of the most frustrating goalies in the league at times, and one of the most spectacular at others. While it’s clear that he has the talent to be one of the very top netminders in professional hockey, he does sometimes lose his concentration and can be prone to fiery outbursts. Even still, he recorded a .920 save percentage in his first year as a full-time starter, good for seventh in the league among goaltenders who started half their team’s games.

If it’s hard for Buffalo fans to fully get behind Lehner, its because of the high price they had to pay to get him. Two summers ago they sent a first-round pick to the Ottawa Senators for the goaltender and David Legwand, a selection that turned into blue-chip prospect Colin White. The Sabres expect quite a bit from their young goaltender, and with the struggles of the team it has been hard to justify that price. Lehner has a .921 save percentage since getting to Buffalo, and is clearly doing his part to help the Sabres out of the basement.

One of the more interesting notes about Lehner’s 2016-17 season was his struggles in the shootout. He allowed all eight attempts against him, making him 2/12 since joining the Sabres. Though the shootout is easily the least important part of a goaltender’s game, it is still frustrating for Sabres fans to watch them lose over and over in the skills competition.

Lehner will get a hefty raise to $4MM this season and could be in line for a substantial long-term contract even if he just repeats his performance from a year ago. Though new GM Jason Botterill would like to see what he has before giving out the keys to the net, allowing a talent like Lehner to walk in the summer of 2019 would be foolish.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Sabres Sign Goalie Chad Johnson

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The Buffalo Sabres have invited an old friend back into the crease, as the team announced that they have signed goaltender Chad Johnson to a one-year, $2.5MM contract. Johnson enjoyed the best season of his career with Buffalo back in 2015-16, posting .920 save percentage and 2.36 GAA in a career-high 45 appearances. However, he left last off-season to chase a larger role with the Calgary Flames that never really came to fruition. He’ll head back to Buffalo now and his substantial salary indicates that the Sabres are prepared to give him a significant role alongside Robin Lehner.

Lehner made 58 starts in 2016-17, significantly more than when he shared the net with Johnson the year before and made just 21 starts. However, even in a reduced role, Johnson has still proven he can be a valuable asset. Johnson posted career bests in save percentage (.925) and goals against average (2.10) as the backup to Tuukka Rask with the Boston Bruins in 2013-14. No matter what role he plays, Johnson could be a shrewd acquisition for new Buffalo GM Jason Botterill in his second stint with the Sabres.

Canucks Sign Sam Gagner, Michael Del Zotto, Anders Nilsson

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GM Jim Benning and the Vancouver Canucks are off to a hot start to free agency, signing a major name from all three positions: forward Sam Gagner, defenseman Michael Del Zotto, and goalie Anders Nilsson. 

Gagner, a play-making center who enjoyed a bounce back season with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2016-17, has signed on for three years at $3.15MM per year, via TSN’s Pierre LeBrun. After making just $650K on a one-year “show me” deal with the Jackets, this is a nice reward for Gagner who returned to form with a career-high 50 points after a disastrous 16-point campaign with the Flyers the year before. Yet, other than 2015-16 in Philadelphia, Gagner has been a consistent 40-50 point man and is still only 27 despite having a decade of NHL experience under his belt. Gagner will be happy to make nearly five times his 2016-17 salary, but this still comes off as quite a bargain for the rebuilding Canucks.

Del Zotto, a capable puck-mover who struggled to carve out a role with the Philadelphia Flyers, will get a new opportunity in Vancouver on a two-year, $6MM contract, according to TSN’s Frank Servalli. Not since his third year in the league with the New York Rangers in 2011-12 has Del Zotto truly been relied upon as a starter. In stints in New York and Philadelphia, Del Zotto has shown ample offensive ability, but little defensive reliability. A career -26 player, Del Zotto may never develop into a true all-around NHL defenseman, but at $3MM per year, the Canucks will expect him to strive to be such a player.

As for Nilsson, the former Buffalo Sabres backup has earned himself a nice raise, as LeBrun reports that he has signed a two-year deal worth $2.5MM annually to play 1B to Jacob Markstrom’s 1A in the Vancouver net. Nilsson was a savior of sorts for the Sabres in 2016-17, posting a career high .923 save percentage and 2.67 GAA in relief of Buffalo starter Robin Lehner. Nilsson outplayed Lehner, but Buffalo still informed Nilsson that they would move forward with Lehner as the starter and rather than play second-fiddle again in the same situation (like Chad Johnson is now doing), Nilsson has moved on to another situation where he may be able to outplay the incumbent and steal starts.

Latest On Evander Kane Trade Talks

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While this weekend was interesting from a Stanley Cup playoff perspective, ears in Buffalo also perked up when Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet spoke about some rumblings he’d heard surrounding Evander Kane and the Los Angeles Kings. TSN Insider Bob McKenzie weighed in on the subject today on Montreal radio, saying that he believes “Kane will likely be traded by the Buffalo Sabres.”

McKenzie points out that Kane is on the final year of his current contract and “may not fit into the long-term vision” of Jason Botterill and the new front office. Botterill of course took over earlier this spring from the fired Tim Murray, and will likely want to put his stamp on the team as soon as possible. McKenzie also brings up Robin Lehner, who is arbitration eligible and should earn a heft contract this summer as a restricted free agent.

We’ve heard rumors surrounding Kane before, going all the way back to his Atlanta Thrasher days as a youngster. The 25-year old has tremendous goal scoring talent, but has still yet to put it all together for a truly outstanding season. This year, it took him 13 games to register his first goal before blazing through the middle of the season and finishing with 28 on the year, the second highest mark of his career. Capable of logging huge minutes and providing a physical presence, teams would covet him among the top forwards in the league if it weren’t for his inconsistency and off-ice problems.

Kane has been embroiled in several incidents involving police and other legal troubles, making him a risk to any franchise looking to add his talent on the ice. The fact that he would basically be a rental with only one year on his contract and the chance to hit the open market at just 26 next summer makes it tough to gauge the return Buffalo could be expecting. Friedman, following up on his weekend report this morning mentioned he’s heard conflicting reports on whether or not the Anaheim Ducks would be interested.

Should Buffalo Trade For Capitals’ Grubauer?

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The Buffalo Sabres biggest pressing need may not be in goal, yet The Hockey Writers’ Richard Spalding suggests the Sabres best opportunity would be to upgrade their goaltending as acquiring goaltending will be at a premium before next month’s expansion draft. Defense may be the team’s biggest need, but if there is a chance to upgrade in the net, then that is the direction the Sabres should go.

Spalding is quick to point out that current starter Robin Lehner is not the problem as the team’s defense or lack thereof was much to blame for the team’s lackluster season. However, the 25-year-old starter is coming off a tough year in which he had a 2.68 GAA in 59 games. But is Lehner a No. 1 goalie? The scribe suggests that stressful situations have a tendency to get him. His 0-4 record in shootouts during the regular season is discouraging, but his save percentage in those shootout situations is 0 percent. He gave up eight goals on eight shots. While the playoffs have no shootouts, is that the goalie you want as you’re trying to build a team to win a Stanley Cup?

However, if the team can acquire a second goaltender to split time with Lehner, that could only improve the Sabres chances of turning around their fortunes. Spalding suggests the team trade for Washington’s Philipp Grubauer, who the Capitals would likely lose anyway in the expansion draft and therefore might be more willing to move their backup goaltender for something, most likely draft picks. Grubauer, also 25 years old, is coming off as season as the backup in which he had a 2.05 GAA in 23 games and a .926 save percentage.

Of course, the flaw in that plan is that the Sabres would then expose both Lehner and current backup Linus Ullmark to the expansion draft. However, even if one of them were taken by the Golden Knights, which is likely, the team would still have two solid goaltenders to work with next year.

Offseason Keys: Buffalo Sabres

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While the expansion draft is set to headline a busy NHL offseason, there are still several other storylines for each team in the months ahead. Here is a closer look at what lies ahead for the Buffalo Sabres.

After another disappointing season, the Sabres cleaned house, letting both head coach Dan Bylsma and GM Tim Murray go.  Earlier this week, they filled the latter vacancy with the hiring of Jason Botterill away from the Penguins.  While hiring a coach will be a main focus (Botterill plans to have a new bench boss in place by the draft in June), here are a few other key decisions that are worth watching for out of Buffalo this offseason.

Time To Commit To Lehner?

Two years ago, the Sabres dealt a first round pick to the Senators to get what they hoped was their core goalie for the present and future in Robin Lehner.  The results have been a bit of a mixed bag.  Over the last two years, he has played in just 80 games, posting a 2.63 GAA and a .921 SV%.  Both of those are decent but not towards the top of the league either.

Dec 29, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres goalie Robin Lehner (40) against the Boston Bruins at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY SportsLehner is coming off of his bridge deal and is only a couple of years away from unrestricted free agency.  The decision needs to be made as to whether or not he’s still the goalie of the future.

If Botterill believes that is the case, he’ll likely look to lock him up long-term on a deal that could double his current $2.25MM cap hit.  (His qualifying offer comes in at $3.15MM so any new deal, long-term or short, is likely to start at that amount at a minimum.)  If not, they could become part of what’s likely to be a very busy offseason in terms of goaltenders changing places.  However, most of the goalies that will be available in this shuffle are shorter-term fits and thus, only a temporary solution.

Rebuilding The Defense

Buffalo spent over $24.75MM on their blueline in 2016-17 between their regulars and injury recalls and didn’t get a whole lot of bang for their buck.  While Rasmus Ristolainen continues to be one of the more impressive young defenders in the league, other veterans such as Josh Gorges, Dmitry Kulikov, Cody Franson, and Zach Bogosian all underachieved.

Fortunately for Botterill and the Sabres, the team will have an opportunity to reshape their back end this summer.  Both Kulikov and Franson are unrestricted free agents and carried a combined cap hit of just over $7.65MM this season which is more than enough money to go after the big fish in free agency if they so desire.  If not, it’s still enough cap space to put towards a couple of veteran free agents (or trade additions) who should be a better fit for the team moving forward.  Either way, it seems likely that some changes will be coming on the blueline.

Extension For Eichel?

Just prior to the departures of Bylsma and Murray, reports surfaced that Jack Eichel wouldn’t be willing to sign a contract extension if Bylsma remained behind the bench.  Both Eichel and his agent denied the report but the firings were made just one day later.

Eichel, the second overall pick back in 2015, was Buffalo’s leading scorer this past season despite missing 21 games due to injuries.  He’s well positioned to be their franchise player for years to come and has five years of team control remaining.

While he’s signed through June of 2018, Botterill will likely kick off extension talks with Eichel and agent Peter Fish in the hopes of getting him signed as soon as they can (no deal can be struck until July 1st).  Not only would that get their star player locked up long-term, it would also provide them with some cost certainty and send a strong message to the rest of the team and fan base.  While there’s no real rush to get something done (since they have more than a year to sign another deal), it wouldn’t be surprising to see this wrapped up pretty quickly once the calendar turns to July.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Atlantic Notes: Panthers, Ryan, Lehner, Green

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With the Panthers now healthy up front and making their way up the Atlantic Division, the team now plans to be a buyer at the trade deadline, team president of hockey operations Dale Tallon told NHL.com’s Arpon Basu.  In particular, the team is hoping to add to what has become a more potent attack recently with the returns of Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov to the lineup.

While many teams appear to be hesitant to part with quality prospects, Florida finds themselves in a nice situation with a younger core, many of which are already signed long-term.  Accordingly, they may have the ability to move some of their picks or prospects if the right fit happens to present itself trade-wise in the next week and a half.

Another thing that the Panthers have that a lot of buying teams don’t is plenty of cap space.  They’re currently pegged to have the ability to take on nearly $43MM in salary on deadline day per CapFriendly which is clearly more than enough to fit in any acquisitions they have in mind.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Senators winger Bobby Ryan suffered a hand injury last night against the Maple Leafs and is out indefinitely, reports Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun (Twitter link). He notes that if Ryan’s hand is broken, he could be out of the lineup for the next three to six weeks.  Although he has underachieved this year (he has just 24 points in 50 games, not the type of production they’re expecting for someone with a $7.25MM cap hit), his absence will create a void in Ottawa’s middle six moving forward.  If he winds up being out for an extended period of time, it wouldn’t be surprising to see GM Pierre Dorion look to add another winger via the trade market.
  • Sabres goaltender Robin Lehner has quietly become one of the top goalies in the league and is doing so at the perfect time, writes Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News. He quietly sits tied for third overall in save percentage by a starting goalie this year (.926) and teammates have noted he has taken on more of a leadership role in the dressing room as well.  The timing for this is great for Lehner and the Sabres – not only are they making a late push for a playoff spot, the 25 year old is set to become a restricted free agent this summer and is positioning himself for a sizable raise from the $2.25MM cap hit he currently carries.  (He will be owed a qualifying offer of $3.15MM in June, his actual salary for this season.)
  • Red Wings defenseman Mike Green has now missed the last two games due to an illness and remains day-to-day, notes MLive’s Ansar Khan. The 31 year old has been Detroit’s top offensive threat from the back end by far, recording 26 points (10-16-26) in 49 games.  By comparison, their next highest point getter from the back end is Xavier Ouellet who checks in with ten points.  In the meantime, rookie Ryan Sproul will continue to play while Green is out of the lineup.

Sabres Notes: Gorges, McCabe, Playoff Push

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After weeks of nursing his injured hip for the past dozen games, Josh Gorges returned to the Buffalo Sabres last night in triumphant fashion reports Bill Hoppe of Buffalo Hockey Beat. The team beat the Ottawa Senators in all facets and took them down 4-0 in an impressive win. The 32-year old defenseman played just over 16 minutes, but chipped in an assist and was a +2 rating. While his possession numbers are still terrible this season, Gorges adds some grit to a blueline that has sorely missed it this year. With injuries to almost every member at times, the team has had inconsistency and unfamiliarity problems all season.

  • That perhaps is going to go away, now that Gorges and Jake McCabe have returned from their respective injuries. McCabe was sidelined for five games following a shoulder injury and Zach Bogosian, who was injured on Thursday evening against the New York Rangers, is only considered day-to-day. For a team that was expected to take a step forward this season, injuries have come hard and often this year.
  • But it’s the fact that those injuries are starting to heal that has Buffalo fans inspired for the next 30 games. The club has struggled this season to be sure, but with a strong start to 2017 (the team is 8-5-2 in the new year) and a very weak Atlantic Division, there is a chance they could go on a late drive for the playoffs. The team sits at 52 points after their win last night, and though that is tied for last place in the Eastern Conference, they’re only 6 points behind Boston for third place in the division and have played four fewer games. The incredible parity in the Eastern Conference has everyone still believing they’re “in it” at this point in the season, and with Buffalo’s injury excuse, perhaps they really are. When healthy (looking at you Jack Eichel), the team can boast enough goal scoring to keep up with any team, and the duo of Robin Lehner and Anders Nilsson has actually provided excellent goaltending (a team .923 save percentage has them third in the league). A healthy top four that includes Rasmus Ristolainen, Bogosian, McCabe and Dmitry Kulikov isn’t perfect, but may be enough to keep them relevant down the stretch.

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