Fans looking to dip their beaks in hockey action will get a small taste the week before the Buffalo Sabres preseason opens.
The Sabres are sending 23 prospects to Traverse City, Michigan to participate in the 2011-12 NHL Prospect Tournament.
Topping the list of players are Luke Adam, Zack Kassian, Brayden McNabb and Mark Pysyk. Those players are currently the top players in the Sabres’ pipeline and Adam and Kassian are expected to challenge for an NHL roster spot this season
The remaining 19 players are an assortment of draft picks from the past few seasons in addition to a few invitees. Steven Beyers, Jonathan Parker and Phil Varone all participated in the Sabres rookie camp earlier in the summer, Parker and Varone will be in camp with the Amerks in a few weeks time as well. Beyers was impressive in camp and will remain on Buffalo’s radar for him final year of junior.
If the Sabres prospects go out and win this tournament I say more power to them. If they finish eighth, too bad. The final result is not that important. It is more about identifying individual talents and where those players are in their development.
Adam, Kassian, Marcus Foligno, McNabb and Pysyk will be expected to carry the team and be major contributors in all situations. After all, they are the most talented and experienced players on the roster.
Other players who will need to have a good showing are Corey Fienhage, Steven Shipley, Kevin Sundher and the three invitees Beyers, Parker and Varone. Finehage remains in limbo after three poor years with North Dakota and an underwhelming stay win Kamloops last season. Shipley and Sundher are expected to be contributors argue AHL level in the coming seasons and it will be important to see how they compete against this level of competition. Sundher’s speed stood out to me at rookie camp, hopefully he is still one of he fastest on the ice in Michigan. As for the three invites, it will be key for them to continue to prove thief worth. They obviously performed well enough in June to get a second look. Another strong performance could mean a contract in the near future..
The only position that really holds little bearing for me is goaltender. It seems as if Nathan Lieuwen, the injury prone pick from the 2011 draft, will be heading back to The WHL this season. So it is unlikely that a stellar performance will do much for his stock. It will be nice to see if he can show promise as his size makes him an intriguing prospect for a few years down the line. As for Ryan Rondeau, the Yale product is an invite that is here to fill a roster spot and see some shots at a higher level. No reason to look beyond that.
I am looking forward to seeing what these kids have to offer. I enjoy the Traverse City tournament but often have little reason to tune in. Now that i have a vested interest, I will really enjoy watching the tournament through to the end.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
