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8 months ago: Zack Kassian poses with team officials as he is drafted by the Buffalo Sabres at the 2009 NHL hockey entry draft Friday, June 26, 2009, in Montreal. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz)

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At the age of 19, Zack Kassian has already seen himself compared to Milan Lucic, Bob Probert and Todd Bertuzzi. Selected 13th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, the power forward is expected to have a big hand in the organization's future with his combination of physicality and playmaking prowess.

The former Peterborough Petes captain was traded to the Windsor Spitfires in early-January to supply the club with leadership and to look out for his teammates. Kassian is viewed as one of the final pieces Windsor required for a second run at the Memorial Cup this year with the strong and energetic play he displays.

Although he is more known for his hitting and fighting, the native of LaSalle has displayed his offensive skills averaging over a point per game in his second OHL season and compiling 27 points in the final 33 matches with Peterborough prior to the trade. He scored a goal during his first game with Windsor but was later ejected and eventually suspended for 20 games because of a hit on forward Matt Kennedy of the Barrie Colts.

His anticipated return is on March 7 against Sault Ste. Marie. Zack was kind enough to lend me a few minutes of his time to speak about his suspension, the skills he possesses, playing with the Spitfires and his eventual debut with the Buffalo Sabres. 

You've been often compared to guys like Bob Probert and Milan Lucic. Would you agree with those assessments or is there maybe another player you see having a style that resembles your own?

I like to think of myself as my own player but those guys are people I like to pattern my game after. Obviously, they're both established NHL players. Lucic is so young and so talented, Probert played in the NHL for many years and he's very tough so I don't know if I could live up to that (laughs). I don't disagree but I like to think of myself as my own player.

Not a lot of players can hit, fight and produce offensively with equal efficiency. How do you bring all of these elements together so well for your overall game?

Just a lot of focus, knowing when I make a big hit or if I want to score that it's not me just wanting to play that one area. I want to do it all so I think that has a lot to do with it. I don't want to be just a one-dimensional player, I want to do more than one thing out there and that's what my mindset is.

Regarding your suspension, your coach thought you were a victim of bad timing because the hit came within a few days of Patrice Cormier's check in the QMJHL. Do you think the circumstances of your punishment may have been different if the whole head shot debate wasn't already receiving so much attention?

I didn't really read into it too much. What our commissioner of the OHL wants to do, he's going to do. I'm not going to argue with it because he chose that. I just have to move on and now the suspension's basically over so it's time to forget about that.

People often don't take into consideration how fast the game of hockey is when they analyze hits. They think it's so easy for someone to pull back a little during a shift. But when you look back, is there anything you would have changed about the way you finished your check?

No, I've said that a number of times. You're right, the game is fast and when you look at things on replay, anyone can sit at home watching their television commenting on what I should have done or shouldn't have done but during the game, like you said, it's so fast. Decisions are made so quick that sometimes you don't always make the right one.

You're a player that will stand up for his teammates without hesitation. Where does that fearless edge come from?

It's just wanting to be a team guy and wanting to do anything for the team to win. I think star players like Taylor Hall; you only play with these guys once a year. He's the best player in the world and you don't want him being hurt. You want him to kind of feel protected out there.

Your return to the line-up is just a few days away and you'll have four games to prepare for the playoffs. Any concerns with this type of situation?

Not at all, the coaching staff has been working with me through skating and little games here to get me ready. Joey, our trainer, has worked with me off the ice so I think it'll take a couple of games to get my timing back but definitely nothing is too worrying right now.

You've mentioned before that skating was one area you really wanted to improve on. How close would you say you are to reaching your goal there?

When I'm playing in the NHL full-time, then I'll have reached my goal (laughs).

When you're fighting is there a technique you use or any kind of particular training you undergo to prepare yourself?

No, to be honest I just throw punches and try not to get hit (laughs).

In Windsor, you aren't necessarily the captain like you were in Peterborough but will still be depended upon as a leader. Will any part of your game change in terms of how much responsibility you feel is on your shoulders?

No, to me it doesn't matter if you're wearing a letter or not. I just go out there and do what I do. I'm not too vocal but we have great leaders in this room and they're young. There's a whole group of people that have letters or don't even have letters that are leading on this team. I think if we all work together, we're going to have a good shot in the playoffs this year.

Were the Buffalo Sabres a team you were eyeing in last year's draft or were you hoping to maybe land somewhere else?

To be honest, I didn't really care where I went. It's the NHL, to be a part of any team is an honor. I think Buffalo could be a better place for me with all their skilled smaller players. A big guy like me could fit in quite well there in the future.

Plenty of Sabres followers believe you'll be ready for the NHL very soon with your abilities. Is there a particular time frame you're targeting for when you'd like to enter the league?

As soon as possible. Last year, I went in with the mindset of making it but I didn't. It was a high standard for me and obviously a lot of players don't make it right after they are drafted. My main focus right now is the Windsor Spitfires and trying to win a second Memorial Cup.

Last question, the Buffalo Sabres aren't a big team by NHL standards and many people see you as that power forward they've been lacking for years and also someone who can provide a much needed physical presence. Have you thought about this much and do you think you'll feel any pressure with these expectations?

No, it's the business we're in I guess (laughs). There's always going to be pressure and expectations. You clear your head, go out there and at the end of the day just have fun with it. There's always going to be people wanting more things that you can provide but as a hockey player, you just have to go out there, do what you do and everything will work out.

I want to thank Zack very much for taking the time to speak with me and wish him the best of luck for the remainder of this season and his future.

The month of February has come to close and that means it is time for our monthly look at the Sabres prospects. Last month I introduced a post that used NHLE to compare the prospects in the Sabres organization. It isn't a perfect science but it is a way to evaluate the players that play in different leagues.

NHLE is basically a way to estimate how a prospect would do if they were playing in the NHL based on their statistics in the league they are currently playing in. A full explanation on how it works can be found here.

How difficult is it to score a goal in the National Hockey League (NHL) relative to another league?  With half of NHL players coming from the minor leagues, a quarter from European Elite Leagues, 20% coming directly from Canadian Major Junior and 10% from the NCAA, that’s a question NHL teams try to answer every day.  In evaluating these players, it is critical to know how a player’s performance translates to the NHL.

 

One way to evaluate the difficulty of one league relative to another is examine the relative performance of players who have played in both leagues.  Players rarely play significant time in two leagues in the same year, but they often play in one league in one year and in another the next.  As long as a player’s skill level is approximately constant over this two year period, the ratio of his performance in each league can be used to estimate the relative difficulty of the two leagues.

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Photo courtesy of Cranbook Photo and the Kootenay Ice

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Brayden McNabb was a third round draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres this summer in Montreal. McNabb is another big bodied defenseman that fits the profile of what the Sabres have tried to accomplish the past couple of drafts. McNabb was a third round pick by the Sabres but they stated publicly they had him pegged as a second rounder. He is a guy the Sabres brass expects to wear the blue and gold at some point in his career.

McNabb has had a breakout season offensively in the Western Hockey League. He has scored 16 goals and has 54 points in 55 games as a defenseman. He suffered a knee injury early in the season but that hasn't stopped him from piling up big numbers, including 98 penalty minutes.

McNabb has been a big part of the Kootenay Ice this season. After a bit of a slow start the team has played well recently and they are currently in fourth place of the Eastern Conference in the WHL. They have clinched a playoff spot and are hoping to make a run in the playoffs.

Follow the jump for a full transcript of the interview.

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When the Buffalo Sabres selected Bradley Eidsness in the fifth round (#139 overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft nobody was sure about the pick. Eidsness was an unknown goalie that was playing in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. He had great numbers in the AJHL but nobody was sure how that would translate at the next level.

It didn't take Eidsness long to show people the Sabres didn't make a mistake. As a freshman he had 24 wins which second in school history behind only Ed Belfour who had 29 wins in 1986-1987. His 24 wins was also the most in the WCHA and his 2.39 goals against average tied him for the best in the conference with Alex Stalock from Minnesota-Duluth.

The Sabres seem to favor goalies who take the NCAA route after the success of Ryan Miller. They have stocked their system with NCAA goalies and Eidsness appears to among the best of the group.

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Corey Fienhage was a 3rd round draft pick (#81 overall) of the Buffalo Sabres in the 2008 entry draft. Fienhage is a defenseman for the North Dakota Fighting Sioux on the WCHA. He played in only nine games as a freshman but this season, his sophomore campaign, he has played in 21 games and has become a regular on the Sioux blueline.

Fienhage fits the profile of a fan favorite in Buffalo. He is a big body defenseman (6'3" - 215 lbs.) that isn't afraid to play a physical style. I had an opportunity to catch up with him this week and talk about his season and his future in the Sabres organization.

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I promised everyone a more in depth look at the Sabres prospects this season and I haven't held up my end of the bargain. This is an opportunity for me to make up for some lost time. With the help of The Copper & Blue I found a unique way to rate the Sabres prospects using the NHLE that was created by Gabe Desjardins at the great site Behind the Net.

NHLE is basically a way to estimate how a prospect would do if they were playing in the NHL based on their statistics in the league they are currently playing in. A full explanation on how it works can be found here.

How difficult is it to score a goal in the National Hockey League (NHL) relative to another league?  With half of NHL players coming from the minor leagues, a quarter from European Elite Leagues, 20% coming directly from Canadian Major Junior and 10% from the NCAA, that’s a question NHL teams try to answer every day.  In evaluating these players, it is critical to know how a player’s performance translates to the NHL.

 

One way to evaluate the difficulty of one league relative to another is examine the relative performance of players who have played in both leagues.  Players rarely play significant time in two leagues in the same year, but they often play in one league in one year and in another the next.  As long as a player’s skill level is approximately constant over this two year period, the ratio of his performance in each league can be used to estimate the relative difficulty of the two leagues.

Continue reading this post »

Late last week I had an opportunity to talk to Buffalo Sabres prospect Mark Adams. Adams was the Sabres fourth selection (5th round, 134 overall) after playing last season at Malden Catholic in his home state of Massachusetts. Adams is playing this season with the Chicago Steel in the United States Hockey League (USHL) before attending Providence College next year.

After the jump Mark answers questions about the experience of being drafted, playing in the USHL, his favorite team growing up and more.

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Disclaimer - I am suffering from a terrible cold/flu and I was highly medicated while writing this. Please report any errors in this post, factual or otherwise to the site administrator.

It's another week and another opportunity to have a look at some players at the farm and some in juniors or college. Overall it was a good week for the Sabres youngsters both in Portland and elsewhere.

The most important thing to hapen this week might be the resurgence of Jhonas Enroth in goal for the Portland Pirates. Enroth won both of his starts this week and is slowly getting his numbers back to respectability.

Sticking with the Pirates, they are turning things around with the help of some of their key players. We all know about Tyler Ennis and Nathan Gerbe and each contributed a goal this week. A guy we don't hear about is Felix Schutz. He is making a pitch to join the German team in the Olympics and this week he scored three goals to make his case. Schutz started slow but now he has four goals in the last two weeks.

The Pirates blueline received a boost with the return of Marc-Andre Gragnani and Gragnani had two assists this week. Matt Generous had his best week of the season as well, with three assists and a plus-4 rating.

The Sabres have a talented bunch of players that are playing in the Canadian Hockey League. Luke Adam has to be the best of the group and he proved it again this week with four goals and three assists. He now has 19 goals on the season. Jacob Lagace is trying his best to keep up with Adam in "The Q" and he scored three this past week. Maxime Legault also added a pair of goals in "The Q" this week.

Nick Crawford was playing well before he was traded and he has not had any trouble fitting in with the Barrie Colts. Crawford had four assists for the Colts this week. (I am going to see Crawford play on Friday night in Erie against the Otters).

Marcus Foligno has not had the best season but this week he scored twice to give him three goals on the season. Brayden McNabb is another 2009 draft pick and another player that had a good week. McNabb netted a pair of goals and added two assists playing for Kootenay in the Western Hockey League.

It wasn't a banner week for the collegiate players that are part of the Sabres system. We have grown accustomed to Corey Tropp lighting up the scoreboard for the Michigan State Spartans so his goal and an assist seems like a subpar week for him.

Follow the jump for full statistics.

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