After having a bit of fun on Twitter I felt that I might try out a new feature on the blog. Drawing inspiration from Justin Bourne's System Analyst series, I'll pick a play from a recent Sabres game and break it down frame-by-frame to see what exactly went wrong in that given moment.
Sometimes it will be a goal against, sometimes a goal for. Saves will be on the menu as well with my goal to add a little humor and a little clarity to various moments over the rest of Buffalo's schedule.
Jeff Skinner has become a focal point for Sabres fans as his pending free agent status and impressive play has made him a priority for Jason Botterill to sort out. We discuss what a contract extension might look like for Skinner and what the timeline for that might be. We also hit on Evan Rodrigues and how the opportunity to sign him for a longer term and lower cap hit could put the Sabres in a favorable position as the cap continues to rise and the Sabres continue to build. Along the way we hit on the NHL's concussion lawsuit settlement and the Sabres outlook leading up to American Thanksgiving.
Two in the Mailbox, the weekly mailbag on the Sabres, goalie stuff, Buffalo and anything in between, is back. You can submit to the mailbag using #2ITBmailbag on Twitter or emailing 2intheboxbuffalo@gmail.com.
Matt/@matt_hervan – Which Casey signs a contract first, Mittelstadt or Nelson?
This is a good one. There's been some chatter that Mittelstadt will return to Minnestoa for another season rather than signing to play in Rochester. There's no guarantee that's what Jason Botterill would want him to do – although it's likely given his m/o – but that's an option that would be on the table which could also keep the clock on his entry-level deal from starting. However, if Mittelstadt is to sign it's my belief that it will come this spring after his season with the Gophers comes to a close. The Sabres would have the ability to pitch him on getting pro games right away, even burning a year of his ELC if it comes to that. He'd get a chance to make his NHL debut and he'd be able to play in the playoffs with Rochester as well, which should be a decent selling point for the player just as it would be an attractive development step for the club.
Getting Nelson extended seems like it's going to be an offseason task. He's unrestricted thanks to his Group VI UFA status but he really fits the mold of a true RFA. So it seems likely that once the season wraps up that Botterill will get to work on penning a new contract between Nelson and his agent.