At 18, center Jack Eichel set to make National Hockey League debut with Sabres

“I do relax, I am calm, I do take breaks”, Kane said, “I’m not as go, go, go as maybe it seems to be”.

As the Buffalo Sabres begin a new season, 7 Eyewitness Sports Anchor Shawn Stepner begins a new podcast.

Dan Bylmsa announced that Brian Gionta will serve as captain again this season, retaining his role from last season. So they’re going to improve just by sheer odds. They made a blockbuster move at the draft to add legitimate top-center Ryan O’Reilly. The 25-year-old said he’d been thinking about it and decided it was time, plus it was better to deal with the attention before the start of the regular season. “I think it’s tough for anyone to say any one thing to you when you’re playing your first game”. Win or lose, fans know (or should know) that there’s a new coaching staff and a revamped roster featuring 12 players 24 yrs. old or younger.

This definitely isn’t a playoff outfit quite yet, but for the first few months of the season they’re sure going to pretend they are. He also flipped the 21st overall pick for Lehner and David legwand. “Even though it gets asked every day and is out there, it’s really outside our sphere and his sphere and he doesn’t really need to worry about it. His comparisons to Connor McDavid, his comparisons to his daily activity if he has a good game, bad game, good shift or bad shift”.

While they’ve made a few additions to the defense and found the goalie their willing to commit to, Cam Talbot has yet to be a consistent National Hockey League starter.

“It lets us know they have that confidence in us”.

The offense is already missing a key contributor in Jordan Eberle for up to six weeks.

Tim Murray, general manager of the measly Buffalo Sabres, said, “I don’t want to have anything to do with it”, and “I don’t even want to speak to it”, during a press conference last season when the topic of tanking arose. Playing for Boston University last season, Eichel was the nation’s leading scorer and posted the highest point total for a collegiate freshman since 1993.

“My first shift I missed a breakaway pass because I was so nervous and I would have been gone”, a smiling Kane said of his 2009 debut for Atlanta against Tampa Bay. No, instead I’m picking someone you might not expect: Andrew Hammond of the Ottawa Senators. “So I’m predicting they’ll be the most improved team and will be knocking on the playoff door”.

Veteran forward Matt Moulson has helped ease Eichel’s transition, by having the rookie live with him and his family. Rightfully so, but there are other rookies to consider. The Bruins just sent away two of their best young players in Milan Lucic and Dougie Hamilton and appear in disarray. “We’ve showed that we have the ability to do that at the end of the year”. At practice Wednesday Eichel skated with Evander Kane and Sam Reinhart, the second pick of the 2014 draft. He obviously has a big shot and great vision but it’s when he’s skating that he’s at his best.

O’Reilly and Eichel will center Buffalo’s top two lines, allowing Tyler Ennis and Zemgus Girgensons to shift to the wings. In order to be good you’ve got to be the hardest worker away from the puck. This year, the Sabres will call upon the 24-year-old Lehner to take charge as goaltender – a position that has been understaffed since the departure of Ryan Miller.

That said, there are more than a couple of intriguing challengers this season.

For the season ticket holders who suffered through the last two seasons getting a hockey return that equaled pennies on the dollar, this looks to be a fun season.

Now, he’s ready for a fresh start in Pittsburgh and he’ll get to ride shotgun with the best player in the world, Sidney Crosby.