Injury Updates On Samuelsson, Jokiharju, Skinner, Cozens, Johnson | Buffalo Sabres Coach Don Granato
Was pumped Jeff Skinner was pumped to be back on the ice again uh what are you thinking he might have be a chance for Saturday you thinking more towards California you know there there there’s a couple guys that were back on the ice today a couple guys
That uh one that wasn’t one that was that we were going to give a maintenance day to uh but it’s that it’s that time of the year with lots of different guys uh so the decisions will be made the morning on the lineup because we have
You know three or four guys that are right on right on that USP um uh the positive is I guess the one guy that that I feel very you know comfortable with going through is Samuelson was pushed it hard today which was nice to
See so now it’ll be I think it’s more of a decision now does he got enough in to get ready to go but um and you know good news on Skinner still need to know more tomorrow morning um so yeah we’re going the right direction and we’re going in the direction fast
Now so it’s good what’s the worry with Henry I know soreness was was was said by sess and he was one guy we I was going to give him the day just to to maintenance um you know um simple shot block so something that’ll resolve and
And actually he had a really good day so um that was nice Jeff’s heading toward his fourth 30 goal season with the Sabres and he kind of flies under the radar a bit what like what’s allowed him you know in his late 20s early 30s to find a new level and
That consistency that he has maybe with the last you know three four years uh he I I’ve seen him adapt his game um he is you know he was I can remember when I even I got here was he he was not under the radar obviously he just signed a big deal and
It was goals goals goals and everything was measured on goals and not goals and um I think he’s done a nice job to uh as he’s aged you know players age you got to evolve your game um you know things that you were great at at 23 24 you know
Even from an athleticism standpoint you don’t have that same athleticism when you approach 30 and Beyond So you you’re you’re you’re evolving your game as your body evolves well and he’s evolved his game he’s a he’s a he always has been an intelligent player but now he’s I think he’s self-taught
Uh more playmaking more situational awareness and reads uh so he’s he’s dangerous in many more ways I’ve seen him in the last three years now than just the the normal way you’d think of Jeff Skinner scoring scoring a goal the guy scoring the goal he’s he’s disruptive he’s makes plays up
And down the rink at at another level um than than maybe he did prior or earlier in his career and he certainly is that way around the net when it comes to Jacob brys do you feel I just had a chance to chat with look you can’t do
Anything other than go down and work on your game make the best of it type of a thing he always had a positive attitude since has he handled this year the right way do you feel with everything that he’s gone through definitely yeah he has
And you know last year you know as a as a very young guy and and not a lot of experience in the NHL it was a challenging year it was just you know you you you come in and things don’t go well and you don’t have any time to
Breathe it’s just game after game after game and things you know positive or negative can compound you know you either you’re either in a rhythm or you can’t get in a rhythm because things are happening so fast and I think he was challenged with that last year but
Gained the experience of it uh the hindsight of it going into the off season and we have a much more mature player based on the experience gain unfortunately negative and that’s like that’s how life is we lots of times in life we learn more from a negative experience than a positive one
Unfortunately and uh Bryce was challenged quite a bit last year he he looked within himself s to resolve it and and become better because of it and I think we have a much better player um we’ve obviously added some guys to our team over you know over the summertime
Eric Johnson being a real key for us in the penalty kill and Clifton giving us some some grit and Bryce kind of got squeezed out a little bit there so um you know he’s played the games in Rochester because he needed games um but
He he he in my mind he’s a better player than he was a year ago how what have you seen from Matias as he’s navigated the ups and downs of the season and what can he take from you know I just you know speaking to him he hasn’t he hasn’t been
Happy with the consistency although he feels like he’s he’s Managed IT you know with Matias he he’s uh he’s hard on himself uh he’s competitive and it’s it’s you know where we think we can get him he hasn’t gone and so sometimes that’s hard you know we push him as
Coaches we we feel that that there’s so much more potential than him his his actual right now is good his potential is is way exceeds where he is so here we are pushing him but he’s not gone into that territory yet it’s an unknown so he’s not sure uh he doesn’t
Have confidence so even though you’re pushing him he’s he’s sort of he’s been in so successful in a comfort zone being just a kind of a defensive Defender and we want we want more out of them we want more grit more use of size more uh you
Know he has some ability to move pucks and join a transition distance simple forms uh and all that means pressure we’re putting lots of pressure on him because we need him you know we’re we’re young as a as a team and we need growth and growth is not always
Comfortable for guys that have been in positions like uh like with Bryson where he was here for a lot lot of the Season didn’t get in a lot of games when they go down and they come back what’s what’s the thing you want to see most from them
That they that they’ve learned and been able to put together in that time yeah I don’t think it’s anything you learn down there at this point um I mean not to say you can’t learn stuff but but that’s not the emphasis of going down there it’s to
Get in a rhythm and and get get games and and feel good about your game and pace and dealing with chaos that you might not see in in pressure that you might not see in practice or physicality so you know I I I think for for someone like Bryson anybody going down there
It’s just to stay in a rhythm to stay in a rhythm and obviously you get like we saw with Devon Levi you know you’re in you’re in a little bit of a rut it’s a it’s a resource that we have in our organization okay go go breathe for a
Segment whether it’s a week two weeks two days whatever it is but get out of the fire that’s the NHL that you you don’t have any time to take a break once the NHL season starts that’s a resource that you can take a break from the NHL
And we’ve seen how how important that is for so many players old or young um but in in Bryson’s case he cleared waivers we were able to do that um and I don’t think it was as much a reset for Bryce is it’s get in a rhythm how tough is
That for guys to get over you know going from like basically zero to 100 like that like and just like you know a flip of a switch where it’s you know you’re not doing a lot and then it’s you’re going right back into it yeah I’m I’m
Sure it’s a shock you know uh in a grind because you know you know and you’re you’re taking hits you’re blocking shots you’re the next morning you wake up it’s way different than practice way different you know you can practice all you want but when you’re in games you
Are you are sore the next day and if you’re not sore you’re you’re drained you you’re fatigued so there’s there is so much urgency to recovering your body needs to recover because it’s been beaten up you don’t get that into practice um you know primarily in the
NHL too because your your guys we practice today but how many guys can go in a corner battle they just played last night they’re they’re in the process of recovering because they play tomorrow so if you’re that that extra guy you’re not getting that combative you know work in
A practice because the guys can’t can’t do that they’re trying to recover from last night’s game and prepare for tomorrow’s game which is most of your practices in the NHL are that there’s not a day not many days in the NHL where it’s actually a dedicated practice to
Getting better it’s usually a recovery or a quick Rhythm prep for the next day uh being a game given where Devon’s at in his development his age you know with in the way that uko is playing how do you Kevin even the development staff might really just gauge is this the best situation
For Devon to you know gain practice reps but right now he’s you know UK’s been your starter in games so what is the question again is there any concern about Deon not not getting game experience you know just give him where he’s at in his development we will we we talk about it
Every day obviously um and measure measure that you know we look at at Devon and you guys know it as a and we’ve looked at op and he still is they’re in a developmental window and so every day you’re gauging okay what’s what’s the best for the development and obviously the best for
Our team um because we’re in a we’re in a win Now situation uh which is a good good place to be you know we’re no longer in the development situation we’re in a we’re in a you know win um so we do we we talk about it every single
Day um and any day there could be a decision you know either way what you know what the next move is uh in respect so when J not around the team as much when he’s hurt when he’s not on the bench or whatever what do you lose personality wise because obviously he’s
You know you see him he’s always smirking and he’s making guys laugh and all that I mean I can tell you the last couple games you’re playing you know teams that that have have had challenging seasons in San Jose and Chicago and they’re dangerous teams because they work hard um and you know
There’s we had a Snow Game where there’s not a building full of people uh obviously probably because of weather and and and whatnot and you miss you know you know I can tell you as a head coach you miss what Skinner brings he brings a competitiveness a fire a burn
To be successful uh under any circumstance or situation the building could be completely dead but this guy just wants to play he wants the puck and he wants to make a play and he wants to score a goal you know he wants to be a differen maker and that’s a driver
That’s a culture driver uh you know that that’s what it is is it he he helps create the urgency of the moment he brings guys in it this matters now and that’s why he’s so accomplished in his career because every moment matters um and and that’s what you miss when you
Don’t have them you know you you some guys you know it’s like okay uh we play we play tomorrow or we play 10 more games or they’re not in the moment with enough urgency and Jeff has never has that problem he he can snap into that immediately talking to except for a few
Games up the middle um obviously there have been guys spending lots of times doing face offs and he just hasn’t had that time to work on it is that something you are looking for him to improve on or you happy with what else he brings in that position well he
Brings a lot in that position but that is absolutely an area that we want to see Improvement um and and part of it is is him getting back to it uh you know reps and how to use what what his skill set is his size his leverage strength uh
You know in certain situations and familiarity with with uh you know how other guys are taking pucks lines or linesmen are dropping pucks there’s so much different uh strategy that would go into that and uh it it takes time I’ve had uh and will you know not not opposed
To even shifting middlestead to a wing on that line opposed to I’ve had there so he can take some draws uh for that reason and others um so there’s things that we can do but but but I think that uh it’s in our best interest that you
Know we have him at least uh develop the ability to to to play center for us um that gives us way more versatility um you know where we can shift from a third line scoring line to a third line checking line then a heartbeat just shifting him so uh he’s a
Nice uh he’s an outstanding acquisition for us and certainly a nice player to have thank you
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