Blue Jackets at Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres went all-out in free agency over the summer, bringing in a group of veterans the team hopes will at least elevate it out of the Eastern Conference basement. The Columbus Blue Jackets, who visit the Sabres in the season opener on Thursday, are a year more experienced and are aiming for a return trip to the postseason. The Blue Jackets brought in veteran Scott Hartnell to add an edge to their forwards and help take some pressure off the young blue line.
Buffalo’s 52 points were 14 below the next-closest team in the NHL last season and general manager Tim Murray got to work reshaping the roster to push the club forward, bringing in veterans Brian Gionta, Matt Moulson and defensemen Andrej Meszaros and Andre Benoit. “My expectation is to make the playoffs,” Gionta told ESPN.com. “I didn't go there to sit around and watch the playoffs on TV.” Columbus solved its biggest problem on Monday when it signed leading-scorer Ryan Johansen (33 goals, 30 assists) to a three-year, $12 million contract extension, ending a holdout.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Columbus), MSG (Buffalo)
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (2013-14: 42-32-7, 4TH IN METROPOLITAN): Columbus went 7-1-0 in the preseason and enters the 2014-15 campaign with plenty of confidence after a strong showing against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the playoffs last spring. The most pressing issue all summer was the contract negotiation with Johansen, which became quite the ordeal that threatened to turn very ugly. “It’s already behind me,” Johansen told the Columbus Dispatch. “Nothing positive comes from holding a grudge. I've already talked to (general manager) Jarmo (Kekalainen) and (president of hockey operations) John Davidson, and we’re on the same page.”
ABOUT THE SABRES (2013-14: 21-51-10, 8TH IN ATLANTIC): Gionta’s expectations are tempered by Murray, who is not planning a worst-to-first turnaround but instead a culture change that results in consistent growth. “I want our guys to practice hard every day,” Murray told ESPN.com. “…I want that mentality that every time you get on the ice it means something. ... I believe that we’re going to be a competitive team when we’re a competitive team. It’s not a rush.” The biggest change the team made during the 2013-14 season was trading away long-time goalie Ryan Miller, and Jhonas Enroth will get the first chance this season to earn the starting minutes.
OVERTIME
1. Blue Jackets C Brandon Dubinsky will miss six weeks after undergoing abdominal surgery on Wednesday.
2. Buffalo C Sam Reinhart, who was the No. 2 pick in the 2014 draft, made the team and is expected to be active Thursday.
3. Blue Jackets C Nathan Horton (back) was placed on IR on Sunday and could miss more than a week.