Recapping the French Connection Tournament at Harborcenter
By Jourdon LaBarber / Sabres.com
Victor Olofsson skated toward the net on his shootout attempt, brought the puck between his legs and buried a backhand shot, a jaw-dropping move that drew the approval of the crowd inside Harborcenter for the annual French Connection Tournament on Saturday.
On the very next attempt, Tage Thompson – competing against Olofsson’s team in the championship game – went from his backhand to his forehand and buried his own shot, then went on to hoist the trophy after his team won the five-round shootout.
The shootout goals made for memorable moments on the highlight reel, but it was Olofsson and Thompson’s leadership throughout the week that stood out to Sabres management as development camp came to an end on Saturday.
Thompson was selected as the recipient of the Craig Ramsay Leadership Award, given annually to the player deemed as the hardest worker at development camp. Sabres brass noticed his productive offseason – he already put on eight pounds from training this summer – and told Thompson’s fellow prospects to follow in his footsteps.
Sabres assistant general manager Steve Greeley commended Thompson for his attitude as well, as the 21-year-old winger embraced the chance to lead his younger teammates despite coming into camp with 106 NHL games already on his resume. It’s no accident that Thompson was selected to room with Dylan Cozens, the seventh-overall pick in this year’s draft.
Olofsson, meanwhile, was the third-oldest player at this year’s camp and one of just two members present from the team’s 2014 draft class (along with goalie Jonas Johansson). He smiled when asked if he was glad about the likelihood of this being his last development camp.
“No, I like being here,” he said. “It’s awesome. It really helps me to skate in the summer, too. I haven’t been skating up to this point, so it kind of helps me to come into it quick. But it’s always fun being here.”
Botterill lauded Olofsson for taking ownership when it came to helping younger teammates, something Olofsson said was a goal of his at the outset of camp. But he managed to impress on the ice, too, both with his patented release and his work ethic.
“It’s been exciting to watch all of the kids here,” Sabres coach Ralph Krueger said. “Of course, Victor is somebody who is on the radar, he had an excellent season in Rochester last year and he also is impressing me with the way he’s committed when he doesn’t have the puck.
“He works hard in both directions with equal speed and a scoring player who’s young like that has to first of all be able to play without the puck to be able to break into this roster. He’s definitely an exciting player for the future.”
Thompson and Olofsson will be among a group of wingers competing for an NHL roster spot in camp this fall, along with Alexander Nylander and C.J. Smith. Botterill referred to the position as one of organizational strength thanks to that internal competition coming from Rochester.
Though they are competing, they’re helping each other, too.
“It’s great to have those guys around,” Olofsson said. “I feel like we push each other to be better every day.”
Cozens feels OK after scare
Cozens saw his tournament come to a premature end due to a thumb injury, but said he felt OK when talking to reporters following the championship game. Though he will see a specialist on Monday, he suggested the injury wasn’t as bad as it looked on social media.
“It’s good,” he said. “I saw the videos and stuff. I think it looked a lot worse than it really was. I’m feeling good and I’m seeing a specialist Monday. But right when it happened, I wanted to get right back out there so I’m feeling good.”
Despite the early ending, Cozens spoke highly of his experience at his first camp.
“It’s been really good,” he said. “The city’s been awesome, and just getting to meet all the staff and everyone, they’re all really good, really nice. It’s crazy that I’m in the NHL right now at a development camp.”
Miller hopes to bring lessons from Vegas to Buffalo
Colin Miller felt he was part of something special in Vegas. He’ll look to replicate that feeling in Buffalo.
The Sabres acquired Miller from the Golden Knights on Friday in exchange for a second-round pick in 2021 (from St. Louis) and a fifth-round pick in 2022.The 26-year-old, right-shot defenseman spent the past two seasons in Vegas and was a part of the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018.
“In Vegas, I learned a lot of valuable things,” Miller said during a conference call on Saturday. “We had a great team there and we learned a lot over two years about playoffs and what it took to win. Hopefully I can transition that over and try and be part of something here that’s winning.
“I know it’s been a little bit since there’s been playoff hockey in Buffalo. They were right there last year so it will be a lot of fun trying to build something special here.”
Sabres general manager Jason Botterill said his interest in Miller dates back to the defenseman’s days in the AHL, when Miller’s Manchester Monarchs squared off with Botterill’s Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins in postseason play.
Miller continued to add playoff pedigree in the ensuing years, playing spring hockey in three of four NHL seasons with Boston and Vegas.
“I have the utmost respect for what Vegas has done over the last couple years,” Botterill said. “It’s an amazing story for our league. We talked a lot about it with Brandon Montour coming into our group, the playoff experience he got in Anaheim. It’s the same thing here with Colin.
“At every level, he’s had an opportunity to play in playoffs. Especially the last two or three seasons, getting that much playoff experience, playing in those situations, the intensity, just having that understanding of what it takes to get to the playoffs and have success in the playoffs.”
Sabres coach Ralph Krueger suggested Vegas’ aggressive defensive scheme will make Miller a fit on the ice as well.
“I spoke with Colin this morning, he’s up in Sault Ste. Marie, and we had an excellent conversation,” Krueger said. “His energy that he brings, the experiences he’s had now with Vegas, a team that plays on its toes, that likes to have an aggressive defensive style, really suits us.”