The Sabres are in the middle of their longest road trip of the season. So far, Buffalo has stayed afloat in the Eastern Conference standings. The play hasn’t been impeccable. However, GM Darcy Regier told Schopp and the Bulldog he thinks his team has shown itself to be a contender.
“I do think in terms of the Stanley Cup obviously. I think we can continue to get better to improve. You’re starting to see our top six scorers generate better numbers. How much can we grow between now and the end of the season? You appreciate things when you see guys sticking up for each other, showing pride…I don’t sit and think this is the team we have to beat to win the Stanley Cup. I think about what we have to do to get better.”
How do the Sabres go about getting better?
“The focus this year has been largely the top six scorers and trying to find more scoring. I think Thomas Vanek has improved. Tim Connolly is on a pretty good role. Lines are largely driven by the centers. Look at Tim Connolly and Derek Roy right now. We’re still looking for more from our top six scorers.”
Connolly carried a 13 game points streak into Thursday’s game in Los Angeles. It’s the longest such run of his career.
Tyler Myers continues to impress Darcy.
“I see his confidence growing. I think he realizes that he’s this far into the season, and he believes he can get better. I don’t know where it’s going to go. He’s a very even-keeled, level-headed player, especially for his age. It’s fun to watch.”
Regier offered a response to the OHL’s suspension of Sabres prospect Zach Kassian.
“We’ll stay close to him. The staff there is responsible for keeping him focused. He is physically NHL-ready. The OHL comes down hard on hits to the head. Zach was obviously overzealous in his first game for Windsor, his hometown team. He’ll pay the price for it.”
The entire interview can be heard in the WGR 550 audio vault.
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