The Instigator Podcast

Rather than run down the usual list of teams we think will succeed this year, we tried our hand at a slightly different format of a season preview. We offer up a trio of potential stand out storylines to keep an eye on for the season and how they could affect the league at large. Before getting to that, we provide a quick update on the latest Jack Eichel news and reflect on where the Sabres stand as they continue to pare down their training camp roster.

Preseason hockey is underway and we discuss the progress the Sabres have made so far but through the lens of preseason hockey. We touch on a few players who have stood out so far, including JJ Peterka and Linus Weissbach. The potential goaltending battle between Aaron Dell and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is touched on and we catch up on Rasmus Dahlin's contract extension after missing the chance to discuss it last week.

Joe Yerdon joins the show for another guest appearance as we discuss all of the drama from the first day of practice at Sabres training camp. We run through Kevyn Adams' comments to open camp and the decision to remove the captaincy from Eichel. How the Sabres move forward in their effort to trade Eichel and how they're being perceived nationally were big topics for the podcast before eventually moving on to discuss the camp roster and the players we're most excited to see in camp and preseason action.

There will be actual hockey games played in Sabres uniforms this week as the 2021 Prospects Challenge kicks off on Friday night. This episode runs down the Sabres roster for the tournament and hits on the key players we're looking forward to seeing on Friday and Saturday. Not only do we dive in on some of the bigger names like JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn but we touch on some of the invites on the roster and what's intriguing about them for the weekend. We also touch briefly on the new COVID mandates put in place for Bills and Sabres games this week.

The NHL will be returning to the Olympics and the 2022 Beijing games. We discuss the implications of the NHL's return and the pros and cons of the deal that was struck. Additionally, we talk through the end of the Jesperi Kotkaniemi offer sheet and Montreal's acquisition of Chrisitan Dvorak while also running through the new contracts for Casey Mittelstadt and Henri Jokiharju.

We are back for another episode and we're discussing Jack Eichel's decision to take on new representation with NHL power agent Pat Brisson. We run down what it means for his current surgery stalemate with the Sabres and the trade rumors that have followed both him and the team since the spring. We also touch on the Jesperi Kotkaniemi offer sheet from the Hurricanes and wrap up the show with some thoughts on the current stadium discourse with the Buffalo Bills.

Tim Graham of The Athletic joins the show to run through everything that's been happening with the Bills stadium negotiations. From the public posturing to how and where the money will be spent we touch on just about everything that's been discussed publicly and lend some opinions on what the stadium could or should look like once shovels are in the ground.

In the wake of free agency we discuss the latest drama surrounding Jack Eichel, the Sabres and Eichel's agents. We touch on the new information learned about the surgery he's seeking, the statement made by his representatives and where trade talks appear to stand at this point. Later in the show we go over Buffalo's free agency activity and crown the teams we feel have improved (and those who haven't) in the offseason.

The NHL Draft offered up plenty of drama as there were a handful of blockbuster trades and a few draft picks in between. We break down the Buffalo Sabres trades of Rasmus Ristolainen and Sam Reinhart, the Chicago Blackhawks addition of Seth Jones and offer an update on the Jack Eichel situation. We also dive in on Buffalo's draft picks and provide a brief primer for free agency as it is set to open on Wednesday.

It's the busiest week of the offseason in the NHL as Seattle has selected their roster via expansion and the NHL Draft kicks off on Friday. We offer a breakdown on Seattle's expansion draft selections along with a discussion on what Buffalo will be looking at with their first two selections of the draft. There's also a quick chat on the trades made on Thursday and a brief Jack Eichel update.