For the first time in 296 days, the Buffalo Sabres returned to the ice, as a team, to take part in the first practice of training camp for the shortened 2020-21 season.
The last time the Sabres had practiced together as a group was back on March 11, 2020 as the team prepared for a matchup with the Canadiens at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
However, that was the night the National Basketball Association had its first COVID-19 scare with a player on the Utah Jazz testing positive for the coronavirus. The NBA shut down its regular season following the night's games around the league, and the National Hockey League followed suit.
Months later, the NHL agreed to its Return To Play plan that would see 24 of the league's 31 teams competing for the chance to play for the Stanley Cup later in the year in October. The Sabres, though, were just on the outside looking in and missed out on the playoffs for a ninth-consecutive season.
Finally, as the Year 2021 commenced on Friday, the Sabres were able to get back to work to prepare for the 56-game campaign, starting Thursday, Jan. 14 against the Washington Capitals at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.
"Expectations were flat, because I wasn't sure how the group would be. But the professionalism, and the level of execution, and some of the drills, especially in the second half, I ran them longer than expected because the pace stayed at a high level. Really, really excited. We had a lot of fun today," Krueger said following the first session of practice on Friday. "I'm just so pleased to have a confirmation of what we felt about the physical state of the group. I believe if somebody walked in off the street, they wouldn't have known that many of those players hadn't had a team practice in 10 months. I think that's a compliment to the group today."
The Sabres, along with the Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators, San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks and New Jersey Devils, were allowed to open up training camps early this season with the other 24 teams having had time to play this summer in the Return To Play plan.
The make up of the practice groups on Friday were not what has been in the past with training camps, with an even amount of talent spilt up between the two sessions. Instead, the first group consisted mostly of the players who will either make the 23-man roster or be fighting to make the six-man taxi squad. The second group was made up of mostly players who could be utilized on the taxi squad, but their most likely destination to start the season will be the American Hockey League when its season starts on Feb. 5.
However, this strategy was intentional by Krueger and his coaching staff, given the limited time they have without any sort of exhibition games before the regular season commences.
"We made the decision to go with a team-like feeling right off the hop," Krueger explained. "We don't have time to play with potential pairs and lines. Let's start going and looking at Day 1 as, 'Let's get ready to play right now.' We will break the groups up for the intrasquad game on [Jan. 4] and have more equal matchups, but this is the way we're starting. ... There is a clear pathway that we see as the best way for us to get our starting lineup ready for the Washington game on [Jan. 14]."
While the tight schedule for training camp may not be seen as a positive for some, Krueger believes that this timeline for his team is just the right amount of time to get ready for the season ahead.
"I feel that 13 days of preparation is more than enough to get everybody on the same page, bought into the game we want to play," Krueger said. "I actually believe because we don't have any exhibition games, it's an advantage that you stay in-house every day, lots of teaching opportunities. Of course, using players that were deep in the process last year; that core group is so strong, and they believe completely in our team game, and they will also be coaching their linemates. You can see [the new guys] spread out in our lineup today and working with them. You can hear conversations, already, on the boards, I'm sure they're going on in the locker room. We feel quite comfortable with the time that we have to prepare, especially the experience that our additions are bringing with them. They will get it very quickly what the game is here in Buffalo that we need to play."
One of those new players taking in their first practice with the team on Friday was left winger Taylor Hall.
The 29-year-old surprised many around the league this October when he decided to sign a one-year deal with the Sabres as an unrestricted free agent. Instead of signing a long-term contract with a contender, like many had expected, he took a chance on playing on a one-year deal with Buffalo.
Hall said that he arrived in Buffalo on Christmas Day and tried to get in a few skates with his teammates before the opening of camp. Given the circumstances of the season, Hall admitted on Friday that it has been a challenge getting adapted to joining a new team this time around.
"Ideally in a normal offseason, if you're a new guy, you come to camp two-to-three weeks ahead of time, and by the time camp starts you feel like one of the guys right away. This year is a bit different, but it's just a challenge," Hall said with the media following Friday's session. "Everyone is going through something different. This year is going to be full of that. I think you come into things with as positive of an attitude as you can and take the bumps along the way as best as you can.
"I'm excited to be here. There's a lot of skill I think you see on the ice right away. How much skill there is, how much speed that we have as a group. That's a really good thing for me to see coming in, and to see that in person is awesome."
As for his first official practice of training camp with his new team, Hall thought that the team looked as sharp and as energetic as a group could be after so much time off.
"When you're skating in the offseason, it's pretty hard to replicate training camp. To produce those battle situations, to go as hard as you're going to go in training camp," Hall said. "Then I think during training camp, it's hard to replicate game situations the way that the game is going to play out, how hard the game is going to be and the way you have to play in those situations. Today's a really good step towards those game situations."
Hall comes to Buffalo with a lot of familiarity with Krueger, who was his head coach with the Edmonton Oilers in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. In 45 games playing under Krueger, Hall had one of the best seasons of production in his career with 16 goals and 34 assists for 50 points.
In the offseason, Krueger was a big influence in Hall's decision to sign with the Sabres. Now that the team is back to work, the Sabres head coach is happy to have a familiar face back in his locker room.
"It was excellent to have Taylor back on the ice at the same time," Krueger said. "His skill, his ability, his pace, you can feel it already. It gives our whole group a confidence when you see someone like Taylor. He's matured in a really nice way, and he's going to be an important leader for us on and off the ice."
As for the rest of Friday's session, the group was missing two key pieces for the first practice of training camp.
Goalie Linus Ullmark was not in attendance after an immigration issue has forced him to quarantine. Also, captain Jack Eichel was not on the ice after the team said he suffered an upper-body injury while training.
However, Krueger said that "all is under control" with both players, and that they should be back with the group in a short amount of time.
"Jack's day-to-day. He will be fine. We are being just cautious in the process, but we expect Jack here the next couple of days. Same with Linus. He's had a tremendous preparation. There was a stall in the immigration process, but he's in Buffalo and we just need to follow the proper processes. ... Everybody's in a good space, we're interacting with them, and we're communicating with them, as we are with everybody. No need for panic, for sure."
The Sabres will be back on the ice for practice on Saturday, starting with the first session at 10 a.m. EST.