Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – Late Friday afternoon, the Buffalo Sabres trimmed 21 players off their preseason roster. Most of them will go to Rochester Americans' training camp, which starts Monday.
The Amerks have some very good veteran leaders to show the young Sabres prospects the way. They include captain Mike Mersch, Jeremy Davies, Kale Clague, Ethan Prow, Joe Cecconi, Justin Richards and Riley Fiddler-Schultz. Getting to know these players during training camp gives Sabres head coach Don Granato comfort that his young players are in good hands.
"I commend those players," said Granato on Friday. "You can go get skill, but if you get the wrong people, they will screw your team up and you won’t be able to recover. You’ll just be treading water. The veterans down in Rochester are incredible people and that allows us to get to hockey, because if you got people issues, you don’t get to hockey.
"We put an 'A' on Mike Mersch in a preseason game as a guy on an American League contract, and I had no hesitation doing that because a lot of guys look up to him for the right reasons."
Buffalo still has home-and-home preseason games against the Columbus Blue Jackets and another game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at home before the New York Rangers come to town for opening night on Thursday, Oct. 12.
