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Posted: Monday, 06 July 2009 1:28PM
Defenseman highlights Day One
Nick Mendola
nick@wgr550.com
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(WGR 550) -- There is one defenseman at developmental camp under the height of 6'0", and Harvard's Alex Biega made the biggest impression.
The 5'10" blueliner played stalwart defense on Day One of the Sabres' 2009 developmental camp, even standing up a couple forwards at the blue line on one-on-one drills. He skated remarkably well, and seems to be a little bigger than when we saw him at last year's camp. Biega has played 90 games in three years at Harvard, registering 13 goals and 47 assists.
Tyler Myers also impressed, but more offensively, wristing a few shots past Jhonas Enroth in a breakaway/passing drill. The 6'7" defender said he's added 10 pounds in the offseason to raise his weight to 220, and sees his ideal weight somewhere in the neighborhood of 230-235 pounds. Myers also wins the award for "Thickest Canadian Accent."
Chris Butler also met with the media, and said he's watched tape of Detroit's Niklas Kronwall and Washington's Mike Green as models of defenders he likes. The second-year man talked about potentially manning the point on the power play in the absence of Jaroslav Spacek, and said he, too, has worked on his physical game to help better defend bigger forwards. He also said he hates Andy Roddick, even though Butler was wearing a Lacoste cap.
Other notes:
-- Marcus Foligno said that he will celebrate his first NHL goal with the Foligno jump his father made popular. The 17-year old is a big body, but needs a good deal of work on his skating, at least relative to the other prospects.
-- Tim Kennedy said he's be comfortable at center or left wing at the NHL level, using the "anything to make the club" rationale.
-- Enroth showed good instincts on several second-chance shots in front of the nets during drills. The bad news? He gave out the second chances.
-- 2009 first-round pick Zack Kassian missed practice with a foot injury, and yes, it is insane to classify him a bust one day into his professional career.
Email: nick@wgr550.com
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