“Mr. Devil” Ken Daneyko On Sabres vs New Jersey Devils And Timeline On Jack Hughes | Buffalo Sabres
As promised, Ken Dano is with us here on Sabers Live. It is great to see you. One of my absolute alltime favorite people in the game. One of the many that scored on me. I’ll tell you this. Which ring? I I I didn’t score many, Mart. I still get ribbed for that cuz I had some kind of record. But 300 some games without 260. What ring are you wearing? But that’s the first one. 1995. But I tell people it didn’t even phase me because I wasn’t even thinking of that. It’s like if you don’t focus on something. I had a job to do, right? It was in this building when that was for It was a good shot though. I’ll give it that. This building far blue line uh first period. I got all of it actually. I had all I had all kinds of time. There was a screen in front so it was all good. Anyway, we’ll move on. But I wasn’t a goal scorer. We know that. Yeah. But you’re one of five that’s had the number retired by the Devils. It’s it’s amazing. Love watching every night. And tonight, obvious uh we see the Devils and Sabres for the first time. What have you thought about the team you’re watching every night so far this year? What are the Devils right now? Surviving a good and when I say I know they’re first place in the Metropolitan Division, all those good things. So, how I with some injuries and obviously a key injury to their their superstar Jack Hughes, but they’ve matured. I mean, they’re winning a lot of tight games in particular at home. I mean, they haven’t lost in regulation at home. 90 and1 and I’d say seven or eight of those are either onegoal games, overtime, shootout, uh, whatever it may be. So, they’re we we use that term loosely, but they really are. As tight as this league is, so what I’m seeing is a lot more composure. The core group finally understands when you’ve got players out, you’ve got to win, find ways to win different ways. And and the competes been good. They’ve been hand in their zone at times with one goal lead where you’re just waiting for the other shoe to drop the last few years. Yeah. And a goal to go in and and that’s not happening because they’re getting timely saves, but the the desperation, the compete you need around your net and to defend has been good. The road has been 500, six and seven. They’ve had a few games where they’ve given up a boatload of goals and things unravel. So, trying to figure that out still, but uh it’s a good group. Do they have a long way to go? Absolutely they do. But they’re hoping, and I’m a glass half full guy from the standpoint, fellas, is they’ve got a lot of injuries now. They had a ton at the second half of the year and going into the playoffs last year. So, I’m kind of looking at it like they’re getting all the injuries out of the way. They’re trying to keep keep afloat here so that they are a playoff team and then they’re going to be healthy in February and March maybe. What’s the timeline on Jack Hughes? because uh you know that kind of a number one, have you ever seen that happen in a team dinner or some sort? Somebody uh uh I felt horrible for him. Well, look, it’s it’s exactly what what it is. And everybody’s looking for this, you know, conspiracy or something crazy happened. It was a freak freak accident that he was devastated about. Yeah. And when we heard it was Jack Hughes, I was kind of thinking I don’t want to see it happen to anybody, but it couldn’t have been and the worst guy or the worst guy. That’s terrible to say, but but you know what? Many many guys in my career were like if Marty gets hurt this time, he’s the backup goalie. I don’t care. Well, out of our our our Stevens and Nem, they would have probably wanted to be me, too. I hear you, Marty. But but all kidding aside, look, freak accident. Uh he had surgery. He’s doing very well. It could have been a lot worse from the standpoint they were worried it was going to be the season. Wow. And from what I hear, and you guys probably hear the same thing, he should be playing in January for sure. And possibly the end of December and the Olympics and you know, maybe if he’s healthy and and everything’s good. It’s Yeah, it was, you know, was a surgery, you know, I guess tendons, whatever. I’m not a doctor, but on the hand, but apparently he’s progressing very well. But I’m I I just felt horrible because he was he was devastated. He was having a terrific year. Lighting it up. Lightening it up and leading the charge and all of a sudden this happened. So it’s the only thing that holds has held him back from constantly being mentioned in like the top fiveish of the game, right? Agree. Y it it’s cuz you just don’t have the full volume of games and points per game to be able to compare it side by side by side. And the one year where he only missed a few games, he had 99 points. So, you’re waiting for that the takeoff of, you know, just being able to stay healthy. And look, this is a freak thing. It wasn’t an on ice injury. I I tell people the last injury when it was last season in Vegas was a freak injury. If it was me who I’m 220 lbs I played went flying into the boards, that would have happened. And he was flying on a twoon-one short-handed trying to make something happen. got skates, caught up with Jack Eel. So, he sees the ice so well. Earlier in his career, like when I say early, the first couple of seasons as a kid, you know, he had to adjust to and say, I can’t get myself in a volume position. I’m not the biggest guy as far as when you got 220 lb defense from breathing on you. But now I’ve watched him. I mean, he sees 10 seconds before what’s going on and he he’s making sure he doesn’t put himself in a vulnerable position. But I guess you can’t defend against these kind of off ice free. No, that’s tough. What about the other use? Because Luke Hughes and Simon Netts are young and they have been unbelievable. Netts now with two overtime gamewinner. Um you know, so what has that pair been able to do on the backhand? Nemits and you there’s been a lot thrust upon them with Peshot and obviously Kov Savage who hasn’t played all season from a offseason knee surgery. So, and then Hamilton went down for a while. So, these two kids went from playing 18, 19 minutes a night. Nett sometimes 15 to 25, 26 minutes a night. And it’s like, here it is, guys. Here’s your opportunity. Let’s see what you can do. And they’ve handled it remarkably. They really have. And in particular, we we saw the progression of Luke Hughes. And yeah, there’s going to be es and flows, ups and downs with young defenseman, any young player. But Luke’s skating ability second to none. And yeah, are there some turnovers? Of course, because the puck’s on his stick so much. That’s what people don’t understand. So when you see a glaring turnover, I always tell fans, relax. Luke Hughes is the lead player trying to trying to make turn the puck over. Yeah. You know what? He has the puck more than anybody else. Yeah, same thing. But Nemits is the guy I remember it was last year in March against the Winnipeg Jets. He had a period um that can bury a young defenseman. He turned it over three times. It went in the net three times. This in the third period, sat a couple of games. It was a disaster. And you know, you get get on that hamster wheel and going, “Oh my god.” One mistake after another and it can really really affect you um the rest, especially for young defenseman the rest of your career or as you’re trying to develop. Well, after he sat a couple games, got back in. So, he’s shown how mentally tough he is and that he wants to be a player and you saw the skills. He’s a good two-way defensive. He’s not going to be an 80 point guy, but he can be a 40 to 50 point guy, but he defends very well. Strong lower body, skates well, seals players up. And then his game took off and it started LA in the playoffs, too. Even though the Devils lost in five, he was one of their best defenseman and scored a he’s got the clutch gene, too. Scored an overtime goal there on a highlight reel move. Then starting this season, it kind of went a little slow out of the gate. He was hemmed in his own a lot. He was, you know, uh, the analytics, and I don’t always look at it were not very good for five, six games. All of a sudden, something clicked and bam, he just took off and he’s been dominant. Not good. Yeah. Well, the injury to Doug Hamlin, all of a sudden, he’s playing a ton. But instead of it, you know, it can go either way, Marty, right? I mean, a guy getting more minutes and can you handle that and are you capable and are you good enough two-way defenseman to do it? Well, the more minutes he got, all of a sudden he got better and better and then all of a sudden we’re seeing the clutch gene he has. I mean, he’s got a he’s got great hockey sense IQ that we we talked about. He’s always in the right position. If you watch even the subtle play he makes in the overtime the other night in the win. Yep. Um um against St. Lewis he drops it to Hishir but he you know it’s all about timing getting lost in the weedsc wide open but he delayed delayed every but he gets puck washing beautiful play by heir I get it and he’s going to do those things but he knew and he’s been doing that a lot then he scored a a shootout goal to win you know for the Devils to be using him in the shootout against the Washington Capitals he scores a gamewinner on a beauty that’s the clutch gene for me so he’s got that little it factor and it’s going well like Matias Samuelson for [Laughter] He’s He has become something this year. It’s incredible. I mean, again, well, that’s right. Yeah, he’s more like I look at him more like the type of defenseman I was, Marty, but yeah, I see that he’s he’s bringing some offense and you know what, that’s a bonus. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s exciting for the player when you’re not goal score cuz the team gets excited, but maybe he’s added a little something to his game, right? Helps. He’s added help and that that’s the big thing. It’s 100% and honestly like you both the Devils and Sabres come in here near the top in man games lost. They’re they’re both almost exactly sitting on 120 man games lost already. We’re only barely a quarter of the way into the season. Um we’re less than a minute left in the show. Kenny, give me one word on on Yesper Brat. Like it to me he’s just this model of consistency. He is underrated dynamic. I I don’t think he’s as underrated anymore. I mean, but man, just if you’ve seen his training regime in the offseason, you know why he’s developed as a sixth round pick or seventh round pick, whatever he was years ago to where he is today to being an elite player in this league. His explosion, his his edge work, his his quick hands is a handful for any defender to defend. Well, it’s it’s one of the the players obviously the Sabres have to focus on this afternoon. And it’s a 4:00 start here. Sabres and Devils. Kenny, happy holidays to you and your family. Thank you so much for being here today. Happy holidays, guys. Great to meet you. And I say to Sabres fans because I’m a hockey fan. Hang tough, man. I I’m telling you, this league is so tight. It turns quickly. I’m worried about my team, too. Just the same way all the time. We’ll see you later. [Music]
Former New Jersey Devils defenseman Ken Daneyko, aka “Mr. Devil”, joined the Buffalo Sabres’ show, Sabres Live, with Brian Duff and Martin Biron on November 28, 2025. They discussed what to expect in tonight’s game vs the New Jersey Devils, Devils’ center Jack Hughes’ injury and the timeline on his recovery.
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