THE MISSISSAUGA TRIO WITH A LOCAL CONNECTION

By Warren Kosel

The participants in this year’s Development Camp represent at least a dozen junior hockey clubs across the various American and Canadian leagues, but none more so than the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads. The Buffalo Sabres first made a splash when they tabbed up-and-coming forward Alexander Nylander with the eighth overall pick in this year’s NHL Draft before adding Buffalo native Austin Osmanski with the first of back-to-back picks in the seventh round. The Amerks contributed to the mix over the weekend with the signing of free agent forward Daniel Muzito-Bagenda to a standard one-year American Hockey League contract on Saturday.

The trio helped the Steelheads to a fourth-place finish in the Central Division standings while leading Mississauga to its third postseason berth in four years. Nylander’s 75 points led all Steelheads skaters and placed him inside the league’s top 20 point-getters in scoring, while Muzito-Bagenda, who played the previous two seasons for MODO Hockey in Sweden, made an impressive transition to North America after finishing fifth on the team with 36 points (20+17) in 63 games. They, along with Michael McLeod, a first-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in 2016, made up the top line in Mississauga and were two of just three players to reach the 20-goal mark during the 2015-16 campaign.

Now the three have been reunited in development camp, picking up right where they left off a few months ago. In just a few short days, their on-ice chemistry has become an identifiable trait among the coaching staff and it’s the familiarity with one another that has allowed them to be successful thus far. Plus, it’s always easier going into a new environment when there are a few familiar faces in the bunch.

"It helps," Nylander said. "It's a lot of fun having teammates here, of course. Osmanski and I, we'd always hang out with each other because we also have school with each other. He's a funny guy. Daniel (Muzito-Bagenda) is also from Sweden so we knew each other a bit coming into Mississauga and we've always been friends."

Having played on the opposite wing of Nylander all season, Muzito-Bagenda, too, feels that there is a certain level of comfortability with his Mississauga teammates. That, in turn, also allows them the opportunity to get to know other players on a similar level.

“We know each other from being teammates all last year, so it makes us feel more comfortable out there. That has helped getting to know the other guys here, too.”

Muzito-Bagenda would be the first to admit he prefers obviously playing on the same side, but if given the chance to play against Nylander or Osmanski throughout camp, he would approach it like any other game.

“It’s nice to be able to play with them all again this week. We’re friends on and off the ice, unless we’re not on the same team,” he said alluding to Saturday’s Blue-Gold scrimmage.

There’s a possibility that Nylander and Muzito-Bagenda may be teammates again to start the season in Rochester. Playing with the Amerks is one of a handful of options for Nylander, who can also potentially return to Mississauga for another season, head home to play in Sweden, or better yet, if things should go his way, join the Sabres out of training camp. It remains to be seen what the future may hold, but for now, Nylander is focused on showing what he can do during his week-long stay at camp and out to prove that, like his father and brother before him, is ready to make the jump to the NHL.

“My goal is to make the NHL next year," Nylander said.

While many this week have been on hand to see Nylander’s first official skate with the Sabres, it was Osmanski who was by far the most noticeable on the ice on Day 1. The East Aurora native, who is one of four local players to be invited to this year’s camp, had a visible smile on his face even long after he vacated the HARBORCENTER ice for the dressing room.

Osmanski admitted he had to overcome an early onset of nerves at first, but his excitement soon set in and would serve as a calming force for the young defenseman.

“I was sitting there five minutes before we had to go out and I was thinking ‘should I go out there this early or not’,” said Osmanski after the first session. “The first couple of drills I think I was a little shaky at first, but towards the end of the practice I started to settle down a bit. I saw other guys making similar mistakes, but its development camp and it’s the NHL and we’re all trying to get better.”

Another benefit of being one of the local guys is that Osmanski had the opportunity to share his first NHL practice with dozens of his family and friends who made the short commute in from nearby East Aurora.

“I think me and Justin Bailey may have been the only guys out there with their families in the stands,” said Osmanski, who put up 10 points (2+8) in 65 games during his rookie season with Mississauga. “My mom was here with a bunch of my cousins and I think that may have made me more nervous, but it was definitely nice to have them all here today.”