Thursday, September 30, 2010

2010/11 buffalo sabres, part 4: the prediction

this is the fourth of a four-part look at the 40th edition of the buffalo sabres

one of the top defenses in the league last season will once again be anchored by reigning vezina winner, ryan miller...the defense will be relatively the same anchored by a young tyler myers and the offense will be pretty much the same save for the addition of a young tyler ennis and veteran rob niedermayer...

last season the sabres finished first in the northeast division with 100 points, six ahead of the ottawa senators...they got to that point by doing what they'd failed to do the previous two seasons--beat opponents that they should have...that, imo, is a direct result of the additions of mike grier and steve montador, especially grier, who provided veteran leadership both on and off the ice...

the defensively responsible '09/10 edition of the sabres were fourth in the league in goals against (2.45,) sixth in the league (3rd in the conference) in goal differential (+28,) had the second best pk in the league (86.6%) and did not give up a lead after two periods all season...

on the down side they were 17th in the league in pp (17.6%,) were 4-6 in shootouts with the 15th best shot% (31.9) and were bounced in six games by the boston bruins in the first round of the playoffs...

the way things are shaping up, it looks as if it will be a battle between the sabres and bruins for the n.e. division crown although no one should count out the ottawa senators who came on with guns blazing after they were healthy...boston, though, is being heralded around the league as the class of the n.e. with the sabres second and ottawa or montreal coming in third...

why is boston being crowned champ?...seems as if the drop to third in the division (14th overall, 91 pts.) last year is being considered an aberration after claiming 116 pts. in the '08/9 campaign...plus there's the addition of former florida panther nathan horton which, they hope, will help boost scoring...the bruins went from an average of 3.29 goals/game, 2nd in the league (det) in '08/9 to dead last in '09/10 with a 2.39 average...previous goals/game average are 2.51 (24th) in '07/8, 2.56 (25th) in '06/7 and 2.78 (24th) in '05/6...unfortunately, #1 center marc savard will be out for a while, which doesn't really help them out in the scoring dept...

will tuukka rask will continue the success he had last season replacing tim thomas?...rask lead the league in gaa (1.97) and save % (.931) in 45 games...will he be able to duplicate that?...who knows...it's a big jump to being a full-time starter...it's doubtful rask will be able to top those numbers as his season stretches to 60-plus games and there should be a drop-off...how much? (shrugs)...

so, the aberration seems to be the '08/9 season when tim thomas became the reincarnation of gerry cheevers and every bruin seemed to have a breakout year on offense...a microcosm of that incredible offensive season was former sabres' 8th round pick dennis wideman who was a veritable dan boyle scoring 50 points that year, yet was allowed to walk after a more realistic 30 point '09/10 season...

as for the sabres?...yeah, as miller goes so does the sabres...any comparisons to rask should be reigned in simply for the fact that miller is in his 5th season as a # 1 goalie and has incrementally improved his game every season which eventually lead to the vezina trophy last year...there's no reason to think that there will be a precipitous drop in his stats, unless the team lets him down...

on d, you have basically the same group of guys when you substitute shaone morrisonn for toni lydman and jordan leopold for hank tallinder...they definitely gain size with morrisonn and leopold should have no trouble surpassing the 20 points that tallinder put up last season...even if craig rivet is hobbled by injuries once again, he can't fall much further than a poor '09/10 season...steve montador had a great playoff and should anchor the third-pairing throughout the year without getting benched (hopefully)...and there are the same question marks with the 6th defenseman this year as last--chris butler, andrej sekera or mike weber...even if they have the same inconsistent season they had last year, any fall on the defensive end should not be major...conversely, if rivet, butler, sekera and/or weber have solid campaigns, the d will be better...

one of the questions going into the season is, "will tyler myers go through the dreaded 'sophomore slump'?"...he had a calder-winning season last year and many think that he could take a bit of a fall...i'm not one of them...at the very least he should be able to equal what he achieved last season...it's not that much of a reach to think that he'll be even better...he has extreme confidence when it comes to wheeling the puck up-ice and pinching in from the point...as long as someone has his back (morrisonn,) he'll be able to do even more...although he's still green (not mike) on the pp, he's shown that he has the patience to wait for a shooting lane which should produce more points for him and the team...on d he still has the condor-reach and can still cover alot of ice...anyone he's partnered with will immediately see his game improve a notch or two...

on offense, the same questions remain, will "the core" go to the dirty areas to get the goals and will they show a commitment to team d?...there have been no real changes in the top-six, the top-two centers, derek roy and tim connolly, should be able to match their totals from last season, barring a connolly injury, of course...thomas vanek had his lowest goal total in four years...he averaged 40 goals in the previous three seasons, but suffered through an injury-riddled '09/10 campaign...there's no reason why he shouldn't hit the 35-40 goal mark this season if he's healthy...jochen hecht bounced back last season with points on-par with his career numbers...it's possible that he could see a slight offensive down-turn, but i'd bet that his defense will remain strong...jason pomminville should continue his consistent play and at least equal last season's output...and drew stafford?...the sabres basically were without a #1 rw all season last year...no reason why they should fear being without one again...

as for the bottom six, the addition of rob niedermayer adds more veteran experience which should help them get over playing the likes of their nemesis, the ottawa senators...mike grier will be back and so will paul gaustad...cody mccormick adds size, grit and attitude and nathan gerbe should add some scoring to the bottom-six...matt ellis, who did yeomans work will be available and fan-favorite patrick kaleta hits the ice as a perennial gadfly who can tinkle the twine effectively...

the pk was rock-solid last season and it could be even better with the addition of niedermayer...he and hecht, grier, pomminville and roy will be go-to guys up-front on the pk...connolly an mccormick will also be used...vanek had played the kill two seasons ago notching a couple of shorties...would be great to see him in the rotation as well...one area where the sabres will miss tallinder and lydman will be the pk...for some reason they seemed more comfortable on the kill than five-on-five...even if they do drop, they should still be one of the top-five pk teams in the league...

the pp, hopefully, won't be as weak as it was last season (17th overall)...the clamoring for a "pp-specialist" this off-season fell on deaf ears and fell to the shoulders of tyler myers on the point, with expectations that jordan leopold will pitch in as well...all-in-all the sabres have the talent on the pp, but for some reason they choke as a pp-unit...an uptick in success on the pp will only help, and there's no reason to think that the pp could get any worse...

one big question, barring any personnel moves, is where tyler ennis will play...the kid's got something special going on and should have a shot at the top-six, but as a center he's behind roy and connolly and as a lw he's behind vanek and hecht...some clamor for hecht to drop to the third-line...not a problem, except for the fact that hecht, connolly, pomminville line was the best, most consistent line on the sabres...and i can't see ruff breaking that up...third-line for ennis seems to be were he'll start the season with niedermayer at center...

the '09/10 edition of the buffalo sabres did change, a little more than people think...they add more bulk with morrisonn, neidermayer and mccormick while myers added 15 lbs to his lanky frame and ennis added 5 lbs without losing his "greazziness"...they're coached by one of the best in the league and they have one of the best goalies in the league...there were a couple of players who had off years, yet none, arguably, had years that could be considered a statistical aberration on the plus side...they basically have the same team albeit they're a bit bigger and they will have all the same attributes and deficiencies this season as they did last season...they are a year older as a group, with many of them in their prime...their goalie should, once again, be one of the best in the league...they're coached by one of the best in the league--lindy ruff--and most have bought into his system...

although there are holes up-front (most notably #1 center and #1 rw,) and cup-consideration may be a little overzealous, the staid, sure course of gm darcy regier and the steady hand of ruff should mean no major fall-off from the '09/10 season...which means that there's a good possibility that they will finish:

1st in the northeast
3rd in the conference

2010/11 buffalo sabres, part 3: up-front

this is the third of a four-part look at the 40th edition of the buffalo sabres

during the tenure of darcy regier and lindy ruff, the buffalo sabres have gone through stylistic changes...from the "hardest working/lunch-bucket team" of the late 90's during the hasek/peca years, to the "run-and-gun" years of daniel briere/chris drury, to the present "five-man-as-a-unit/puck-control/two-way" style...all the while ruff has had to adapt his approach to the personnel on hand, especially up-front...the years between these "successful eras" were wrought with poor displays, although none represented a drop lower than fifth-worst in the nhl--the pre-drury/briere 2002/3 season...

to date, the sabres are still transitioning away from the wide-open style that took them from consecutive eastern conference finals to two consecutive non-playoff/mid-level draft-pick seasons before last season's northeast division crown...much of non-playoff years had to do with the personnel that were geared towards "the new nhl," which faded in the late winter of the 06/7 season, leaving the team with a bevy of "soft-but-skilled" players in a bigger, grittier nhl...in addition, regier and his scouts had invariably placed their bets on numerous euro draft picks in that same "soft-but-skilled" mold...the slow, methodical approach to change that's embedded in regier's demeanor still remains, but the last few seasons starting with the trading of first-rounder jiri novotny (22nd overall in 2001) in february, 2007 then the noticeable absence of "euro-picks" in the draft (none since fourth-rounder felix schutz in 2006) as well as the sheer bulk of the '09 draft (averaging 6' 2.5", 208 lbs) do indicate that the sabres are well on their way to a bigger, tougher style of play that's consistent with what it takes to win in the post-new nhl era...

yet, there are still many holdovers up-front from the "run-and-gun" days who are "soft-but-skilled"...these players like derek roy, jason pomminmville, drew stafford, as well as tim connolly and jochen hecht are considered "the core" by regier and constitute most of the top-six on a sabres team that's widely considered one of the easiest to play against in the nhl...although one of "the core" on the back-end, hank tallinder, was allowed to walk at the end of his contract, those that remain up-front, because of regier's refusal to easily part with "his own," will probably play out their contracts and leave in the same manner...it's safe to assume that the same top-six forwards with whom the fan-base has grown tired of will, once again, be "leading the charge" up-front, with the exception of possibly 2008 first-round pick (26th overall) tyler ennis who seems poised to supplant one of them...

using "strength up the middle" as a springboard to a look at the buffalo sabres up-front, we'll begin with a look at the center position...

one of the most disappointing aspects of the sabres past two off-seasons has been their lack of obtaining, or having one of their top two grow to become, a viable #1 center...although the sabres as a whole are not as bad down the middle as, say, the toronto maple leafs or columbus blue jackets, conversely they're not as strong as the pittsburgh penguins or philadelphia flyers either...that being said, the lack of a true #1 center is something that will hinder their ultimate goal of winning the cup...

derek roy--the three post drury/briere years saw roy lead the sabres in scoring with 81, 70 and 69 points, respectively...why is he not considered a #1 center on the sabres?...probably because he really doesn't exude leadership qualities, seems to reamain inflexible to changes in style and, although he produces points, not very many seem to be of the drury-like "clutch" variety...yes, he does have game-winning goals using a very loose definition of the term, but he went goal-less in the '09 playoffs (6 games)...all in all, though, he is a solid #2, plays a very capable #1 under these circumstances and is signed to a very cap-friendly hit of $4m which makes his production-to-price ratio extremely cap-friendly...

tim connolly--arguably the most talented sabre, as of this point...yet, he's also been the most injured, and the most uninspiring since his stellar, yet injury-shortened, '05/6 playoff campaign...last season connolly played the most games since the '02/3 season (73) and he had the most points of his career (65)...yet, come playoff time he disappeared...as mentioned with roy, connolly doesn't exude leadership, nor does he seem to come up big when it counts...he remains, much to the dismay of the organization and fans, a solid, potentially explosive #2 who is capable of handling #1 responsibilities who, for whatever reason, doesn't seem like he'll reach the potential his skill warrants

rob niedermayer--could end up being a stellar "under the radar" acquisition by regier, much better than the signings of steve montador and mike grier last season...although 35 years old, niedermayer still has speed and adds veteran saavy and leadership as well as a cup-ring (ana, '07)...a very good bottom-six pick-up for the sabres who will log plenty of ice-time in crucial defensive situations...he will be the teacher for the next generation of "core" players like tyler myers, tyler ennis and nathan gerbe...

paul gaustad--"goose," where art thou?...it was thought that he would continue to develop and turn into a solid third-line center who could win the crucial draw as well as park his 6'2", 230 lb frame in front of the net five-on-five and on the 2nd-unit pp as well...unfortunately, gaustad seems to be inching towards getting the unwelcome moniker of "injury-prone" having missed 37 games the last two seasons and only having played only one full season ('07/8) in his five-year career...gaustad is thought of as a leader on the team and he's still respected in the locker-room, but injuries and inconsistencies have tarnished the luster on his leadership abilities...

tyler ennis--tyler ennis is a center...he was a center when he won the rookie of the year award last season in the ahl...the only reason he's on the wing is that he's still young and neither roy or connolly have been moved..."greazzy" is the way that ruff aptly described him as he weaved his way in and out of the opposition to the tune of nine points in 10 games during the regular season, as well as a goal and three assists in six playoff games...and the kid's got spunk as well...he'll be perched on the lw this season, slickly weaving in and out of traffic in the opposition zone, a magnet for the puck, seemingly always in the right position...playing either wing position will only hamper him as he's confined to half the space he could be using...center should not be far off and it'll be interesting to see if he gets the call up the middle should something happen to either roy or connolly...

other centers include a re-signed matt ellis for fourth-line energy and depth who looks to be headed to portland along with felix schutz and big center luke adam...

--left wing--

thomas vanek--vanek was playing most of the last two seasons battling injuries...he declared himself completely healed for the first time in two years at the end of the '09/10 regular season, potting 5 goals in two games while dominating play at times...in the playoffs vs. boston, he was such a force in game one that bruin johnny boychuk took him out on a breakaway in game two, sidelining him for the next three games...vanek did come back for game six, albeit at about 75%, and gave it his all in a losing cause...hopefully he will say goodbye to the double albatross of the mega-contract received in '07 and the recent spat of injuries to take his place amongst the leaders of this team...his performance in game six seems to point to him breaking through yet another thresh-hold--ready to prove that he can carry the weight of a letter affixed to his jersey...

jochen hecht--the cries for the sabres to rid themselves of hecht and his contract were at a fever-pitch during the '08/9 season, easily his worst as a sabre...his two-way game was in shambles and his confidence plummeted as he took on the role of top-six center...it was a disaster...placed back on the wing flanking connolly and jason pomminville last season, hecht returned to form posting 21 goals and 21 assists while leading the team in plus/minus with a plus-14...even more significant was his contribution to the #2 pk in the league...an injury to his pinkie finger put him on the sidelines late into the season and he did not play in the boston playoff series where two areas were lacking in the sabres game--scoring from connolly and, more importantly, the pk, which allowed 6 goals on 22 kills, just 72%...

nathan gerbe--the odds are still stacked against this fireplug...he's built, packing in 175 lbs on his 5'5" frame, but he's still getting knocked off the puck and, as of late, he needs to watch out for concussions which seem to be entering into the equation...no reason why he shouldn't be on the sabres roster this season...the '08/9 ahl rookie of the year does have a scoring touch and is a winner, but where he'll fit in with this group is a question...

cody mccormick--mccormick is a great story...signed in august '09 as an unrestricted free agent, mccormick headed to portland to add muscle and grit to a thinned, and small, pirates line-up...he had decent numbers--17 goals and 12 assists in 66 games...as luck would have it, for him, the sabres sustained some injuries late in the season and the team as a whole were getting shoved around too easily in thier playoff match against boston...enter mccormick...in three games he proved that he wasn't affraid to work his ass off every minute on the ice, wasn't affraid to barrel towards the net and wasn't affraid to hit someone...he even registered two assists...put it all together and the sabres brass took notice...they liked what they saw and signed him to a one-way, $500k contract (interesting to note that at the time, two teams were very interested in the free agent as well)...sabres-fans should pretty much expect the same from mccormick and hopefully he'll bring what he brought in the playoffs...he can play either wing and center

no other left-wingers of significance are close to the big club, although 2008 5th-round draft-pick jacob lagace made some noise in the qmjhl tallying 35 goals and 38 assists in 60 games

right wing

jason pomminville--"pommer" is one of "the core," but of those, he's the one that i think will continue to improve every season for many years to come...many would also like to paint him as one of the overpaid players on the sabres and it's a valid point, but what he brings to the team is a quiet, solid, consistent two-way game with the ability to score meaningful goals...and he's played every game for the sabres over the last four years...naysayers will point out that he does that because he plays a non-contact style, which is ok by me...he and hecht anchor the pk which, as previously mentioned, ranked #2 in the league last season...he also plays on the first unit pp although his skills are better suited to a slot position rather than on the point, where he's most likely to be found, out of necessity...pomminville, like drury before him, always seems to pick up his scoring pace during the second half of the season, which isn't a bad trait, especially if it means production in the playoffs...

mike grier--a gritty, hard-working vet who was brought back to the team last year for leadership, grier is respected by the entire organization and he was instrumental in getting this group to do the right things in order to make the post-season again...grier is slowing down yet still remains a viable bottom-six winger and staunch defender

patrick kaleta--what he brings is energy...he's a gadfly that continually pesters the other team into doing stupid things--a guy you'd hate were he not on your team...kaleta has a knack for putting the puck in the net when the opportunity arises as witnessed by his 10 goals on 64 shots and one goal on five shots in the playoffs...is it too much to hope that he turns into the second coming of claude lemieux?...yeah...but his game is shaping up to slowly approach that...if he can keep away from injuries, which have been creeping into his career, the local-boy should have a long, relatively productive career in his hometown as a solid teammate and fan-favorite

drew stafford--(shaking head)...he has the size 6'1", 216 lbs...he has the ability to score...he has the ability to work the corners...he even has the ability to hit and fight...and had he used all of this on a consistent basis, he'd have been mentioned sooner on the list of right wingers...unfortunately he doesn't...what's questioned is his commitment to the game of hockey, his heart and desire...consider him the opposite of the kaleta...you can achieve relative success with a big heart and little talent...very little meaningful can be achieved with talent and no heart...staff will be given the opportunity to prove his worth early on slotted with vanek and roy but, he'll be looking over his shoulder at:

zack kassian--the big (6'3", 226 lbs) winger is making noise, and has been (for various reasons) since the sabres drafted him 13th overall (same as stafford) in the '09 draft...he had two major missteps last season, one on the ice (a 20-suspension for a dirty hit) and off-ice (bar brawl)...he says he's learned from it and he came into camp on a mission--to make it hard for the sabres to cut him...kevin devine, head of amateur scouting for the sabres, said that kassian was what they've been looking for, a big, gritty game-changing winger who can score...it's early on, but the sounds of crunching hits is getting louder, especially for stafford...

other rw's: mark mancari--he's had ample opportunity to bring his scoring, along with his size to the sabres, but doesn't seem to have what it takes to make the jump to nhl...the rest are recent draftees who will be working on their development...

all-in-all, lindy ruff will have a tough time putting together his top-twelve up-front...based upon last season's success, it looks as if the hecht, connolly, pomminville line will remain together...odds are that roy and vanek will be paired with stafford at first...there really isn't a 1st line and 2nd line on this team the way it's constructed...niedermayer will be in the line-up as well as grier, kaleta and goose...what remains will be how to fit ennis and mccormick in...then there's gerbe, ellis and possibly kassian...

2010/11 buffalo sabres, part 2: the d-corps

this is the second of a four-part look at the 40th edition of the buffalo sabres

the sabres d took a bit of a hit this off-season with the departures of their #'s 2 and (arguably) #3 d-men, hank tallinder and toni lydman...they were replaced by the signings of free agents jordan leopold (pit) and shaone morrisonn (wsh,) two top-four d-men expected to fill the roles of the departed...how this will pan out is yet to be determined, but it's safe to say, imo, that it'll be a lateral move at least...

the stats:  the buffalo sabres ranked #4 in league with a 2.45 gaa, a significant improvement over the previous season where they were #17 with a 2.79 gaa...much can be attributed to vezina winner ryan miller, but, just as important was the play of rookie tyler myers anchoring the d-corps in his rookie season...

the pk went from #14 at 81.9% in 08/9 to #2 at 86.6% in 09/10...those numbers pretty much speak for themselves...

one very interesting note:  the buffalo sabres never lost a lead in the regular season when leading after two periods, a tribute not only to their vezina winner and their calder winner (myers) but to their forwards and coaching  as well...

the down-side for the sabres back-end last season was the pp, and much of the blame for their #17 overall placement (17.6%) was their lack of a pp-quarterback...it was a precipitous drop from the previous season when they finished #7 overall at a 21% clip...worse yet, the sabres failed to score a pp-goal in the playoffs going 0-19 in a six-game ousting at the hands of the boston bruins...although i don't buy into the lack of a pp-qb as the sole reason for the demise, i do believe that it contributed a good portion to it and that myers and leopold will be looked to for an increase in productivity in that area...

all-in-all, i tend to look at the off-season defensive moves as lateral, with leopold and morrisonn bringing much the same as tallinder and lydman, only in different slots on the back-end, complimenting the qualities that #1 myers and #3 craig rivet bring to the table...those are the top-four on the back-end with steve montador, andrej sekera, chris butler expected to round out the d-corps, but they will get a strong push from mike weber and possibly tj brennan...marc-andre gragnani would've been in the mix as well, but he's sidelined because of injury and will be spending time in the "a" upon his return

it's not surprising that the sabres are "loaded" on the back-end with plenty of "capable" nhl-quality d-men ready to step in...darcy regier and co. will never forget the 05/6 playoffs when the likes of rory fitzpatrick, doug janik, jeff jillson and nathan paetsch were called into extended service because of injuries...

the top-four:

tyler myers--as a rookie, myers posted 11 goals (three on the pp,) 37 assists, was plus-13 (tied for second on the team with tallinder behind jochen hecht,) and logged 23:44 avg. toi (team-high,) on a team with the second-best gaa in the league, which translated into a calder trophy win for him...those were just the stats...he could seemingly cover half the ice in just a few strides, had the reach of a condor, adapted to the speed of the game almost effortlessly, jumped into the rush like a vet, and pinched from the point with aplomb...all his teammates implicitly trusted him on the ice, especially tallinder who enjoyed a "comeback season" as his d-partner...he was a revelation, and instantly helped stabilize a defense that was average at best...and he still has room to grow...his big obstacles this season will be overcoming the dreaded "sophomore slump," anchoring the pp, continued growth and further conditioning which will help him overcome wearing down in late spring...none of these, either individually or taken as a whole, seem too daunting a task for this phenom...as shown with the resurgence of hank, he can take his d-partner to the next level, turning a solid #3 or even #4 into a solid #2...

shaone morrisonn--morrisonn will never be confused with larry robinson, ray bourque or mike green; scoring is not his forte'...he is a defensive-defenseman very capable of handling his own zone while his partner joins the rush or pinches in...that's what he did in washington beside the likes of green and joe corvo...nor should he be labeled an intimdator along the lines of chris pronger or anton volchenkov, although it has been said that he can, and does, clear the net and will let his "edge" come out...these are the qualities which lead me to believe that he will be on the top-pairing with, and as a compliment to, myers...some will say that he's a second-pairing d-man at best, even though he did play a good amount of time with green on the top-pairing in washington...and it's a point well taken...here's where the "myers-factor" comes into play...there's no reason why myers shouldn't be able to elevate morrisonn's game, just like he did with tallinder...

craig rivet--the captain...let's get this out of the way right now...he had a terrible year last season...plain and simple...but....he was playing injured all season...his is a simple game on the back-end, he uses his upper-body for positioning and his strength to clear the crease and/or subtly abuse opponents...one of the reasons he was brought in was to add toughness to a very soft back-end...and he did early on in his sabres career...then injuries hit him and he's not been able to do any of the things he's noted for...anyone whose had a shoulder injury knows the pain and limited movement involved...try out-muscling a big forward or taking on a "tough-guy" when you don't have full, uninhibited upper-body movement...that's my take and i'm sticking to it...he will remain on the second-pairing with the sabres...if the surgery went as well as all claim it did, not only can we look forward to him jostling with the big-boys and dropping the gloves, but i also look for him to contribute on the second pp-unit from the point...

jordan leopold--i did a lengthy blog entitled, who is jordan leopold? where i delved into the recently acquired sabres d-man...basically he's in a position where he feels as if he can concentrate soley on his goals, unlike his "wander-years" after leaving calgary...he did very well in cgy, but because he was considered a "moveable commodity," spent the next five seasons going from colorado, back to cgy, to florida, then on to pit finally landing in buffalo this off-season, signed for the next three seasons...because of rivet being a pretty solid anchor, i see no problem pairing leopold, a "puck-mover" with him...those two on the second-pairing should represent a mild offensive threat that opposing teams will need to contend with on a nightly basis...leopold also brings some pp-acumen with him and will be looked at to produce with significant pp-time...

steve montador--he has the inside track at holding on to that #5 spot and many look at the sabres having the "top-five" set..."monty" is in as the #5 based upon his solid performance last season vs. the bruins in the playoffs...when brought in, it was expected that he would add more grit to the bottom-pairing on d...and he did provide that...what i, and probably most others, didn't realize is that he can really move the puck up-ice as well as provide some production in very limited third-pairing minutes...but nothing's etched in stone with him...a mid-season slump caught the ire of lindy ruff and sent him to the press box for a stint...although he did come back and play pretty solid, question marks concerning consistency still linger here...all-in-all, though, it's safe to say that "monty" will be anchoring the third-pairing and will be able to jump up, on a limited basis, the second-pairing

the battle will be on for the sixth spot...

andrej sekera--"rej," the "veteran" of the group, is in the mold of former sabres alexi zhitnik and dmitri kalinin in that he could log tons of ice-time, can move the puck up-ice, and has enough offensive saavy to be considered for pp-time...but, like the aforementioned former sabres, sekera has some severe mental lapses and his "soft-but-skilled" game can be especially tiresome if his offensive production wanes...his inconsistency has been the only constant in his short career...one positive thing i did notice last season was that, in quite a few games against team like philly who have a tremendous forecheck, rej was the only sabre d-man who seemed to be able to move the puck out of the zone regularly...

chris butler--he had a very poor season last year...the previous season was one in which he showed a cool head under pressure, and played so well that the sabres had no choice but to keep him with the big club...expectations were high coming into 09/10 with he and rivet playing solid second-pairing minutes...who knows what happened...the poor play of his partner, rivet, could have brought him down...coulda been the dreaded "sophomre slump"...maybe he couldn't handle the increased expectations and/or the increased responsibility of pp time...maybe it was a combination of these things that lead him to a team-worst minus-15...whatever the case may have been, his confidence plummeted and his game deteriorated and he now finds himself having to earn a spot on in the top-six...

mike weber--when he was called up late in the 07/8 season, as the sabres made a ill-fated, late-season run for a playoff spot, he and sekera, his d-partner, had a stellar stretch of 12 games...their play made the future of the sabres d-corps look extremely bright...that season weber finished a +12...the 08/9 season was a disaster for weber, though...he played 7 lousy games in buffalo with a minus-three to show for it...in portland, he was limited to only 42 games...the whole season was marred by injuries...kudos to the sabres brass who kept him in the minors all of last season (he was the sabres last cut) so that he could work himself back into game-shape physically and mentally...weber is a big, tough defensive-defenseman, who is coming off a banner ahl campaign...which should bode well for both him and the sabres

marc-andre gragnani--"grags" is an offensive d-man/pp-specialist who'll continue his steady improvement in the ahl as he rehabs from a training camp injury...the 6'2, 200-pounder is a very good skater with some great offensive-instincts...his pp-acumen hardly went unnoticed by the organization, one which saw it's pp provide lackluster results in the regular season as well as an epic fail in the playoffs...he can, and will be sent down for another season with the pirates and the sabres will not be exposing him to waivers...offensive d-men take a lot of time to develop and having him continue his progression in the ahl should make him even more ready to make the jump next season...

the sabres d looks to be real strong down the road with the likes of tj brenan, brayden mcnabb and nick crawford paying their dues at their respective levels within the sabres organization...as for this season, we know the top-four (maybe five) are set...we know that sekera, butler and weber cannot clear waivers and will be with the team, but will need to overcome their deficiencies in order to land in that #6 slot...not only that, but they will need to become consistent in order to secure it...we know alot of things, but what we don't know is how this new d-corps will gel, nor do we know just how much production the sabres will get out of them, especially on the pp...and that could be the difference between a long run or a short run in the post season...

2010/11 buffalo sabres--part 1: in the crease

this is the first of a four-part look at the 40th edition of the buffalo sabres

since darcy regier is a "build-from-the-goal-out" kinda guy and the sabres have the reigning vezina trophy winner, as well as the fact that lindy ruff is a defensive-oriented kinda coach, there's no better place to start with the 40th edition of the buffalo sabres than in goal...


ryan miller:  as miller goes, so go the sabres...
could end it right there...could add that miller had the best stats of his career last season--2.22 gaa, .929 sv.%--which lead to his first vezina trophy and the sabres first "post-dominator" vezina...
miller has earned everything he's won thus-far and his progression is worth noting...from his abysmal '03/4, all of three games, and the subsequent emotional/confidence plunge, he worked hard and clawed his way back to the point where he's considered one of the top three goalies in the league...yet, even with him backstopping the back-to-back ecf teams, his mvp/silver medal olympic performance and his vezina trophy last seaon, he's still heckled by some buffalo fans--"mr. softee," "overpaid," "can't win the big one," etc..staunch detractors remain even though miller has proven that he can man the crease no matter what style of team is in front of him, that he can keep his team within striking distance in a game, can hold a lead and, as he proved many times last year, that he can steal a game...the confidence he instills team-wide is unmistakable and with each passing year his confidence seems more and more unshakable...whenever he's in net, the sabres have a good chance of coming out on top

as opposed to...

patrick lalime--it's not that lalime has been horrendous in all his starts, but he's been "beachball horrendous" enough for fans to gasp for air at the mere mention of him in net...to be fair, though, he has played well on numerous occasions, but the team in front of him has let him down...9-21-5 with the sabres over two seasons is enough to make any sabres fan bang their head against the wall at his re-signing...fact is, miller pretty much said he wanted lalime backing him up...(shrugs,) that pretty much seals the deal...if, and it's a big if, lalime can at least hit .500 in 14-16 starts, that would add about 6-8 pts. to the team total and put them in a good postition to aim for a second-straight n.e. division crown

jhonas enroth--goaltenders take years to develop, and it will be no different with enroth...with the reigning vezina winner in net, and a back-up who seems hand-picked by the aforementioned goalie, enroth will continue his develpment in portland where he hopes to improve upon his 2.37gga and .919 sv%...it would be no surprise to see him suit of for a game or two in buffalo, but back to the pirates he'll go to get as much playing-time he can...and that's a good thing