RFA D-man Chris Butler...

...is one of the question marks on the Sabres back-end.

It's not so much whether or not he'll be a part of the young d-corps, it's where he'll fit in.

Terry Pegula wants to keep "not only statistically good players, but winners, gritty players."

Sabres D-man, Chris Butler tangles
with the Flyers James van Riemsdyk
in the playoffs.

How about players that get thrown into the fire, get burned, and come back better and stronger?

Much has been made about Butler's play in the the Flyers playoff series, when his turnovers had a penchant for finding the back of Sabres net.

Fans will also point to Game 6 which saw the Flyers tie the game in the third period just seconds after his holding penalty expired then, in overtime, Ville Lieno snuck behind Butler to pot the game-winning goal.

It's been a rocky road for "Buts," one full of successes and failures.

Back in 2008 the Sabres blue-line was thinned with the loss of Teppo Numminen, Toni Lydman and Andrej Sekera so Butler got the call. He played so well that forced the team to keep him up. Head Coach Lindy Ruff called him a "bright spot" in a season that saw the team miss the playoffs for the second year in a row.

Expectations were high as he headed into the 2009/10 season. Unfortunately, for whatever reason--sophomore slump, D-partner Craig Rivet's decline and inconsistency, his desire to add more offense to his simple game--his play took a dive. From a plus-11 the previous year to a minus-15 and a spot on the bench for the playoffs that year.

The thing about Butler, though, is his ability to bounce back. Ruff had seen it in Butler's first season when he mentioned that the kid's "mental make-up is good for the game...he's got the head for it, he's got the work-ethic."

The 2010/11 season was another trying time for the young d-man as he found himself on the bench to open the season. It wasn't until Shaone Morrison went down with an injury that got an opportunity to get on the ice.

Tyler Myers (L) and Chris Butler
were Buffalo's top-pairing in the
2011 playoffs. Will they be
there again?

After bouts of inconsistencies early on, Butler found an opportunity for consistent minutes. Sekera, who had been with Tyler Myers on the top-pairing, was dropped down and Rivet was waived.

During the final playoff stretch in late March and early April, Buts was a fixture on the top-pairing with Myers and the two anchored the d into the playoffs.

Once again, though, he found himself thrown into the fire, logging the second most minutes per game vs. a Flyers team that was loaded up-front. Philly's forwards probably have the most relentless forecheck in the game and have a multitude of players who can finish.

Mike Robitaille was on WGR after the series talking about Butler and his game. While the masses of fans were ready to string the kid up, Roby, though admitting to Butler's shortcomings, took a long-term view. He basically said that the kid had never faced a force like that before, and that he'll take that experience with him into the 2011/12 season and grow from it, just like he'd done from previous lackluster performances.

Even though he's no a shooting-star, Butler should be a part of the Blue and Gold and should get himself a contract that lasts a few years. Just where he is on the learning-curve is yet to be determined, but his progress seems to be of the steady, under-the-radar variety, the type that coaches and team mates will see and appreciate more than the fan.

As the Sabres head into the off-season, there seems to be a call to bring in a legitimate top-pairing shut-down d-man. The cost for this type of player in dollars will be high and with Tyler Myers coming off of his entry-level contract at the end of the year, a pairing like that would probably cost upwards of $12-14M.

I don't think Buts has plateaued just yet. He has the smarts, mobility and bounce-back ability to continue a steady climb to a consistent, shut-down d-man. Although he showed some physicality in the Philly series, adding some bulk this off-season would help in that department. Conditioning this off-season will play a big part as well. The playoffs are grueling and will wear a player down when he's playing over 22 mins/game.

This is a big off-season for Buts. He has the smarts and he has the work-ethic. We'll see how far it takes him this season.


The Pegula Rewards Program buffalosabresnow list:


GM, Darcy Regier--No
Head Coach Lindy Ruff--Yes
Director of Amateur Scouting Kevin Devine--Yes



UFA Players:

Tim Connolly--No
Steve Montador--No
Mike Grier--Yes, in a front office role
Rob Niedermayer--Yes, if the Sabres are contenders
Cody McCormick--Yes
Matt Ellis--Yes, in two-way contract
Patrick Lalime--No
Mark Mancari--No


RFA Players:

Drew Stafford--Yes
Andrej Sekera--No
Mike Weber--Yes
Marc-Andre Gragnani--Yes
Chris Butler--Yes