Filling Out the Bottom Three D-Men For 2011/12

As mentioned in a prior post, Tyler Myers and Jordan Leopold will be a part of the Buffalo Sabres top-four d-men. RFA Chris Butler, if he re-signs, should be a third member.

The Sabres' brass seem to be leaning towards pairing Myers with a veteran shut-down d-man who would fill out the top-four.

With that in mind, the performances of RFA d-men Mike Weber and Marc-Andre Gragnani seemed to have locked them both in to the starting six for the 2011/12 season.

Both have spent years in the minors and both have overcome injuries to give themselves jobs-to-lose this season.

And both, as covered recently, should be a part of the Pegula Rewards Program.

Mike Weber has no problem
protecting Ryan Miller

Mike Weber provides a grittiness and toughness that you don't find with any other Sabres d-man or prospect. He patrols the crease with a vengeance and is not afraid to drop the gloves with anyone.

Weber's play has been so solid that it's likely that veteran UFA Steve Montador will move on. In addition, it seems as if last year's UFA signing, Shaone Morrisonn, will either be with another team or over in Rochester with the Amerks (if the Buffalo does reunite with Rochester.)



Marc-Andre Gragnani's performance
in last year's playoffs means he can
probably say goodbye to the minors
and may spell an end to
Andrej Sekera's career as a Buffalo Sabre.


Likewise, the emergence of Marc-Andre Gragnani as a puck-moving, point-producing, potential powerplay quarterback of the future makes fellow RFA d-man Andrej Sekera expendable. Sekera could be relegated to 7th-man duty, but with Buffalo's defensive depth and Sekera's tradeability, it wouldn't come as a surprise if he was moved.

With Weber and Gragnani virtual locks on the starting defense corps, the question will be filling the reserve spot. All of their minor league d-men would benefit from extended minutes in the AHL.

This past season we saw Lindy Ruff rotate Weber, Sekera and Butler.

There's no reason why he couldn't rotate Weber, Gragnani, maybe Butler again, or Sekera again or a guy like TJ Brennan, who's on the last year of his entry-level contract.

Or maybe they should just keep the youngin's in the minors and bring in a reserve d-man at a reasonable cost.

In any event, right now we're leaning towards this as we build from the goal out:

the buffalosabresnow 2011/12 roster foundation:

Goalie

• Ryan Miller
• Jhonas Enroth

Defense:

• 1st-pairing:  Tyler Myers, ?
• 2nd-pairing:  Jordan Leopold, Chris Butler
• 3rd-pairing:  Mike Weber, Marc-Andre Gragnani
• reserve:  ?