SB Nation - Chris Butler

Who Now Becomes The Seventh Defenseman?

Zachary Zielonka — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:00:28 -0000

More photos » by Rich Schultz - AP

about 1 month ago: New Jersey Devils' Matt Halischuk (16) takes a shot between Buffalo Sabres' Craig Rivet (52) and goalie Ryan Miller (30) during the second period in an NHL hockey game at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

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I can imagine that the articles about Tyler Myers are starting to get old. Hence, why this one will be the last one. When Toni Lydman and Andrej Sekera come back from their injuries, the Sabres will face another conundrum on their defense. They will have seven defensemen and will have to sit one of them.

Must Plays

Tyler Myers

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Tyler Myers	9	2	3	5	8	2	0	0	0	0	10	20.0

This doesn't need to be said but we will anyways. The Sabres are keeping him up and therefore will be playing in most of the games this season. He is a rookie and he will hit a wall at some point this season. At that point, he should be a scratch so that he isn't burnt out at the end of the season and hopefully the playoffs. At this point in his career though, he should be playing. The Sabres are doing just that with him, he is averaging twenty minutes a game which is third on the team. He is seeing 2:43/game on the power play and 1:59/game shorthanded. He is a +8 which is second only to his linemate Henrik Tallinder and he is leading the defensemen in points.

Henrik Tallinder

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Henrik Tallinder	9	0	3	3	9	12	0	0	0	0	3	0.0

Many have derided Tallinder in the past two seasons as his play had really not lived up to the $2.65 million cap hit. Last year, Tallinder had twelve points and was -2 in 66 games. This year, Tallinder already has three assists and is a +9. His defensive game has been aided with Myers on the opposite side but he is playing to prove that he should live up to the contract he signed. It is also a contract year for Tallinder. Therefore, he is going to play out of his mind to try and earn the next big payday. Tallinder is playing well with Myers and should not come out of the lineup at this point

Craig Rivet

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Craig Rivet	9	0	4	4	2	2	0	0	0	0	14	0.0

Rivet is the captain and the lifeblood of the team. As long as he is wearing the C, he will be in the lineup. Rivet has had a quiet season thus far, which for a defenseman is not necessarily a bad thing. He is second on the team in time on ice/game at 21:39/game and has four assists on the season. Rivet has played with sophomore sensation Chris Butler this season and both have played a quiet shutdown type of game.

Chris Butler

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Chris Butler	9	0	4	4	1	2	0	0	0	0	14	0.0

As I said about Rivet, the same principle applies to Butler. Lost in the fray of all of the Tyler Myers coverage is the stellar play of Chris Butler this season. Butler leads the team in total time on ice and time on ice per game. He also leads the team in shorthanded time on ice and is second in powerplay time on ice. The coaching staff has placed faith in this kid's play and he is responding with four assists, three on the powerplay.

Steve Montador

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Steve Montador	9	0	3	3	1	10	0	0	0	0	15	0.0

Montador is not coming out of the lineup just due to the fact that he really has not played bad all season. He only has three assists on the season, but he wasn't acquired for his offensive prowess. He is teaching and playing a good game on the blueline and really is no doubt that he would come out of the lineup.

Questionables

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Toni Lydman	4	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	6	0.0

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Andrej Sekera	3	0	0	0	-1	2	0	0	0	0	3	0.0

This leaves two players left where one of them will have to sit. Toni Lydman has played four out of a possible nine games this season, he missed the first three due to a hand injury and the last two due to a groin injury. In those four games, Lydman is a +1 and has no points. Andrej Sekera has only played three games this season and has struggled slightly this season. While his play has not dropped off, it really does not bump another player out of the lineup and it won't bump Lydman to the press box just due to the fact that Lydman would be another veteran presence in the lineup.

Game 3 Preview: Sabres vs. Predators

Zachary Zielonka — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:14:19 -0000

More photos » by David Duprey - AP

2 months ago: Buffalo Sabres' Drew Stafford (21) shoots on Phoenix Coyotes goalie Jason LaBarbera during the first period of the NHL hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2009. (AP Photo/ David Duprey)

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After playing their first two games at home, the Sabres now take to a quick road trip to play the Nashville Predators. The Sabres are coming off two hard games in which they out shot their opponent 74-41 but only mustered three goals. Against the Predators, they are going to have to be able to find the back of the net against a Predator team that is scoring 2.50 goals/game in two games.

The Sabres main struggles so far this season are coming on the powerplay in which they are only 2 for 14 this season. Lindy Ruff is attributing that to many of the new guys that are on the powerplay units, Chris Butler and Tyler Myers. With the inexperience of the two guys on the unit plus the units all trying to find a groove on the unit, the powerplay should be able to find the back of the net more often.

The Sabres are also shifting some lines around to try and find more scoring chances. Drew Stafford reunites with Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek while Tim Kennedy shifts down to the Grier and Hecht line. That shifts Gaustad down with Ellis and Kaleta. While I disagree with Gaustad moving down a line, bringing up Stafford with Roy and Vanek should prove to do well nothing. As a line last year they were fairly ineffective and reuniting that chemistry shouldn't change much.

The Predators are going to be without JP Dumont for the second straight game as he is suffering from post concussion symptoms. His replacement, Patric Hornqvist is having a great season with two goals and two assists in two games. Pekka Rinne will be in net for the Predators which will be the second straight backup goaltender the Sabres have faced this season. Rinne looked stout in net in his only other appearance against the Sabres, a 30 save shutout.

Keys to the Game

Sabres: Keep doing what you are doing. This team has been playing a fairly consistent defensive minded game which has garnered three out of a possible four points. Besides only being able to put three goals in net, the Sabres have cleared the lanes for Ryan Miller to see and have forechecked and backchecked really well. If the Sabres continue to play that style of game consistently through the season, they are going to put themselves into a position to win every game.

Predators: Get on the scoreboard early. The Sabres have shown that they can compete in close games they have not been tested by being down by more than one goal. If the Predators can jump out to an early two goal lead, are the Sabres going to react with their same composed game or are they going to start to panic and create more chances for the Predators.

Who's that? Little knowns and unknowns making an early impact

James Mirtle — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:54:36 -0000

More photos » by LM Otero - AP

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It's way too early in the season to draw any conclusions about the Coyotes or Avs or so and so's two-game scoring slump, but one thing I try to keep an eye on in the early going is low profile players earning noteworthy ice time around the league.

Here's a list of 25 players, 15 forwards and 10 defenders, picking up some surprising minutes so far (Rk is their ice time rank for their position):

Rk	Player	Team	GP	G	A	P	+/-	S	TOI/G
61	Matt Moulson	NYI	1	0	1	1	0	5	19:20
129	T.J. Galiardi	COL	2	0	1	1	1	2	16:52
135	Rickard Wallin	TOR	3	0	0	0	-2	2	16:40
154	Jamie Benn	DAL	2	0	1	1	0	3	16:11
165	J-F Jacques	EDM	2	0	0	0	-2	3	15:48
178	M. Santorelli	NSH	1	0	0	0	0	3	15:29
187	N. Bergfors	NJD	2	0	1	1	-1	3	15:04
201	Tom Wandell	DAL	2	0	0	0	-1	1	14:42
244	Ryan Stone	EDM	2	0	0	0	-1	0	13:20
251	V. Stalberg	TOR	3	0	1	1	-1	6	13:08
253	Benn Ferriero	SJS	3	1	0	1	-2	6	12:57
254	Mika Pyorala	PHI	3	0	0	0	2	3	12:50
256	James Wright	TBL	2	0	0	0	0	2	12:39
266	Tanner Glass	VAN	1	0	0	0	1	0	12:11
271	Ryan O'Reilly	COL	2	0	1	1	1	1	11:57

Rk	Player	Team	GP	G	A	P	+/-	S	TOI/G
49	Chris Butler	BUF	1	0	0	0	-1	3	22:57
117	D. Kulikov	FLA	2	0	0	0	-1	0	18:33
131	Matt Carkner	OTT	2	0	0	0	0	4	17:41
141	Sami Lepisto	PHX	1	0	0	0	0	1	16:54
144	D. Drewiske	LAK	2	1	1	2	2	2	16:44
146	J. Demers	SJS	3	0	2	2	1	3	16:38
154	Alec Martinez	LAK	1	0	0	0	-2	2	16:01
156	Y. Weber	MTL	2	0	0	0	-3	1	15:47
171	Mathieu Roy	CBJ	2	0	1	1	2	1	14:22
173	M. Del Zotto	NYR	3	2	1	3	1	4	13:30

Some of the players here are far more surprising than others (who knew Benn Ferriero would make the Sharks, for one) but I'd wager most are relative unknowns for your average hockey fan. Some of those above have even played some decent minutes in the NHL in the past (like Butler in Buffalo) although most are either unheralded rookies or veteran minor leaguers getting a long-awaited shot.

Wallin, Wandell and Pyorala are in a different category altogether as European imports, all of whom had to win roles in training camp and preseason.

Any of the "unknowns" impressed you to this point?

2008-2009 Report Cards: The Final Grades

David Oleksy — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 16:00:12 -0000

More photos » by Don Heupel - AP

8 months ago: Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, left, makes a save on Toronto Maple Leafs left winger Jason Blake during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y. on Friday, March 27, 2009. Buffalo won 5-3. (AP Photo/Don Heupel)

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Over the past couple of months we did a complete breakdown of every single player. This was not an exact science but rather a poll that was conducted on the site to see how you felt about the players on this team. The rankings turned out similar to what you might expect with a couple of mild surprises.

Tim Connolly is the but of many jokes and is often thought of as being overpaid but he had one of the highest rankings on the team. I guess you can appreciate talent and look past the injuries. Is it fair to assume that we all think that Connolly is an extremely talented player but we get frustrated because he spends more time off the ice than he does on it?

Chris Butler had a breakout season and surprised many of us but was he one of the top three players on the team? He probably wasn't but we based the rankings off of what we expected from the player before the season. Nobody thought that Butler would spend the majority of the season with the Sabres and have the impact that he did.

For all the rankings folow the jump.

Rank	Player	Grade
1	Ryan Miller	A-
2	Thomas Vanek	B+
3	Chris Butler	B+
4	Paul Gaustad	B
5	Patrick Kaleta	B
6	Derek Roy	B
7	Tim Connolly	B
8	Jaroslav Spacek	B
9	Matt Ellis	B-
10	Clarke MacArthur	B-
11	Craig Rivet	B-
12	Drew Stafford	B-
13	Adam Mair	C+
14	Teppo Numminen	C
15	Nathan Paetsch	C
16	Daniel Paille	C
17	Jason Pominville	C
18	Andrej Sekera	C
19	Toni Lydman	C-
20	Patrick Lalime	D+
21	Andrew Peters	D+
22	Henrik Tallinder	D+
23	Maxim Afiogenov	D
24	Dominic Moore	D
25	Jochen Hecht	D-

I would love to hear what everyone has to say about the final rankings. Is it what you expected or did we miss on some players? Comment away so we can finally close out another disappointing season.

Myers and Weber Shine at Prospect Camp

David Oleksy — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:00:18 -0000

More photos » by Don Heupel - AP

8 months ago: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Chris Butler, right, carries his equipment towards the exit after cleaning out his locker in Buffalo, N.Y. on Monday, April 13, 2009. (AP Photo/Don Heupel)

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I was not sure what to expect at my first trip to Buffalo Sabres prospect camp. I came away with a pretty good feeling about a couple of players. Before getting too excited about what I seen let's remember that these players have all been with the Sabres for less than five years and only Chris Butler has seen considerable time in the NHL.

The stars of the day were Tyler Myers and Mike Weber. They played along side one another in the two-on-two drills and they had the boards rattling with their physical play. After the first couple of shifts there were players that were actually playing not to get hit and losing the puck because of it. Myers played a physical style but his best asset was his quick stick and long reach; on a couple of occasions he was able to use his reach to take the puck away.

There were other players that stood out from the rest of the pack as well. Some for their good play and others that weren't so impressive. Follow the jump to see my observations from Tuesday's practice. Keep in mind that there were two rinks and I was only able to watch one at a time, therefore I didn't get to see every player.

Luke Adam - Great skater, stil needs to work on his skills

Chris DeSousa - he was obviously over-matched by the talented players on the ice.

Nathan Gerbe - Seeing him live you get a true appreciation for how tiny he is. Despite his size he always finds open ice and makes things happen offensively.

Phillip Gogulla - Finally get atrue appreciation for his talent. He is a good skater and has pretty good hands as well. He has some pretty good potential in the near future.

Justin Jokinen - He wasn't overly impressive. He made a ton of mistakes and needs to really work on his hands.

Tim Kennedy - Still needs to work on his skills but showed offensive talent.

Maxime Legault - I was blown away by his speed. I had no idea that he was such a good skater.

Corey Tropp - This kid could be a real good player someday.

Travis Turnbull - There is no quit in his game, he works extremely hard on every play.

Mark Adams - Looked good in the 1-on-1 drills but as the drills picked up in intensity his inexperience was obvious.

Chris Butler - He was solid...did you expect anything else?

Corey Fienhage - played aggressive in front of the net, wasn't afraid to take the body. He still needs to work on his positioning.

Mike Kostka - I was impressed with his defensive play.

Tyler Myers - Played physical and showed some offensive talent from the point position.

Mike Weber - The most physical player on the ice the entire day.

Jhonas Entroth - Solid in goal. He showed a quick glove and the ability to smother pucks with very few rebounds.

Overall it was great experience and I look forwar to going back tomorrow. If you were there I would love to hear your thoughts on the prospects.

Chris Butler: 2008-2009 Report Card

David Oleksy — Fri, 22 May 2009 11:00:17 -0000

It's time to put the finishing touches on the 2008-2009 season for the Buffalo Sabres. Here is a complete report card of every single player that played a significant amount of time with the Sabres this season. Thanks to Japers Rink and Mile High Hockey for the inspiration.

Chris Butler

#34 / Defenseman / Buffalo Sabres

Height: 6-1

Weight: 195

Born: Oct 27, 1986

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Chris Butler	47	2	4	6	11	18	0	0	1	0	36	5.6

Key Stat: The biggest stat of the year for Chris Butler is the one that is staring right in your face. He finished the season as plus 11 on a team that missed the playoffs. Plus/minus can be a misleading stat but in this case it is accurate. Behind the Net does a great job of really breaking down the stats and they accurately show the worth of Chris Butler. The Sabres allowed almost one full goal less per 60 minutes when Butler was on the ice as compared to when he wasn't on the ice.

Interesting Stat: Despite being regarded as a smart player he was a minus 22 in takeaways and giveaways. Butler gave the puck away 29 times this season but only took it from his opponent seven times.

Defensive Partner: (limited to top three to save space)

Craig Rivet (1980)
Teppo Numminen (555)
Toni Lydman (247)

Fun Fact: He was the fourth player in three years to leave Denver University early to play professionally. Matt Carle, Ryan Dingle and Geoff Paukovich all left after their Junior season and Paul Statsny left after his Sophomore season.

Report: Nobody could have predicted the emergence of Chris Butler. Most of us had never seen him play but were told great things about him. Still we thought that he was at least a year away from cracking the Sabres lineup. After all the Sabres had seven regular defensemen and Mike Weber starting the season in Portland.

Butler began his NHL career on December 19 against the Los Angeles Kings and he never looked back. After getting an opportunity to play because of injury, he seized the opportunity and became a regular. Instead of sending him down to Portland, the Sabres elected to play him while both Teppo Numminen and Nathan Paetsch sat in the press box.

Butler proved to everyone that the future is bright. He has the potential to become a number one or two defenseman with the Sabres in the very near future.

2008-2009 Salary (Cap Number): $576,666 ($576,666)

2009-2010 Status: $576,666 ($576,666)

Vote: It's time to grade Butler for his play in the 2008-2009 season. Every player has expectations so vote based on those expectations. If a player played to their potential they should receive a "C" if they exceeded expectations they would receive a "B" or an "A".

Discuss: Were you surprised at how well Butler played as a rookie? Were you aware of the potential that Butler had before he was called up? Will Butler be able to match his play next season?

Up Next: Tim Connolly

Poll

What grade will you give Chris Butler?

A

56 votes

B

71 votes

C

18 votes

D

1 votes

F

0 votes

146 votes | Poll has closed

Our Choice for the Calder Trophy

Zachary Zielonka — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:38:52 -0000

The NHL has announced the three finalists for the Calder Trophy, rookie of the year, today.

Steve Mason

#1 / Goalie / Columbus Blue Jackets

Height: 6-4

Weight: 212

Born: May 29, 1988

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2008 - Steve Mason	61	3664	33	20	7	7	140	2.29	1658	1518	.916	10

Steve Mason is one of the major reasons that the Blue Jackets are a playoff team this season. Many people wanted Pekka Rinne the same press that Mason got for the Calder but the key for this pick is exactly how good the Blue Jackets were with him in net. Four other goaltenders played for the Blue Jackets this season and other than Daniel Lacosta's two games, no one had a better GAA or SV% than Mason. Mason lead the league in shutouts and second in the league in GAA. No rookie goaltender was better.

Bobby Ryan

#9 / Right Wing / Anaheim Ducks

Height: 6-2

Weight: 208

Born: Mar 17, 1987

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2008 - Bobby Ryan	31	26	57	13	33

Bobby Ryan lead all rookie skaters in the NHL in points and goals. He also helped lead the Anaheim Ducks to the playoffs this season. While Mason was essential in the Blue Jackets success, Ryan was only an important piece. Surrounding him with great talent in Anaheim only enhanced his talent this season and made this year a successful rookie campaign .

Kris Versteeg

#32 / Right Wing / Chicago Blackhawks

Height: 5-10

Weight: 180

Born: May 13, 1986

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2008 - Kris Versteeg	22	31	53	15	55

Versteeg lead all rookies in assists and was second in points. Like Ryan, the talent that surrounded Versteeg with Toews and Kane also helped his rookie campaign and the fact that the Blackhawks made the playoffs for the first time in a few years also helps the cause.

Along with a look at the NHL Calder nominees, we are going to take a look at our choice for the Sabres Calder winner.

Chris Butler

#34 / Defenseman / Buffalo Sabres

Height: 6-1

Weight: 195

Born: Oct 27, 1986

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2008 - Chris Butler	2	4	6	11	18

Coolman's Take

My choice for the Sabres Calder winner has to be Chris Butler. Butler's first game with the Sabres was December 19th against the LA Kings. His play was so inspired from then on that he stuck with the team for the rest of the season. While he didn't light the scoresheet up, two goals and four assists, his defensive awareness was what kept him on the team. Butler was a +11 in 47 games, second only to Tim Connolly.

D.O's Take

Chris Butler was an obvious choice for the Buffalo Sabres rookie of the year. He was originally called up on an emergency basis and made it impossible for the Sabres to send him down.

He was not only the Sabres best rookie but he could be considered as one the teams best defensemen. His outstanding play made it impossible for veterans like Numminen and Paetsch to get any ice time.

The most impressive thing about Butler is how calm he is under pressure. Most rookies will panic under pressure but Butler always seemed to make the smart play.

I expect great things out of Butler in the future.

Sabres Stay Hot at Home

David Oleksy — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 04:13:13 -0000

It wasn't pretty, it wasn't flashy, it wasn't brilliant but it was a win. It took a gutsy effort and more great goaltending for the Sabres to earn the 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens. It's tough to say that Buffalo was the better team tonight because that wasn't always the case but they battled hard all night. They took advanatge of their chances and once again they relied on Ryan Miller to make big saves.

This was the Sabres fifth consecutive home win dating all the way back to January 6. Early in the season they struggled at home but they seem to thrive on home ice lately. Buffalo plays three of their next four at home including games against Western Conference power San Jose and a game against the Carolina Hurricanes.

It has been fun watching this team as of late. They haven't won all of their games but they have battled in every single one of them. This team isn't the same team that won the Presidents Trophy but they are finally creating an identity. Consistency has plagued this team in the past so only time will tell if they continue to play at this level.

Living the High Life

Ryan Miller seen his shutout streak end tonight but not before it reached a career best 157 minutes and 13 seconds. After two consecutive shutouts, Miller allowed the Canadiens to score two goals in the victory. That doesn't tell the story as to how good Miller was. He made 35 saves including 15 saves in the first period. Without Miller's spectacular play in the first period, we may be talking about a Sabres loss instead of a 3-2 victory.

Welcome Back Spacek

The Sabres depleted blue line received good news when Jaro Spacek came back in the lineup but nobody could have predicted how good that news was. Spacek not only played tonight but he led all Sabres in ice time with 24 minutes and 45 seconds.

His most important play came early in the second period. Spacek rifled a slap shot by Carey Price just 27 seconds into the period and helped Buffalo to take control of the game. It was only the the third goal of the season for Spacek but it was an important one.

With Spacek back in the lineup it allowed Mike Weber and Chris Butler to be relied upon less and put the youngsters in a more comfortable position. Butler had slumped recently but was solid again tonight.

Secondary Scoring

The Sabres secondary scoring is something I have been very critical of. Tonight they received a goals from unlikely sources. In addition to Spacek lighting the lamp, Nathan Paetsch played the game at forward and was rewarded with a goal of his own.

Peatch played on a line with Matt Ellis and Adam Mair and although they played sparingly, they were probably the Sabres best line. They generated numerous scoring chances and had six of the Sabres 22 shots. Everytime the Sabres needed a spark it seemed these guys were on the ice and creating chances.

Power "less" Play

If there was one negative to the game, it was the Sabres power play. This is an area that the Sabres need to improve on to be a real contender. They were 0-for-4 tonight and have struggled with the man advantage. They scored twice against the Leafs on Wednesday night but they had nine opportunities in that game.

Harry Neale Quote of the Game

I'm sure it wasn't another off night for Harry but unfortuantely i didn't catch any one-liners. Feel free to add your Harry Neale quote in the comments.

Roll Call

Thanks to everyone that contributed to the game thread tonight and hopefully we'll see you again tomorrow night.

Roll Call: ccthemovieman, D.O., dfderie, qdloser, chargerman73se, Joan O.
Total Users: 6
Total Posts: 111
Total Threads: 1

Name	# of Posts
dfderie	50
D.O.	29
Joan O.	15
qdloser	11
ccthemovieman	5
chargerman73se

Up Next

There is no rest for the Sabres. They are right back in action tomorrow night in Ottawa. Face-off is 7:00 PM on Saturday night.

Roy is Sabres Real All-Star

David Oleksy — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 03:15:10 -0000

Thomas Vanek was the only Buffalo Sabres player selected to play in the All-Star game that took place Sunday. It was an easy decision to select Vanek as the Sabres representative. He leads the team with 28 goals and is among the league leaders, tied with Zach Parise (New Jersey) and behind Jeff Carter (Flyers) who has 30. Vanek proved his worth as an All-Star by leading the Sabres in goals, power play goals and shorthanded goals.

Choosing Vanek was an easy choice but if the Sabres were only going to get one player, they selected the wrong guy. Vanek is a great player and deserved to be an All-Star but not at the expense of Derek Roy. There is no doubt that Derek Roy has been and is the best player on the team.

Since the Sabres lost Danny Briere and Chris Drury, everyone is quick to point out the Sabres struggles. What they fail to recognize, is the emergence of Derek Roy as this teams best player. Maybe it's because of his reputation as a diver or maybe it's because he sometimes coasts to the nbench when making a change but nobody talks about Derek Roy as an elite player.

If the All-Star team is selected based on statistics than Derek Roy should do well. he is the Sabres team leader in many categories. He leads all Sabres Forwrads in ice time, averaging almost 22 minutes a game. He leads the team in even strength goals (14) and game winning goals (6). He also leads the team in points with 44 (18 goals-26 assists).

The Sabres have struggled when 5-on-5 all season as is evident by the plus/minus statistics. Only five Sabres players have a plus rating and Derek Roy is one of them with a plus two. Even more impressive is the fact that Roy had a slow start to the season and found himself in the minus for the first month of the season. Included in the list of five players are rookies Chris Butler and Nathan Gerbe and Gerbe played only six games. That makes Drew Stafford (+7), Derek Roy (+2) and Adam Mair (+2) as the only players with a plus rating on the Sabres roster.

Derek Roy has proven to be the Sabres best player and it's time that the world take notice. The scary thing is... Roy hasn't reached his full potential yet. It took Roy some time to adjust to the pro game but he has steadily improved and should continue to improve.

Poll

Who is the Sabres Best Player?

Thomas Vanek

33 votes

Derek Roy

24 votes

Jason Pominville

4 votes

Other

5 votes

66 votes | Poll has closed

Buffalo Sabres: Half-Season Outlook

David Oleksy — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:33:43 -0000

Before the season began I wrote a season preview and gave a prediction that the Sabres would not be good enough to win the division but they would finish as the eastern Conference six seed. That prediction is not far off at the half way point of the season. The Sabres are currently in seventh place along with the Carolina Hurricanes. The Sabres haven't cemented their spot in the playoffs but they have set themselves up for a run at it in the second half.

This is a talented group of guys that show no signs of an offensive let down. The offense is led by Derek Roy and Jason Pominville but plenty of other guys are key contributors. Roy had a career highs in every offensive category with 81 points in his first season as the teams number one Center. Jason Pominville has put up good offensive numbers since being called up to the Sabres during the 2005-2006 season. Many people wondered if Pominville would continue to put up good numbers after Briere left and he had a career high 80 points last season and became a more complete player in the process.

That is what I said before the season started about the Sabres Forwards and part of it still holds true at the half way mark. As a group the Sabres forwards have had a disappointing season but there are a couple that have excelled.

The Good

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Derek Roy	42	16	24	40	2	20	3	0	6	1	115	13.9

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Thomas Vanek	42	27	12	39	-2	28	12	2	4	1	145	18.6

There was never much of a question as to whether or not Roy and Vanek would be good this year but there was a question as to how good they would be. Vanek is on pace for over 50 goals and Derek Roy is well on his way to another 80 point season. There are other guys that are having good seasons that were not listed here. Jason Pominville struggled early on but seems to be playing better lately and could probably be listed here. Drew Stafford has been one of the Sabres top three Forwards over the past two or three weeks after struggling in the early part of the season. Of course Ryan Miller has been good as well and seems to have regained his form from two seasons ago.

The Bad

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Maxim Afinogenov	34	2	10	12	-14	12	0	0	0	0	64	3.1

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Jochen Hecht	32	4	9	13	-10	25	2	1	1	0	74	5.4

I'm not sure that the Sabres or Lindy Ruff ever gave Max Afinogenov a chance to succeed this season. It was no secret that the Sabres were looking to move Afinogenov before the season and they did nothing to help showcase his abilities this season. He spent a lot of tim in the press box and played mostly on the fourth line when he was in the lineup.

There is really no good reason why Jochen Hecht should be struggling the way he is. He had a career year just one season ago and now he seems to be lost on the ice. There are rumors about him being traded but tell me who wants an overpayed defensive Forward that can't play Defense? I may be a little harsh but unless Jochen turns things around in the second half, that is what he has become.

The Surprises

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Clarke MacArthur	41	11	9	20	-7	30	5	0	0	0	64	17.2

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Chris Butler	10	0	1	1	4	2	0	0	0	0	9	0.0

Clarke macArthur was a guy that we all knew had offensive abilitiy but he never seemed to use it conistently. Although he still needs to be more consistent, his 11 goals have been a welcome addition to the Sabres offense. MacArthur is another guy that has spent some time watching from upstairs and he has also played some on the fourth line. He can be a defensive liability at times but he needs to play more if they want him to showcase his offensive talent.

Coaching

It seems that it's taboo to criticize Lindy Ruff around these parts but I can't understand why he always escapes the criticism while the players are always under fire. I can't stand when people say things like "They're blocking him out" or "He's lost the room". These are professional athletes and they should act like professionals. It's not fair to criticize the coach for that reason.

There are plenty of reasons that the coach should be criticized. It's my belief that the coaches job is to put his team in a position to win. I don't believe that has always been the case this season. Some examples of what I am talking about.

Lindy Ruff publicly criticized Jochen Hecht for poor face-offs. Claiming that Jochen wasn't working hard enough. Why he's wrong: Anyone who has followed the career of Jochen Hecht knows that he has never been good at face-offs. In fact I have been an advocate of moving him back to Left Wing since day one.
After that same game he was very critical of Derek Roy for what he termed "soft play" Why he's wrong: Although Roy may have been soft in that particular game, he has been the Sabres best Forward most of the season. He had played well for at least a week before that game and has been great since then.
He played Patrick Lalime in a Friday night game at washington and Ryan Miller on Saturday night at home. Why he's wrong: The Washington Capitals are one of the best teams in the league and have an explosive offense while the Islanders are a struggling team that is in a state of rebuilding. The Sabres managed two points that weekend but they may have earned four if the Goalie assignments were reversed.

The overall outlook of this team is the same. I think they will be a playoff team and will finish anywhere from 6th-8th by seasons end. I posted the run to 94 points before and the Sabres are half way there. They currently have 47 points after 42 games and they need anywhere from 43-47 points to make the playoffs.