9) Who should be the Sabres first penalty kill unit? Regehr-Myers-Goose-Pomers. We all know that Goose can win face offs and he’s a physical presence. So, he’s in. Pomer is probably our best defensive winger and I think you can line him up against top tier lines. You saw what happened when he went down last year against Philly and the defense kind of got unglued. Don’t get me wrong, I still don’t think he’s earning his salary at 5-million, but at least he finds other ways to contribute besides the old goal sheet. Regehr and Myers are our best defensemen, so, it goes without saying. I think it will definitely be a top 5 unit in the NHL.
8) Who should be the Sabres first powerplay unit? Stafford-Roy-Vanek-Ehrhoff-Myers. Ah, yes. Let it marinate a little. Kind of like when Cyrus was eating that piece of steak in The Matrix. We are talking about 63 goals between Vanek and Stafford, 24 goals between Ehrhoff and Myers, and if Roy is healthy all year, 25-30 goals. Yes, kids, I don’t think we’ll need to see #29 on the blueline for the powerplay anytime soon, especially when you can roll out #3 and #44 as the 2nd pairing unit.
7) Who is on the hot seat? No one, but..If the Sabres start out slow, Lindy Ruff and Darcy Regier are going to be sweating a little bit more than they did in years past. I always thought that Golisano and Quinn would never fire these two, because they worked within the confines of the Sabres nickle and dime mentality. They dealt with the bull crap. Lindy and Darcy were safe from some public scrutiny because it always came back to ownership being cheap. Now things are different. The Sabres are in it to win it. If things somehow go south, the cries from the public are going to be louder than ever before.
6) Where will the Sabres finish in the standings? 4th in the East. With the Eastern Conference not being strong and with the gigantic question mark with Crosby, I think the Sabres get at least 100 points this year. They are much better than what they were against the Flyers. Better defense, the younger guys should evolve and Tim Connolly is gone. I’d even go as far as to say they will have the 2nd best record in the conference. Whether it was Pegula buying the team or not, the Sabres finished the season with a record of 16-4-4. I’m not buying the Flyers and the constant roster turnover they got going there. Sure, they got a goalie, but it’s Philly, and for whatever reason, strange things always happen with goalies there. The Caps are always the same. Tampa has the dynamite forwards, but I’m not buying their defense. As I wrote earlier, I just think the B’s beat out the Sabres in the division.
5) Who will be the Sabres most improved player? Nathan Gerbe. The crazy dynamic of the Sabres last season surge was just how badly they performed during the first three months only to then get on a roll. No one epitomized the day/night approach like Nathan Gerbe. He was terrible at the start of the season and I can remember when Paul Hamilton said on the radio that the team needed to get him back to Portland ASAP. Hard for me to disagree with that. Gerbe just didn’t find his game. Then something clicked, he started playing with fire and a nasty edge. He was getting in people’s faces and became kind of a agitator. From January on, Gerbe scored 15 goals in his final 40 games. He had more goals over that stretch than Thomas Vanek and Drew Stafford. I just think Gerbe will continue to improve and could score 20-25 goals while playing well in his own end of the ice.
4) Who will be the Sabres ex-factor? Ville Leino. Leino is going to be our 2nd line center and if he can put up 20-25 goals, it will be a successful season for him. Besides Derek Roy, the last time a Sabres center had over 20 goals in a season was in 2007 (Drury and Briere). The Sabres need more production from the center position than what they had during the last few seasons. That’s what happens when Tim Connolly is your 2nd best center. Even if wingers like Boyes or Stafford struggle, I think other guys will pick up the pace. If Leino struggles, who picks up the pace at center? Derek Roy can’t carry the entire load. The Sabres need a nice 1-2 punch at center.
3) Who will be the Sabres rookie of the year? Luke Adam. That’s an easy one. I don’t see anyone else from Rochester playing a significant role for the Sabres this season. Save me the Kassian and Foligno stuff, because those guys aren’t ready. With the Sabres being so thin at center, I think Adam will play 30-40 games this year. I can just foresee injuries and a player or two, not doing their job. Remember, ownership doesn’t care if a high-priced player is sitting in the press box because of their performance (See: Craig Rivet). If it were up to me, I’d lose someone like Hecht or Boyes and give the spot to Adam. He’s looked good in preseason and I think the Sabres need offensive punch down the middle.
2) How far will the Sabres go in the playoffs? Finals. Yes, Kids. I think they can go that far. I think they have just enough offense to play with the likes of Philly, Tampa Bay, Washington and Pittsburgh, while being able to shutdown their offenses. As for Boston, I think they will meet them down the stretch, but I think because of the way the Sabres played against them last year (4-1-1), makes me think they can beat them in a 7-game series. When you weigh out both teams, the Sabres got better in a area that Boston dominated (Defense). I also think that the Sabres playing in the weak ass Eastern Conference is a huge factor. So, I’m picking Detroit vs Buffalo in the Finals.
1) What am I looking forward to most? Happy fans. Yes, Buffalo, for the first time in our existance, we have a sure thing with our owner. The window doesn’t seem to be closing anytime soon. Even if the Sabres falter, we have an owner who will stop at nothing to give them the tools to win the Cup. I have to say, even with expectations being high, I have so much confidence that eventually, we will get the job done. I’ll be watching, but I normally don’t fully get into hockey mode until the January, when the Bills season ends. Hey, at least I know we will be in good hands until then.
In case you missed, here are the questions I’ve already answered about the Sabres this season.
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