The first half of this post focused on the five things you have to be confident about as the Sabres season begins. This portion will focus on the things that will have fans worried for the entire season, or until the issue is resolved.
Is the team’s depth going to be an issue? Will Ville Leino excel as a center? Will Ryan Miller return to Vezina form? There are flaws to every team, but in a championship-starved town the slightest slip up could flip the turnip truck.
1. Can Ville Leino actually play center?: This is probably the main concern for most fans of the Sabres. Leino hasn’t played center since his time in Finland. Sabres fans are also stinging from having to watch Brad Boyes struggle with a position that was said to be familiar to him. While concerned, I feel that Leino won’t struggle as much because he spent so much time below the dots as Danny Briere patrolled the boards in Philly. Plus, his stickhandling and playmaking prowess should lend themselves well to the position.
2. The lack of depth at center: The Sabres are woefully thin at center, evidenced by their conversion of Leino back to his natural position. Luke Adam has proven he is capable of playing center at the NHL level. He may even spend the entire season with the big club. It is slim pickings after Adam in terms of depth. There are a lot of young guys and some NHL journeymen in Rochester. An injury to a center could prove deadly for the Sabres.
3. Scoring may prove to be a chore: The absence of a true number-one center could play a large role in this issue. The Sabres didn’t make sweeping changes to the forward ranks in the offseason. As a result they return many similar faces along the wing. If these players fail to progress (Ennis, Gerbe) or benefit from their new teammates (Vanek, Stafford, Pominville) goals could be at a premium this season.
4. Offensive-minded defensemen outnumber the stay-at-home defensemen: Acquiring Robyn Regehr will bring a calming presence and quite a bit of sandpaper to the Sabres’ blueline. He is currently paired with Tyler Myers, forming a prototypical shutdown pairing. After that only Mike Weber thinks defense-first. With four puck-movers I worry that there could be some careless play in the defensive zone.
5. Lindy Ruff needs to handle his goaltenders properly: Ruff has a capable backup for the first time since 2007. He needs to make sure to utilize Jhonas Enroth more than the obligatory second half of a back-to-back set. Ruff will have to juggle his goaltenders to ensure Ryan Miller has plenty of energy for a deep playoff run.
Bonus: The NHL’s decision to put numbers on the front of their helmets may last all year. Be very worried about this. One game in and it is obvious that this is the worst idea the NHL has ever come up with. The players look like bantams and elicited a Slapshot reaction from 2ITB readers and myself. The NHL needs to get rid of the forehead numbers. Yesterday.
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