Five things to like about the 2011-12 Sabres

Most prognosticators have decided that the Sabres will either finish second in the Eastern Conference or out of the playoff race. While I don’t share that level of division, there are certainly a lot of questions surrounding the Sabres as they prepare to drop the puck on a new season.

Will the new additions on defense improve life for Ryan Miller? Will Jhonas Enroth provide to be an effective backup? Will Ville Leino be able to effectively play center? All of these questions lay at the forefront of the massive expectations that the fans and media have for this team. Of course, there are plenty of things to like about this team.

1. Jhonas Enroth is the backup goaltender: For the first time since Marty Biron was in Buffalo, the Sabres have a goaltender who can effectively play 25 or more games. If Ryan Miller receives enough rest he will be more effective during the season and when the games really count too. I expect to see Enroth 20-25 times this season, giving Miller an easy work load in the neighborhood of 60 games.

2. Ville Leino appears to be an upgrade over Tim Connolly: While it remains questionable whether or not Leino will be a truly effective center, his overall skill – and cap hit – make him an upgrade over Connolly. Admittedly, Connolly turned into a fantastic penalty killer during the stretch run last season. However, his constant injuries and lack of production made him a liability, particularly against the cap. Leino has shown that his offensive prowess is nearly unparalleled. If he is able to eclipse the 50-point plateau, which he should easily reach, there should be no complaining about the return he is offering the Sabres.

3. Christian Ehrhoff is a major upgrade to the power play: The power play has been a sticking point with a lot of people dating back to when Scott Arniel left the team. It was ineffective against Boston in 2010 and even had a dry spell against the Flyers last postseason. Ehrhoff has a howitzer for a slap shot and is a skilled offensive defenseman. He is also responsible in his own zone, which makes him a corner stone for the future of the team. Ehrhoff’s shot alone will account for power play points, but he will certainly rack up plenty of assists as well.

4. The Sabres’ balanced attack should create plenty of offense: The greatest strength of the 2006-07 President’s Trophy team was their ability to put out three lines that could score goals, and a fourth that wasn’t far behind. This Sabres squad has a similar constitution. There are three sets of sound, scoring wingers (26/29, 63/22, 42/21) that will be paired with either Luke Adam, Derek Roy or Ville Leino. That equals a scary attack that will be complimented by a grind line of Paul Gaustad centering Pat Kaleta and Cody McCormick.

5. There is room to make changes, if necessary: Darcy Regier was able to free up the necessary cap space to make moves on a daily basis. He did that by shipping the $5 million owed to Shaone Morrisonn and Ales Kotalik. While there isn’t much cap space to play with now, the Sabres have plenty of contracts that can will offset trades without handcuffing either side financially. When the deadline rolls around, Regier should have no trouble finding upgrades, if that is what he needs.