Buffalo Sabres Get Defensive, May Trade Up

The Buffalo Sabres did not play in the Stanley Cup playoffs this year but that doesn’t mean lessons weren’t learned, particularly from the final four teams. Certainly they aren’t the only team that noticed a trend toward minute-munching skilled defenseman. Fans of the Buffalo Sabres noticed too and, if they share the same opinion I do, were elated with the trend.

The Stanley Cup Final showed off two of the leagues best defencemen in the Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Chicago Blackhawks cyborg Duncan Keith, whom would have won the Conn Smythe even if the Lightning hoisted the Cup. Neither is known to be extremely physical but they don’t shy away from contact.

What is most impressive with Keith and Hedman is they play in every situation. Both can lead the rush up-ice and pinch in to keep up pressure and create offense. Both are excellent in their own zone and make the first pass look easier than it is. They play in every situation at a high level. Neither team would have been to the Stanley Cup Final without them.

The conference final runners-up also have studs on the blue line. The Anaheim Ducks are watching Hampus Lindholm blossom to go with Cam Fowler and Sami Vatanen. The New York Rangers already had Marc Staal before bringing in Keith Yandle. And Drew Doughty has a pair of Stanley Cups in the last five years. If you don’t have standout defenseman, you aren’t making a deep playoff run.

Which brings us back to the Buffalo Sabres. The roster is filed with young, talented defencemen such as Zach Bogosian, Nikita Zadorov and Mark Pysyk. But the best of the bunch could be Rasmus Ristolainen, a 6′ 4”, 200 plus pound rock who can break the puck up-ice himself, complete the outlet pass or shut down the opposition.

Ristolainen is entering his second season after an impressive rookie run where he showed improvement throughout the year. In October he will turn 21 and if he continues to show growth as he did last year, it’s not impossible to see him as the Buffalo Sabres version of Hedman or Keith.

Part of that is wishful thinking of a lifelong Buffalo Sabres fan. But we can wish that because of what we have seen from Ristolainen so far. Norris Trophies and the Stanley Cup are a heavy burden to put on a second-year player. But it’s hard to bottle that excitement.

Stanley Cup champions used to have tremendous scoring power. Then goaltending became a premium during the “dead puck” era. Now as rules change to increase scoring and decrease equipment size there is a premium on big, puck-moving defencemen whom can eat minutes and wipe your best player off the score sheet. Rasmus Ristolainen may be that defenseman for the Buffalo Sabres.

Buffalo Sabres Looking To Make Moves

With three of the first 31 picks in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft the Buffalo Sabres are certain to add talent to an already deep prospect pool. While futures are nice the Sabres need help scoring goals now. Evander Kane is certainly going to do that as will the presumed second overall pick, Jack Eichel.

While there are clichés about not having enough defencemen in the system, you can make the same argument about centers. If a team is strong down the middle of the ice it can help offset some weakness on wing as well as defensively.

Going into the draft the Buffalo Sabres have seven players listed as centers on the roster. Let’s scratch Zac Dalpe and Phil Varone first. The Sabres have already announced they will not retain the rights to Dalpe, while Varone will likely be bumped back to Rochester once Eichel arrives.

Ennis has played both center and wing with the Sabres so for argument sake I’m going to count him as a wing. I am also anticipating that Mikhail Grigorenko will not be a member of the Buffalo Sabres by July 1st.

Now we are down to Zemgus Girgensons, Cody Hodgson and Cody McCormick. Girgensons is a lock, McCormick is solid on the fourth line and Hodgson may get paid to play elsewhere. So there is one, maybe two openings at center depending on how you feel about Sam Reinhart making the Buffalo Sabres next season.

Why not get stronger at the position and move up to get another stud? I’m talking about 6’3”, 212 pound Pavel Zacha from the Czech Republic. If you haven’t ready the scouting report on him you owe it to yourself to take a look. One final mock draft has Zacha slotted to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the eighth spot, another has him going ninth to the San José Sharks.

Would the 21st and 31st pick be enough to move into that spot and take Zacha? As highlighted in the mock above, Zacha missed time with injuries and suspensions. Sounds like a player the Buffalo Sabres just traded for. Wears track suits, takes pictures with obscene stacks of money and scores a bunch of goals? Remember that?

If the Buffalo Sabres took that risk once it’s reasonable to think they will take it again. I like that Zacha has a mean streak to him. Of course he isn’t helping you if he’s watching but that’s coachable. In my opinion it’s easier to have a player take it down a notch than it is bring something out of him that might not be there. Wasn’t that fans criticism of Tyler Myers not being physical enough?

That doesn’t seem an issue with Zacha, whom can also fill the net. I don’t see Zacha getting out of the top nine picks. If the Buffalo Sabres have their eye on another big playmaker at center, I’d like this call to get made to Columbus and see if this deal gets made, needs improvement or is a non-starter.

It won’t be the only trade talked about, which will make the next two weeks a bunch of fun. Trade or no trade the Buffalo Sabres will come out of the weekend a better team and more exciting to watch in the 2015-16 season.

Next: Potential Buffalo Sabres Draft Pick Mackenzie Blackwood

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