Buffalo Sabres Roster Report: Centers
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Last week we took a look at the Buffalo Sabres depth chart as far as goaltending is concerned, outlining who will be playing where and in what order. This week I take a look at the depth chart of centers, from 1-5 and then what the prospect pool gives us as well.
The Buffalo Sabres are definitely lacking in the center position – relying on converted left winger Tyler Ennis to play the middle man on the top line – with less than average results.
“We are, we are, the youth of a nation.”–Youth of a Nation P.O.D.
With a roster rebuild in full order for the Buffalo Sabres – it is time to put Tyler Ennis back where he is comfortable and let him play the wing, letting the youth of the Buffalo Sabres to earn their keep in the face off circle, learning the tricks of the trade against some of the better faceoff men in the league.
You can’t just give these guys the spots, they will be earned in training camp, but to really truly rebuild this team, you have to empower the youth at some point, and that point is now.
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Mikhail Grigorenko isn’t going to be with the organization long – but if he is going to stick around and compete with the big boys, he has to show that the skill he exhibited in the minors can translate over to the NHL. He is going to have a lot of work cut out for him to build this position up – he will be fighting not only Zemgus Girgensons in camp for the number one center role, but newcomer and highly touted prospect Sam Reinhart.
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The maturity level has grown – and Grigorenko has shown that. He knows a role won’t be handed to him. He knows he is going to have to earn whatever comes his way.
The time has come however, and the time is now – for Mikhail Grigorenko to own the number one center role and keep the spot warm for Sam Reinhart. With his growth and conditioning up, Mikhail is ready to join the Buffalo Sabres full time and prove he is everything that was claimed to be when he was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres with the twelfth overall pick in the 2012 draft.
Working against Mikhail Grigorenko is he has 43 NHL games to his credit with the Buffalo Sabres, and has failed to produce at the NHL level. He has only tallied eight points, with three goals and five assists. He refused to report to the juniors last year when the Buffalo Sabres demoted him.
The difference between this year and previous years however, is the Rochester Americans are a viable option for Mikhail Grigorenko should he not make the cut for the NHL.
This is the final year of his three year entry level contract, and regardless of how the season plays out, Grigorenko will be a restricted free agent, and a candidate for an offer sheet. I can really see the Buffalo Sabres trying to part ways with the young Russian forward.
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Many fans of the Buffalo Sabres might disagree with me here as well, hoping that Sam Reinhart will be ready to play first line minutes in the National Hockey League from the go. And he just might be able to. Or the organization could deem him back to the juniors for one more season.
You can’t really lose anything by letting Reinhart dominate in the CHL for one more season. He has the eligibility – and you extend his entry level deal out for another season by only keeping him in Buffalo for the ten game tryout to get a real good look at him in a Buffalo Sabres sweater.
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But then again – why wait. If he proves that he can handle in training camp and he holds his own in the preseason contests which are nothing more than glorified scrimmages; then you make him your number two center. There is no harm in making him your number two center until he builds his strength up to the NHL requisites. There will be plenty of time to groom Sam Reinhart for the number one position, and if you are going to keep Grigorenko around, there is no harm in letting him take first line minutes this year.
Sam Reinhart is going to dazzle regardless of where you play him, as long as you don’t hand him third and fourth line wingers and expect him to produce like a top line center.
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This is the pick that I will likely be most wrong on. (Who am I kidding, its July and I am running this series. Injuries and passion are going to dictate the order of the centers, not some random feeling in the middle of summer).
I want to see Girgensons as the third line center, because I think he has the power to handle going up against third line types. He is the type of guy that you are going to look to in key situations, think Dan Paille for the Boston Bruins and Dominic Moore for the New York Rangers. Names that become house hold in a good series, but for the work they do against other grinders and make series changing moves when the top lines keep cancelling each other out.
Sure we would like to think that every center the Buffalo Sabres have signed or drafted is going to be worthy of the number one spot, but its not likely that will happen.
Zemgus Girgensons brings to the third line exactly what the Buffalo Sabres need, size, power and hunger – giving the Sabres three lines that they can roll at the opposition that can put the puck in the net – but still have some power guys that can make it difficult to play against.
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McCormick isn’t going to be riding the bus with the Rochester Americans with the new contract he just signed – and he will likely be a very vocal individual for the young rebuilding Sabres.
Tim Murray doesn’t need him on the ice for that – he just needs the voice in the Buffalo Sabres locker room.
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Cody McCormick is going to be your “enforcer”. Not so much in the fact that he will deter guys from taking liberties with your younger prospects like John Scott’s presence, but what he will do is not shy away from dropping the gloves with anyone that might get a little too close to Sam Reinhart and company.
He can put the puck in the net, he has 20 goals on his career that spans 372 NHL games with the Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, and Colorado Avalanche – so the ability is there.
He isn’t often suspended, but has been in the past, so other centers will be able to fill in with this role as well, filling in time on the fourth line when McCormick can’t go.
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If there was a spot on NHL rosters for a utility player, then Luke Adam just might be filling that role this year. Finally coming into his prime with the Rochester Americans last year – he will find some ice time with the Buffalo Sabres, if only to see if he can best his career high. In 52 NHL games during the 2011-2012 season he scored 10 goals.
Mikhail Grigorenko is skating on thin ice with the team, but showing signs of maturity this off season which could help his case when it comes time to discuss contracts in this upcoming off season.
Luke Adam has had a slow progression and despite high hopes, could end up just being a career American Hockey League player. Despite that – the Buffalo Sabres will be utilizing his skill set. He will best be served in Rochester, but the Buffalo Sabres will have plenty of depth at the center position.
Adam will likely watch from the press box, as the odd man out in most cases, if he doesn’t play the 490 shuffle.
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Unless there is a major shift in the force, those five names are likely the centers you will see taking the draws and working the pivot this year for the Buffalo Sabres. Depth is not something the Buffalo Sabres have a lot of at the center position, however, there are some players that will appear in camp and play in the preseason, however will most likely don the red, white, and blue of the Rochester Americans.
Other centers in the organization:
Justin Kea
Kevin Sundher
Eric Cornel
Connor Hurley
Sean Malone
Chris Brown
Colin Jacobs
Tim Schaller