Buffalo Sabres Mid-Season Grades

Jan 9, 2014; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres general manager Tim Murray speaks to the media during the press conference announcing his hiring as the new Sabres general manager at First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Buffalo Sabres Management – B-

The term tank has become for current Buffalo Sabres fans what the term “suffering” was just a season and a half ago was.  Darcy Regier used the term suffering to describe what his process for rebuilding the team was.  Fans quickly grew tired of the term, because there were other ways of rebuilding a hockey club.

Nobody wants to talk about tanking, no professional players want to show up every night and lose on purpose, and coaches don’t want to lose because their jobs could be on the line.  Tank is for all intents and purposes, a management job.  As far as the on ice product is going, Tim Murray is doing exactly what is necessary for the tank to work.  The team is better than they were last year, but not good enough to take them out of the conversation for a very high draft pick.

If Tim Murray has a fault to be had right now, he is bordering on the Darcy Regier complex of wanting to much for his players.  Sure there is a price to be had, but there were likely deals on the table that might have been made, had the asking price been not as steep.    The Detroit Red Wings are still interested in a player like Tyler Myers to continue their push for consecutive playoff seasons.  Chris Stewart is demanding some attention around the league, but I continue to say that the Buffalo Sabres should keep him on the roster long term.

On the business side of the house, Ted Black and company continue to build a hockey presence for the city of Buffalo to be a destination for hockey, that all roads hockey start or go through the city of Buffalo.  Ownership has their hands full, not only with the Buffalo Sabres decisions, but in the saga of building a new era of the Buffalo Bills.

Next: Coaching

Dec 13, 2014; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres head coach

watches play from the bench during the second period against the Florida Panthers at First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Coaching – C

Ted Nolan is not an x’s and o’s coach.  He is the great motivator.  If Ted Nolan was the right coach to bring in at the time to smooth things over with fans because the trains were seemingly running off the tracks and the team needed a good PR move, then mission success.

If your not really interested in winning, then managements plan of tank behind the scenes (see page 1) is working with Ted Nolan has coach.  But the faults of Ted Nolan are very apparent when you place games like the Buffalo Sabres tossed out on the ice the last two contests against the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils.  When your team falls behind that quickly, you can just poke the guys with a stick and say play harder, have fun, be a hockey team.  The coaching staff cannot rely on the veteran presence of the team to install the system and make sure it works.

If your head coach isn’t the x and o guy, then who is calling the shots?  Is the system just bear down and play simple hockey?  The league has evolved, and Ted Nolan has not.  The Buffalo Sabres are a team that is going to rely on the youth movement over the next few seasons to grow, they need a coach with a system, a you play hockey this way mentality.  Ted Nolan is in over his head with this team, and no amount of motivation is going to win you a Stanley Cup with a head coach that is sub .500 for his career.

Is Ted Nolan going to last beyond this season for the Buffalo Sabres?  He does a three year contract, but is only filling a void while the team hits the reset button on the team?

Next: Offense, this team has offense?

Dec 11, 2014; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres center

(28) during the game against the Calgary Flames at First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Buffalo Sabres Offense – F

If you were to write a children’s story about the Buffalo Sabres offense, it would be very similar to the classic Where’s Waldo series that was wildly popular in the 1990s.

Despite not being in the worst possible position in the standings, the Buffalo Sabres have scored the fewest goals in the National Hockey League.  Through 41 games so far, the Buffalo Sabres have scored 78 goals, which is four goals shy of two per game, for those keeping track.

The offensive highlight of the year has been the offensive emergence of sophmore forward Zemgus Girgensons, who has eleven goals so far, enough to lead the team. In fact, he is the only member of the Buffalo Sabres with double digit goals at this point.  The only other Sabres player to appear in all 41 games so far is Tyler Ennis, who is second in scoring with nine goals, and a team leading 24 points.

It will take a strong effort in the second half of the season, but Girgensons could hit 20 goals this year, and Tyler Ennis could hit that mark again.  Where is the rest of the Buffalo Sabres offense?

• Drew Stafford – 6 goals
• Matt Moulson – 7 goals
• Chris Stewart & Marcus Foligno – 5 goals
• Brian Gionta & Nicolas Deslauriers – 4 goals
• Torrey Mitchell – 3 goals
• Cody Hodgson – 2 goals

The Buffalo Sabres have a problem putting the puck in the net, despite facing backup goalies on a regular basis.  You know all those movies that exist in alternate realities?  I feel like Herb Brooks could be saying you get scored on by the Buffalo Sabres, you keep the puck, because it doesn’t happen all that often.

Next: Blue Line Special

Nov 15, 2014; Buffalo, NY, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs center

(43) looks to block a shot by Buffalo Sabres defenseman

(51) during the second period at First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Buffalo Sabres Defense – C-

If you’re going the offensive grade to an F based on the fact that the Buffalo Sabres are the worst team at scoring goals, then why give the defense a “decent” grade here of a C-, when the Buffalo Sabres have allowed more goals than any team in the National Hockey League.  The team has allowed their goaltenders to fall victim to 140 goals.  Thats 140 goals on 1442 shots.  Add in the Corsi or Fenwick ratings, and the defense looks even more porous.

The Sabres have some good things going for them on the defensive front.  Rasmus Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov have been extremely bright spots on a season of darkness.  Tyler Myers appears to be maturing and coming into the player that the team needs him to be.

There is still work to be done.  Guys that really don’t want to be here beyond one season bridge contracts that brought them here like Andre Benoit and Andrej Meszaros – are only killing time until the point that they can and will get back to the unrestricted free agent market, or call it a career.

I didn’t want to go flat out D here, because the defense has chipped in offensively, and the guys that are playing well – are here for the future.  Josh Gorges continues to be a shot blocking machine, and a solid veteran presence on the blue line.  Despite missing some time with injury, Gorges remains second in blocked shots in the National Hockey League.

The only thing that I would have changed for the defense so far was to have let Nikita Zadorov play in the World Juniors Tournament recently.  Sure it may have been a step down – as he has been playing well at the NHL level, but given the Buffalo Sabres record over the course of the tournament, the Sabres would not have missed him one iota.

Next: Goalie

Jan 3, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres goalie

(34) reacts after giving up a goal against the New York Rangers during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

Buffalo Sabres Goaltenders – C

Jhonas Enroth won the right to start the regular season as the number one goalie, and then his play elevated him to the very clear number one goalie for the Buffalo Sabres.

Both goalies have performed admirably at times this season, with Jhonas Enroth out performing Michal Neuvirth.  With zero support in front of them however from the skaters on the team, they are often grabbing pucks from behind them on a regular basis.

The Buffalo Sabres have some choices to make at the goaltender position.  All three of their “NHL” ready goaltenders are in the final year of their deal.  Is Andrey Makarov ready to step into the NHL and learn the ropes from a veteran free agent that will be willing to sign as the Buffalo Sabres climb out of their rebuilding phase?

For Neuvirth, this hasn’t been a very good season for him to be an attractive number one goalie option for teams looking to fill that position come July 1.  Jhonas Enroth is going to be a very attractive option for teams looking for a number one guy, but only if he has a reliable number 2 behind him that is going to suit up for 20-25 starts a year, and get 12-13 victories in the process.

If I am either Enroth or Neuvirth, your looking for the Buffalo Sabres to give you a solid two year bridge contract as the number one goalie next season – and bring in a seasoned veteran backup while one of their prospects in the crease is ready for the NHL.

Next: Speaking of the future - what about Patrick Kaleta?