Zach Bogosian, And The Sights Set On The Future

Last game, Zach Bogosian showed Buffalo that he was a solid addition.

Feb 15, 2015; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres defenseman Zach Bogosian (47) takes a shot on a power play during the second period against the Philadelphia Flyers at First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Evander Kane was the headline of that trade, but he will be a transparent headline for the time being since Buffalo won’t see him play in blue and gold at all this season. So, Buffalo sent Drew Stafford, Tyler Myers, Brandon Lemieux and Joel Armia, along with our lowest first round draft pick in exchange for another goalie prospect, Bogosian and Kane.

Enter, Zach Bogosian.

Bogosian made an instant impact in his first game, delivering 11 hits in 24:49 of ice time.

While he remained off the scoring sheet, he was still showing that his physical presence would take guys off the puck, like his huge hit behind his net on Flyers forward Chris Vandevelde that lifted Vandevelde off of his feet.

And that is what to watch for when the Buffalo Sabres take on the New Jersey Devils tonight in the Prudential Center.

Physicality is going to be the game plan it seems. With the addition of Bogosian, Buffalo added a player to a lineup that contains a decent amount of grinders.

With a focus on the future, the remaining games are likely just sights into the future for what this roster holds.

Bogosian will likely see a pairing with Andre Benoit again, while the Buffalo Sabres held an optional skate this morning.

Along with Bogosian, Buffalo will also see glimpses of a few other players.

Michal Neuvirth will see starting minutes with the departure of Jhonas Enroth, so this will serve as an extension of his training camp. If Anders Lindback starts tonight, it will be interesting to see how well he performs in a worse team than the Dallas Stars.

With Lindback on the roster, the battle between him and Neuvirth is worth holding onto in the postseason. Lindback had ok tenures in both Nashville and Tampa, before struggling with Dallas this season. To put it in perspective, he lost to Buffalo.

Any game that you watch from now until April, don’t pay attention to anything related to winning. This is not the team for that. This team will lose more than it will win, so only focusing on that gives this team no justice.

Instead, focus on the skills aspect of the team. This team has a good core of young players who lack any veteran scoring leader. They closed the gap with Brian Gionta, but they took an even bigger step with Kane. Buffalo will finish in the bottom of the league, and potentially pick up Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel. Sam Reinhart may need another year to grow, likely seeing the first 10 games next season.

Pay attention to the individual pieces in the locker room. We have the potential to improve in so many ways. We are a bit off from a playoff contending team, but closing in on a potential winning combination.

“Where were going, we won’t need losses.” -Doc Brown

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