Buffalo Sabres Players Year In Review: Brian Gionta

Last offseason, the Buffalo Sabres made a few moves to acquire a veteran presence. These moves were meant to create a learning environment and a mentorship for the abundant youth in the Sabres system. The key player to be brought in was Brian Gionta.

Prior to being signed by the Buffalo Sabres, Gionta was the captain of the Montreal Canadiens; an American player as the captain of the most iconic Canadian team. Having proven his leadership qualities, and having a desire to come back near his home town (Gionta is originally from Rochester) Brian Gionta was signed to a three year deal.

It took until the end of summer, but by the end of it all, Gionta had earned the right to be named the Buffalo Sabres team Captain.

Gionta had a bit of a slow start to the year, as it took him a while to find the back of the net. It took him until a game against the San Jose Sharks on November 18 to put home his first (and eventually second on an empty net) goal of the season.

Gionta was fed a beautiful saucer pass from former Sabre Brian Flynn, and he fired it in to the corner of the far side of the net. His reaction to scoring says it all about how much the goal meant to him. He scored a goal for his hometown team as their newly elected captain.

That goal was one of a handful Brian Gionta would finish with by the endow the year.

Gionta played a total of 69 games for the Buffalo Sabres this season. His games were cut shorter due to an injury suffered from a hit to the head in December.

Marcus Foligno made a careless pass up the boards out of his own zone against the Boston Bruins on December 21, and as Gionta tried to pick up the pass, he was leveled at the blue line by Matt Bartkowski.

That hit caused Gionta to be out of the lineup until late January.

He finished the second half of the season strong, and completed the year with solid totals. Giant recorded a total of 35 points which included 13 goals and 22 assists. Considering the realities of this year, a point every other game he played isn’t bad at all. Gionta’s 35 points were good enough for 3rd on the team, and his 22 assists were third to Tyler Ennis and Matt Moulson.

In his first year as captain, Gionta proved that he could face adversity and hard criticism. With the fans pushing his buttons (yes it was obvious how irritated he was with everyone’s attitudes) Gionta kept his cool and was still able to perform under pressure. Not only that, but he also proved that he is dedicated to this team and willing to go through all of this to be a part of the winning culture that is brewing.

Gionta will be under contract for the next two seasons, and he will continue to serve, not only as captain, but as a mentor for the young talent that runs deep in this organization.

Gionta will be a consistent third or second line producer for the next year at least, and he will have his chance to see his tutelage come to fruition.

I’ve always been a fan of Brian Gionta and what he brings to the table, and it is relieving to know such a seasoned veteran can teach the right habits to players like Samson Reinhart and possibly Jack Eichel.

What do you guys think of Gionta’s season, and do you see him fitting in for the next couple of years on this team?

Next: Is Joel Ward What The Sabres Need on Right Wing?

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