Buffalo Sabres Free Agent Targets: Lee Stempniak
The Buffalo Sabres press on towards next season with a passion and a goal for one thing, winning. With that goal in mind, Tim Murray has assembled a team that is bound to not only be competitive, but be a distinct threat to win games night in and night out. On that team he has assembled, there are plenty of great players, but Murray could still use some added scoring punch down the wing. The right man for the job is free agent right winger Lee Stempniak.
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The forward depth on the Buffalo Sabres is very good for sure, but to succeed in the NHL is to have all the weapons possible in your arsenal even in the event of an injury to a key player. Lee Stempniak is known to be a journeyman player in the NHL, but he is one of the best bottom six scoring threats available on the market.
His key upside is in his ability to play anywhere on the bottom nine wing positions. He is primarily a right winger, but he has the ability to play left wing as well.
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At the age of 32, Stempniak is a veteran player that has played all around the league and his knowledge would be invaluable to a young Sabres core. Not just his experience from being around the league, but his playoff experience. He knows what it is like to be in the playoffs and what kind of mentality it takes. He will be hungry to get back there as soon as possible after his great run with the Winnipeg Jets last season.
Stempniak is not elite goal scorer, but his numbers are solid for a third line scoring forward. He can average about 17 goals and 35 points per season, and I for one would welcome that consistency.
To get Stempniak to come to the Buffalo Sabres would not be too hard of a sell at all. He would be a cheap option that would cost no more than $900,000 for at least one year. On top of his cheap salary, he would be a hometown boy as he is from West Seneca, New York and was educated at one of Buffalo’s top private high schools, St. Francis High School.
Stempniak would be a great depth scoring addition to finalize the wing positions, and he has the ability to step up all the way to the second line to produce. Back in 2006-2007 with the St. Louis Blues, Stempniak scored 27 goals and 52 points playing a second line role. Since then, he has only come close to that number in 2009-2010 with the Maple Leafs and Coyotes when he hit 18 goals and 48 points..
Should he be added to the roster, he would be a key contributor to the offense as a whole, and would cover up any holes in the case of injuries. I say he would be a safe signing that would only benefit the team as a whole.
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