Will the Buffalo Sabres starting netminder be able to win over the fanbase in 2016-17?
Ah, Robin Lehner.
If I had to pick a player on the Buffalo Sabres roster who inspired the least amount of confidence in the fanbase heading into the 2016-17 season, it would undoubtedly be the 6’5″ Swede who has been entrusted with the job of manning the pipes.
How little faith do the Sabres faithful have in Lehner? Let’s just say I heard a lot of fans express an interest in bringing Jhonas Enroth back into the 716 this offseason.
Man – that’s harsh, since I didn’t hear fans clamoring too much to keep Enroth when we had him.
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Player: Robin Lehner
2015-16 stats: 5-9-5, 2.47 GAA, .924 SV%
In some respects, it’s easy to see why Sabres fans lack faith in Lehner’s job to perform like a legitimate No.1 goaltender. He has only played 30+ games in a season once, his career record is 35-45-18 and he has only played in two postseason games, so he is still a largely untested commodity. The fact that GM Tim Murray was willing to part with a first-round pick to acquire such an unproven player certainly has helped Lehner’s cause.
And yes – there were some nights that Lehner looked like he had just moved up from the AHL that morning. Three goals allowed on just 14 shots against the New York Rangers – at home? Five goals surrendered against the Philadelphia Flyers? Those efforts won’t win you any support from the fans, Robin!
Having said that, Lehner faced 30+ shots in 13 games last season – that’s 62% of the games he played in, people! Even though the Buffalo Sabres have improved in many areas, the team still allows too many shots to find their netminders, as the team allowed 30.6 SA/GP in 2015-16, 9th worst in the league. (It’s kind of funny to see that the team that allowed the most shots per game was the Ottawa Senators, Lehner’s former team! This guy’s destined to be peppered with pucks.) There were only two playoff teams who ranked in the bottom ten when it comes to SA/GP, so trying to determine Lehner’s worth is skewed by the fact that the Sabres still do not play postseason-caliber defense.
Another factor to consider is that Lehner lost eight games in which he gave up 2 or less goals. I vividly remember watching Lehner lose games to the Los Angeles Kings (2 goals on 35 shots allowed) and the Anaheim Ducks (1 goal on 29 shots allowed) during the Sabres West Coast trip last season – and get ripped by some fans as a result. Some fans complained about Lehner’s inability to steal a game after the loss to Anaheim. Bu when your team loses 2-0 and 1-0 to playoff teams such as the Kings and Ducks, was it really your goaltender’s fault? He can’t save goals and score them too!
Projection: 26-19-8, 2.35 GAA, .925 SV%
Next: How The Buffalo Sabres Forwards Are Trending
When it comes to the Buffalo Sabres goaltending situation, fans have good reason to be concerned. However, Robin Lehner spent the entire season nursing an ankle injury, and even when he did play at a high level, he was often let down by his team. If Lehner can stay healthy in 2016-17, he should be able to win over a sizeable chunk of his doubters.