Buffalo Sabres: Players looking to have a turnaround season

Jason Pominville

Another big contract on the books for the Buffalo Sabres is Jason Pominville’s contract. This season will be the final year of Pominville’s 5 year, $28 million deal. The 35 year old forward is coming off a season with the worst offensive output of his career since his first full season in 2005-06.

Pominville returned to Buffalo last season after a 4+ season stint in Minnesota. Although he is clearly nearing the end of his career, Jason Pominville is still one of the most durable players in the NHL. Last year, Pominville played in every game of the year for the 8th time in his career. If he starts the season healthy, Pominville will enter the Buffalo Sabres’ top 10 in career games played in October and he is only 15 goals and 7 points shy of entering the top 10 in those respective categories.

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Jason Pominville’s 30 goal, 60 point campaign in 2013-14 feels like ages ago. This year’s Buffalo Sabres squad does not need that big of an offensive year from Pominville though.  Pominville played just under 15 minutes per game last season and the expectations are less for next season. Whereas last season the Buffalo Sabres had Jason Pominville and Jack Eichel on the ice at the same time over 7% of the time, this season Pominville will spend most of his time on the third line. As long as Jason Pominville can fill in throughout the lineup as necessary and provide veteran leadership to Buffalo’s young core, next season will be a success.