Has Will Borgen earned a spot on the Buffalo Sabres’ roster?

The Buffalo Sabres have an extremely capable prospect in Will Borgen, who has now spent two years in the AHL. Is he ready to be called up to the NHL?

The Buffalo Sabres don’t have a surplus of prospects in their pool, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have quality talent waiting for a shot in the NHL. In fact, one of those talents — Will Borgen — is currently knocking on the Sabres’ front door.

Personally, I think Borgen has earned his shot. He was drafted in the 4th round of the 2015 NHL Draft, the same draft we chose Jack Eichel in. After playing 106 games over a three-year college career and another 135 games professionally in the AHL, Borgen belongs in the NHL.

With that being said, he only has 4 NHL appearances under his belt, so what gives?

Well, a lot of it has to do with the Sabres’ current log jam on defense — which isn’t working in Borgen’s favor at the moment.

As a right shot defenseman, Will Borgen is competing with Henri Jokiharju, Rasmus Ristolainen, Colin Miller, and Brandon Montour. Jokiharju is one of our defensemen of the future, Rasmus Ristolainen hasn’t been traded it, Colin Miller will likely get a better opportunity with Buffalo this year, and Brandon Montour will likely make the move to the left side again.

The Sabres also signed Matt Irwin in the offseason, who likely earns the role as extra defenseman.

At the end of the day, having too many defensemen is a good problem to have, so long as they all pan out. In Buffalo, however, you almost wish the players we had were more valuable. Not only are they hard to trade away, but you’re also banking on them having a good year — opposed to expecting them to have a good year.

Risto hasn’t proven himself in seven years with the team, I’m still trying to figure out if Ralph Krueger knows how to use Miller, and Montour hasn’t lived up to his expectations (we gave up a first round draft pick and Brendan Guhle).

Where does that leave Will Borgen? Well, it’s looking like another year in the AHL for the soon-to-be 24-year old. He’s a restricted free agent after the season and will likely earn a new contract heading into next season — where he’ll compete for a starting role.

Keep in mind, Brandon Montour, Jake McCabe, and Matt Irwin are all UFAs after the season. That likely leaves two starting roles on the left and an extra defenseman role to fill next season. Those spots could be reserved for Borgen (extra), Jacob Bryson (left), and Mattias Samuelsson (left) if they don’t make any trades between now and next season.

You also have to consider the rise of Oskari Laaksonen and the potential of Ryan Johnson, who could start seeing opportunities next season. Of course, we’re still waiting to see if Miska Kukkonen, Linus Cronholm, and William Worge Kreü pan out for the future.

If the Buffalo Sabres wanted to roll out Borgen on defense earlier, say this season, they would have to move one of their starters. Rasmus Ristolainen, Brandon Montour, and Colin Miller are all candidates here — and can be moved for draft picks or prospects due to the log jam we have.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like the Sabres’ brass has any interest in trading any of them at the moment. Of course, that means another year in the AHL for Will Borgen.

As much as I’d like to see him in the NHL this season and as much as I think he has earned it, we need to shift our focus towards Seth Appert’s ability to get more out of him. If he’s going to spend a third year with Rochester, they need to make it worth it.

Borgen is an excellent defender. He plays physical and excels with his entry defense. While that hasn’t been a concern in past years, it would be nice to see him take a step forward offensively. His passing could use some work, but that could be improved over the course of a season.

What the Sabres really need to do is pair him with quality defender in Rochester.  He spent last season with Andrew MacWilliam, who was one of the team’s worst defenders.

Pairing him with Jacob Bryson this season, who’s more of an offensive player, could go a long way — and might even be a future pairing in the NHL. Getting that chemistry together now will bode well.

I think the future is bright for Will Borgen, but sooner or later the Sabres need to give him his opportunity.It seems like the Sabres either rush prospects into a starting role before they’re ready, such as Casey Mittelstadt, or they wait too long to give them an opportunity, such as Lawrence Pilut.

We can only hope they get it right with Will Borgen moving forward. If he shows even more improvement with Rochester, it would be a good move. Of course, you also need to make sure Risto, Miller, and Montour pan out this year. If they don’t, it makes you wonder what Borgen could’ve done in their place.

A lot of what-ifs, but I think we’re all on the same page with Will Borgen when I say, “Give the man some ice time, already!”

What do you think, Sabres’ fans? Should Will Borgen be in the NHL this season, even part-time? Or is playing him in Rochester a good move for now?

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