3 most improved Buffalo Sabres in the month of March
The Buffalo Sabres collectively improved in the month of March, but three Sabres ascended head and shoulders above the rest
The Buffalo Sabres are still struggling. But their struggles these days involve putting games away in regulation, having taken five straight opponents into overtime.
It’s easy to argue that the entire roster improved in March. The Sabres have gotten healthier and low-tier players have either stepped up their game or returned from injury. Will Butcher, in just his second game back from injury, found twine in the game against New York.
Meanwhile, Zemgus Girgensons and Vinnie Hinostroza returned from injury recently and have played well all month. With so many Sabres having improved in March, three players stand out more than the others.
It’s easy to call two of the three players on this list fringe. Both struggled with injury and underperformed in previous seasons. However, a late-season run may coax head coach Don Granato and general manager Kevyn Adams into keeping them around for at least another season.
Another player listed is a high-powered rookie who made a few cameo appearances last season. This year, they have become one of the team’s most physical puzzle pieces, but in recent games their contributions on offense have become more pronounced.
If this trio continues playing at a high level, it’s easy to predict they will return next season. Even if they will all log under 20 minutes of ice time on the middle to lower lines.
Sure, there is still an entire offseason and training camp. And it’s likely AHL prospects may supplant them. But going into the offseason and next season’s training camp, two of the three players, if they stick around Buffalo, already have a leg up on the competition.
Another listed player may find himself vying for a spot on the top line. Especially if his physical play continues.
Zemgus Girgensons
Girgensons has his limitations, having averaged over 15:20 of ice time once in his career. He’s also spent the previous three seasons dealing with an injury that forced him to miss his entire 2020-21 campaign.
Overall, it’s impossible to see Girgensons playing anywhere higher than the third line, but he’s best suited for the fourth. Since returning from injury, Girgensons has evolved into a big hitter, with 10 in his previous four outings. He’s also logged two points in his previous three games.
In 40 games this season, Girgensons drastically improved his face-off wins by eight percentage points. In 2019-20, his win percentage sat at a meager 41.1%, and that number now sits at 49.1%.
Winning face-offs, puck control, and physical play are all traits you look for on the fourth line, and Girgensons displays them all, logging just eight giveaways this season. Girgensons has not logged as much ice time in March, but having made the most of it, it’s easy to see why he’s one of the month’s most improved players.
If Girgensons keeps up his physical style of play throughout April, expect him to compete for a roster spot in 2022. Signed through 2023, keeping Girgensons around means the Sabres face a cap hit of $2.4 million. But if he continues to play well, he’s worth keeping for another year.
Mattias Samuelsson
Known for his physical play, the towering Samuelsson is the team’s biggest hitter. And when he’s not hitting, he’s either disrupting plays or throwing a block to deflect a shot on goal.
Throughout March, Samuelsson has seen his ice time increase and against the New York Rangers on Sunday, he recorded over 22 minutes in 32 shifts. The flaw in Samuelsson’s play since he made his NHL debut last season is that he provides little to no contribution on offense.
That changed throughout the previous three games. And while Samuelsson has yet to log his first NHL goal, he has three assists in three games with a +/- of plus six.
He still struggles in many aspects of his offensive game. For example, his 19 giveaways in 28 games this season shows he can stand to improve.
But his recent play might just catapult him to the first defensive pairing with Rasmus Dahlin. Currently, Henri Jokiharju has paired with Dahlin, but Jokiharju is neither the most aggressive defenseman nor is he much of a two-way player.
Jokiharju has his moments, but Samuelsson is showing more potential. If Samuelsson continues to contribute regularly on offense and help create scoring opportunities for teammates, he may wind up on the first pairing.
Casey Mittelstadt
Few forwards have come on strong as of late as Mittelstadt. And while he logged just 15:19 of ice time against the New York Rangers, he still logged two assists. It was Mittelstadt’s second multi-point game in seven days, with the previous coming on March 20th versus the Vancouver Canucks.
In 24 games played this season, Mittelstadt has just 11 points. And he’s also struggled with an upper-body injury that caused him to miss nearly two-thirds of the season. Mittelstadt has also failed to live up to expectations as a former eighth overall pick, so there is still plenty of reason for concern.
However, eight of his 11 points have come in March, proving the arrow is pointing up for the center. If Mittelstadt keeps up his game, the Sabres should have no problem keeping him around for at least another season.
While others may overshadow him, including AHL prospects heading into 2022-23, Mittelstadt’s improvement in March shows he still has potential to become a major contributor for the Sabres. Perhaps if he remains healthy, Mittelstadt will finally live up to his draft status.
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He has one more month to build upon a successful March. If he does, Mittelstadt will have some momentum heading into the offseason.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)