Buffalo Sabres: Zemgus Girgensons must stay in town

Mar 30, 2022; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres left wing Zemgus Girgensons (28) takes a shot on goal during the second period against the Winnipeg Jets at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 30, 2022; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres left wing Zemgus Girgensons (28) takes a shot on goal during the second period against the Winnipeg Jets at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

The Buffalo Sabres have plenty of young talent throughout their system and they will strive to get younger. 

Like all young hockey teams, the Buffalo Sabres would be smart to hang onto a few key veterans as they continue building for the future. These veterans will provide sound leadership and they will light the path when things undoubtedly get tough for the young hockey team, although those rough days will become fewer in number.

Recently, older players like Kyle Okposo, Will Butcher, and Victor Olofsson – the latter two are more middle-aged in NHL years – have stepped up big. But Zemgus Girgensons has also burst onto the scene since returning from injury.

Zemgus Girgensons is another veteran the Buffalo Sabres need to keep

A former first-round pick, Girgensons never lived to his draft status. But he’s not exactly someone you would call a draft bust, having survived eight seasons with the Sabres. Nine if you count 2020-21, in which he did not play because of injury.

However, Girgensons brings a level of physicality you expect from a fourth-liner. Also a brilliant puck handler, Girgensons has never committed over 18 giveaways in a single season. And best yet, his face-off win percentage has catapulted eight percentage points since 2019-20.

Earlier in his career, he struggled with his shooting percentage, having logged over 7% just once in 2014-15 when he reached the 13% mark. It’s been a different story in his previous two seasons, where he amassed a 14.1% and 11.0% percentage, respectively.

Sure, Girgensons struggled with injuries lately. But with three goals since returning from injury and picking up where he left off in his outstanding chemistry with Okposo, the Sabres would be crazy to let Girgensons go following the season.

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Looking at the Sabres current lineup, Girgensons holds more value than Rasmus Asplund, Cody Eakin, Anders Bjork, and John Hayden. Signed through 2023, it’s easy to see the Sabres holding onto Girgensons for at least another season. And if he continues to prove his worth on the lower lines, he can still realistically remain in Buffalo for another five to seven years.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)