Buffalo Sabres: Re-signing Mark Jankowski makes perfect sense

The Buffalo Sabres landed a diamond in the rough in Mark Jankowski, who performed well in limited action during the 2021-22 season. 

Last season, the Buffalo Sabres became all too familiar with the infamous injury bug. So you can bet that they will keep plenty of fresh skaters and goalies down in the AHL ranks. They can also use someone who can perform well when called upon, and that player shouldn’t need to break the bank.

Mark Jankowski proved last season he could be one of those players. However, he could evolve into a regular on the fourth line in Buffalo.

Looking at his statistics last season, he is a shoo-in to keep around. In his 19 games of NHL action, Jankowski tallied  five points, his highest points per game since 2018-19. He also converted 14.3 percent of his total shots on goal, and he was solid with winning face-offs.

Jankowski’s game had its flaws, with 10 giveaways in 19 contests. But his career-high in average ice time (13:39) further showed his value. In short, his upside far outweighed his downside.

Buffalo Sabres should re-sign Mark Jankowski

The Sabes re-assigned Jankowski to the AHL, where he dominated, with 27 points in 32 games. His success continued in the Calder Cup Playoffs, with six goals and one assist in 10 games, good for seven points.

Jankowski will never be a great player at the NHL level. However for a fourth-liner that can win face-offs, he is a much more cost-effective option than Cody Eakin, who predominantly manned the role last year.

His moderate success plus cheaper contract are two reasons to keep Jankowski in Western New York. His ability to float between the NHL and AHL level is also a bonus. And it is something the Sabres saw that they sorely needed in the middle of last season.

There are a few lower-tier players the Sabres need to keep around, and Jankowski is one of them. Look for the Sabres at least attempt to re-sign him.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference and theAHL.com)