Buffalo Sabres: Will Casey Fitzgerald evolve his game in 2022-23?

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Casey Fitzgerald was arguably the grittiest player on the team during the second half of the 2021-22 season. 

Fans of the Buffalo Sabres have had mixed feelings about Casey Fitzgerald, but no one can deny the physical presence he brought in 36 games last season. In those 36 contests, he logged 86 hits, which translates to 196 hits over an 82-game span at the same pace.

The problem, however, is that Fitzgerald was ineffective on offense, scoring just six points. Contrast this from his time in the AHL last season, where the physical defenseman scored 19 times in 38 contests (regular season and playoffs).

Given his performance in Rochester, we know Fitzgerald has the talent to become at least a lower-tier version of the two-way player Rasmus Dahlin is. But with so many defensemen already in the rotation, will Fitzgerald be able to evolve this game in 2022-23, stick to the same role he had last season, or spend more time in the AHL?

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Casey Fitzgerald will have a hard time developing his game

We already know that Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson, Owen Power, and Henri Jokiharju will comprise the top four. Jokiharju may even drop to the third pairing if the Sabres sign a proven veteran defenseman to pair with Power.

This leaves the sixth spot open to Fitzgerald. However, if the Sabres re-sign restricted free agent Jacob Bryson, you can expect a position battle in training camp. In 73 games last season, Bryson logged 10 points, 73 blocks, 55 hits, and 24 takeaways, so numbers-wise, Fitzgerald barely wins the battle.

Take Fitzgerald’s stats and at 73 games, he would have 12 points, 71 blocks, 174 hits, and 26 takeaways. However, Bryson took better care of the puck, with 25 giveaways compared to Fitzgerald’s 17 giveaways in his 36 games.

However, Bryson has the edge in experience, and that could ultimately lead to him gaining an edge over Fitzgerald in training camp should such a battle occur. If Fitzgerald loses the battle and is reallocated to Rochester, he has a chance to further hone his game.

If he gains a spot on the third line, he can still evolve as a player. But, if in the event the Sabres rotate Bryson and Fitzgerald, taking his game to the next level will pose as a challenge. Right now, there are too many question marks.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)