Buffalo Sabres goaltender Craig Anderson has the perfect rest/recovery formula going on that will let him enjoy a rebound season.
Craig Anderson may be seeing more playing time in 2022-23 than we expect. But if he is to produce for the Buffalo Sabres, the 41-year-old goaltender couldn’t afford a repeat of 2021-22, where he missed extended time twice with injuries, which also affected his production.
Don’t expect a repeat this year, as the Sabres outlined a plan to keep Anderson off the injury list. This plan involves an undulating number of rest days per week, gauged on how Anderson feels. The result will minimize the risk of injury for Anderson as the season wears on, helping maximize his ice time.
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Craig Anderson will silence critics
While Anderson won’t post all-world statistics at age 41, he proved several times last season that he can still compete at a high level when healthy and fresh. His 3.12 GAA and 0.897 save percentage indicated that Anderson was done, but practice habits mean everything when one hits a certain age in this league.
The more rest days Anderson can accumulate at the right time, the better he will look in the net. And again, this isn’t to say he will post the same numbers he did when he was 30, but you will see a modest improvement over last season.
If for any reason Anderson can’t go, the Sabres are in good hands with Eric Comrie. During his preseason debut against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Comrie singlehandedly kept a weak Sabres lineup competitive for most of the game.
We will also see Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen suit up sometime this season and provide further supplementation for Anderson. Overall, it looks as though the Sabres are getting yet another variable right in 2022-23 regarding their goaltending situation. And that will pay dividends this year if they can keep Anderson’s rest/recovery a high priority.
Article Source: Practice Takeaways | Anderson’s outlook, Hinostroza’s energy and more by Jourdon LaBarber
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)