The Buffalo Sabres defensive rotation has been subpar to be generous this season. So when do they start making more dramatic changes?
Kale Clague has only seen action in 21 games this season, but there are times when he’s looked much better than Jacob Bryson when given a chance. So far, Clague has just two points, a 0 plus-minus, 15 hits, and 19 blocks, so he’s been rather effective when given the chance.
In 43 games this season, Bryson has eight points, a (-19) plus-minus, 52 blocks, and 20 hits, giving Clague the overall better numbers on defense. And while it’s a controversial stat to work with, the (-19) as opposed to Clague’s 0 on the plus-minus jumps out more than anything else.
This implies that Bryson is often out of position, and responsible for a few of those goals. And overall, his (-19) is the worst on the team, with Casey Mittelstadt (-15) and Victor Olofsson (-10) coming in at second and third-worst.
Kale Clague may be a better option on the Buffalo Sabres blue line
In their loss to the Calgary Flames, the Sabres defensive rotation did not look good. And unless they find a way to improve that rotation via trade, why not at least rotate the more consistent Clague into games as opposed to the inconsistent Bryson?
Want more fun? When you look at the possession metrics, you will find that when Bryson is on the ice at even strength, the team’s on-ice save percentage is just 88.4%. When Clague is out there, that number is currently 91.0%.
With a lower team on-ice save percentage and such a bad plus-minus stat line, it implies that Bryson has been struggling all season. And no, Clague is nowhere near the league’s upper-echelon for defensemen, but he is certainly no slouch either.
Case in point, it doesn’t hurt to play Clague over Bryson and see if the former can at least give the Sabres defensive rotation a little more consistency. Ideally, we’ll see a trade here, and Buffalo will bring in some help along the blue line. But in a worst-case scenario, it wouldn’t hurt to roll with Clague.
Want your voice heard? Join the Sabre Noise team!