Top 3 Buffalo Sabres who are more valuable than you think

The Buffalo Sabres are struggling, and one reason they’ve been so bad lately comes at the absence at some of their more valuable players. 

You can point to a few reasons for the Buffalo Sabres struggles. But far too often, those struggles come because players have either sat out games via healthy scratches or because of injuries.

Others just don’t receive the amount of ice time they otherwise deserve given the underperformance of some teammates. And yes, Victor Olofsson, I’m looking at you. That said, it’s safe to assume that I didn’t include Olofsson on this list.

As for one player who earned a spot, there is a correlation between the Sabres W-L-OTL record and them not playing. For another, a dimension of the Sabres game opens. And for the third player listed, they played well enough that they deserve to supplant our friend Victor’s spot on the third line – though they fit well onto the fourth. Anyway, let’s get to it.

3 valuable, but underrated Buffalo Sabres

1 – Tyson Jost

Tyson Jost has been an impact player since he came to Buffalo. Maybe not in scoring (19 points in 48 contests), but he’s been one of the Blue and Gold’s most effective forwards on the lower lines.

He’s given Buffalo a physical presence, outlined by his 42 finished checks in 48 appearances. Jost has also been effective at 5-on-5 in both the offensive and defensive zones, with Buffalo boasting a 90.6 on-ice save percentage with him on the ice.

Offensively, the Sabres need Jost on the ice if they are interested in establishing a forecheck. And he has also shown himself capable of positioning himself well in front of the net for scoring chances.

2 – Mattias Samuelsson

Take one look at the Buffalo Sabres record without Mattias Samuelsson (5-14-2) and that alone proves his value to the team. Interestingly, Samuelsson has only been around for 102 NHL games, but he makes his presence known every time he steps onto the ice and plays like a veteran well beyond his experience.

Arguably the Blue and Gold’s most aggressive player overall, Samuelsson’s 89 hits and 60 blocks show us that he’s often breaking up plays or disrupting would-be shots on goal. And like Jost, the on-ice save percentage sits at 90.6% when he is on the ice at 5-on-5.

3 – Zemgus Girgensons

And finally, Zemgus Girgensons may be the surprise addition here. But if there is one member of the Buffalo Sabres fourth line who proved his value more than any other this season, it’s Girgensons.

Like Jost, you won’t see him score often, with just 16 points in 67 games. However, he’s a physical forward on that fourth line, and though I’ve seen complaints regarding his hesitancy to step in and be an enforcer to defend star players, he’s disruptive nonetheless during play.

One theme in today’s article touches on the team’s on-ice save percentage with specific players on the ice. And the team’s overall save percentage sits at 0.894, with a GAA of 3.47.

Once again, Girgensons is yet another Sabre thriving in the oiSV category at 5-on-5, sitting at a remarkable 91.8%, 2.4% higher than the number seen above. That’s impressive, and honestly, he’s played well enough overall that I wouldn’t mind him sticking around after this season.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)