Buffalo Sabres: Re-signing Girgensons should come as no surprise
The Buffalo Sabres re-signed Zemgus Girgensons yesterday, and no, his return to the Queen City shouldn’t surprise anyone.
With the Buffalo Sabres re-signing Zemgus Girgensons yesterday, it shows that the Blue and Gold are seeking something they haven’t had in quite some time: roster stability. But roster stability alone shouldn’t surprise you as to why Girgensons is sticking around for at least another season.
And if you would like more details on the matter, you can learn more by checking out my latest piece on just how much value Girgensons brings. Or if you would just like a few quick hits as to what makes Girgensons’ re-signing a logical decision, check them out below.
- Leadership
- Defense
- Physicality
- Experience
- Penalty Kill
Girgensons has been an outstanding leader on this Sabres team over the past two seasons, and even before that. Buffalo also struggled defensively the year before, so having another defensive forward like Girgensons will only help the Blue and Gold. Ditto for his physicality, experience, and presence on the penalty kill.
Buffalo Sabres retaining Girgensons should come as no surprise
Chris Owen of WYRK implied that keeping Girgensons was rather surprising since he was a holdover from the old Darcy Regier era and the fact that many in the fanbase believed he should go elsewhere. While Girgensons is the last holdover from that era and had seen nothing but turnover throughout most of his time with the Sabres, by no means should it indicate that his time in Buffalo should end.
Clearly, general manager Kevyn Adams and head coach Don Granato saw value in the veteran, or else they’d have let him walk. As for the fans’ perspective, that should matter little in terms of front office decision-making, as no one knows Girgensons or anyone else in the lineup better than those who are around them each day. That includes players and team personnel, not fans.
Source: The Buffalo Sabres are making what may be a surprising move by Chris Owen, WYRK.com
This isn’t an NHL video game
It’s also appropriate to say that professional hockey is not a rendition of an NHL video game. There are real-life aspects that a video game can never emulate, like the fact that players would want a player to return so they can continue to feel their presence, feed off their energy, and leadership.
Girgensons brings all of that, and it’s a rather unseen aspect of the pro game. Many only see what they can, and they will look at Girgensons’ lack of offensive productivity, age, the fact he’s never seen the playoffs as a member of the Buffalo Sabres, and write him off in favor of a prospect.
While the idea is tempting, and even something that I’ve done in the recent past, Girgensons still carries too much value to have just let walk or test the free agent market without making a concentrated effort to re-sign. So yes, it would have been fun to see another prospect rise through the ranks and take his empty spot, especially one who scores more often.
But at the same time, not only are the defensive and physical aspects of Girgensons’ game more than valuable, his ability to help shape the next generation of leaders on this Sabres team will also pay dividends. Those unseen aspects, in other words.
Girgensons’ role in 2023-24
It also shouldn’t shock you if Girgensons’ role remained relatively the same in 2023-24. Even if, and my latest version of the Buffalo Sabres lineup reflects this, we see him rotating in and out as an extra skater at times, perhaps even with a prospect like the newly re-signed Lukas Rousek, expect Girgensons’ gritty play as a fourth liner to continue. He should also remain on the PK unit.
In fact, as part of a sound rotation, don’t be surprised if Girgensons is more effective when he sees ice time, as he and Kyle Okposo would have fresher legs than almost anyone else. And that will create advantages for the Sabres as the season wears on.
Overall, retaining Girgensons shouldn’t come as a shock. Sure, he was a draft pick from a few regimes ago, but the fact he’s lasted in Buffalo across multiple regimes should give you an idea of how valuable he’s been to each.
light. Related Story. 3 attributes Girgensons returns to the Sabres
And yeah, the fans may have wanted to see a younger player, and I even endorsed it a few times. But at the end of the day, Girgensons’ presence, seen and unseen in our eyes, will carry more of that value in 2023-24.