Sabres must defend their newest star player at all costs

The Sabres have a new star player. No, they didn’t acquire anyone new, and you just didn’t hear about them. But nonetheless, they have a new, or at least a brewing star player, and they need to defend that player at all costs. 

Going into the season, we thought the stars would be Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, and Alex Tuch, among others. But they’re not the stars I’m talking about. Instead, that star player is JJ Peterka, who has, so far, built on that incredible run he enjoyed last season. 

Through five games, Peterka has six points, four goals, and an eye-popping 40.0 shooting percentage. While the latter should end up decreasing as the season wears on, it’s no longer a mystery of which player in the Queen City has transformed into its latest star. 

Sure, Tuch and Tage are enjoying some resurgent campaigns, but right now, this is JJ’s team in terms of productivity. Peterka, at even strength, has been on the ice for seven goals, has a 57.9 Corsi For Percentage, and has been a major reason behind the Sabres recent surge in scoring. 

It’s time for Sabres players to defend JJ Peterka and to do so regularly

Earlier in the season, JJ Peterka took a hit that knocked him out for a couple of games with a concussion. That can no longer happen, and it’s up to the team’s muscles, like Beck Malenstyn and Jordan Greenway, to ensure opponents don’t get any bright ideas when they see Peterka coming. 

It shouldn’t be acceptable for Peterka to take another hit like that from here on out, meaning it’s a requirement that the gloves must drop if another winger or a defenseman gets any bright ideas. Now, I’m not ready to christen Peterka as the top player on the team or anything like that, but he’s become a star player whose productivity should remain consistent if he stays healthy. 

Across the board offensively, the Sabres are better than most of the NHL’s teams, winning the battle at 5-on-5 in Corsi For, scoring chances for, and high-danger chances for. Peterka has been a major reason why, and following an abysmal start to the year offensively, he, more than anyone, has fueled this Sabres team. 

So, this shouldn’t be a tough assignment for anyone wearing a blue and gold uniform: If someone comes after Peterka, they need to make it known that such actions will have consequences. If an opposing player isn’t interested in dropping gloves, they don’t need to be going after players of Peterka’s caliber.