While the enforcer has gone to the wayside in the NHL in the same way the fullback has in the NFL, it doesn’t mean players aren’t capable of dual roles. Yeah, you want forwards to handle the puck well and set their team up for success in the offensive zone, and it’s something that even the few enforcers in today’s game don’t consistently engage in.
So, maybe the more appropriate question is: Which current Sabres player can be their next Rob Ray while pitching in often offensively? Let’s talk about three hard-hitting players and potential prolific fighters who can play that role 10 days before the Blue and Gold induct Ray into their Hall of Fame.
Peyton Krebs
I still remember the first time Peyton Krebs got into a fight. At the time, I didn’t see him as a prolific physical player but an underperforming one who needed to give himself a spark.
Well, that spark occurred during the 2022-23 season, and Krebs has since developed a hitter’s mentality with a nose for finding himself in the middle of some scrums. As Krebs enters his mid-twenties, he should be stronger now while possessing a better-developed physique, meaning there’s a chance he could take on a few more five-minute majors.
Dennis Gilbert
Perhaps nobody is better suited for the Rob Ray role right now than a defenseman. Dennis Gilbert has made a name for himself, defending teammates and getting into the occasional fight when the time calls for it.
It’s made Gilbert a fan favorite in Buffalo and a player we all want to see take the ice when the Sabres need an extra body to provide some much-needed punishment. Gilbert has shown us often that he won’t be a full-time player in this league, but it doesn’t mean he lacks a clearly defined role.
Beck Malenstyn
Part of me wanted to say part-timer Tyson Kozak could fill the role in time, but Beck Malenstyn is currently the Sabres most aggressive forward. Nobody else on the Blue and Gold’s top 12 has more of a hitter’s mentality than Malenstyn, and he’s a player who will get into the minds of his opponents any time he’s looking to give his team an edge.
Malenstyn, like Krebs, isn’t someone who’s going to put up a ton of points, but he doesn’t lack at least solid skills with the puck. This makes Malenstyn a valuable asset even if he’s not laying numerous body checks and causing a few scrums to develop against the Sabres opponents.
Overall, the days of players that filled Rob Ray’s pure enforcer role are all but finished, but it doesn’t mean the NHL lacks players who aren’t willing to land hard body checks or occasionally drop gloves. And as you can see, the Sabres have at least three players willing to engage in that role.