When you root for a sports team you spend a lot of time, energy and money supporting your team and rooting for them to win as many games as possible en route to a championship. As the Buffalo Sabres enter the 2014-15 NHL season fans seem to be more split between “play to win every night” and “can we get Connor McDavid AND Jack Eichel if the Islanders are awful too?”. I find myself leaning toward the latter and that feels AWFUL as a fan; to actually hope your team loses despite the payoff being one or two potentially generational talents.
Sabre Noise
In an effort to distract myself and those experiencing similar thoughts about the coming campaign, here are five things I think you will see from the Sabres organization as the season unfolds. Some are not so bold while others……well, see for yourself:
1.Matt Moulson will lead the team in both goals and points. Moulson was the key piece that came back to the Sabres in the trade that sent Thomas Vanek to Long Island, then himself was traded to the Wild before coming back and signing a 5 year, $25 million dollar deal with the Sabres in what was arguably their best free agent acquisition. Last seasons frequent relocations didn’t do much to slow down Moulson, who scored 23 goals and 28 assists between his three stops. I think being on the top line with Tyler Ennis and Cody Hodgson will give Moulson plenty of opportunities to improve upon these figures, as will playing for only one team during the year. I see Moulson breaking the 30 goal plateau as well as approaching if not surpassing 70 points on the year.
2. Brendan Lemieux will finish the season with the Sabres. He was not the biggest name in the Sabres draft class but he is easily the most honked off about his draft position and was not afraid to tell people with microphones about it. Lemieux comes from championship stock and has a similar temper. I had the chance to watch the annual blue and gold scrimmage and Lemieux was such a pest that prized prospect Rasmus Ristolainen turned and appeared to want to grab and pummel Lemieux in a goal mouth scrum post whistle. Lemieux will play like a rabid dog and being drafted in the second round will only add fuel to the fire. If Pat Kaleta fails to stick in the lineup after his major knee injury or due to frequent in person hearings with the league, expect Lemieux to fill that role.
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3. Michal Neuvirth will lead the Sabres goalies in wins. GM Tim Murray is on record as liking big goalies. If you have watched one start for Enroth, you know he isn’t a big goalie. He actually appears smaller than his 5’ 10’’ frame would indicate. He moves well and has proven to be a quality goaltender but now has his biggest opportunity to show he is “#1 goalie” material. And I could write nearly the same thing about the 6’ 1’’ Neuvirth. Which is what is going to make this competition exciting. Neither appears to be the Sabres goalie of the future – I would say Linus Ullmark is a candidate for that – but the competition should bring out the best in both players. So why will Neuvirth win more?
4. Jhonas Enroth will be traded near the deadline. I know I know, the goalie market. Last year it was supposed to be narrow also heading into the deadline and into the offseason. Tell that to Roberto Luongo, Ryan Miller, Jonas Hiller, Jaroslav Halak……you get the point. Plenty of goalies moved. And there are still a few questions around the league about goalies. Most notably in Winnipeg and Minnesota. Ondrej Pavelec was the worst starting goalie in the league last year on a team that I thought would be more competitive. And Minnesota already has goalie issues with the ongoing battle Josh Harding wages with MS – even before an off ice incident will cost him several months of this season. Darcy Kuemper played well filling in and into the playoffs, but is he ready for a full-time load? How healthy will Niklas Backstrom be? Is Ilya Bryzgalov coming back the answer? I expect Enroth to land in one of these two locations, possibly with….
5. Tyler Myers will stay in Buffalo……UNLESS! Myers was oft rumored to Detroit as last years trade deadline approached, and the rumors persisted into the offseason. The former Calder Trophy winner has struggled over the last two seasons, at times seeming to have lost so much confidence you could almost see him over thinking plays. It got so bad last year that Myers seemed to be evolving into the newest scapegoat for fan frustration (Miroslav Satan, Derek Roy, Drew Stafford also card-carrying members of that club). Myers still has so much upside and potential both offensively and defensively that you hesitate to pull the trigger on moving him. Unless the return is substantial. The only way I see Myers moved would be if the seemingly endless rumors of the Sabres/Jets discussing Evander Kane finally come to fruition. At that point I could see Myers/Enroth/prospect or pick to the Jets for Kane/Pavelec or some combination therein. I don’t think it happens, but this is the one blockbuster I could see Murray pursuing, swapping young players with a history of under achievement.
Agree or disagree? Here is to a great 2014-15 season of the greatest game in the world. Even if your team, like mine, will leave you conflicted before the first puck is dropped.