If you missed the first half of this article focusing on the goaltenders and defensemen, check it out here.

Forwards

Jochen Hecht: B+

Hecht gets the highest honor among Sabres forwards because he showed the greatest improvement from the 2008-09 season. He went from 12 goals and 27 points to 21 goals and 42 points. His on ice presence also meant a great deal to the Sabres and this was most evident during the playoffs where he didn't suit up for any of the six games. This season evenly matched my expectations which would explain why I was so down on him last season. Judging by his career numbers, I'm guessing this is about the standard for Hecht and where the bar should be set in terms of next season.

Patrick Kaleta: B-

I really like Patrick Kaleta for several reasons.

- He is always willing to hit and never takes a shift off. -He enrages the opposing announcers. It's always fun to listen to them whine and complain. 

 

-His goal celebration is both fun to watch and irritating for the other team to watch. 

 

  -He knows when to drop the gloves. Despite people accusing him of turtling (which he has been known to do), he usually does that when he knows Buffalo will head to a power play for sure. I'm ok with that. I'd be more ok with that if the Sabres had a semi-competent power play, but that is another discussion for another day. 

 

-He will drop the gloves when needed and he brings it when he does. -His point per game average actually improved this season from last, which is a rare thing for a Buffalo forward to say.

Derek Roy: B-

Roy and Tim Connolly are the poster children for the Sabres season. The two top forwards in terms of scoring, the two biggest goats of the playoffs and the two biggest reasons why they are golfing right now. Roy doesn't have an injury to lean back on like Connolly does, but Roy also didn't play like a complete waste. The effort was there, but the scoring wasn't. Roy is a streaky player for sure, but he is one of the few consistent players among all forwards over an 82 game stretch. He has led the team in scoring for the past three seasons and I'm not sure that is something we can fully ignore. I'd also like to note that he makes four million per season, which is a modest cap hit when compared to the on-ice production that he gives. During the season I was all but advocating a trade of Roy, which I wouldn't be opposed to for the right player (R.J. Umberger). But in the overall scheme of things, I like Derek Roy. It would have to be a really good trade for me to be pleased. In contrast, the other players I'm currently down on could be traded for a bag of warm pucks and I'd be happy. See? Big difference.

Tim Connolly: B-

I have absolutely no idea how I'm grading Tim Connolly so high. Besides Drew Stafford, Connolly was one of the worst Sabres on the ice during the playoffs. By game six, watching him play was vomit inducing. It seemed to me like for every big goal or assist he had, it was making up for a boneheaded turnover that he had earlier in the game. The first memory that instantly jumps into my head was a game against Philadelphia where he turned it over and gift-wrapped a go ahead goal for the Flyers. People (including me) temporarily forget about that because Connolly netted the game winner in overtime so all was forgiven. However, when he doesn't score (like he did in the playoffs), those turnovers and sloppy plays are far less forgivable. His poor playoff performance could be because of the injury he suffered, but I can't say that for sure. All I know is that he has one year left on his contract and I'd be more than happy if Darcy found a team to take him off our hands. Yes, I'm still bitter. However, judging over the entire season his play was good for the most part so I can't let a six game stretch completely destroy his grade despite my anger.

Thomas Vanek: B-

Vanek no doubt struggled for most of the season and his numbers properly reflect that. I've always been one to think that his enormous contract has always affected his play to some degree. Vanek is one of those players who you can visibly see on TV as someone who presses really hard to try and score and then is extremely hard on himself when he doesn't. While I think it's good that he holds himself accountable, sometimes he needs to let it go so it doesn't affect the rest of his game. There is one thing that nobody can deny and it's that Vanek finished the season on an absolute tear and the first round series would've ended differently had Johnny Boychuk not taken a wicked two hand slash to Vanek forcing him to crash into the boards. Vanek scored five goals in the final two regular season games and continued in the playoffs with a goal in game one and game six, his only two full playoff games. There was a brief discussion in the Buffalo media about whether Vanek could be the next captain of the Sabres. Let me just say that they way he ended the season has allowed me to at least consider this possibility, though I'm not completely sold on it yet.

Tim Kennedy: C+

This was Kennedy's first full NHL season and I'd mark it as a success. There were some bumps in the road but I think that is to be expected for most young guys. Kennedy's biggest contributions seemed to happen later in the season when was he was put on a scoring line and allowed to make more plays. For the bulk of the season he was a third line guy which I'm sure hampered some of his offensive numbers. Two glaring things Kennedy needs to work on for next season are his awful faceoff skills and his overall toughness. The game winning goal scored by Boston where Mark Recchi tossed Kennedy to the side like a rag doll to take the puck is forever burnt into my brain.

Jason Pominville: C+

Pominville was third on the team in points during the regular season, but I just don't care. 62 points in 82 games sounds decent until you realize that he is making 5.3 million dollars per season and is signed through the 2013-14 season. This is the standard for Pominville and I doubt the Sabres will ever see him eclipse 70+ points during a season. He effectively parlayed one big playoff goal into two good seasons playing next to Danny Briere into a huge contract. He played the Sabres front office for suckers. Well done Jason. Pominville is the epitome of what is wrong with the Sabres. When the going gets tough, Jason gets going…out the door. Maybe I'm being too hard on Pommers but I can't even remember the last time he scored a "big" goal. If anyone can enlighten me, I'm all for it.

Paul Gaustad: C+

The scoring dropped off slightly for Gaustad this season, but his faceoff percentage allowed most of us to ignore that fact. I'd be fairly surprised if Gaustad weren't elected the next captain of the Sabres when Rivet gives up the C or is given his walking papers in 2011. He is part of the group that includes the three players below him where the scoring touch isn't there, but the effort and heart is. Unfortunately, scoring does a lot towards winning which is why I had to rank some of the others ahead of these guys. It's not necessarily fair, but neither is winning the division and being eliminated in the first round.

Mike Grier: C+

I was very happy when Buffalo brought Grier back last offseason and I'm just as happy that they already signed him for next season. Who says the Sabres aren't proactive with their free agents? He is definitely showing his age as there were times during the season where it looked like he was skating through molasses, but when it came to be playoff time, it was Grier that was lying down and taking a puck in the head for the good of the team. I love players that are willing to do that and I'm fully convinced that if 80% of the roster played with that kind of desperation, we'd be discussing their second round matchup right now. Alas, there is only one Mike Grier. At a 1.2 million dollar price tag, I would be very upset Darcy didn't do his best to bring him back.

Matt Ellis: C

I could probably write the same paragraph for Matt Ellis and copy/paste it below for Adam Mair. If it weren't for jersey numbers or faces, I probably wouldn't be able to tell these two guys apart. They finished with almost identical numbers across the board, except Ellis frequented the penalty box much less than Mair. I said it multiple times during the season when the team was struggling, but if Mair and Ellis had more offensive ability, that line would've been great. I couldn't tell you how many times they created scoring chances and odd-man rushes just by busting their ass, but it usually didn't result in much since they don't really have a scoring touch. Both are unrestricted right now so it will be interesting to see how the Sabres handle the idea of bringing them back or replacing them with younger guys of the same ability. I'm fine with either option really.

Adam Mair: C-

Early in the season Adam Mair was put on waivers and nobody in the NHL wanted him. Then due to injury, Mair was inserted into the roster and did his best to prove the Sabres wrong. For the longest time he didn't prove anything as he was basically a pylon on the ice that never contributed. However, about two-thirds of the way into the season Mair came around and started chipping in some goals and some pretty big fights. That momentum carried over into the playoffs where he was one of the more noticeable Sabres (which isn't saying much for the stars of the team). If there is one good thing I can say about Mair, it's that he definitely gives a crap when he steps on the ice. I just wish his attitude and work ethic transferred over to other guys on the roster. A lot of players would've packed it in after being placed on waivers but Mair eventually responded.

Drew Stafford: D-

Off the top of my head, Stafford had one good game this season. It was a mid-season game against Pittsburgh where he sparked a comeback while Buffalo was down 3-0. He scored on a penalty shot, and then added a second goal before Buffalo finally finished off the comeback and won the game 4-3. The most surprising thing about this game wasn't that Stafford actually contributed to a win, but that he was chosen to take the penalty shot after recently being a healthy scratch. This was Lindy Ruff's way of saying, "I just scratched you, now prove me wrong." Stafford did, and then promptly crawled back into his shell. I hate the fact this he is signed through the 2010-2011 season. There isn't one Sabres player that I dislike more right now than Drew Stafford. Go away.

Tyler Ennis: Incomplete

The first of four incompletes, Ennis only played in 10 regular season games for the Sabres and all six playoff games. Ennis had nine points in those 10 games, which is easily the best point per game average on the team, although who knows if he could keep up that pace over a full 82 games. Postseason hockey didn't seem to affect him as he had four points in six games which tied him for tops among the Sabres. In the early stages Ennis seemed to struggle quite a bit on the road compared to home games, but that seemed to factor out towards the end of the postseason. The Buffalo front office has already said that Ennis won't be guaranteed a roster spot once training camp kicks off and he will have to earn his spot, which is a move I love. Don't allow him to be comfortable with his position. Make him work harder and ensure that he earns it. Ennis has the potential to be a real game breaker for the Sabres. If he becomes a star for the Sabres, people might always remember the 2008 draft for Buffalo.

Nathan Gerbe: Incomplete

Gerbe only played in 10 games for the Sabres so is also being given an incomplete. I'd be shocked and disappointed if I weren't handing out grades to both him and Ennis next offseason. In those 10 games, Gerbe had two goals and three assists, which would give him an average of .5 points per game. Hypothetically speaking, that average stretched across an 82 game season would be 41 points and be good for sixth on the team for the forwards. I can live with that, especially if he gave the effort we've seen so far night in and night out. Sometimes it's not all about scoring, but it's about the effort, which is the main reason that Drew Stafford has become completely useless.

Raffi Torres: Incomplete

It would be easy to classify the trade at the deadline for Torres as a failure, but I'm not ready to go there. He definitely didn't bring much scoring over with him from Columbus, but I liked his game quite a bit during the playoffs until he became a healthy scratch midway through the series (a move that still confuses me). Still, 14 games is a small sampling and I believe it's even harder to judge those games when they were late in the season. Some players take a long time to adjust to a late season trade and Torres appeared to fit that description quite well. People tend to forget that Stu Barnes went 17 straight regular season games after his trade to Buffalo before finally scoring in the playoffs. Granted Barnes actually scored in the playoffs and Torres didn't, but Torres also didn't have much of a chance. Either way, Torres is definitely gone this offseason and rumors have pegged him to Toronto. I look forward to him scoring in bunches against Buffalo, since that is what most ex-Sabres tend to do. (See Satan, Miroslav)

Clarke MacArthur: Incomplete

MacArthur is the fourth and final incomplete from the Sabres forwards. He played in 60 games which is more than enough to earn him an actual grade, but because he finished the season in Atlanta I see no point in grading him. He started out the season on fire but quickly fell back to Earth and became an inconsistent scorer and a defensive liability while on the ice. By the time he was traded, I was relieved to see him go.

I couldn't have been more bitter heading into the second round of the NHL playoffs. For one, the Sabres won their division and were eliminated in six games to a team within that same division. Two, I'm not sure I could dislike the four remaining teams in the Eastern Conference any more than I disliked these four teams. Pittsburgh, Boston, Montreal, and Philadelphia? Yuck.

Worst part about the above paragraph is that I found myself actually cheering for Montreal and Philadelphia. I feel dirty typing that. In fact, excuse me while I go shower for the second time today.

With all that being said, I think I can finally enjoy the NHL playoffs for the third and fourth rounds. Considering that Buffalo has been long since eliminated, having Boston and Pittsburgh go down in their own epic fashion was the best case scenario for me. Regardless of what some people say, Boston's choke job was one of the biggest in sports history. To avoid the argument, I'd say that it's at least in the top three all-time. Nice job Tuuuuuuuuka.

Why did Pittsburgh lose in the second round? Well, I can think of two major reasons.

One, Sidney Crosby either failed to show up or Montreal just provided a blueprint to the rest of the NHL on how to beat the Penguins. In seven games against Montreal, Crosby tallied an impressive five points and plus/minus of -1. I'm having a hard time thinking that Crosby failed to show up for seven games because the best players in the game just don't do that. So Montreal must have effectively shut him down and provided a blueprint to the rest of the NHL. For that, I'm very grateful. Thank you Montreal.

(Just a little side note: In seven games against Montreal, Alex Ovechkin finished 10 points and a plus/minus of +5.)

My second reason would be that Marc-Andre Fleury is an average goaltender. So much so that I officially gave him the nickname 'Marc-Average Fleury' after his game four performance on Twitter. I would absolutely be willing to have a debate with anybody that thinks otherwise. He isn't an elite goaltender and never has been. In reality he's average, gets on a hot streak once a while, and has a few good games here and there. For the 2009-10 playoffs Fleury finished with a 2.78 GAA and .891 save percentage. That was about on par with his 2.65 and .905 that he earned during the regular season. In the two clinching games for Pittsburgh against Montreal, he allowed four goals in both and brought home a .840 and .692 save percentage.

Last season when Pittsburgh won the Cup, Fleury finished the playoffs with a 2.61 GAA and .908 save percentage. Hardly elite. Sounds like a goalie that is good 2/3 of the time and is protected by a great team around him. To his credit, his numbers during the 2007-08 numbers were pretty good. To his discredit, that is one season in five.

Put it this way; if Pittsburgh had an elite goalie (or if Buffalo had forwards as talented as Pittsburgh), that's three straight Stanley Cups (including this year) and an official dynasty.

Now that I'm done with my rant, let's get back to the picks. I almost took a 20 point lead and basically sealed the deal for the first time in three years against Scott, but Philly's comeback win gave Scott an extra 10 points and made things close again. Here is the tally so far.

Devin: 45

Scott: 35


 
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

Philadelphia Flyers (7) vs Montreal Canadiens (8)

I never thought I'd see a 7/8 matchup in the Conference Finals. It's almost too much for me to wrap my brain around. One thing is for sure, it goes to show you that anything can happen once you're team makes the playoffs. Remember this next season when the Sabres squeak into the playoffs and I'm pressing the panic button in alarming fashion.

The obvious advantage in this series would have to go to Montreal just because of the more established goaltending. That being said, Jaroslav Halak has been pulled at least once in each series and hasn't been consistent for the entire season. He's been hot during the playoffs for sure, but he still has the ability to roll over and play dead at times. Trust me, I've seen my fair share of Candiens games before these playoffs started.

The biggest disadvantage for the Flyers is their goaltending, but that isn't saying much because Michael Leighton played very well in relief for the injured Brian Boucher. Leighton deserves an immense amount of credit for what he was able to accomplish so far. He hasn't played in months, comes into the middle of an elimination game, gets the shutout, and finishes off the series.

Philadelphia has a ton of good goal scorers but I'm having a hard time picking against Halak. Something tells me that I might regret this in a few weeks.

Devin's Pick: Montreal in 6

Scott's Pick: Montreal in 7


 
WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

San Jose Sharks (1) vs Chicago Blackhawks (2)

Welcome to the Western Conference; where things actually make sense. I'm not saying I don't mind an upset or two, but at least out West things seem to shake out accordingly, unlike the Eastern bracket. I'm not going sit here and write a ton about this series with me already admitting that I haven't watched a ton of the second round. That would be me just pretending like I know each team in and out and writing gibberish, meanwhile insulting the fans of both teams. I'll spare us both and just make my pick. Of course that's after I give a few thoughts.

For me, it comes down to goaltending Chicago still doesn't have me fully convinced, while San Jose does for the most part. There is a little piece of me rooting for San Jose just because they have been so good in the past and never came through in the playoffs. I feel like the fans deserve to finally see a winner. I think other Sabres fans would understand this viewpoint. But then there is Chicago, another semi-likeable team in my eyes. Have I mentioned recently that Patrick Kane is from Buffalo? Basically this series is a win-win for me because I'm good either way as long as the Western Conference team takes the Cup. That being said, someone from the East will definitely win it now.

Devin's Pick: San Jose in 7

Scott's Pick: Chicago in 6


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the Olympic break in February, I briefly graded the Sabres roster and went over some basic projections. Naturally only one playoff series projected out in reality; Pittsburgh and Ottawa. Although in an attempt to pat myself on the back, I did correctly project Washington, New Jersey, Boston, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Ottawa to be playoff teams in the Eastern Conference. The only team I missed was Montreal, which is probably a big deal since they already ousted Washington in one of the biggest upsets of this decade.

(Get it? It's a joke. Just like a division champion being eliminated in six games.)

In going back and reading my February blog, not a whole lot changed in those final two months of the season. The Sabres were still wildly inconsistent, leaned on Ryan Miller to the point of hanging him out to dry and their "stars" disappeared when it mattered the most. One quick glance at the playoff statistics will show you this.

Tied for the team lead in points? Tyler Ennis. That's right, the AHL call-up with a grand total of 10 regular season games and six playoff games under his belt. Also in the top half in terms of scoring: Tim Kennedy, Mike Grier, Adam Mair, Nathan Gerbe, Patrick Kaleta, and Raffi Torres.

So who is listed below those players above? Derek Roy, Tim Connolly and Drew Stafford. To be fair, Stafford only played in three of the six playoff games so his numbers could be skewed a little bit. Then again, Cody McCormick had two points in three games during the same series with less ice time and considerably less talent. The faster the Sabres ship Stafford out of town, the better.

Now that I'm done with my little rant (for now), let's get back to grading the Sabres roster. To help break this up, this article will mainly focus on the goaltenders and defensemen, with the rest of the grades coming later this week.

Goaltenders

Ryan Miller: A+

Miller is the only reason the Sabres even made a playoff appearance, let alone winning the Northeast Division. For this reason alone, he should've been recognized as a Hart Trophy finalist. Instead, Miller will have to settle for being a Vezina finalist. If Miller doesn't win the Vezina, it will be pure highway robbery. For the sake of argument, let's take a look at his competition, Martin Brodeur and Ilya Bryzgalov.

Miller played in 69 games this year (way too many for my liking) and finished the regular season with a 2.22 GAA and .929 save percentage.

Brodeur played in 77 games this year and finished with a 2.24 GAA and .916 save percentage. Brodeur had fewer shots faced than Miller (-94) and more goals allowed (+18). To me, Brodeur is the token candidate. It's the NHL's way of saying, he's been such a great goalie over the course of his career, of course he should be nominated for the Vezina. Reminds me of how Ruben Brown was voted to all of those Pro-Bowls while playing for the Bills.

Bryzgalov played in 69 games and finished with a 2.29 GAA and .920 save percentage. Also, fewer shots faced than Miller (-137) and more goals allowed (+6). Don't get me wrong, Phoenix as a team was a great story during the NHL season and Bryzgalov was a huge part of that success. But in a head to head comparison against Miller, he isn't better.

Both Brodeur and Bryzgalov did have more shutouts than Miller, but getting the shutout has never been Miller's strong suit. That being said, with more shutouts, it shows how inconsistent these guys were as well. Without checking game logs, I'd guess that both had more four and five goal games while Miller routinely had one and two goal games. Shutouts are nice, but I'll take consistency any day of the week.

All three goalies were ousted in the first round, but here is a quick look at their brief playoff stats (as if those matter for this award).


 
Case closed.

Patrick Lalime: C+

Patrick Lalime only played in 16 games this season and was able to elicit several different emotions out of me. Early in the season I proclaimed, "I'm done worrying about the backup goaltender position." In early February I ranted and raved about how the Sabres had to make a trade at the deadline for a new backup. I guess I'm not an even keel person all the time. Or ever for that matter.

Truth be told, Lalime wasn't terrible. Over the course of his two year tenure in Buffalo he did have his good moments. Unfortunately for Buffalo, there were more bad than good. I'm not asking for an A+ performance out of my backup goalie, but a nice solid B would be nice. I think C+ is really the ceiling for Lalime at this point. He isn't getting any younger and things will most likely continue on the downward trend. I almost feel bad saying that because he does seem like genuinely good guy and a great teammate, but I think parting ways on July 1^st is best for both parties involved.

Just to state for the record; I am 100% on the sign Martin Biron bandwagon. The Sabres have an opening for backup goaltender and Biron is a free agent. Let's also factor in that he lives in the Buffalo area still, has made regular radio appearances on WGR 550 during the playoffs, has the trust of Lindy Ruff and knows the Sabres system. All the stars are aligning. Sign him, play him at least 22 games next season, celebrate second consecutive division title.


 
Defensemen

Tyler Myers: A-

Myers was easily the best defenseman for the Sabres this season. He led the team in average ice time, goals, assists, plus/minus and power play points. It would be a bad joke if he doesn't win the Calder Trophy. Look, this is nothing against Jimmy Howard, but he is 26 years old for crying out loud. Howard's numbers are impressive; there is no doubt about that. He also fits the description of a typical NHL rookie, so I can't blame him at all for being nominated for the Calder. However, did you know he played games for the Red Wings in 2005-06? Not enough to accrue a season (obviously), but that right there shows that he was much more seasoned that Myers was. Even with all that being said, Myers was the leader of the Sabres blue line. Lindy Ruff gave him a ton of responsibility and he lived up to the hype and even more. This is his award.

Henrik Tallinder: B

Tallinder had a resurgent season in 2009-10 after a dreadful season previously. So what were the significant changes between the seasons? Well, he was paired with Tyler Myers this entire season. I'm positive that had a lot to do with his improved play. It was also a contract year which for some reason usually has players playing better than they normally do. There is a very slim chance that Tallinder will be back in Buffalo next season. Judging on the way Montreal overpaid for Jaroslav Spacek last offseason, I'm sure some team will do the same with Tallinder. His cap hit was already over 2.5 million and there is no way I could justify a raise. He is 31 years old and just finished his first full regular season since the 2005-06 campaign. Fans supporting the re-signing of Tallinder point to his comeback season and the way Myers played throughout the season. I have no doubt that Tallinder was a major reason why Myers succeeded, but can't we say that Myers was also the reason Tallinder finally showed some consistency?

Steve Montador: B-

I'll be honest, I was all about signing Montador last offseason and very excited when the Sabres did sign him. That excitement cooled off considerably about midway through the season and apparently it cooled off with Lindy Ruff as well since Montador was a healthy scratch for a handful of games. However, Montador was second on the Sabres blue line in points during the regular season and was one of the few sources of toughness. My rough estimate has Montador in about seven fights during the season. Montador's relatively high grade has a lot to do with his playoff performance though. He was probably my first or second favorite defenseman during those brutal six games. He only contributed one point, but kept a lot more off the opposing scoreboard by playing very solid defense. I'm glad he's around and I look forward to seeing him next season.

Toni Lydman: C+

Lydman is also hitting the free agent market and it couldn't have come soon enough. Maybe it's me, but for every good play Lydman makes, there are usually one or two awful plays that follow it up. I bitched and moaned all last summer that the Sabres should trade him and get rid of the cap hit, but unfortunately most NHL GMs were too smart to take that trade. Did you know Lydman is older than Tallinder AND his cap hit is higher? Lydman's days in Buffalo are numbered. I see a 0.8% chance that he comes back and if he does, it would have to be at a significantly lower cap number. I'm talking about a 50% pay cut. No way this happens.

Craig Rivet: C-

We didn't know until the season was over that Rivet was playing with a double labrum tear for the bulk of the season, which explains his poor play. In fact, his offseason surgery will guarantee that he misses part of next season already, so it was a pretty major injury. I have to give him credit for playing through the injury; it's something you expect from your captain. On that topic though, I think it's time that Rivet hands over the 'C' . Rivet is a UFA in the summer of 2011 so this is pretty much his last season in Buffalo or that is at least my best guess. With that in mind, he might as well just hand it over now so the Sabres can get going with a new captain.

Andrej Sekera: C-

Sekera struggled for large portions of the season but the overall picture doesn't look too bad. His Olympic performance showed what he is capable of doing, but he needs to do it more consistently at the NHL level. I fully expect him to appear in 70 or more games for Buffalo next season and be one of the better defensemen on the team. I know; I'm a homer sometimes.

Chris Butler: D+

Butler came into the season with high expectations after a solid rookie season and he finished the season up in the press box. Butler was horrendous for almost the entire season. I think his -15 in 59 games will tell you that. All hope isn't lost with him though. He is only 23 years old and there is definite room for improvement. I saw what he was able to accomplish during his rookie season so I know it's in him, it's just a matter of whether he is able to regain that level of play and improve upon it. I still have high hopes for the kid.


 
With Lydman and Tallinder most likely leaving this offseason, that leaves Myers/Montador/Rivet/Sekera/Butler as the returning defensemen. As you can see, that's only five and NHL teams usually dress six. Combine that with Rivet missing part of next season already and there is going to be some openings for younger players to step in. Two names off the top of my head are Mike Weber and Marc-Andre Gragnani. Who knows, maybe another Steve Montador is hitting the market on July 1^st and will be a good fit in Buffalo. Only time will tell.

Coming soon, grades on the Sabres forwards.