Bad for the Goose

The news that forward Paul Gaustad is out possibly a month with a ligament tear in his thumb is an initial shock. He's part of the team's physical conscience, a guy who's good at faceoffs and is well-liked in the dressing room. He will be missed by the Sabres.

The question becomes: How much will they miss him? Surprisingly, I don't think it'll be all that much, on the ice anyway. The top three lines could look like this:

Thomas Vanek-Derek Roy-Maxim Afinogenov; Daniel Paille-Jochen Hecht-Jason Pominville; and Ales Kotalik-Tim Connolly-Drew Stafford.

Certainly, that's a less physical lineup now. But the Sabres' depth is at a spot where it can hold on without Gaustad for the time being.

---John Vogl

Comments

[bob]

No Peters in the lineup last night. We get outhit 19 to 7. Vanek takes
three retaliation penalities. Teams take great physical liberties with us
when they know their is no retribution available on our bench!!

[jan]

This team will miss Gaustad's physical skills. Mancari needs to step up his physical skills to earn a spot on this team. Peters has only one skill -- he hasn't developed any other skills to help this team. There's lots of competition for those last few spots -- let's see who "steps up to the plate" if they really want a spot on the Sabres. Some of these guys will end up in Portland. I'd rather see some of them playing lots of minutes in games w/Portland than sitting in the press box in Buffalo.
Some of them can be sent to Portland w/out exposing them to waivers. Some will have to be sent down and be put on the waiver list -- then it's a gamble whether you still get to keep them. If someone is sent to Portland, they need to go in with a positive attitude -- and do what they need to do to earn the chance to go up to Buffalo. (like Derek Roy and Jason Pominville did for example) A little healthy competition wouldn't hurt Max or Tim Connolly or anyone else who's in the last year of their contract. If Tim Kennedy and Kaleta still have that desire to play in their hometown, they both know what they need to do to get there. Gerbe needs to go to Portland and get some experience playing against bigger players -- the AHL isn't college hockey.

[JB]

Interesting....In the wake of Gaustad's injury the Sabres picked up forward Matt Ellis off waivers from LA. This kid is pretty good. As my wife is a Red Wings fan I saw a lot of this kid when he played for Detroit. Has good potential and sees the ice pretty well, but was a victim of the numbers game in Detroit. If he could get some decent ice time he could be a solid 3rd line winger. From watching him in Detroit and then LA, he's got more skill than his stats show.

[Chad]

"A team that didn't make the playoffs last year and doesn't have a real captain has depth???"

Can you tell me what not having a "real captain" has to do with how much depth a team has?

[Don H]

Most of the time Peters is matched up against the other teams "tough guy." The result: a ballet in which the other tough guy does most of the swinging and Peters holds him off with a straight arm. It would be different if he was put on the ice to get a guy who has run one of our players. That's seldom the case. Moreover, he adds little or nothing to the offense when he plays a shift on a line. Ask Ruff why he is still on the roster.

[Derek]

At least 15 teams dress tough guys, Buffalo included. I think you saw in Toronto why Peters is useful. You can't have guys taking runs at Hecht and Stafford. Kaleta is small, and he doesn't like to fight. So how he would fill that role is beyond me.

[Doug]

Is their any reason to keep peters on the team? I know he is the enforcer but couldn't that job be filled with Kaleta who can also skate and play the game of hockey. In my mind peters adds nothing while on the ice he can't skate or handle the puck all he adds is fighting. I understand the need for a player like him to keep things even out on the ice when teams are taking runs at your guys but Kaleta can do that. He is just takeing a roster spot from someone else who could add to the depth of this team. Who would you rather have peters or any of the guys on the bubble which include Gerbe, McArther, Darche, Mancuri or anyone else I left off

[Mike]

A team that didn't make the playoffs last year and doesn't have a real captain has depth???

[zip123]

Well put the velcro under the C's. Now that he is out, they can rotate captains every period. Put on some back street and pop out a wine cooler.

www.freewebs.com/sabresnewjersey/index.htm

[greg]

broke not droke
clavical not cavical
having trouble with broken fingers from sneezing!!

[greg]

Jb - I heard he droke his cavical trying not to sneeze. When he sneezed, he broke 3 ribs!!

[JB]

That's too bad. Gaustad is one of the best face of guys on the team. Good thing we still have Tim Connolly! What's that? Connolly sneezed and broke his clavical? Dang.... (Sorry Chad, had to take the bait and insert a Connolly joke!)

_

[tim]

I live in another NHL market too (Columbus) and I am making an appearance at the pre-season game on thursday. Hockey down here is actually becoming quite popular and I will root for the Jackets unless their win somehow impacts the Sabres in a negative way. Their GM Scott Howson would be Lloyd Marshall's wet dream seeing as how he went NUTS in the first few days of free agency then traded like a mad man for the likes of RJ Umberger (I already told the local afternoon drive time radio sports show that he is good as long as he keeps his head up coming across the middle), Mike Commodore, Fedor Tyutin, Christian Hueselius, Christian Backman, Raffi Torres (out 8 weeks) etc.

[SabresFan in DC]

Oh yeah, not to mention it sucks living in Redskins Territory!!!!!!

[SabresFan in DC]

I'm a displace Buffalo native too. Living in DC it's all public transportation to work. It's a different commute than when I was in Buffalo. I do miss Buffalo!

Actually, I was living in Lansing, MI while Tim Kennedy was playing at Michigan State and went to alot of games. He'll make the Sabres roster soon. He's the kind of player that can bring his game to the next level.

[tim]

thanks Sabres Fan! I too am a displaced Sabres fan (native of WNY) and am always looking to get some more news on my hometown teams. I dont get to listen to Schoop and the Bulldog or Sandy Beach on my drive home from work anymore.

[SabresFan in DC]

tim,

Sabres.com is just now reporting that Tyler Myers is being sent back to Kelowna and Adam Dennis is being sent to Portland.

I'm still waiting to see what they do with Kennedy, though the Sabres appear to have plenty of forwards. Hopefully Kennedy will get a few call-ups this year and make the Sabres soon. Nothing like having a kid from South Buffalo playing for the Sabres!

[Chad]

Tim, please point out the portion of my previous post where I stated that he will or will not be injured late in the season. I do not know if that will be the case, nor do you. However, I operate under the assumption that players will not be hurt since you cannot predict when or whom injuries will strike (insert Tim Connolly joke here).

Secondly, if you have to be told that games are far more physical late in the season than they are early in the season, that would make me question your hockey acumen. Further, I made that comment after looking at the first month's schedule, a schedule littered with teams who would be considered towards the "softer" end of the spectrum (they do play some physical teams, but I'm speaking generally), such as Tampa, Atlanta, Montreal, and Colorado.
_____________________

"I get a kick out of the "Well, at least he's injured now and not when the games count" ideas."

If you gathered that from my post, I think you misread. I know the games count equally. My point, again, was that if I have to choose between being without Gaustad early in the season or late in the season, I'll choose early in the season when the games seem far less physical and the refs aren't holding their whistle.

[tim]

should we read anything into the fact that Tim Kennedy hasn't been sent down yet and that Tyler Myers hasn't been sent back to Kelowna? Anything to the idea of Tyler Myers being signed and then sent to Portland instead of back to juniors? He has hieght but from the looks of him he needs to get some whey protein and hit the gym.

[Tim]

Chad, please inform me how this injury somehow disqualifies him from potential injury later in the season. I get a kick out of the "Well, at least he's injured now and not when the games count" ideas. Last I checked, those things are mutually exclusive.

[Don H]

Gaustad was an effective anchor in front of the offensive net and could score. That's why he will be missed.

[Sal]

Perfect, the exact same lineup that sucked last year.

[Chad]

I'd rather lose him now than when the games really get physical late in the season. From a development and offensive perspective, this may be of some benefit. I think this almost assures Clarke MacArthur of a spot with the big club, at least to start the season. If Mair isn't ready either, I think you let Mac center the 4th line and rotate Peters-Kaleta-Mancari to play the physical wingers. Nathan Gerbe? Maybe, but I can see him being the last guy sent down a la Roy a few years back. He'll be up at some point, though.

Greg, Hecht was going to be a center and Gaustad a winger. Look back to the "Center of Attention II" post.

[Don H]

Any loss of physical power on a team loaded with non-physical players will be missed.

[Greg]

The interesting thing is, with Hecht at center, where was he going to be playing? 4th line center? Talk about the Sabres being loaded. And you still have Gerbe, MacArthur, Kaleta and Mair (when healthy).