2005 BUFFALO SABRES PREVIEW

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2005-06 Buffalo Sabres preview

(MySportsbook.com) - As the Buffalo Sabres made the transition from perennial playoff team to a rebuilding squad, head coach Lindy Ruff managed to keep his job.

Ruff enters his eighth season behind the team's bench, making him the longest- tenured boss in the National Hockey League.

Buffalo has missed the postseason for three consecutive seasons, not coincidentally going hand and hand with the three years after Dominik Hasek decided to leave town. A fourth straight spring with a dark arena could finally make Ruff answer for failure, as the Sabres appear to have a promising roster as fall sets in.

Of course, young talent does need veteran help to lean on, and the abbreviated 2005 offseason saw the Sabres lose several key components. Miroslav Satan and Alexei Zhitnik, two of the team's staples during Ruff's tenure, are both gone, and it remains to be seen how their voids will be filled.

The blueline was addressed, as former Phoenix Coyotes captain Teppo Numminen came in, as did former Calgary Flame Toni Lydman. However, Satan's production will be hard to make up for up front. He has averaged 32 goals since 1998, but at the age of 31 the team just couldn't keep him with its salary cap in mind.

If the Sabres are to make a run at a playoff spot, it would seem as if they'd need to add a legitimate goal producer at some point during the year.

FORWARDS - The Sabres currently have a group of forwards that lacks a lot of punch, but is full of potential. Daniel Briere appears to be the leader of the group, hoping to continue the upward swing his career has taken in the last five years. Briere led the team in scoring back in 2003-04 with 65 points (28g, 37a) and he still has some room to grow as a player at the age of 28. He has especially injected a boost into the Sabres power play, evident by his 11 goals and 16 assists with the man advantage in 03-04.

Chris Drury has enjoyed a solid six-season NHL career thus far, producing on a solid level during the regular season and taking things up a notch in the playoffs. Unfortunately his playoff prowess hasn't been on display since 2002, his last season with the Colorado Avalanche. It's almost as if the Sabres won't really get their money's worth from this guy unless they make the playoffs. His 18 goals and 35 assists in 03-04 were nice numbers, but it's time to start seeing of his big-game ability before April.

Jochen Hecht is another guy who isn't spectacular, but puts up solid numbers. However, he has battled injury during the two seasons after being acquired from Edmonton. In 03-04 he posted 15 goals and 37 assists in 64 games, which doesn't cut it as a top-line winger.

The Sabres have several other possible scoring options, the likes of J.P. Dumont, Maxim Afinogenov and Ales Kotalik, a 227-pound winger who erupted with 21 goals in 68 games as a rookie before falling back a bit in 03-04. Of course, the most promise sits on the shoulders of Thomas Vanek, the fifth overall pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Vanek, who is from Austria, enjoyed a spectacular collegiate career at Minnesota before playing with Rochester of the AHL during the lockout. He impressed with 42 goals during his first professional campaign, spurring hope that, at least in due time, he could help replace some of those numbers Satan took with him.

DEFENSE - With Zhitnik gone, Jay McKee will serve as the senior member of the Sabres' blueline corps. He has spent all eight of his full seasons with the team, and is only 28 years old entering 05-06. The key for him will be staying healthy, as he has played only 102 games in the last two seasons combined. McKee doesn't do a whole lot from an offensive standpoint, but he can log a ton of steady minutes.

Numminen was once among the league's upper echelon rearguards and hopes to be productive at the age of 37. Still responsible in his own end and still an offensive and power-play threat, he can help replace some of what Zhitnik offered. He missed time in 03-04 with a heart condition while with Dallas, but overall he has stayed fairly healthy in recent years.

Dmitri Kalinen has dynamic talent that could make him a game-changer as his career develops. After fighting injuries in his first three seasons, he posted 10 goals and 24 assists in 77 games during the 03-04 campaign. His defense is improving as well, which could make him a reliable two-way force.

Former Shark Jeff Jillson is another with a nice offensive upside, while the likes of Henrik Tallinder and Rory Fitzpatrick are likely to fill out the rotation. Like the situation with the forwards, there is some potential here, but losing players like Zhitnik and the retired James Patrick will take some time to adjust to.

GOALTENDING - The Sabres still have a three-headed dilemma between the pipes, with Martin Biron, Mika Noronen and Ryan Miller still with the organization.

Biron is the veteran of the group, but he hasn't played well enough to make the team trade the other two youngsters. In 03-04 he went 26-18-5 with a 2.52 goals-against average in 52 appearances (49 starts).

Noronen, meanwhile, went 11-17-2 with a 2.57 GAA in 35 games (30 starts), serving as Biron's backup in 03-04.

Miller is the wild card, as many believe he has the most potential of the trio. He shined with Rochester during the lockout, going 27-25-7 with a 2.21 goals-against. He turned 25 in July and is entering that age zone where goaltenders often begin to reach their groove. The Sabres could have traded the Michigan State product years ago, but there's a reason they held on to him.

Since Hasek left town the Sabres' situation in net has been anything but stable. The above trio isn't getting any younger, so the time may have come to finally make a decision. It should be an interesting early portion of the season to see who earns more action.

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE - The Sabres have a lot of "maybe" players on the roster, and if they pan out a playoff berth could be in the cards. However, relying on upside is a dangerous game, especially when this year's frenzied free agent period was full of terrific players for relatively cheap prices. It's unlikely that we'll ever see so many players on the market at once, so Buffalo might have missed the boat. If the youngsters come through the Sabres' brass will look like geniuses. If they don't it could spell disaster.

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