2018-2019 Buffalo Sabres - bhrangerfan0809's Blog

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2018-2019 Buffalo Sabres

Posted on January 12, 2015 at 06:51 AM.

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2018-2019 Buffalo Sabres

Sami Vatanen (85) - Connor McDavid (87) - Jesse Puljujarvi (86)
Sam Reinhart (85) - Jack Eichel (87) - Joel Armia (83)
Rickard Rakell (84) - Zemgus Girgensons (85) - Mikhail Grigorenko (83)
Nick Deslauriers (81) - Cody Hodgson (81) - Matt Moulson (81)

Rasmus Ristolainen (89) - Tyler Myers (91)
Noah Hanifin (84) - Nikita Zadorov (83)
Mark Pysyk (81) - Chad Ruhwedel (83)

Andrei Vasilevskiy (87)
Michal Neuvirth (83)

The Sabres's 2017-2018 campaign resulted in a 42-win season, but no playoff berth. They found themselves one point shy of a wild card spot and with nothing to show for it. The first line was revamped at the trade deadline when Tyler Ennis and AHLer Jerry D'Amigo were sent to Anaheim in exchange for Sami Vatanen and Rickard Rakell. The Sabres GM cited Vatanen's offensive prowess and a willingness to take a risk to elevate the team into the playoff hunt as reasons for Vatanen's immediate conversion to forward. "Vatenen's vision and playmaking skills deserve to be harnessed from a forward position. He is sound defensively, but his potential contributions as a forward seem to open up more scoring opportunities and allow for more creativity with center Connor McDavid. Vatanen's wrist shot, as we noted from game film, is very underrated and, in our minds better than his slap shot. His wrister is both hard and accurate, and during practices he was able to effectively use it from the left wing position. We believe this is the best move for not only Mr. Vatanen, but also the Sabres organization." Serious improvements are expected to take place over the next few years as the Sabres' core of youth grows with NHL experience and camaraderie.