Buffalo Sabres 2009 Season Preview, Picks & Odds

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Buffalo Sabres 2008-’09 record:
41-32-9, 91 points (3rd in Northeast, 10th in East)

Buffalo Sabres 2008-’09 playoffs:
Did not qualify

The young Sabres competed well throughout the year and many of the youngest took steps towards becoming the new faces of the team. Star young winger Thomas Vanek continued to reward Buffalo’s faith in matching a monster restricted free agency offer sheet by scoring 40 goals and Ryan Miller continued his ascent to the elite among NHL goalkeepers. However, the Sabres fell just short of the playoffs as their 41-33-9 record left them a mere two points short of postseason action.

Buffalo Sabres 2009 Preview

Buffalo Sabres General manager: Darcy Regier (438-352-130, 12th NHL year, 1st team)

Buffalo Sabres Coach: Lindy Ruff (438-352-130, 12th NHL year, 1st team)

Buffalo Sabres Captain: Craig Rivet

Buffalo Sabres Top Returning Scorer: C Derek Roy (28 goals, 42 assists, 70 points)

Buffalo Sabres Top Returning Goalie: Ryan Miller (34-18-6, 2.53, .918)

Buffalo Sabres Key Additions: D Steve Montador; C Cody McCormick; RW Mike Grier.

Buffalo Sabres Key Subtractions: D Jaroslav Spacek; G Mikael Tellqvist; D Teppo Numminen; RW Maxim Afinogenov; C Dominic Moore; LW Andrew Peters.

Buffalo Sabres Top Line: LW Thomas Vanek, C Derek Roy, RW Drew Stafford

Buffalo Sabres Top Defensive Pairing: Andrej Sekera, Toni Lydman

Vanek is clearly Buffalo’s top scoring option, but there is a lot of strong depth on hand behind him. Derek Roy led the team in scoring, Jason Pominville scored 20 goals and Tim Connolly continued to tantalize with his talent and inability to stay healthy. The Sabres are fast and deep up front.

The defense is more of a concern. Captain Craig Rivet is solid and reliable and Tony Lydman and Montador should provide strong play behind him. However, the rest of the defenders are either journeymen or rising young players with little experience and I have some concerns about the steadiness of this unit in front of Miller. Needless to say, there isn’t a major offensive presence here either.

Speaking of Miller, expect him to have a huge season as he’ll be competing all season long for the starting job for the USA Olympic Hockey team. With solid vet Patrick Lalime behind him, the team should find plenty of chances to get him a rest and the Sabres appear set in goal.

2009 Buffalo Sabres Goaltending:

Buffalo’s playoff dreams went up in smoke when Miller suffered a high-ankle sprain in late February that cost him 13 games. Big, agile netminder uses long, wide body to fill net. Very poised between pipes and an excellent student of the game, always looking for ways to improve. For example, challenges shooters much more than early in his career when he was prone to playing back in his net. Prime candidate to be the top goalie on the U.S. Olympic team.

2009 Buffalo Sabres Player To Watch:

D Tyler Myers. Buffalo’s 2008 top draft pick jumped up the depth chart with the departures of veterans Teppo Numminen and Jaroslav Spacek and is likely to stick in the show as a 19-year-old. Was a stud last season in helping Canada to world junior gold and Kelowna to WHL title and Memorial Cup final berth. At 6-foot-8 and growing, could be biggest defenseman in NHL history (Boston’s Zdeno Chara 6-9). All-around blue-liner is also effective in joining the attack.

2009 Buffalo Sabres Offense:

Roy led the team in scoring for the second straight season. Thomas Vanek hit the 40-goal mark for the second time in three seasons and scored half of his goals on the power play. He has 65 man-advantage goals in four NHL seasons.

Buffalo Sabres 2009 Season Predictions

Every season, a few more veterans depart for greener pastures, but the Sabres still manage to find ways to hang around the playoff bubble. More often than not, though, that bubble bursts for them and a small team with little depth figures to suffer the same fate this season.

We predict that the Buffalo Sabres will finish 3rd in the NHL Northeast, 59th seed in East: 90 points.

Buffalo Sabres Betting

Buffalo Sabres Stanley Cup Odds: +4000
Buffalo Sabres Eastern Conference Odds: +2000
Buffalo Sabres Northeast Odds: +600

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