BUFFALO, NY - In this part of the series looking into the organizational depth of the Buffalo Sabres, we take a look at the left wingers not only on the roster and in Rochester, but also in the system.
Left Wings:
Thomas Vanek - 21 yrs - 79 GP - 12 G - 34 A - 46 PTS - Buffalo, OTHL
Thomas Vanek is the Sabres first line left winger now, and for the forseeable future. He has the ability to score 40 goals in a season, and now that he is playing with Crosby, he could very easily score 50. The Sabres have not had a 50 goal scorer since the days of Alexander Mogilny.
Jochen Hecht - 29 yrs - 74 GP - 18 G - 27 A - 45 PTS - Buffalo, OTHL
Jochen Hecht was due to become a unrestricted free agent, but a new contract agreement was reached shortly before the trade deadline, and Hecht remained a Sabre. Hecht is a solid two way forward. He is strong in his own zone and is always in position. He also has very good vision to make the difficult passes to his linemates. Hecht will benefit from playing with Danny Briere, and could be a 25-35 type player. He wil also play with Chris Drury on the top penalty kill unitl
Derek Roy - 23 yrs - 60 GP - 7 G - 6 A - 13 PTS - Buffalo, OTHL
Derek Roy is a future second line player, but with Hecht and Vanek ahead of him, he will get playing time with Chris Drury on the third line. He and Drury and whoever wins the 3rd line right wing spot could be considered one of the best 3rd lines in the OTHL.
Chris Simon - 35 yrs - 69 GP - 8 G - 8 A - 16 PTS - Buffalo, OTHL
Chris Simon was claimed off of waivers just last week, and has immediatly earned a role on the 3rd line. Next season when Derek Roy is up full time, he will supplant Andrew Peters on the fourth line. Simon brings some talent along with his toughness. The line of Simon-Gaustad-Mair will not only be a menace on the ice, but also have the ability to pot a few goals.
Andrew Peters - 27 yrs - 70 GP - 3 G - 11 A - 14 PTS - Buffalo, OTML
Andrew Peters saw his job as 4th line LW pulled right form him when the Sabres claimed Chris Simon. However, Peters will earn a spot on the club basically becasue of his fighting talents. Against some of the tougher teams, such as the Chicago BLack Hawks, Peters will be inserted into the lineup to protect the Sabres top players.
Patrick Fischer - 31 yrs - 79 GP - 23 G - 51 A - 74 PTS - Rochester, OTHML
Patrick Fischer enjoyed a solid season after coming over from Europe as a free agent. He posted solid numbers in Rochester, and would be the first call up should the Sabres experience any injuries to the sabres top 3 left wings. Fischer brings great vision and professional experiecne to a very young Sabres organization.
Dan Paille - 22 yrs - 5 GP - 1 G - 6 A - 7 PTS - Rochester, OTHML
All around player who can play on second or third line, play in all situations and chip in with points. Plays a good offensive game, likes to handle the puck and flies up the ice at full speed with it. Is an adept stickhandler, likes the inside-outside move. Might be better suited as a centre. Is flirting with a point a game despite limited power play time. Needs to work on positioning in his own end, finishing his checks. Very good on transition game as his speed and moves makes defenders back up. Is a good penalty killer.Sophomore putting up impressive numbers, strong along the boards, great attitude.
Jeff Guiliano - 25 yrs - 79 GP - 21 G - 42 A - 63 PTS - Rochster, OTHML
Is an excellent team player. Skates well and never stops working. Has versatility and sound defensive instincts. Will never be confused with an offensive player. Lacks size and strength. Must outwork everybody on the ice because of limited talent. Projects as a reserve forward.
Trevor Gillies - 28 yrs - 64 GP - 11 G - 36 A - 47 PTS - Rochster, OTHML
Gillies is a pure goon. He was signed by the Sabres to provide toughness, and has played a few games this year for the Sabres. With Simon and Peters up on the big club, Gillies is relegated to acting as the enforcer for the Rochester Amerks.
Timm Kennedy - 21 yrs - 7 HF - Michigan State University, NCAA
Sioux City head coach Dave Siciliano’s insights on Tim Kennedy: “I thought Tim was maybe the best forward in the league. He’s capable of being a game breaker on any given shift. In one-on-one situations he was always dangerous. Tim has the uncanny ability to be able to read where the pass is being made and pick off that pass to create either a breakaway, an odd-man situation or a scoring opportunity for his teammates. He can set up plays and he can finish. Tim is the ultimate competitor and is very persistent. He is very difficult to knock off of his feet. Tim might be 5’11/170 but pound for pound when he hits, he hits as hard as anyone in the league. Tim checks just as hard as he plays offensively. He’s just mentally and physically a lot stronger than what he appears to be because of his size. He is very good at handling the puck and finding the open man either in the slot or at the point. Defensively he’s very good because he can really read the play well. He has the ability to go to where the puck is going. Tim has got excellent feet. He’s very quick and he’s got that fourth gear where he can get up to another speed and show that burst to either get through or around opposing defensemen. Tim is a great player who is very, very exciting to watch and I see him really being an impact player for Michigan State this coming year. I believe that Tim is a bona fide (NHL) draft pick because he’s got all of the necessary mental and physical tools along with the work ethic to play at the pro level, he just needs time to develop and grow.” Kennedy should eventually be a top 6 forward for the Sabres
Devin Didiomete - 19 yrs - 6 HF - Sudburry, OHL
An aggressive, grinding forward, Didomete provides the Sabres talent pool with an offensive upside and the ability to play well in tough games. His numbers have risen consistently throughout his OHL career, suggesting he is becoming a reliable veteran in Sudbury. Didiomete is a tough opponent and uses his edge to create space for teammates. Although he was a late pick, he’s potentially a third or fourth line prospect, capable of doing what it takes to provide secondary scoring as a professional. He will eventually add toughness and grit to the Sabres 3rd and 4th lines.
Greg Beller - 20 yrs - 6 HF - Yale University, NCAA
Beller has a great nose for the net and excellent stickhandling ability, putting up more than a goal of the game in high school play. He also has good size and decent foot speed. He has spent the part of the off-season rehabbing a slight knee injury, which slowed him a bit in a
Sabres developmental camp, however he still performed quite well. If he can translate his success in high school to the USHL, the Sabres may have a very good sleeper on their hands.
Luke Lynes - 20 yrs - 6 HF - Brampton, OHL
Lynes doesn’t have a lot of flash and his skating is only adequate, but he plays a lot bigger than his size and is the type of player who can shift the momentum of a game, as he brings a lot of energy with him. He is a future 3rd liner for the Sabres.
PJ Fenton - 22 yrs - 6 HF - University of Massachusets - Amherst, NCAA
Fenton is a gritty, grinding type of forward. He is very good around the net and along the boards. He plays tremendously well in tight situations. He is fiercely competitive, aggressive on the forecheck, and is willing to get involved in the physical side of the game. Fenton possesses a great work ethic and plays well at both ends of the ice. He has a good quick release to his shot. Fenton is a smart player who sees the ice well. He is also quite good on face-offs. The biggest knock on Fenton is his strength, particularly in his legs. While he is a good skater, his skating is not particularly strong. He projects as another solid, gritty 3rd or 4th line role player for the Sabres.
Tony Lucia - 20 yrs - 6 HF - University of Minnesota, NCAA
Lucia's primary asset is his hockey sense. A playmaker with strong passing skills, Lucia also forechecks, backchecks, block shots, and lays outs hits from time to time as well. Concerns about his size once existed, but he is now 6'0" 175 pounds. One area Lucia needs to improve on is his quickness and acceleration. He has decent top speed, but just needs quicker feet and needs to make sure he keeps his feet moving. Should Lucia make it to the NHL, it would likely be as a third or fourth line player. Lucia will have to improve his speed, quickness, and acceleration to become a third line NHLer. However, he has four years of college hockey to become an NHL caliber player.
John Seymour - 20 yrs - 5 HF - Brampton, OHL
Seymour is a rugged left wing with good size and adequate skating ability. The 6’3 physical forward will fill out and could develop into a very effective energy line player.
Matt Glasser - 20 yrs - 5 HF - University of Denver, NCAA
He was a 17 year old on the second best team in the AJHL and he was the second leading scorer. Described by Kevin Prendergast in 2005. “excellent vision and he’s a strong skater." Glasser needs to get stronger and better conditioned but should develop that with maturity in college. Glasser will venture south to Denver to join the Pioneers in the WCHA conference in the NCAA
Justin Maiser - 24 yrs - Dayton, ECHL
Ryan Kinasewich - 24 yrs - Utah, ECHL