GDT: #46 - Winnipeg at Buffalo - 7:00 PM ET - TV: MSG-B - Radio: WGR-AM

[NotABadPeriod]

Vanek is 29 years old. He has played 583 out of a possible 620 possible games in his career. He has missed 37 games out of his 8 year career, and one of those games was as a healthy scratch his rookie year. That's only an average of 4.5 games a season due to injury. 77.5 out of 82 games played is pretty durable to me. Anyone thinking he will be "done in 2-3 years" is definitely mistaken. He has had one major injury his career, and that was a fluke broken jaw from an errant shot. Vanek is a warrior. He will play 8 more years easy. He will play til atleast 37.

Chris Drury was incredibly durable...until the bottom fell out. It is very tough to tell how a hockey player will age. You have the Selanne and Sakic types...and then you have the guys that just fall off like Drury.

Vanek is a warrior, there's no question about it. But at some point does the cumulative effect of the beatings he takes either shelve him or make him less effective? What effect will a new coach have?

Likely for Vanek to hit 500, he's gonna need another 40 goal season or 2 to offset for down years. He still has it in him to do that.

 

[SwordsgoneWild]

At least there are only 2 games left for us in this godforsaken season.

 

[Chainshot]

Typical Enroth mystery hole goal against.

 

[gallagt01]

Grigorenko goes hard to the net and takes a licking doing so. Good work.

 

[Mark717]

Chris Drury was incredibly durable...until the bottom fell out. It is very tough to tell how a hockey player will age. You have the Selanne and Sakic types...and then you have the guys that just fall off like Drury.

Vanek is a warrior, there's no question about it. But at some point does the cumulative effect of the beatings he takes either shelve him or make him less effective? What effect will a new coach have?

Likely for Vanek to hit 500, he's gonna need another 40 goal season or 2 to offset for down years. He still has it in him to do that.

I guess my point is during this "transition" period we are about to undergo, who is his center? Even with gained chemistry...I don't see him getting to that number with Coho. I suppose if we got a really good passing winger.

Like Marc Savard from the dead. (C but you get it)

 

[NotABadPeriod]

Linesmen get it right the vast majority of the time, but Vanek was onside there.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

And his full season production goes up?

Maybe for another team in my opinion. But not as a Sabre.

Who said anything about his production having to go up? He averages 35 goals a season. He has 248 goals at the age of 29. Vanek will hit 500 goals in a little over 7 seasons at his current pace. Him being a 35 goal scorer until 35/36 is not that unreasonable. What is unreasonable is anyone thinking he will be done in 2-3 years

This game just showed how dominant Vanek is. He is the only legit top line player we possess. Trading him will be a grave mistake. Give him the damn C and give him 7/45 million.

Glad we lost in regulation woot.

 

[Mark717]

How did that not go in....? Meh...

 

[stokes84]

5 seconds left, 6 men on the ice, nobody in front of the net.

 

[enthusiast]

Was that refereeing atrocious or am I just biased?

 

[enthusiast]

Typical Enroth mystery hole goal against.

Can't blame _______, that was a deflection nobody could stop


A) Miller
B) Enroth
C) All of the above

 

[Mark717]

Who said anything about his production having to go up? He averages 35 goals a season. He has 248 goals at the age of 29. Vanek will hit 500 goals in a little over 7 seasons at his current pace. Him being a 35 goal scorer until 35/36 is not that unreasonable. What is unreasonable is anyone thinking he will be done in 2-3 years

Glad we lost in regulation woot.

Average doesn't really matter when talking current production numbers. He hasn't had a 35 goal season since 2008-2009.

Regardless he had a good game tonight. I don't know how he didn't get 2 in the 3rd.

 

[captaincrunch89]

Was that refereeing atrocious or am I just biased?

It was atrocious, Grigorenko got mauled in front, would have had an open net and that offsides call was pretty bad too.

 

[Chainshot]

At least Sen and Ranger fans are sweeting it a bit more.

 

[Mark717]

As for captain...that's tough. He's a top 6 forward in terms of scoring, no doubt.

There is also no doubt he vanishes for long lengths at a time. I can think of games where he single handedly won for us this season, but also games we lost because of his slow/lazy play. The last Jets game is a huge example of that.

And as for a captain, I think for the new era we should be looking towards someone who brings all elements of the game to the ice. That player doesn't need to be Steve Ott...but a player that has skill, but also does the little things. Many captains in the league mirror this image, Brown, Callahan, Ladd, Iginla (before) Morrow (before) etc...

Paul Hamilton and others have said the likelyhood Vanek will be on the roster day 1 of next season is pretty low.

 

[Jame]

Who said anything about his production having to go up? He averages 35 goals a season. He has 248 goals at the age of 29. Vanek will hit 500 goals in a little over 7 seasons at his current pace. Him being a 35 goal scorer until 35/36 is not that unreasonable. What is unreasonable is anyone thinking he will be done in 2-3 years

This game just showed how dominant Vanek is. He is the only legit top line player we possess. Trading him will be a grave mistake. Give him the damn C and give him 7/45 million.

Glad we lost in regulation woot.

freddie... come on man...

 

[EichHart]

2 more games left, thank god. Lose them both please.

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

I went to this and got upset. Going on Friday and I hope they win their last game. Just win. Give us something to smile about here. Even if its just the last game win.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

As for captain...that's tough. He's a top 6 forward in terms of scoring, no doubt.

There is also no doubt he vanishes for long lengths at a time. I can think of games where he single handedly won for us this season, but also games we lost because of his slow/lazy play. The last Jets game is a huge example of that.

And as for a captain, I think for the new era we should be looking towards someone who brings all elements of the game to the ice. That player doesn't need to be Steve Ott...but a player that has skill, but also does the little things. Many captains in the league mirror this image, Brown, Callahan, Ladd, Iginla (before) Morrow (before) etc...

Paul Hamilton and others have said the likelyhood Vanek will be on the roster day 1 of next season is pretty low.

Yeah, Paul Hamilton breaks lots of stories on team. He and everybody else in Buffalo get their Sabres news from Bob McKenzie

 

[Karate Johnson*]

"A grave mistake" ???


That's hilarious.

 

[wshahbaz]

oh yes we lost