When was the last time the Sabres had a roster when people actually had a front of the net presence?
These guys have been so outside that front of the net area, they have name plates where they hang out on the boards.
Greenway is it.
One of the problems is the structure of the offense that is designed around skill. Generate a rush from the D zone or neutral zone, and try and force the opposing team to make a mistake in coverage, creating an odd man chance or an open shooter. But when that doesn't happen, you get that low danger shot with no net front, or the puck ends up behind the goal line with the opposing team connecting on their break out. Sabres are happy to pressure that in the neutral zone, reload, then do that once again. It feels like they possess the puck this season, but with little to no offense. I do give them credit for finally learning how to play in their own end, improving the PK, and only recently have they started to play a fore checking game, but getting those bodies to the front of the net continues to be a problem.
This is why there are very few untouchable prospects not on the Sabres IMO. The drafting has really been hyper-focused on BPA, and with high picks, those are skill guys. "I know what people are going to say, another small forward." Yes, Kevin, we do say that because it's true, but switch small with soft, and we'd have more honesty. Benson was a rarity and the Sabres got really lucky there. Can this team really afford a season or two of Savoie figuring out his game to add that gritty skill set? I'd hang on to Poltopov and Wahlberg, but anyone else should be leveraged to refactor on the wing and the bottom six.
And ameteur scouting needs a change in philosophy as well. They have a lot of picks, stop trying to hit a home run on that hidden gem, and draft some character, grit, and yes, toughness.
