No more depth for Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are just starting their training camp, and getting into the grove of things. That does not stop injuries from happening, and that is something that they cannot afford this year.
The depth at the foward position is gone in Rochester. A lot of the prospects now have to fill in the holes that Danny Briere and Chris Drury left behind. Those most likely being Drew Stafford and Mike Ryan.
The bigger issue at hand is that the vetran fowards that the Sabres do have can no longer get just disappear. Meaning both physically and mentally. Something that some Sabres have a knack of doing.
The obvious person when it comes to the physical aspect is Tim Connolly. The last couple of years Connolly has missed significant time due to injuries. That has to change as the Sabres are now relying on him to make them still the top dog in the Eastern Conference.
Also, there is another question when it comes to a couple of players is can Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek their bodies handle the amount of ice time over a long period of time. Since, they will now be the second line on the team.
Mentally there are a couple of players that you hope can get things straight, and be consistent. Dimitiri Kalinin, and Ales Kotalik when on top oif their game can be forces that can make a difference on the Sabres. However, at the same time when they dissapear when they go into some kind of funk, they can really hurt the team as well.
Injuries do happen from time to time. The final question is how do the younger prospects that are coming into Rochester, or been there a year, play at the National Hockey League level when called upon to fill in for a injured player.
That is what training camp is for ultimately. So, as training camp goes on, and the preseason continues we will find out who could be a future starting Sabres, and hopefully a good one.