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Up next in the roster review, a popular choice for future captain. #28 Zemgus Girgensons F (one year left at $900,000 per, age 21) Buffalo 61/15/15/30/-16/25 Circumstances and a rare competitive mindset conspired to see Zemgus Girgensons playing ahead of himself for three consecutive seasons: against men in the AHL at 18, as an NHL regular at 19 and as a top-six all-situations forward at 20. Entering every year a good argument could have been made that he wasn’t ready for the role he was given. Every year, he got better and eventually proved himself equal to the task. Not exactly hyped going into the 2012 draft, Girgensons is pushing his way to the forefront of his peers, ranking 6th in NHL games played and 5th in goals. Relentless compete and attention to detail are his calling cards, but his skating is also a weapon and he has shown a surprising aptitude for spectacular goals. Conversely, he has shown little to no creativity as a passer and playmaker and his power play production has been sketchy given the amount of ice time he’s been given in that role. Questions remain about his offensive ceiling. There is little doubt Girgensons finished last season as the most popular Sabre, or that he is a coach’s dream. What is unclear is just how good he is and how good he can be. A versatile, hard-to-play-against middle-six forward seems to be a given. But is potential there for a first-line physical force and playoff game changer? Should expectations be tempered by the fact he was one of the few positives in a nightmare season, a gem in a sea of mud? Or is it OK to project that his constant improvement and drive makes him a rare pearl and let expectations soar? Links to the rest of the series: