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Next up on the roster review, one of the new guys #47 Zach Bogosian D (six years left at $5.1 million per, age 25) Buffalo 21/0/7/7/-7/38 Winnipeg 41/3/10/13/1/40 Zach Bogosian had 61 points in 60 games as a draft-eligible 17-year-old. Cobble those numbers with a man’s body, elite skating skills and a mean streak and the scouts were drawing parallels to another Peterborough Pete, Chris Pronger. It is little wonder he went third overall in the 2008 draft. Bogosian hasn’t exactly been a bust, so much as he just sort of slipped from the radar as a very young man playing in the NHL-quiet outposts of Atlanta and Winnipeg. He’s been capable, but his offence has been just OK, and his physical contributions hampered by regular injuries and a propensity for taking penalties. Add that to the fact Toby Enstrom and Dustin Byfuglien were entrenched as the go-to blueliners in Winnipeg, and Bogosian never really got his shot as a first-pair guy. Until Buffalo. Ted Nolan played #47 in all situations; he totalled more than 28 minutes nine times during his time in Buffalo. Given the lack of depth on the Sabre blueline, there is little doubt that will continue this season. He may have already played seven seasons, but he just turned 25 last week. The question is whether he can rise to the challenge the way his early promise indicated he should, or whether he is what he has been — a good, but not great NHL defenceman. Links to the rest of the series:

The roster review continues: #82 Marcus Foligno LW (one year left at $1.9 million per, age 23) Buffalo 57/8/12/20/-5/50 Son of a Sabre legend, who scored 13 points in 14 games while recklessly sacrificing his body and refusing to take #### from anyone: After that rookie debut, is it any wonder fans have been less than satisfied in the years since with Marcus Foligno? So many new players have cycled into the organization since Foligno made his debut in the fall of 2012 that it is surprising to realize he has only played 192 NHL games. Two injury-plagued seasons sandwiched around a disappointing 2014 campaign have clouded Foligno’s lustre, but he remains an enormous man who will hit and fight, is responsible defensively and can play centre in a pinch. Most observers have come around to the reality that Foligno has never had the offensive tools to be the player he showed in that initial run, but what remains an open question is whether he is able to play a simple, physical game on enough of a consistent basis to be an important part of the team moving forward. Links to the rest of the series:

Next up, the Sabres new number one goalie #40 Robin Lehner G (two years left at $2.2 million per, age 24) Ottawa 9/12/3/3.02/.905 6’4”, 225 pounds with an icy glare, a background in martial arts and an affection for death metal music, Robin Lehner has a presence that screams more Georges St. Pierre than Gump Worsley. But he is the man Tim Murray has hand-picked to barricade the Buffalo crease for the foreseeable future. Two years ago, Lehner seemed poised for big things. The 46th overall pick in the 2009 draft, he used a strong performance for Sweden in the 2011 World Juniors to springboard his way to a Calder Cup victory as an AHL rookie later that year. During the next two seasons, save percentages over .935 in brief stints with the Senators only cemented his position as one of hockey’s best goaltending prospects. But he followed that up with two disappointing campaigns where bouts of inconsistency and temper, plus a concussion equaled a failed bid to take hold of the Ottawa crease. The goalie-rich Senators decided it was in their best interests to move on and they surprised many by securing a first-round pick from the Sabres in exchange for his services. Murray believes strongly a fresh start with a team where he is the unquestioned number-one will give Lehner the circumstances he needs to prove himself an upper-echelon NHL tender. He also thinks his age and contract status make him worth the price paid to acquire him when there were other, cheaper options available. Many Sabre fans are not so sure and will be quick to pounce should he get off to a poor start. Links to the rest of the series: