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With the coaching search over and running the Superdraft behind me, the time is ripe to renew our player discussion series with the most prominent of our final three free agents: #3 Mark Pysyk D (23-year-old RFA) Rochester 54/3/14/17/-2/32 Buffalo 7/2/1/3/4/2 A first-round pick, the captain of a powerful Edmonton Oil Kings junior squad and a world junior championship bronze medallist, Pysyk’s resume is dotted with very good — but not great — reviews and achievements. In his first two pro seasons, his stints with the Sabres flashed excellent skating and decision-making abilities. Many thought him a lock to be a regular on the Sabre blueline this past year, his third pro season. It didn’t happen. Things started badly when a shoulder injury sidelined him in training camp and led to him being sent to Rochester. Eventually, injuries with the big club gave him a taste in Buffalo. He earned the praise of coach Ted Nolan who wanted to keep him. But Tim Murray had other plans, sending Pysyk back to the minors. Some called the move blatant tanking, but Murray said the young defender’s orders were to grow his game by taking more risks and responsibilities. That mission received a huge setback when he collapsed during a game of pick-up basketball in February. After a couple months of testing failed to pinpoint a cause, he returned to play in Rochester for the final weekend of the season. Some would consider it odd that at 19, Mikhail Grigorenko was close to be written off as a bust by many fans, while a 23-year-old Pysyk is almost universally praised, despite his inability to thus far crack the full-time roster. Moving into this season, he is being counted on to upgrade the Sabre defence, adding steadiness and puck-moving ability. Some have him penciled in as high as the team’s number-three blueliner, despite lingering concerns about his health. Quietly, expectations remain high. Will he finally be able to meet them? Links to the rest of the series: Anders Linback: http://forums.sabres...nders-lindback/ Pat Kaleta: http://forums.sabres...patrick-kaleta/ Johan Larsson: http://forums.sabres...-johan-larsson/ Matt Hackett: http://forums.sabres...1-matt-hackett/ Andrej Meszaros: http://forums.sabres...ndrej-meszaros/ Phil Varone, Zac Dalpe, Jerry D'Amigo: http://forums.sabres...e-dalpe-damigo/ Mikhail Grigorenko: http://forums.sabres...ail-grigorenko/ Tyson Strachan, Andre Benoit: http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23358-roster-review-strachan-and-benoit/

Next up in our player discussion series: #41 Andrej Meszaros D (29-year-old UFA) Buffalo 60/7/7/14/-13/36 There was a time Meszaros was a big, highly regarded young defenceman who strung together three consecutive 35-point seasons with the Ottawa Senators. The sky seemed to be the limit. Two disappointing seasons in Tampa turned into two rebound seasons in Philadelphia, turned into two seasons where injuries rendered him irrelevant. When Tim Murray signed him to a one-year $4 million contract it seemed like a decent gamble on both sides. The Sabres had the cap space to overpay on a one-year deal for a guy who had received a Norris trophy vote just three years before. Meszaros gave up security to get paid more this year than he would have received anywhere else. Both sides were betting he could shake off the hurts and rebound into a solid NHL defenceman, setting himself up for a better UFA deal this summer. By anyone’s estimation, Meszaros got off to a horrible start to the season, looking slow afoot, making frequent poor decisions and seemingly picking up a minus nearly every game. He quickly became Sabrespace’s favourite whipping boy, a status he never really relinquished, even though he had seven goals and was a respectable -3 over his final 50 games. Virtually everyone seems to believe he is gone. The question is does Tim Murray feel the same way? Links to the rest of the series: Anders Linback: http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23313-roster-review-35-anders-lindback/ Pat Kaleta: http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23321-roster-review-36-patrick-kaleta/ Johan Larsson: http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23326-roster-review-22-johan-larsson/ Matt Hackett: http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23335-roster-review-31-matt-hackett/

The roster review continues with the 2015 Sabres rookie of the year #44 Nicolas Deslauriers LW (one year left at $637,500, age 24) Buffalo 82/5/10/15/-24/71 Few knew Nick Deslauriers when he came over from LA in an unexpected deadline-day trade in 2014. A defenceman in junior, the Kings moved him to forward two years ago and Tim Murray obviously liked the move, acquiring the AHLer to add some heft to a smallish Sabre forward corps. His rookie season produced some noticeable numbers. Deslauriers had seven fights. It wasn’t a who’s-who of heavyweights on his card, but he seemed to be in every one and scored a couple convincing knockouts. Further, he finished ninth in the entire NHL in hits, with 261. He skated nearly 12 minutes a night and appeared in all 82 games. Likeable off the ice, a character guy on it, Deslauriers seems to have set himself up for a long Buffalo career as a fan favourite in a fourth-line role. A good skater with a great attitude, he needs to answer two questions: can he grow into a hard-nosed third-liner? And can he hold his own with NHL heavyweights enough to be the Sabres deterrent? Links to the rest of the series: Anders Lindback: http://forums.sabres...nders-lindback/ Pat Kaleta: http://forums.sabres...patrick-kaleta/ Johan Larsson: http://forums.sabres...-johan-larsson/ Matt Hackett: http://forums.sabres...1-matt-hackett/ Andrej Meszaros: http://forums.sabres...ndrej-meszaros/ Phil Varone, Zac Dalpe, Jerry D'Amigo: http://forums.sabres...e-dalpe-damigo/ Mikhail Grigorenko: http://forums.sabres...ail-grigorenko/ Tyson Strachan, Andre Benoit: http://forums.sabres...han-and-benoit/ Mark Pysyk: http://forums.sabres...w-3-mark-pysyk/ Tim Schaller: http://forums.sabres...9-tim-schaller/ Matt Ellis: http://forums.sabres...-37-matt-ellis/ Cody Hodgson: http://forums.sabres...9-cody-hodgson/ Tyler Ennis: http://forums.sabres...63-tyler-ennis/ Chad Johnson: http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23441-roster-review-33-chad-johnson/