Roster review: #28 Zemgus Girgensons

[dudacek]

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 6^th in NHL games played and 5^th 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:

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.sabres...3-chad-johnson/

Nick Deslauriers: http://forums.sabres...ck-deslauriers/

Cody McCormick: http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23505-roster-review-8-cody-mccormick/

Rasmus Ristolainen: http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23511-roster-review-55-rasmus-ristolainen/

Josh Gorges: http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23515-roster-review-4-josh-gorges/

Matt Moulson: http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23526-roster-review-26-matt-moulson/

Marcus Foligno: http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23528-roster-review-82-marcus-foligno/

Zach Bogosian: http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23530-roster-review-47-zach-bogosian/

David Legwand: http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23537-roster-review-17-david-legwand/

Brian Gionta: http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23544-roster-review-12-brian-gionta/

 

 

Edited August 9, 2015 by dudacek

[LastPommerFan]

In the beginning was Zemgus, and Zemgus was with God, and Zemgus was God.

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

 

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

 

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

(also, swap out Datsyuk for Kesler in the first choice so I can vote.)

[TrueBlueGED]

If anybody wants to troll for a reaction, this is the roster review thread to do it in.

[3putt]

I voted for the first option. It may not be at center, but he has improved every offseason and prior to the injury was on track to finish among the team leaders in scoring. And I can't help flashback to the goal he scored against Detroit which was a great display of hands and skill. There were others, but that was memorable. With the right mix on his line I see top line production potential. My only concern is he appears too nice at times. A bit more edge would be a plus.

[qwksndmonster]

Zemgus has what makes Taves so special: He never stops skating.  Zemgus will never stop getting better at hockey (unless his body ages, which scientists are unsure of at the moment).  He and O'Reilly will be the most important wingers when we win our first cup (and they're both good options for fill in center if Eichel, Reinhart, or Larsson goes down).

 

His offense isn't going to blow you out of the water, but he'll be better than Ryan Callahan was.

Edited August 9, 2015 by qwksndmonster

[JohnnyK]

Move him to wing with ROR and Kane and pop some popcorn because the fun is about to start!!! Holy gamers this will be fun to watch this year!

Go Sabres!!!!

[dudacek]

I'd never read the tattoo in the photo before. Very Zemgus.

[Fidelio]

 I expect Zemgus to score 80 goals this year on a  line with Ennis and Stafford.

Stafford poised to make a huge jump offensively as hes been playing with such scrubs  lately.

Zemgus was drafted in the 4th round but has really shown his chops.

Really excited to see what Ennis can do with girgenson in the backfield.  Probably at least 120 points.

Ennis worked out i guess and is now 6'1 220, amazing stuff!  

Im soooo excited and I know that the Sabres will finish 1st in the East with ROR centering Kane and Toews.....

Its so nice to have Buffalo natives on the team, (represent WUT WUT!)

I hope we sign Nolan to another extension as he really knows how to teach grit and i believe that being hard to play against is how you win games

All in all, Id say we win the cup, but only if Zadorov and Ristolainen can play to their top 2 potential... If not, Id say we lose in 7 games to the Seahawks....

[nfreeman]

I expect Zemgus to score 80 goals this year on a line with Ennis and Stafford.

Stafford poised to make a huge jump offensively as hes been playing with such scrubs lately.

Zemgus was drafted in the 4th round but has really shown his chops.

Really excited to see what Ennis can do with girgenson in the backfield. Probably at least 120 points.

Ennis worked out i guess and is now 6'1 220, amazing stuff!

Im soooo excited and I know that the Sabres will finish 1st in the East with ROR centering Kane and Toews.....

Its so nice to have Buffalo natives on the team, (represent WUT WUT!)

I hope we sign Nolan to another extension as he really knows how to teach grit and i believe that being hard to play against is how you win games

All in all, Id say we win the cup, but only if Zadorov and Ristolainen can play to their top 2 potential... If not, Id say we lose in 7 games to the Seahawks....

What is the point of this? To pollute an interesting thread?

[Huckleberry]

picked great third liner first but we'll be so loaded in a year our 3rd line will be more a 2B than a 3rd line.

[Drunkard]

I went with middle 6 forward. With the additions of Kane and O'Reilly, having Ennis, along with adding Eichel and now more seasoned Reinhart, I think Girgensons spending time on the top line is going to be fairly infrequent but he'll be able to move fairly seamlessly between the 2nd and 3rd lines. I think he'll be the utility knife type of forward who can be plugged in anywhere he is needed and he'll more than hold his own.

[Fidelio]

What is the point of this? To pollute an interesting thread?

Sorry u see my posts as pollution. Thats pretty rude

[Doohicksie]

Sorry u see my posts as pollution. Thats pretty rude

Some people have no sense of humor.

 

(You'll have to excuse him; he's a moderator.)

[Fidelio]

Some people have no sense of humor.

 

(You'll have to excuse him; he's a moderator.)

 

yea an SS moderator.. That sounds scary.. and anti-Semitic 

[Eleven]

I voted for all of the options since I could.  (Actually, I think he could be any of those four things and primarily is limited by his teammates--i.e., he won't be a first-line center only because Eichel will be; he won't be a second-line center only because Reinhart will be, etc.)

 

I don't see him wearing a C, and that's only because of Eichel.

 

I think he's going to be amazeballs.

Edited August 10, 2015 by Eleven

[Fidelio]

I voted for all of the options since I could.  (Actually, I think he could be any of those four things and primarily is limited by his teammates--i.e., he won't be a first-line center only because Eichel will be; he won't be a second-line center only because Reinhart will be, etc.)

 

I don't see him wearing a C, and that's only because of Eichel.

 

I think he's going to be amazeballs.

 

Seriously tho, AGREE, too bad they didnt grab tomas hertl in the place of MG... man would that have been a sweet draft.

[Doohicksie]

yea an SS moderator.. That sounds scary.. and anti-Semitic 

 

He does a decent job, but if the SS acronym freaks you out, you're free to check out other forums.

[Doohicksie]

Seriously tho, AGREE, too bad they didnt grab tomas hertl in the place of MG... man would that have been a sweet draft.

 

...except that without Grigo the ROR trade doesn't take place.

[qwksndmonster]

...except that without Grigo the ROR trade doesn't take place.

Yes it does.  Insert Larsson instead of Grigo.  Boom ROR.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Yes it does.  Insert Larsson instead of Grigo.  Boom ROR.

 

I think you are right.

 

I don't see Colorado not making the deal if Grigorenko was not included.  So, if Grigorenko was not a Sabre prospect we would have just needed to insert some other Sabre prospect in there.

 

Especially since Grigorenko signed with the Avs at a pay cut.

[qwksndmonster]

I think you are right.

 

I don't see Colorado not making the deal if Grigorenko was not included.  So, if Grigorenko was not a Sabre prospect we would have just needed to insert some other Sabre prospect in there.

 

Especially since Grigorenko signed with the Avs at a pay cut.

But Robins Egg is probably right that the ROR trade doesn't happen if we pick Hertl instead of Grigs, due to the butterfly effect.  Darcy probably gets to keep his job longer because he looks like a Magician in the draft.  Then DeLuca's assassination plot goes off without a hitch (Darcy was fired a month before the scheduled date, according to some old TSC PMs I was able to find in the ether of the interwebs).

[Doohicksie]

But Robins Egg is probably right that the ROR trade doesn't happen if we pick Hertl instead of Grigs, due to the butterfly effect. 

 

What follows was speculative, but yeah, there are several scenarios that play out that would result in the trade either not working out, or not being needed (due to the pieces fitting together differently).

[LGR4GM]

...except that without Grigo the ROR trade doesn't take place.

Bingo.

 

Zemgus has proven he can elevate his game. His hands and skating have greatly improved.  I think he is going to be a go to player this season as he is the exact time of 2-way forward this team has lacked in it's top 6 since the good old days of Drury.  Zemgus with Jack or Sammy... hold on I need to change.

[TrueBlueGED]

I don't think Zemgus has the natural offense to be a regular on the 1st line of a perennial contender, but I absolutely expect him to be a high end middle six player.

[Fidelio]

But Robins Egg is probably right that the ROR trade doesn't happen if we pick Hertl instead of Grigs, due to the butterfly effect.  Darcy probably gets to keep his job longer because he looks like a Magician in the draft.  Then DeLuca's assassination plot goes off without a hitch (Darcy was fired a month before the scheduled date, according to some old TSC PMs I was able to find in the ether of the interwebs).

 

Nice.  But what if Deluca killing darcy (I assume thats what you mean) resulted in a mass mourning (everyone around the league suddenly idolized darcy after the "Miracle at Draft") from which the Sabres players in particular became despondent and disinterested in Hockey and in Life in general, thus leading to an unintentional tank, drafting Reinhart in 2014, then winning the lottery and drafting Mcdavid in 2015?