Roster review #6 Mike Weber

[dudacek]

Next up in the series, a man who played playoff games for the Sabres

 

 

#6 Mike Weber D (one year left at $1.67 million per, age 27)

Buffalo 64/1/6/7/-22/68

Six years ago, in his first full NHL season, Mike Weber had 17 points and finished +13. No one would ever make the mistake of measuring Weber’s value in stats, but it is interesting to note that on a decent hockey team his stat line offered more than single-digit point totals and a minus-twenty-something.

 

With Pat Kaleta unlikely to return, Weber is the Sabre of longest standing and his commitment to the team and to paying the price cannot be questioned. What has been questioned is his ability to be a legitimate NHL defenceman on a good team.

 

 

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/

Zemgus Girgensons: http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23556-roster-review-28-zemgus-girgensons/

Robin Lehner: http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23560-roster-review-40-robin-lehner/

 

 

Edited August 19, 2015 by dudacek

[Huckleberry]

7th defenseman is where he'll start out.  He'll still get around 40 games because i can't see Carlo and Josh staying healthy all season :p

[Weave]

I think he'll look better on the bottom pair with better players on the ice with him.

[Eleven]

I think he'll look better on the bottom pair with better players on the ice with him.

 

Yes he will, and he's still the best policeman on the team.

[LGR4GM]

I think he'll look better on the bottom pair with better players on the ice with him.

 

 

Yes he will, and he's still the best policeman on the team.

Agreed. Mike is that 6th defender who can teach our younger defenders a thing or two about protecting teammates.  I personally really like Mike Weber and I hope he retires a Sabre.  I think he is a very serviceable defender if put into the proper role, which is not 2nd pairing.  Also with better centers the defense should be under less pressure.

[TrueBlueGED]

Yes he will, and he's still the best policeman on the team.

Nobody is afraid of Mike Weber.

 

Anyway, he's a 7th defender. The problem with Weber is he's basically in no man's land talent wise. He can't move the puck up the ice effectively with his skates or his stick, and doesn't have any offensive instincts to contribute on a second power play unit. The problem is he's not exactly a shut down defender either. He's certainly better in his own zone than the offensive zone, but he's still prone to losing coverage and being out of position like you'd expect of a more offensively oriented defenseman.

 

So he tends to get trapped in the defensive zone and his not very good while there. He's mean and he'll try to clear the crease without hesitation, but in any kind of dynamic situation with frequent movement he doesn't cover the ice well.

 

Teams will try to attack him with speed and skill match ups he's not equipped to handle, which could be avoided in part by sheltering his minutes, but putting him out there in soft offensive zone starts is sort of cutting the nose to spite the face since he'll hurt you offensively. But he's bad at handling defensive minutes too. So yea, no man's land.

[Eleven]

Nobody is afraid of Mike Weber.

 

Anyway, he's a 7th defender. The problem with Weber is he's basically in no man's land talent wise. He can't move the puck up the ice effectively with his skates or his stick, and doesn't have any offensive instincts to contribute on a second power play unit. The problem is he's not exactly a shut down defender either. He's certainly better in his own zone than the offensive zone, but he's still prone to losing coverage and being out of position like you'd expect of a more offensively oriented defenseman.

 

So he tends to get trapped in the defensive zone and his not very good while there. He's mean and he'll try to clear the crease without hesitation, but in any kind of dynamic situation with frequent movement he doesn't cover the ice well.

 

Teams will try to attack him with speed and skill match ups he's not equipped to handle, which could be avoided in part by sheltering his minutes, but putting him out there in soft offensive zone starts is sort of cutting the nose to spite the face since he'll hurt you offensively. But he's bad at handling defensive minutes too. So yea, no man's land.

 

Policeman, not enforcer.  He's the guy who will have his stick in your ribs the minute you get too close to a goalie or a skilled skater after a whistle.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

I think he'll look better on the bottom pair with better players on the ice with him.

 

Welcome to our little corner of the Internet, We've.  We have a veteran here that goes by weave.  Any relation?

 

I agree with you on this one.  I've always liked Mike.  He is mean, not dirty, but mean.  He is a good 6th Dman on the current version of the Sabres.

[Weave]

Welcome to our little corner of the Internet, We've.  We have a veteran here that goes by weave.  Any relation?

 

I agree with you on this one.  I've always liked Mike.  He is mean, not dirty, but mean.  He is a good 6th Dman on the current version of the Sabres.

 

 

LOL

 

Please see the alter ego thread.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

LOL

 

Please see the alter ego thread.

 

I just noticed that now ... catching up in reverse order it seems.

[woods-racer]

Agreed. Mike is that 6th defender who can teach our younger defenders a thing or two about protecting teammates.  I personally really like Mike Weber and I hope he retires a Sabre.  I think he is a very serviceable defender if put into the proper role, which is not 2nd pairing.  Also with better centers the defense should be under less pressure.

This is the sum total of Mike Weber, aka team player.

[JohnnyK]

Solid 6th D-man that every team needs and other players love!!!!