What do you expect from: #28 Zemgus Girgensons?

[dudacek]

Jim Schoenfeld played nine seasons as a Buffalo Sabre. So did Larry Playfair. Rene Robert played eight. Danny Gare played seven.

Counting last year, which he missed entirely with a hamstring injury, Zemgus Girgensons is about to join some rarified company by entering his ninth season in blue and gold, making him far and away the current team's elder statesman.

Drafted in the first round of the 2012, Girgensons became a fan favourite during the tank, sacrificing his body regularly and piling up 15 goals in 30 points in just 61 games as a 20-year-old. Some fans pictured that as a teaser for the budding 2C power forward to come.

It never happened.

Zemgus never again approached that kind of production, settling in instead as a bottom-six forechecking winger and penalty killer for a series of bad Sabres teams .

https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=130896

Coming off the second-best goal-scoring year of his career and a burgeoning resume in a shutdown role, Girgensons blew out his hamstring in training camp last year and missed the entire campaign.

He begins this year penciled back in at centre ice for the first time in a long time, and will likely be facing some tough matchups.

What do you expect from Girgensons this season?

[GASabresIUFAN]

The unexpected.

[PerreaultForever]

I honestly have no idea. 

He is signed for 2 years so he could easily coast (why work up a sweat on a total tank team?) and he might be tentative after the injury, but he might also be basically what he was. I doubt he has any more than what we've already seen.

Next year he plays for a contract, maybe his last decent one, so I'd suspect next year he gives it his all, whatever that is.  

[Norcal]

Career year.

He's refreshed, back from injury with a new wife and daughter since he last played a game so he has some extra pep in his step. 

 

[Pimlach]

I think he will have a good year.  He has to, we pretty much have nothing else at center.  

[nucci]

6 hours ago, Norcal said:

Career year.

He's refreshed, back from injury with a new wife and daughter since he last played a game so he has some extra pep in his step. 

 

I would think he'd be more tired

[Weave]

His best season was when the team was forced to lean heavily on him.  My money is on the same happening again this season.

[Taro T]

Expect he'll suck it up & be the 4th line C, but really hoping they find a better answer than him in that 'keep Eakin off the ice under all circumstances' role as his true niche is checking line LW.

Don't see him scoring a lot as that line will face some heavy usage trying to protect the Mittelstadt & Cozens lines to a certain degree.

[Doohicksie]

On 9/28/2021 at 6:34 AM, nucci said:

I would think he'd be more tired

He'll be better on the road though.

[Andrew Amerk]

The early Z seemed like he used to rack up 15 hits per game. 

The last few years, where has that part of his game been?

[Huckleberry]

My only fear is they will be forced to use him as 2C if Dylan or Casey fails.

[USMCSnyper]

He will clean a lot of ice each game. I'd expect him to have to change jerseys every period due to the amount of ice shavings he collects each period.

[thewookie1]

I think he'll be surprisingly good this year due to his likely elevated role. Unlike most players who might get depressed due to losing; I highly doubt it actually effects him. He comes from Latvia, where winning is a rarity in international play. For him, what matters is if he gives his all every game and doesn't cost us a game.

He's always been a hard worker, and guy with some skill that has never truly put it all together but I could certainly see him hitting 15 goals again. He's never been a playmaker but between his above average speed and adequate hands; he should be able to score somewhere between 10 and 20 goals.

[pi2000]

Girgensons will surprise

[inkman]

19 hours ago, Andrew Amerk said:

The early Z seemed like he used to rack up 15 hits per game. 

The last few years, where has that part of his game been?

Somebody gotta do it 

[inkman]

Zemgus out until after all-star break

 

[thewookie1]

Didn't he just play against Ottawa?

[K-9]

1 hour ago, thewookie1 said:

Didn't he just play against Ottawa?

Yep. Took a hard shot off his leg on the PK, too. I’m guessing that was it. 

[Weave]

3 hours ago, inkman said:

Zemgus out until after all-star break

 

Winning games is not a priority.