Your first 8 games 3 stars

[gregkash]

1.) Chris Drury - He's absolutely on FIRE. There's so much I could say about Drury, but I think his best quality is the intensity he brings on and off the ice. He's a different leader than Briere, which is why I think our co-captain's work so well together. But boy is he effective. He's basically the type of player I would want to represent my team... a la LaFontaine.

 

2.) Thomas Vanek - It's pretty clear to ALMOST everyone that TV has turned his game around. This isn't to say that he was bad last year, but it's pretty clear to me that he's more of a complete player. Imagine a guy with Vanek's skill that you can't take advantage of on the counter-attack. That's deadly people.

 

3.) Jason Pominville - This guy is always in the right place. He has a knack for being there when the puck is. He has speed, defensive awareness, he kills penalties, he plays power plays. I think you're looking at at least 25 goals for him this year. AT least. He's really stepped from being on waivers to a solid contributer to this team.

 

Honorable mentions: basically everyone else on the team..

 

Danny Briere - he's becomming more of a consistant player. he might not score everynight, but he's constantly setting up plays. I don't think anyone sees the ice better than him.

 

Ryan Miller - He's been incredibly solid, and you can see him improving every night. Is there any other goaltender you'd rather have in a shoot-out? I can't think of one.

 

Maxim Afinogenov - He's on a tear.. but he always looks so goofy doing it.

 

Andrew Peters - lol... don't jump on me, he's played well.

[X. Benedict]

1. Drury

2. Vanek

3. Max

 

All made possible by the fastest D in the NHL.

[smith]

1. Drury

2. Vanek

3. Max

 

All made possible by the fastest D in the NHL.

 

read my mind

[Eleven]

1. Vanek

2. Drury

3. Tallinder.

 

Had to name a D-man, and it would be either The Swedish Chef or Spacek (the Coal-Miner's Daughter? Doesn't work for me.) Chef has been a Sabre longer, so he wins.

[Taro T]

1.) Chris Drury - He's absolutely on FIRE. There's so much I could say about Drury, but I think his best quality is the intensity he brings on and off the ice. He's a different leader than Briere, which is why I think our co-captain's work so well together. But boy is he effective. He's basically the type of player I would want to represent my team... a la LaFontaine.

 

2.) Thomas Vanek - It's pretty clear to ALMOST everyone that TV has turned his game around. This isn't to say that he was bad last year, but it's pretty clear to me that he's more of a complete player. Imagine a guy with Vanek's skill that you can't take advantage of on the counter-attack. That's deadly people.

 

3.) Jason Pominville - This guy is always in the right place. He has a knack for being there when the puck is. He has speed, defensive awareness, he kills penalties, he plays power plays. I think you're looking at at least 25 goals for him this year. AT least. He's really stepped from being on waivers to a solid contributer to this team.

 

Honorable mentions: basically everyone else on the team..

 

Danny Briere - he's becomming more of a consistant player. he might not score everynight, but he's constantly setting up plays. I don't think anyone sees the ice better than him.

 

Ryan Miller - He's been incredibly solid, and you can see him improving every night. Is there any other goaltender you'd rather have in a shoot-out? I can't think of one.

 

Maxim Afinogenov - He's on a tear.. but he always looks so goofy doing it.

 

Andrew Peters - lol... don't jump on me, he's played well.

He hasn't exactly "turned it around". He was going in the right direction last year, he just wasn't as far down the road as we would like him to have been. I'd prefer to say that he's "advanced" his game. He's added backchecking (to a degree) to his bag of tricks and that is helping him tremendously.

 

He also is playing with a confidence that seemed to lack at times last season.

[Screamin'Weasel]

1. Drury

2. Afinogenov

3. Vanek

[DR HOLLIDAY]

Honourable mention Hecht........... B-)

[deluca67]

He hasn't exactly "turned it around". He was going in the right direction last year, he just wasn't as far down the road as we would like him to have been. I'd prefer to say that he's "advanced" his game. He's added backchecking (to a degree) to his bag of tricks and that is helping him tremendously.

 

He also is playing with a confidence that seemed to lack at times last season.

 

There have been a couple times when opposing checkers have bounced off him. I think he is just starting to realize what a physical presence he can be. He may have been a little awe struck by the size and speed of the NHL game. I think this season he knows he belongs.

[wjag]

Drury

Vanek-Max-Roy line

Miller

[JujuFish]

Drury, Max, and Vanek have combined for 19 goals, which is as many or more than the following TEAMS have been able to muster: St Louis and LA with 19, Ottawa with 18, Columbus with 17, Phoenix with 16, and Boston, Calgary and Philly each with 15 goals.

[Orange Seats]

This team makes it almost impossible to complete a task like this. You can name (almost) any three players and still have to add "but these guys too..."

 

For example you can say Vanek, Drury, and Max... but then you have to let Pominville (who is blowing away my expectations) slip through the cracks. And then there's Novotny who looks nothing like a guy who played in the AHL all last year. Not to mention Miller, Spacek, and hell even Peters is putting in ice time (chewing up time against Philly giving another guy extra rest, for example). The only person on this team who is underperforming is Timmay, and that's because the poor bastard is recovering from an awful head injury.

 

Naming an MVP or even 3 MVPs on this team is just impossible.

[Sabresince70]

Drury

Max

Vanek

 

But only because the topic is "stars". Their numbers are making them shine, but the work of all 6 D, the Hechts, Novonys, Gaustads (or Goo - stad as the Bahston guy calls him) etc...have been just as important!

[gregkash]

This team makes it almost impossible to complete a task like this. You can name (almost) any three players and still have to add "but these guys too..."

 

For example you can say Vanek, Drury, and Max... but then you have to let Pominville (who is blowing away my expectations) slip through the cracks. And then there's Novotny who looks nothing like a guy who played in the AHL all last year. Not to mention Miller, Spacek, and hell even Peters is putting in ice time (chewing up time against Philly giving another guy extra rest, for example). The only person on this team who is underperforming is Timmay, and that's because the poor bastard is recovering from an awful head injury.

 

Naming an MVP or even 3 MVPs on this team is just impossible.

 

I didn't say it was Easy!

[KansasPat]

I think Spacek's efforts have been severely undervalued (not because we don't appreciate them, but because we're all so ga-ga over the offensive attack). Here's a guy who was a borderline star (you'll never get your due as a defenseman playing on the same team as Pronger) on a very good Edmonton team last year, and it's easy to just assume that because he was good for the Oilers, that he'll be good for the Sabres.

 

But so much was made about the team's chemistry last year (no FAs, no trade deadline pickups, etc.), that one couldn't help but wonder what would happen to it when we did bring in an outsider -- and one replacing a very popular player to boot. I think Spacek's transition has been absolutely seamless, and that's saying a ton in this era of pro athlete, where teamwork is often put aside. Too often, a player in Spacek's position would try too hard to show he belonged, and louse everything up.

 

1. Drury

 

2. Spacek

 

3. Miller (we'd have 2-3 fewer wins if not for his play)

 

Gimme a fourth and it's Vanek.

[envirojeff]

1. Drury

2. Vanek

2b Miller

3. Max

 

OM - Spacek

 

Jo

[nfreeman]

1. Drury

2. Miller

3. Max