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Player number nine in our player discussion series #25 Mikhail Grigorenko C (20-year-old RFA) Rochester 43/14/22/36/-5/27 Buffalo 25/3/3/6/-10/2 You all know the back story: big, talented centre slides to Buffalo in the draft, is sold as the second coming, gets handed a roster spot he doesn't deserve at 18, flops in two opportunities and bounces between multiple teams and leagues. What is easy to miss in all the hype and disappointment is that he had what would be a pretty promising season for most 20-year-old mid-first round picks. He scored at close to a 70-point pace as an AHL rookie and got a few looks with the big team, settling in on a decent-looking line with Foligno and Gionta down the stretch. In the NHL his offensive skills were only visible in spurts, perhaps because of the deliberate attention he was giving to his defensive responsibilities, perhaps because of uncertain chemistry with most of his linemates, perhaps because he lacked speed and power. No Sabre enters the season with more question marks. He probably could use another half-season in Rochester, but would have to clear waivers in order to do that. He might be ready for sheltered minutes as a top-nine centre, but is competing against the more highly touted Reinhart and Eichel for that role. Is it worth seeing if he can he play wing, or would that just be the latest example of his continued mishandling? Despite a reputation as a less-than hard worker, Grigorenko's issues last year seemed more to do with confidence than effort. He continues to rank highly on various prospect lists and clearly there is talent there. He is the biggest wild card in the Sabres' stable. Will the card be played here, leveraged in a trade or become a squandered opportunity? 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.sabrespace.com/topic/23351-roster-review-varone-dalpe-damigo/

Seeing as unless he wows us in the next two games, I would honestly send him back to the Quebec league for the rest of the year. In his place I'd go out and sign Jason Arnott to a 1 year deal like we did with Hecht. He's score 17 goals in both of his last 2 seasons but more importantly, he's a veteran center who has won a Stanley Cup.

The ongoing roster review continues with the youngster generally regarded as the key to the team's defensive corps moving forward #55 Rasmus Ristolainen D (one year left at $925,000 million, age 20) Buffalo 78/8/12/20/-32/26 Eight defencemen were taken in the first ten picks of the 2012 draft. Two went off the board in 2013 before the Sabres called Rasmus Ristolainen’s name. It was a promising, perhaps unprecedented group. 2012’s Morgan Reilly, Hampus Lindholm, and Jacob Trouba, and 2013’s Seth Jones have already totaled more than 130 NHL games. Ristolainen is next in line with 112 and joins the four above as being touted by fans as possibly being among the game’s next great blueliners. Heavily targeted by the Sabres in 2013 (a team-produced video implied they ranked him higher than Jones), Ristolainen raised hopes among the fan base thanks to numerous reports of his commitment, maturity and dedication. These were fueled by making the team as an 18-year-old, dominating in the AHL and the World Juniors after being sent down, scoring the WJC-winning goal in overtime and dropping 20-pounds in the last off-season in a commitment to fitness that cemented his position on the team. Despite the positive reviews, and an obvious mix of size and skill, his NHL performance to date has been a mixed bag. He has flashes of edge, confidence and ability, leavened by periods where he has looked young and overmatched. The fans, especially after an impressive 20-game stretch to close the year, have been very forgiving of the down times, but there is no denying -32 is not a number typically attached to a number-one defenseman. The Sabres have done little to spoon-feed Ristolainen; unlike most young defencemen, he’s mostly been thrown to the wolves and asked to survive, and that won’t change. Number-one defenceman is the role being given to him as he enters this season. His ability to handle that role will play a big part in how — and if —the team grows into a contender. Links to the rest of the series: