NHL: Buffalo not St. Louis Singing the Blues

Parity and uncertainty have become common themes since the NHL introduced cost certainty. Last year's President's Trophy winning Buffalo Sabres currently sit in the basement of the Northeast division while the St.Louis Blues who failed to qualify for the playoffs only trail the Detroit Red Wings for top spot in the Central. The salary cap hurt the Sabres who affectively lost their two top offensive players (Drury, Briere in case you have been in a coma) while the Blues were able to add marquee players like Paul Kariya, Manny Legace and bring back Keith Tkachuk into the mix. McKeen's looks at several young players from both teams that should be instrumental to team success for many years.

Andrej Sekera D, Buffalo

It is a testament to how much coach Lindy Ruff trusts and values Sekera, as he has skated more minutes in the past few games than any other Sabre .. mentally strong player who is able to put behind a bad shift and compete - this trait in particular has been most endearing to the coaching staff .. a highly skilled offensive rearguard with superior puckmoving skills however, he has yet to display his full stickhandling arsenal .. a swift and smooth skater, his anticipation is superb, as he knows what he is going to do with the puck before he gets it .. his best skill is his ability to process the game .. offensively, he has been used on the point on the PP .. he has a great shot, which is not scary hard but effective in that it gets through .. opposing teams have not focused on his shot being a weapon, which has caught some teams by surprise .. he is slowly becoming more comfortable joining the rush and is being given free reign to do so .. Sekera is a competitor and will do whatever is asked of him .. he does not play physical but certainly does not shy away from administering a hit .. his confidence is improving with every passing shift and game .. being sent back and forth this season made Sekera hungry, as he looks ready to assume a spot in the top-four.

Dan Paille C/LW, Buffalo

Paille continues to make improvements and provides the Sabres with a quality hard-working, physical fourth liner capable of producing .. Paille is at his best when he passes and moves .. his lack of foot speed really hinders him from rushing the puck up-ice or staying with his faster linemates, yet Paille has learned to adapt in NHL game situations .. his keen anticipation and overall hockey sense allows him to be more involved than players faster than him .. he has a unique knack for trailing plays along the way and digging out loose pucks or going hard to the net .. plays bigger than his size, he eagerly puts his hard hat on and attacks the boards, as he puts in a consistent effort each shift .. at times, he can get over zealous looking to finish his hits and he can be drawn out of position, as he must learn to curb his enthusiasm when finishing his checks .. Paille already boasts the highest plus/minus rating on the team in only his second season with the club .. he has been producing at a modest clip and looks to be a player the Sabres can build a line around, as he is a complementary player.

Clarke MacArthur LW, Buffalo

Recently sent down to Rochester, MacArthur showed positive signs in his brief 10 game call-up with four points, including an overtime GWG .. an energetic player, he takes great pride in his defensive game, sticking to his man and playing them tough in open ice .. not a dirty player but a scrappy one .. he engages down low and is a general nuisance to play against due to his competitive nature .. quick bursts of speed help him in offensive situations however, he does not have the leg strength to prolong his speed levels and he is only useful in short spaces, particularly in traffic or within 10-14 feet of the goalmouth .. can be over zealous and needs to be reminded not to over handle the puck, as simplifying his game would make him much more effective .. responsible for a goal due to his inability to dump the puck in deep or shelter it before his defenseman got into better position, resulting in a 2-on-1 the other direction .. has become an ideal call-up when injuries abound, as he has already assumed the positions of Kotalik and Mair when they were sidelined with injuries.

Erik Johnson D, St. Louis

Johnson sustained a fracture of his foot in his first NHL game .. the first overall selection of the 2006 draft is physically mature and already one of the bigger defenseman (6-4, 220) in the league at 19 years old .. extremely poised with the puck, his decisions are nothing short of brilliant considering his young age .. he can make smart plays in the neutral zone and is an effective passer out of his zone .. he showed creativity when given some time and space on the PP .. has a nice, low shot but he will need to work on getting it off faster however, he is smart enough to employ a wrist or snapshot to sustain some pressure by putting it on the net .. he has scored two goals this season, both have been GWG's .. he has a tendency to want to beat multiple players, while this may be viewed as a positive in terms of his enthusiasm to create with the puck, he will need to assess situations better and make a simpler play in the future .. disciplined and alert away from the puck and defends his goal well .. he can lose some down-low coverage but his long reach bails him out .. developing a reputation as a no-nonsense defenseman in terms of his physical play .. appeared flustered when forced in his own zone however, considering his brief audition thus far in the NHL, these types of rookie mistakes are common .. not being rushed by coach Murray, who coached Jack Johnson last year, he is wavering on the side of caution by making him sit several contests as a healthy scratch, as not to shatter his confidence and make him hungrier.

Lee Stempniak RW, St. Louis

After his coming out party last season with 27 goals, it has been a slow start for Stempniak .. starting to put it all together in recent games, as he has points in four of his past five contests .. a bullish forward with elite-finishing skills and wears a badge of courage, as he takes on any defenseman en route to the net .. shows good stickhandling in close, as his hands match his foot speed and he quickly identifies the weaknesses of a defenseman and how he can beat them .. always thinking and moving, he shows awareness in being able to identify open areas .. very strong on his stick and possesses superior balance, as he did not get knocked-off the puck once .. along the boards, he is able to draw penalties because the opposition has to hook or hold him to stop his progress .. uncanny leg strength, as he can plough his way into the offensive zone or just as easily hurry back to defend .. plays both sides of the puck and his defensive game has improved playing with more defensive-minded players like Mayers and McClement .. not as big as a prototypical power forward but plays a game eerily similar to one .. given time and space within the front of the net, it usually results in a centre ice faceoff, as he wastes little time getting his shot off .. while the points have not come yet compared to last year, his overall play has been instrumental to team success, which has transformed the Blues into a legitimate contender this year.