NHL Report: Buffalo Soldiers

The Buffalo Sabres have had their share of injuries this season. At one point, they had as many as eight regulars out of the lineup. While most teams would suffer greatly, the Sabres have not missed a beat thanks in large part to their plethora of young prospects like Nathan Paetsch (pictured) who have not only stepped in - but also produced. McKeen's was on hand for several recent contests featuring their young crop of rookies and files these notes.

Drew Stafford – RW

The development Stafford has made in just 28 games is outstanding .. shows all the signs of being an effective point producer in this league .. has more than earned his ice and position on this team, and should find a way to stay in the lineup once all the regulars return .. a nice complimentary player that is able to play with anyone, but looked even stronger playing with Vanek and Roy .. is extremely agile for his size and a great skater but has that appearance of not skating as fast as he really is .. what sets him apart from most rookies are his poise and his ability to slow down plays and really see the ice .. is not a gifted playmaker but does have the sense of where to go on the ice and his anticipation skills are excellent .. his sense serves him well near the net where his shot is off before it touches his blade due to his timing and preparation .. he prefers to shoot just off the faceoff dot, but if he can gain more ice in the zone he tries to do so .. handles and accepts passes exceptionally .. does not always initiate contact but is very effective in the corners and along the boards where his size serves him well .. factors to be a major player in the Sabres future and a potential 25-goal-man as early as next season is not out of the question with sufficient ice time.

Patrick Kaleta – RW

The Buffalo-born winger joins the Sabres after a successful final year in junior with the OHL champions - Peterborough Petes .. plays an in your face style and agitates opponents to no end however, he never drops the gloves .. an ok skater that can keep up .. tends to get over zealous on occasion and has to learn to settle himself down .. throws good open-ice hits and goes to the net .. has limited offensive skills and his function is more of a fourth-line role player.. the fact he received an audition with the Sabres proves management feels he can bring something to the table, as there are other players with better skill playing in Rochester.

Mike Ryan – C/LW

Was averaging a point-per-game in Rochester before being called up .. a fast player on the straight away, though at times looks lost and does not use his speed effectively without the puck .. played with both Drury and Zubrus but eventually switched around in order to find some chemistry .. has good hands and quick feet, but lacks anticipation skills .. appears to be behind the play too often showing a lazy commitment when coming back to support his own zone, which led to limited shifts afterward .. out muscled and positioned off the puck too easily .. is slowly learning the ropes, but is far removed from being a regular on the Sabres lineup .. nevertheless, he is a viable call up.

Clarke MacArthur – LW

Primarily used on a checking line with Peters, Mair, or Kaleta .. adds an offensive touch to the fourth line while still playing with sandpaper and grit .. average skater with a slightly choppy stride, but he works hard and will not ever cheat you on a shift as he always puts forth an honest effort .. industrious type forward with a raw approach to the game, as he can beat you with his fists and score a goal to deflate a hockey club .. makes healthy decisions with the puck and can work a give-and-go well, as he has vision and creativity .. might surprise if he had the chance to play with linemates that are more talented however, at this point it is uncertain if he could keep up.

Nathan Paetsch – D

No one has worked as hard as Paetsch amongst the rookie contingent to assert himself into the lineup .. plays a very solid, safe game and coupled with his gift for creating offensively, he has proven he is capable of playing during the postseason .. great shot from the point, he gets it nice and low and shows maturity at the line with his patience by allowing his teammates to set up .. strong upper body allows him to be effective along the boards .. speed is not dazzling and his first step is average at best, but he is ok in a straight line .. his sound positioning enables him to gamble on the odd occasion because he can recover rather effortlessly .. knows when to pinch and when not too as his experience playing in the AHL has served him well .. has elevated his game with the decisions he makes with the puck and is showing flashes of being able to lead a rush and more importantly, find an option to create a scoring chance .. could be a key contributor in the playoffs if he gets his PP time.