NHL: Vanek Power

With a sudden burst of speed, he cuts to the outside, wrestles off two defenders and outsmarts the goalie with a nifty move only to come within inches of notching the overtime winner - not exactly the kind of move one expects from a novice. But Thomas Vanek is no ordinary rookie.

Expectations are naturally very high for Vanek, the fifth overall selection of the Buffalo Sabres in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft and the highest drafted Austrian-born player ever. He brings the kind of breathtaking ability that has been lacking in the organization.

"I hope to be able to contribute goals," admits Vanek about the challenges that lie ahead. "I want to establish myself as the go-to player".

Vanek's short yet impressive resume speaks volumes, as goals and personal achievements have followed him throughout his career.

Scoring has always come naturally to Vanek, who led all freshmen with 31 goals during the first of two seasons at the University of Minnesota, capturing both the Rookie-of-the-Year and Playoff MVP awards in his first WCHA season. A dream rookie campaign ended with a national NCAA title, the second in a row for the Golden Gophers, captured symbolically at Buffalo's own HSBC arena with Vanek scoring twice in the championship game.

The goals continued to pile up at an alarming rate in his pro debut as well, last season finishing second in the AHL with 42 goals including a league-high 25 on the power play.

Vanek even tied for the team lead in scoring this preseason in his first NHL appearances, and has seen time on the top lines and on the first powerplay unit.

"I think we are smart hockey players and read off each other well," says Vanek of his early linemates, Daniel Briere and J-P Dumont.

"We all can score and pass so we have a good mix of everything. Duppy and myself grind it out in the corners and Danny adds so much speed to our line that we all benefit from it".

Mature Beyond His Years

Poise and patience are inherent in Vanek's approach. He willingly battles in the corners for loose pucks and is surprisingly successful thanks to gifted hand skills and a 6-foot-2, 210-pound frame.

While skating is not his strongest suit, it certainly doesn't hinder him from being involved as his long stride and huge reach compensate for his lack of first step speed. He manages to move around defenders and boasts a blistering wristshot and rapid release.

Through overshadowed in the Calder Trophy race by high-profile candidates such as Crosby and Ovechkin, Vanek has quietly amassed a respectable seven assists in his first eight NHL games, however is still searching for his first goal.

"My whole life I never cared about winning individual awards," says Vanek. "I want to win as a team and have success as a team. That is much more important to me, it always has been".

Adjusting to the league has been a fairly easy transition for Vanek, who received lots of special attention during the lockout from Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff. The personal tutoring helped Vanek finetune his game in preparation for the NHL.

"I worked with him (Ruff) a lot last season, moving away from the puck and other little things like that... He is a good coach, good for young guys and been really good for me. I have no complaints."

"(The league) is pretty similar to (the AHL). There are a few better and faster players but it isn't a big difference. The travel is certainly a lot better," joked Vanek.

If there ever was a case of the jitters, it came in the match against the Pittsburgh Penguins and idol Mario Lemieux.

"(Mario) was my idol growing up and I wanted to be like him," said Vanek, a proud collector of Lemieux trading cards and posters. "It was nice to see him in warm up, but once the puck dropped I didn't pay attention to him too much.

"Once the puck drops it's all about taking care of business and winning hockey games".