BillsSabresB.C.T. Fan
09-16-2007, 11:46 AM
The Buffalo Sabres went into training camp last season with more centers than they knew what to do with. At the trade deadline, they acquired another. With two games left in the regular season, one more was activated from injured reserve. The glut is long gone.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff has only two centers for sure. Tim Connolly and Derek Roy will center the top two lines. After that, Ruff’s not entirely sure.
Jochen Hecht mostly has skated on the left wing for the Sabres, but he could become the third-line center. So could Paul Gaustad, who started out in the middle but was shifted to the wing last season.
“Last year we had a lot of centermen, but when a centerman got hurt, they always put me there,” Hecht said. “It’s a little bit different. It takes some time to get used to. You’re a lot more involved in the game. You’ve got to be down low, and going up the ice you touch the puck a little bit more. So that can be good.”
Neither Hecht nor Gaustad took part in Saturday afternoon’s scrimmage in HSBC Arena. Both played the left wing in Friday’s scrimmage.
Adam Mair is a top candidate for fourth-line center. He played there when he first joined the Sabres but skated last season as the fourth-line right wing. Mair skated between Clarke MacArthur and Jason Pominville in the scrimmage.
“We’ve talked about using Gaustad in the top three [lines], and if we do that we need a fourth-line centerman,” Ruff said. “[Mair] can be that. He’s an easy guy to rotate in at thirdline right winger at the same time.”
http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/sabresnhl/story/163830.html
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff has only two centers for sure. Tim Connolly and Derek Roy will center the top two lines. After that, Ruff’s not entirely sure.
Jochen Hecht mostly has skated on the left wing for the Sabres, but he could become the third-line center. So could Paul Gaustad, who started out in the middle but was shifted to the wing last season.
“Last year we had a lot of centermen, but when a centerman got hurt, they always put me there,” Hecht said. “It’s a little bit different. It takes some time to get used to. You’re a lot more involved in the game. You’ve got to be down low, and going up the ice you touch the puck a little bit more. So that can be good.”
Neither Hecht nor Gaustad took part in Saturday afternoon’s scrimmage in HSBC Arena. Both played the left wing in Friday’s scrimmage.
Adam Mair is a top candidate for fourth-line center. He played there when he first joined the Sabres but skated last season as the fourth-line right wing. Mair skated between Clarke MacArthur and Jason Pominville in the scrimmage.
“We’ve talked about using Gaustad in the top three [lines], and if we do that we need a fourth-line centerman,” Ruff said. “[Mair] can be that. He’s an easy guy to rotate in at thirdline right winger at the same time.”
http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/sabresnhl/story/163830.html