Training Camp Profile: Patrick Kaleta

by Zachary Zielonka on Sep 18, 2009 3:00 PM EDT

From now until the season starts on October 3rd, we will take a look at the players making the squad and try to answer the main question that is going to be asked about them this season. For now, we look at center Patrick Kaleta.

Kaleta is one of those heart-warming Sabres stories that come along every once in a while. Born in Angola, NY, Kaleta always was a fan of the Sabres as his hometown team and when he was drafted by the Sabres in 2004, the goal of making his hometown team was that much closer. When he broke with the club in 2007 during the Ottawa brawl game, the goal became real and now as a veteran of three seasons, he becomes the enforcer de facto of the club. The main question this season is whether he will drop the gloves enough for the fans?

Kaleta has always shown a level of restraint in his NHL career. That level of restraint has lead many a fan to calling his actions 'turtlish.' While Kaleta talks the trash really well and has an uncanny ability of getting under an opponents skin, he has only taken seven fighting majors in his short NHL career. Now with the departure of Andrew Peters, Kaleta becomes the enforcer and all around pest of the team. What is going to cause some issues is if he continues to turtle in most situations, his actions will become less effective and his scoring numbers will not back up his case for being on the team.

There are fans on both sides of this debate though. There are some that think that Kaleta's actions are ultimately helping the team in gaining powerplay opportunities for the team that they can ultimately capitalize on. While they would be right, at some point this kid needs to show that he is not all bark and no bite. Kaleta's game was a lot like Matthew Barnaby's was back in the day for the Sabres. The main difference was that in Barnaby's 14 year career, he dropped the gloves 195 times, which averages out to roughly 14 times a season.

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I don’t think the departure of Peters makes Kaleta the de facto tough guy on the Sabres. His role on the team is to hit everything that moves, get under the opponents skin and cause penalties. He does that well rather well. I’ll take him turtling while the opponent gets a double minor any day. The Sabres brought in Montador McCormick and have guys like Mair and Rivet that will drop the gloves if need be. Guys that were just drafted (Kassian, McNabb, Foligno), though they will not be playing with the big club for a couple of years, will provide plenty of toughness in the coming years.
I think we’ll see a different Sabres team this year. Whether it be more physical play or rebound years for the guys that need to rebound (Hecht, Pominville, Paille) I think this team will be much better then last year.

by gatornation on Sep 18, 2009 3:30 PM EDT reply actions

Enforcer

I gather from your post that you believe that dropping the gloves defines an enforcer. I don’t agree. First of all, I think fighting should be vanquished from the game of hockey, but that’s another post.

I think an enforcer is someone who plays a gritty game and punishes the opposition’s top scorers while staying out of the penalty box. If he can force them to drop their gloves while he does not reciprocate, then the Sabres have a man advantage.

by Geolover on Sep 18, 2009 4:08 PM EDT reply actions

enforcer is one who sticks up for your team and isn’t afraid to scrap to protect his best players what you think an enforcer is, is what Kaleta is and that is an instigator. there will always be room in the league to fight, tempers will flare and its part of the game, its what many enjoy. I think you need to let them go at it, not constantly but it can change the whole game momentum and bring wins to teams.

by mitch400214 on Sep 18, 2009 5:08 PM EDT reply actions

I don’t think of Kaleta as an enforcer, as I associate that role with the ‘heavyweight’ that you expect to fight to stand up for teammates. I see Rivet, Gaustad and Montador filling that role collectively in Petey’s absence. Kaleta is definitely more of an agitator, drawing penalties and the like. I would like to see him take on a few more of the guys he pisses off when they come calling, but there’s no way he’s the guy who fights Brashear or Boogaard.

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by TheTick on Sep 19, 2009 6:25 AM EDT reply actions

I don’t think that Rivet or Montador, while being very good at fighting, can be considered an ultimate enforcer on this team because it is too hard to lose a defenseman for five minutes every time they decide to fight.

I do think that Kaleta’s role and game needs to change a little with Petey being gone. Kaleta’s main problem in my eyes is that he doesn’t stand up to the challenge all that often. He has a tendency to turtle and that can create an issue as evidenced by the sucker punch situation between him and Denis Gauthier last season. That very well may have been a situation where Gauthier didn’t know Kaleta’s game and that he would just take a punch rather than drop the gloves.

I think that Kaleta is walking a fine line here in that his antics aren’t going to work unless he drops the gloves more often. I think that’s where I was trying to go with the post.

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by Zachary Zielonka on Sep 19, 2009 8:20 AM EDT up reply actions

Then why not dress Montador as the 12th forward (which has already been kicked around)/7th defenseman in that instance? That way, if Rivet has to drop the gloves, they don’t have to be down a defenseman for 5 minutes?

To me, it’s really no different than having, say, Peters or Kaleta in the lineup and them in the box for five.

by Afino on Sep 19, 2009 12:44 PM EDT up reply actions

why waste the forward spot? honestly i believe Mair when he returns will throw it down as will Gaustad, Rivet is going to fight no matter what anyone says and Kaleta will also get into a few. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kennedy mix it up either trying to prove he can score and throw down the gloves. also weber if he makes it and i hope he does will fight he was ready to take two people on in the preseason opener

by mitch400214 on Sep 19, 2009 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Well that’s the obvious sticking point to doing something like that – with the number of forwards we already have, there’s no need to do it.

by Afino on Sep 19, 2009 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions

I really don’t see a need for Kaleta to take over as the enforcer and don’t really think the team needs a set enforcer. While I’m expecting McCormick to get playing time against teams you need an enforcer against Flyers, Ducks, etc, I really don’t see him getting any more playing time then Peters did last year.

I’m agreeing that enforcer by committee is the way this season will go. While we don’t have that one guy, we have a lot of players who have showed in the past they aren’t afraid to drop the gloves. Gaustad, Kaleta, Rivet, Montador and Mair will get into some fights. If you look back Mike Weber was in 9 fights two years ago when he was healthy and Tyler Myers was in 5 each of his last two years in juniors (although I think most of us would agree we should probably keep him away from fights for a year or two if he makes the team). I would honestly rather have a team with a small group of useful players protecting the team rather then one brute who can barely skate with no offensive talent.

And I really think that a fight does more for the team when it happens with someone whose actually into the swing of the game. Just lining up two enforcers together off a faceoff is boring and slows down the game. I know the most exciting fight for me last year was Hecht against Lecavalier, and I’d assume it was similar for the bench.

And as has been said before, we have Kassian coming up (who was rated best fighter in the draft last year), and McNabb who I think is extremely underrated. So there is more toughness coming up through the pipeline.

by SabreBowie on Sep 20, 2009 6:14 PM EDT reply actions