Jason Pominville: 2009-2010 Report Card

It's time to put the finishing touches on the 2009-2010 season for the Buffalo Sabres. Here is a complete report card of every single player that played any amount of time with the Sabres this season. The journey will begin with Chris Butler and conclude in almost a month with Thomas Vanek. Thanks to Japers Rink and Mile High Hockey for the inspiration.

It's Jason Pominville's turn.

Jason Pominville

#29 / Right Wing / Buffalo Sabres

Height: 6-0

Weight: 186

Born: Nov 30, 1982

Contract Situation: $5.3 million cap hit in 2010; four years remaining on current contract

2009 Grade: C

Introduction: Economies are quavering everywhere, but the fictional city of Pominville grew by four goals from 2009 as Jason nailed the 20-goal mark for the fourth straight season. On the flip side of that coin, his point total took a worrisome decline for the third year in a row - 80, 66, 62 - and so did his assist dossier - 53, 46, 38. But his responsibilities also stem largely from the defensive aspect of the game, and Pominville can't always have points on his mind. Will this moment in history ever be forgotten?

Key Stat: Pominville has participated in the last 373 games for Buffalo during the regular season and playoffs together, not missing a single contest since April of 2006. He's had a lot to live up to after inking a five-year contract, but you can't argue with his health chart and gamesmanship.

Stimulating Stat: Nominated for the Lady Byng Trophy with Martin St. Louis and Pavel Datsyuk two years ago, 22 penalty minutes come with the territory of a sportsmanlike athlete. Infractions from Pominville suffocate the penalty-killers because he is an asset shorthanded. Scratch that, anchor is a more appropriate term.

Famous For: Resembling a forward with motivation in the postseason, co-leading the team in points with four. On March 18 in Tampa Bay, Pominville earned the third hat-trick of his career and first in nearly four years, dating back to the 2006 playoffs against Philadelphia.

Thumbs Up: Pominville meshed notably with Jochen Hecht and Tim Connolly, as it's no wonder the three had the top plus-minus ratings among forwards. With 252 shots, he led the team in shots on goal emphatically and Derek Roy was the only forward to average more ice time in Buffalo. While he gave the puck away 32 times, he snatched it from opponents on 49 occasions for the best giveaway-takeaway ratio and he was one of the more relaxed shootout choices going 5-for-9 with his potent release. His personal rating was third-best, as was the quality of competition standing in his way and quality of teammates he received. For assists per 60 minutes, Pominville and Roy were head of the class and he owned the third-best number of points per 60 minutes. The distinction in reference to plus-minus of goals for and against per 60 minutes was also third-highest when he was on the ice and the team was less effective in his unavailability. All in all, Pominville's campaign was imperative because he was a tremendous multi-dimensional player, to put it bluntly.

Thumbs Down: The 9.5 shooting percentage could use a slight upgrade and he failed to get 81 shots on net; third-most behind Roy and Vanek. When counting two assists for every hour, the Quebec native's total was staggeringly low, following even the likes of Andrej Sekera and Steve Montador. His 20 powerplay points were dignified, but Pominville thrived with the most minutes beside Connolly who had seven additional points. We can't be too demanding on him offensively because his extended qualities make him crucial to Lindy Ruff's strategy in too many ways to list.

Voting: On a scale of one to ten, one being the lowest and ten being the highest, grade Jason Pominville on his season according to the expectations you had for him. If he met them, give him a five or a six. If he eclipsed them, aim for a seven or beyond. If he failed to meet them, give him a lower number relating to how poorly he missed the target.

Topics Of Discussion: Does Pominville's dip in offensive statistics upset you or is it understandable with all of his other demands from the coach? Is his contract reasonable in your estimation? Do you consider him one of the best, if not the best, designed forwards in Buffalo? Will he increase his point total next season or does he have a redundant of duties already on his plate?