It's time to put the finishing touches on the 2008-2009 season for the Buffalo Sabres. Here is a complete report card of every single player that played a significant amount of time with the Sabres this season. Thanks to Japers Rink and Mile High Hockey for the inspiration.
Key Stat: MacArthur was sixth on the team with 17 goals. His goals per 60 minutes were an impressive 0.82.
Interesting Stat: MacArthur had 80 hits on the season which made him seventh on the team.
Line Combos:
- Derek Roy - Drew Stafford (490 shifts - 3 points)
- Tim Connolly - Jason Pominville (370 shifts - 4 points)
- Jochen Hecht - Jason Pominville (319 shifts - 1 point)
- Daniel Paille - Jason Pominville (298 shifts - 3 points)
- Paul Gaustad - Patrick Kaleta (221 shifts - 2 points)
The Good: The Sabres have been waiting for MacArthur to develop into an NHL player and that may have happened this season. MacArthur was sixth on the team with 17 goals on the season.
His offensive totals are even more impressive when you look at his limited ice time. MacArthur averaged only 13:50 per game which was 19th on the team. He only took a total of 108 shots on the season but his 15.7 shooting percentage was second on the team to Thomas Vanek.
Nobody expects much from MacArthur i the physical aspect of the game. At 5'11" and 191 lbs. he doesn't have the size to play physical. Despite his less than ideal frame he managed to be seventh on te team with 80 hits.
The Bad: MacArthur continues to struggle in his own end. Being a defensive liability forced MacArthur to the press box at times and also made it impossible to put him on the ice wih the game on the line. MacArthur finished as a minus 3 on the season but he did that in limited time. The team allowed almost two and a half goals per every sixty minutes that he was on the ice. He was a -0.22 per sixty minutes on the ice.
As MacArthur matures he may be more disciplined but he wasn't this season. His penalty plus/minus was a minus three but more importantly he took 23 minor penalties.
2008-2009 Salary: $522,500
2009-2010 Status: RFA
Vote: It's time to grade C-Mac for his play in the 2008-2009 season. Every player has expectations so vote based on those expectations. If a player played to their potential they should receive a "C" if they exceeded expectations they would receive a "B" or an "A".
Discuss: Do you think that MacArthur will receive an offer-sheet from another team this off-season? What role do you see MacArthur filling for the Sabres in the future? Do you think he was utilized properly this season?
Up Next: Adam Mair