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.
Introduction: Back in October we wondered if Tyler Myers would remain with the Sabres for the entire season or if he would be sent back to Kelowna in the Western Hockey League. Now we wonder who will be his partner as the Sabres shutdown defensive pair next season.
Before the season there were questions as to who would provide offense from the blue line and Myers answered the bell.He helped Sabres fans quickly forget about the loss of Jaro Spacek and focus on the future.
Voting: On a scale of one to ten, one being the lowest and ten being the highest, grade Tyler Myers 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.
Key Stat: Tyler Myers scored 11 goals as a rookie and led all Sabres defensemen in goals. Last season Spacek scored eight goals which was best among Sabres defensemen.
Thumbs Up: Myers went from unproven rookie to the top defensive pair in a short time. He led all Sabres in ice time with almost 24 minutes per game. He was second on the team with an impressive plus-13 rating. Only proven veteran Jochen Hecht had a better plus/minus rating (plus-14).
Myers was used in all situations, leading all defenseman in power play ice time and leading the entire team in shorthanded ice time.
Although Myers still has to grow into his body, he did not shy away from the physical side of the game. He often uses his long reach to help in defend against offensive players but he was sixth on the team with 91 hits this season. He also showed he was willing to sacrifice body by leading the team with 137 blocked shots.
Thumbs Down: Wile Myers performed beyond our expectations he was still a rookie and that showed when he had the puck. He played on a team with Toni Lydman and Derek Roy and still managed to lead the team in giveaways with 94. Some of his giveaways were the result of being aggressive but to often he made poor decisions with the puck.
Discuss: Many young defenseman suffer from a sophomore slump. Will Myers be immune to the sophomore slump or will he regress in his second season?