It's time to put the finishing touches on the 2010-2011 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 began with Luke Adam and will conclude in a month with Mike Weber. Thanks to Japers Rink and Mile High Hockey for the inspiration.
Look out, it's Patrick Kaleta.
Patrick Kaleta
#36 / Right Wing / Buffalo Sabres
6-1
206
Jun 08, 1986
Contract: Cap hit of $907,500; signed for one more year at $907,500
Introduction: Hometown boy Patrick Kaleta is a fan favorite every year for his pesky nature on the ice and the fact that he puts the collision in Carubba Collision almost every game. However, Kaleta's propensity to throw his body all over the ice leads to many injuries along the way, and this year was no different. Still, you can't ask too much more from a fourth liner than what Kaleta does for you -- he's an energy guy who hits big and has a bit of offensive pop. Now if only he could stay on the ice for a full season.
Key Stat: Patrick Kaleta has never played more than 55 games in any of his four full NHL seasons, and he fell short of that mark this year by appearing in just 51 games. With Tim Connolly likely out the door for good, Kaleta takes over as the Sabres honorary "Mr. Glass".
Did You Know: Kaleta's first ever NHL game was February 22, 2007 against Ottawa - but you may remember it as the game where Chris Neil took out Sabres captain Chris Drury with a vicious shoulder to the head. Kaleta was sent out along with Andrew Peters and Adam Mair to administer some old-school justice. Check out the video here. (Non-Kaleta note: Notice who the first player is to jump Neil after seeing Drury on the ice? Drew Stafford.)
Thumbs Up: Patty was once again one of the best in the league and drawing penalties, proving his worth as a pest by finishing third in the entire NHL for penalties drawn/60. The skill most fans expect to see on display from Kaleta is the big hit - and while I can't tell you how many big hits he had, I can say that he had 126 hits in only 51 regular season games, which would have led all forwards by far had he been able to play all 82. Kaleta is also very careful with the puck - he had only 9 giveaways all season, which was best on the team for anyone who played at least half the season.
Thumbs Down: After a 10-goals-in-55-games campaign last season that had some people (me) thinking Kaleta could evolve into a consistent 10-15 goal per season player, he finished with a disappointing 4 goals this year. His inability to stay on the ice makes it tough for the team to rely on his physical presence.
Voting: On a scale of one to ten, one being the lowest and ten being the highest, grade Patrick Kaleta 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: Is Kaleta's health (or lack thereof) a problem? Will he ever develop the offensive touch he seemed to flash in 2009-10? Is his (somewhat) dirty play a problem for you on the ice?