Contract: $725,000 two-way contract for 2012-13, currently out of contract.
Report Card Grade in 2012: 7.7/10
Introduction: Sulzer didn’t match up to the same production as last season when he had 9 pts in 27 games, but injury was partly to blame. He underwent ACL surgery and was placed on injury reserve for the end of the season on Feb 23rd. His time on ice actually dropped by about three minutes a game, a number which would have increased had he been fit towards the end of the season when the likes of Mark Pysyk and Chad Ruhwedel had to be called up.
Key Stat: His plus-minus was +3, not a significantly high number but considering he only played at the beginning of the season when the Sabres were abysmally bad, it’s not too bad.
Thumbs Up: The German d-man saw some penalty kill time during the season, and was on ice for just three power play goals conceded by the Sabres. He also scored two key goals during the season – a wrist shot to tie it up at 4-4 in Boston in what turned out to be a rollicking 7-4 win, and then the game winning slapshot in the 3rd period to bolster Ryan Miller’s standout performance against the pesky Islanders who have plagued the Sabres in recent years.
Thumbs Down: Sulzer is exactly as advertised – a middle-of-the-road player with limited upside and some offensive skills. He works best paired with fellow countryman Christian Ehrhoff, and could be useful only as the 5th/6th defenseman in the future.
Voting: Using the good old grade school system of A, B, C, D, F, with A representing a great season, C an average season, and F a very poor season, grade Alexander Sulzer on his performance this year according to the expectations you had for him.
What grade would you give Alexander Sulzer for his 2012-13 season?
| A | 8 |
| B | 99 |
| C | 67 |
| D | 15 |
| F | 1 |