Contract: $6,000,000 salary, cap hit $4,500,000 through till 2016-17.
Report Card Grade in 2012: 2.5 out of 10
Introduction: With the addition of amnesty buyouts to the collective bargaining agreement earlier this year, there was belief that Ville Leino would be bought out by the Sabres. When he wasn’t ready to begin the season after suffering a hip injury during training camp, rumors only heightened that he was done in Buffalo. However, the Finn did return to the squad on March 16th, and actually looked pretty good, before injury shut him down for the season after just eight games.
Hopes that he would have a bounce back year after his miserable first season in Buffalo will have to be postponed, as once again we face an offseason that should be filled with buyout rumors. Leino looked less hesitant with the puck in the eight games, as if Lindy Ruff’s departure had given him more confidence. While the small sample size shouldn’t be definitive, he did show more signs of the puck-possession game that he was renowned for previous to coming to Buffalo.
Key Stat: Two turnovers in eight games played. Yes, you read that right. The Ville Leino that turned the puck over 0.39 times/game last season is improving.
Thumbs Up: Leino’s shooting percentage was 18.2%, way up from the 10.3% in the previous season, and more in line with his big year at Philadelphia of 16.2%.
Thumbs Down: 8 games played in a 48 game season. That equates to $1.25 million per game ($6 million contract + $4 million signing bonus), $5 million per goal, $1.3 million per point…terrible numbers whichever way you look at them.
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 Ville Leino on his performance this year according to the expectations you had for him.
What grade would you give Ville Leino for his 2012-13 season?
| A | 5 |
| B | 50 |
| C | 103 |
| D | 118 |
| F | 147 |