LW--Conor Sheary
5'8" 175 lbs.
26 yrs. old
Undrafted Free Agent (2014, PIT)
184 games | 48 goals | 45 assists | 93 points | +25
The easiest route here for building the roster would have been to put recently acquired left-winger Jeff Skinner in this spot. If you subscribe to the theory of definitive 1-2-3-4 lines, then Skinner would make a lot of sense here as he's a much more proven talent than Conor Sheary. But there's a lot to be said for Sheary skating on the top line in Pittsburgh and how he might help formulate the top-six whilst skating alongside Buffalo's top center, Jack Eichel.
Sheary came out of UMASS-Amherst in April, 2014, had a two-game regular season stint and an impressive playoff run of 11 points (6+5) in 15 games with Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He was signed to a minor league deal with the club that summer. In his first full season with the 'Baby Pens' the 5'8" 175 lb. Sheary had an impressive rookie campaign of 20 goals and 25 assists in 58 games and added 12 (5+7) points in eight playoff games for WBS which lead to a two-year entry-level deal.
In 2015-16 Sheary split the season between Pittsburgh and WBS, stuck with Pittsburgh for 44 games (seven goals, three assists) and was a bit of a revelation in the playoffs. The undrafted 23 yr. old proved he could skate with the big boys and also contribute on the big stage with 10 points (4+6) in 23 games as the Pittsburgh won the 2016 Stanley Cup. Sheary followed that season up with another impressive campaign scoring 23 goals and adding 30 assists in 61 games while riding shotgun with one of the league's elite centers, and quite possibly the best player of his generation, Sidney Crosby.
After that robust season, Sheary entered 2017-18 with a new 3yr./$9 million deal but faltered a bit with only 30 points in 79 regular season games and was ineffective in the playoffs with only two assists in 12 games. Production like that coupled with a $3 million cap-hit on a team that needed cap-space led the Pens to deem Sheary expendable. Buffalo Sabres GM Jason Botterill, who was the 'Baby Pens' general manager when Sheary signed his first pro contract, sent a conditional fourth round pick to Pittsburgh for the winger plus reserve defenseman Matt Hunwick.
What Sheary was able to accomplish as an undrafted player that worked his way up the ranks was not lost on Botterill when he talked to the gathered media post-trade. "When people were saying he couldn't do it," said the Sabres GM, "he found a way to become an American Hockey League All-Star. Then he found a way to get to the National Hockey League and found a way to help Pittsburgh win Stanley Cups."
Botterill saw what Sheary had to offer first hand as he watched Sheary play alongside Crosby. What he proved to Botterill was that "[he] can play with one of our offensive centermen, finish off chances from them, but also get in on the forecheck, get pucks to our centermen." Botterill also pointed out that Sheary could help Buffalo's woeful five-on-five scoring. "We were looking to improve our even-strength scoring and we had to try to get a little bit in scoring from our wingers. He creates a lot of chances out there."
And there's the added bonus of playoff experience and of Sheary being in high-pressure situations. "He knows how to play in pressure situations against other teams' top defenders, top players," said Botterill. "We've talked a lot about here, bringing in players who have playoff experience. It's why we were interested in bringing in [Marco] Scandella and [Jason] Pominville last year. Bringing in both Hunwick and Conor, who have played in playoff games, is very key for our group."
Although at the time of the trade, which was before the Sabres traded for Skinner, Botterill said it wasn't a given that Sheary would be skating with Eichel, he did point out that he believed Sheary could be able to skate with any of Buffalo's centermen. What it will come down to is fit and chemistry. Buffalo's top-two centers are Eichel and more than likely Casey Mittelstadt and in keeping with that projection, which wingers would pair up better with which center will be something to watch at training camp and into preseason. The fact that Sheary had played with, subjected himself to and succeeded along side a player of Crosby's stature might give an indication that he should be able to do the same with Eichel.
Which is why we've got him here.
Building the 2018-19 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Conor Sheary /
C, Jack Eichel
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