@boosbuzzsabres
In this series we build the 2019-20 Buffalo Sabres roster one by one leading up to the season opener on October 3.
RHD--Brandon Montour
25 yrs. old
6'0" 193 lbs.
2014, 55th-overall (ANA)
Career Stats: 189 games | 19 goals | 54 assists | 73 points | +7
If Buffalo GM Jason Botterill were able to pull off the trade for Anaheim Ducks defenseman Brandon Montour a month or two earlier than a day before the February 25, 2019 trade deadline, perhaps things may have gone a bit differently for the Sabres last season. Then again, with the way the team hit the skids while plummeting to the lower portions of the league, adding Montour in late December or January may not have made much of a difference.
Many, this writer included, really liked what Botterill was able to do in bolstering his defense corps with the trade for Montour. The second-year GM gave up a d-prospect in Brendan Guhle who at one time showed great promise but whose development curve had taken a turn for the worse over the prior nine months. The very athletic Guhle who'd shown offensive promise still has all the physical tools to be an NHL regular on the blueline, and contribute meaningfully, but something happened in the 2018 AHL playoffs that rattled him and Botterill felt that he was expendable. Especially when it comes to the immediate help that Montour brings.
In addition to Guhle, Botterill surrendered a 2019 first round pick that ended up being the 29th-overall pick thanks to the Western Conference Finals run the San Jose Sharks went on and the wild success of the Stanley Cup winning St. Louis Blues. With the 29th overall pick Anaheim selected LW, Brayden Tracey. Two picks later the Sabres selected defenseman Ryan Johnson with the Blues pick.
A Montour trade had been in the rumor mill for a while, and Buffalo's name had always been a part of it. When it happened most in Sabreland were thrilled at the idea of adding a very mobile, puck-moving defenseman with offensive attributes, but Montour told the gathered media at the time of the trade that he had more to offer. "A lot of people think I just have that offensive game, but over the years, I think, my defensive game has really come a long way, " he said. "I think the two-way style, I like to play big minutes. When I get up there I like to skate, I'm focused on playing hard defensively, being physical for being a smaller guy."
Those years included playing in 169 games for the Ducks contributing 16 goals and 47 assists with a plus-11 rating while averaging 22:40 of ice-time before the trade to Buffalo. Montour scored three goals and added seven assists with a minus-4 rating while logging an average time on ice of 21:46 in 20 games for the Sabres. His 19:46 even strength ATOI lead all Sabres players during that 20-game span.
Buffalo has plenty of options with Montour, who might be ideally suited to a second-pairing role with a more defensive-minded partner where he can use his offensive gifts more. However, it looks as if he'll have a good shot at landing next to Rasmus Dahlin on the top pair providing the Sabres with a dynamic offensive duo that might, truth be told, be scary defensively when turned on their heels.
If he doesn't land on the top-pairing, Montour will assume a role on Buffalo's second-pairing similar to what he did in Anaheim, although his powerplay minutes could be reduced considerably dependent upon what the Sabres do with the man advantage. New head coach Ralph Krueger has a number of offensive weapons at his disposal led by Jack Eichel, Jeff Skinner and Sam Reinhart, a trio that cemented themselves into the No. 1 powerplay unit with each bringing a different skill-set that proved devastating at times. Dahlin played a varied role on that unit and if Krueger and Co. decides to go with two d-men instead of a fourth forward (which is what they did mostly last season,) Montour could very well win that spot over Rasmus Ristolainen.
And that's the thing heading into this season. There are some givens but with a new head coach, player roles outside of that small group will be up for grabs and much of it will depend upon the chemistry between players within what Krueger wants to do.
There's no need to worry about Montour, however, as he began carving out his role in Buffalo late last season after the trade. In 2019-20 he'll be looked at as a top-four d-man who'll get powerplay time and might see some spot duty on the penalty kill dependent upon what the roster looks like. Although the Brantford, Ontario native felt the shockwaves of going from a strong organization in Anaheim to one that's in transition, hopefully for the better, he knows where he is and what he wants to do. "Nobody wants to get traded," he said at the time. "It's one of those things where I want to prove them wrong. I wanted to stay there for a long time, but it didn't happen. This is home now."
And the Sabres are pretty happy to have him in the fold.
Building the 2019-20 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Jeff Skinner /
C, Jack Eichel/
RW, Sam Reinhart
LHD, Rasmus Dahlin /
RHD, Brandon Montour
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