Bogosian Making a Great First Impression

Zach Bogosian is the one piece from the blockbuster trade with the Jets that will be a factor this season.  Evander Kane and Tyler Myers were looked at as the main pieces to the big trade, but Bogosian should not be overlooked.   In his brief 4 game Sabres career, Bogosian has made a great first impression.  The 24-year-old defenseman has stepped right into playing top minutes for Buffalo and bringing a fresh attitude to the blue line.

Fresh Attitude

In his Sabres debut, Bogosian, recorded a season high 11 hits.  The former third overall pick has brought an edge to the Sabres blue line.  Outside of Zadorov, the Sabres didn’t have much of a physical presence on the back-end.  Bogosian came to Buffalo with reputation of being a player difficult to play against.  That reputation has shown true in only four games.

http://youtu.be/0JkC1nADV3c

To go along with his physical presence, Bogosian has brought about stability to the defense group.  The Sabres have the tendency to panic when faced with adversity.  The calm and decisive play that Bogosian  has displayed so far in his brief Sabres career is a great sign of things to come.

Bogosian has stepped in to the to defensive pair without a hiccup.  He’s averaged 28 minutes per game in Buffalo and playing a role on the penalty kill, as well as the power play.

Leading by Example

Bogosian will have an important role going forward on being the leader of the Sabres blue line, along with Josh Gorges.  He’ll look to lead by example to young players like Ristolainen, Zadorov, and Pysyk.  The style of play Bogosian brings, is similar to how

Zadorov and Ristolainen like to play.

Bringing in fresh bodies from outside the organization will greatly benefit the Sabres.  Players who are not associated with the losing mentality will contribute to changing the mindset of young players as they develop.  Bogosian is the type of player that will be a great building block to expedite the rebuild.

Time will tell exactly how this trade will work out for the Sabres and Jets.  It’s very possible that both teams will walk away happy with this deal.  Bogosian has definitely made a great impact early.  If the 24-year-old defenseman can maintain or exceed his current level of play, the Sabres will have a true top defenseman on their hands.