With just two points in ten games, Sabres’ forward Ville Leino’s season has gotten off to a rough start.
Analysis: Yes, the Sabres did overpay Leino with the six year/$27 million contract but it hasn’t been all his fault. Leino will still stay at center for the time being where he is more comfortable but the big plus here is that he will be playing alongside Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville now. Vanek is a former forty goal scorer and has eight goals in ten games this year. Pominville is off to a career year with fourteen points in ten games. All signs point to more ice time and production from the struggling Leino. He only has five shots on the year while averaging just thirteen minutes of ice time per game. The center is available in sixty-one percent of CBS leagues and forty percent of ESPN leagues and now is the perfect time to buy low.
If this move for the Sabres does not work the only available option would be to play him back on the wing but even that hasn’t worked yet this year. Leino is one talented player and playing with an elite winger like Thomas Vanek has to bring out the best in him, right?