The Buffalo Sabres have signed center Zemgus Girgensons to a one-year contract worth $1.5 million. This contract allows the parties to avoid arbitration. This contract carries him through the 2019-20 season.
We have signed forward Zemgus Girgensons to a one-year contract with an AAV of $1.6 million.
Details: https://t.co/yqLe0WbLt6 pic.twitter.com/59r1207Hzl
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) July 5, 2019
Zemgus Girgensons Staying in Buffalo
Girgensons has spent his entire six-year career in Buffalo with the Sabres. He has put up 49 goals and 70 assists for 119 career points in 420 career games. He was originally drafted 14th overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Sabres.
Last season he scored five goals and 13 assists for 18 points. He also added 17 minutes in penalties. His possession numbers were 48.5 percent Corsi and a relative Corsi of -1.5.
What This Means for the Future of Zemgus Girgensons
Girgensons has been a part of the Sabres his entire career and has played on the bottom six for most that time. He brings a physical aspect to the game which the Sabres were looking for on their bottom six. The Latvian native also has shown that he help out offensively. His best year came during the 2014-15 season where he put up 15 goals and 15 assists for 30 points in 61 games. After starting off strong during his first two years Girgenson has failed to reach double digits in goals.
Girgensons also has the ability to play all three forward positions however he’s spent the last two years on the wing. In his career, Girgensons is 44.6 percent in the faceoff circle. It’s expected that Girgensons will start next season on the fourth line for the Sabres. It will be interesting to see if the Sabres move Girgensons back to center to try to get more offense out of him. The Sabres have had a very busy offseason and this is just another piece of the puzzle.
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