Zemgus Girgensons’ 10-year tenure in Buffalo Sabres – The Hockey Writers – Buffalo Sabres

Last week marked the start of the 2024 NHL free agency period with big names like forwards Steven Stamkos, Jake Guentzel and Jonathan Marchessault all finding new homes. Among the many moves made last week, forward Zemgus Girgensons signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the next three seasons, leaving the Buffalo Sabres. This may seem like a team vying to fill out their bottom half, but the loss is significant for Sabres fans. It’s time to look back on the Latvian powerhouse’s 10-year tenure in blue, white and gold.

2012 NHL Entry Draft and Minor League Hockey

Although the first four selections of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft did not perform as expected by the teams that drafted them, the remainder of the draft included notable first-round picks such as forward Fillip Forsberg, defenseman Morgan Reilly and goaltender Andrey Vasilevskiy, and Girgensons was selected 14th overall by the Sabres – he ranks ninth in games played in the 2012 draft class.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound left-hander played with the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the United States Hockey League (USHL) before being drafted, recording 104 points in 100 games over two seasons. In 2010-11, the Fighting Saints won the Clark Cup thanks to his contributions and that of current Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau.

Girgenson’s career

After being drafted, the Big Z signed his rookie contract and played for Buffalo’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans. After 61 games with the Amerks and a goal-per-game pace in the Calder Cup playoffs, he was ready to make the jump to the NHL.

Related: Top 10 Latvians in NHL History

Surprisingly, Girgenson’s two most productive seasons came in his first two years in the league, scoring 22 points in his rookie year (2013-14) and 30 points the following season (2014-15). The Riga, Latvia native’s career best year didn’t end there; he was also the top vote-getter for the 2015 NHL All-Star Game – 79 percent of his votes came from his home country of Latvia. He is the most-drafted Latvian in NHL history and is considered one of the best hockey players born in Latvia.

Over the next eight seasons in Buffalo, he averaged 14 to 19 points per season. While he didn’t live up to his first-round draft status, he was a consistent bottom-six forward and a reliable penalty killer. Girgensons will be remembered for his loyalty to the Sabres franchise when other star forwards like Ryan O’Reilly, Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel didn’t stay long in Buffalo. He wore an “A” on his jersey for the last three seasons and was an indispensable veteran presence on a very young team, mentoring the younger skaters.

In 688 games with the Sabres, Girgensons scored 89 goals and 188 points. Buffalo never made the playoffs in his 10 years with the team – they have the second-longest playoff drought (13 years) among the four American professional sports leagues.

Girgensons’ Ranks as Saber

In 688 games in Buffalo, Girgensons ranks ninth all-time in games played for the franchise and is the longest-tenured Sabres player. Other notable names who have recently maintained long-term ties to the organization include forward Jason Pominville (nine seasons), recent Stanley Cup champion Kyle Okiposo (eight seasons) and defenseman Ramus Ristolainen (eight seasons). Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin are now the longest-tenured Sabres with six seasons.

Outlook for Tampa Bay

Girgensons joins an aging Lightning core of forwards Guentzel, Nikita Kucherov and defenseman Victor Hedman. While the team lacks depth up front after losing longtime captain Stamkos, it has a plethora of grizzled veterans with playoff experience. If Tampa Bay makes the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season, expect them to give any team a run for their money in the first round.