Much of the attention at Buffalo Sabres training camp centered around Tyler Myers and Tim

Kennedy. And while they're newcomers with the cachet that gets fans excited, they weren't the

team's big-ticket acquisition over the summer.

That was Steve Montador.

The veteran defenseman signed a two-year, $3.1 million deal after splitting last season

between Anaheim and Boston and has quietly spent camp pointing toward Saturday's season opener

against Montreal in HSBC Arena.

Montador, 29, battled a neck stinger but was a plus-3 in his three exhibition games and

showed some surprising bursts of offense with six shots on goal in the home game against

Toronto. The 6-foot, 210-pounder said the high-tempo pace of the team's intense preseason has

been a pleasant surprise.

"Somebody had told me this past summer about this team a year or two ago that there was

some work issues, that some guys didn't like to work," Montador said Thursday. "Since I've

been here, I've found everybody has really pushed it. We've got a number of leaders,

traditional nonskill players that work their butts off. And we've got skill guys who do, too.

That's a misconception I had heard. Not true."

Montador is not here to add offense. Coach Lindy Ruff has used Montador's name with the

word "grit" in virtually every reference. And with good reason.

Montador, a Vancouver native, has averaged 101 penalty minutes a season since the lockout,

and totaled 143 last year between Anaheim and Boston. He can be a disturber, he'll defend his

goaltender and he'll keep an eye out for his skill players, too.

The Sabres saw that first-hand last February in Anaheim, when Montador bolted in from the

blue line to fight captain Craig Rivet in the Buffalo zone.

"I don't even think he remembers," Rivet joked during camp. "He's been doing that for so

long and with so many guys it's part of his game. He's a guy you're just not taking liberties

with his teammates. That's definitely going to strengthen that part of our game with him

around."

Told those comments Thursday, a smiling Montador said he remembered the incident well.

"'Riv' was being physical with one of our skill players [Chris Kunitz] and it was the

second time in the game I had seen that [Rivet had previously battled Corey Perry]," Montador

recalled. "So I just felt it was time to mix it up. He knows the deal. You're not going to get

away with that and sometimes you have to answer."

The Sabres didn't answer that call enough in the past but seemed more willing this

preseason.

"[Montador] is one of those guys who wants to get after it," Ruff said. "He plays on his

toes. ... He wants to hold the other team accountable. He plays the game in the other team's

face. Mike Grier is the same way. We've added a couple guys who put a new dimension in."

"We have skill and grit here," Montador said. "If I can add a little bit of both, I'll be

happy with that."

It looks like Montador will be paired with third-year man Andrej Sekera, and Montador said

he's been impressed by the Sabres' trio of young defensemen.

"I've seen [Sekera] do some pretty special things," Montador said. "He's strong on his

feet, has good vision and for a European guy who has English as a second language, he talks

quite a bit, which is great for a partner.

"Butler plays so confident, knows he can skate and does the little things well. Then you

look at a guy like Myers who's 10 years younger than me. For a guy pulling moves and skating

like that when he probably hasn't shaved a day in his life is impressive to me."