Weber eager to stay a Sabre
Blue-liner impressed in 12 games last year
by John Vogl -- News Sports Reporter
Updated: 06/27/08 10:27 AM
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- Mike Weber plans to have a bigger stake in helping the Buffalo Sabres accomplish more in 2008-09.
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LEWISTON — Mike Weber should be looking back at last season and marveling at how well things went. The defenseman accomplished something few players do, especially those in the Buffalo Sabres’ system. He made it to the NHL as a first-year pro. He played well, too, almost to the point that he was indispensable.
But Weber couldn’t hide the disappointment Thursday as he reflected on the year. Sure, he learned a lot about himself and his abilities. But the Sabres didn’t make the playoffs, and Weber seemed to take that personally.
“It was kind of a dream come true, but you could even throw disappointing in there,” Weber said of his debut season. “Being called up was really exciting and being given a chance to try and help my teammates out and make the playoffs was really exciting down the stretch. But disappointing is the fact we didn’t make the playoffs and go farther.”
That was hardly Weber’s doing. He didn’t join the Sabres on a fulltime basis until 12 games remained, and by then their fate was nearly sealed. Not even his three assists and plus-12 rating to close the year could change that.
Weber plans to have a bigger stake in helping the team accomplish more in 2008-09.
“I don’t want to be a call-up player again,” he said. “I want to be a fulltime Sabre.”
Weber’s first chance to show he belongs is this week at the Sabres’ development camp. He participated last year, too, but this stay at Niagara University is way different.
“Last year, I was coming in not sure what to expect in my first year as a pro, but I was almost expecting to go to the American [Hockey] League,” he said. “This year, that will be a disappointment. My whole focus all summer is just to make the team and to make the guys I’m playing with around me better.”
It’s quite a challenge for a 20-year-old, but Weber is eager to put that weight on his 199-pound shoulders. The 6-foot-2 blue-liner is the type of rugged defenseman the Sabres have lacked. His job is to work so hard that the Sabres have no choice but to keep him around despite his inexperience — even though it was his 12-game experience that showed him he can do it.
“It showed me that I can play at the National Hockey League,” Weber said. “This summer, as early as it is, I’ve been putting a lot of work in, and my goal coming into training camp in September is just to make the NHL and be a full-time player.”
The next week should show what type of chore he’ll have. The Sabres’ incumbents on the blue line are Jaroslav Spacek, Henrik Tallinder, Toni Lydman, Andrej Sekera and Nathan Paetsch. That leaves one starting spot, depending on what happens when free agency opens Tuesday. If the Sabres get their big-ticket defenseman, Weber’s hole closes and he’ll have to beat someone out.
“You can never assume that one of those six spots is yours,” he said. “You can’t be comfortable with the spot you think you have or what you know you have. You’ve just got to come in ready to go and take it.”
Part of his competition comes from his defense partner. It’s hard to think of Weber without thinking of Sekera, as the duo turned into arguably the Sabres’ most competent pairing after their March recalls. The 22- year-old Sekera is also working to ensure he’ll be a full-time Sabre, but that’s already a given. Just don’t try telling him that.
“I’ve got a little bit more experience, but still it’s not enough,” he said in Dwyer Arena. “I just have to keep working hard every single day, learning every single day, and hopefully everything will go better and better.”
Like Weber, Sekera earned a dose of confidence with his stretch performance. He had a goal, four assists and a plus-10 in the final 16 games of the year. Then, when the season ended, he got word that Slovakia wanted him to play in the world championships. He skated more than 19 minutes per game, third on the team, and garnered a plus-3 in his first national appearance.
“It’s a dream come true to play for your country in the world championships,” Sekera said. “I tried to make me proud, my friends and family proud, and I think I did a good job.”
He and Weber are eager to make the Sabres proud.
“When you play good, you just want to stay on that level, if not get higher,” Sekera said. “I will just continue doing that and hopefully do that this season.”
