Kevin Hoffman – USA TODAY Sports
It has been a season ups-and-downs for the Buffalo Sabres, but as the team continues to chase and outside shot at a playoff berth, there have been a few bright spots. One of the best surprises for the Sabres has been the emergence of Kevin Porter as a source of depth scoring in his first season with the team.
Porter was a 2004 draft pick of the Phoenix Coyotes and was a star collegiate player at the University of Michigan for four seasons. He would only play four games with the Coyotes before being traded to the Colorado Avalanche, where he finally found regular playing time. He scored 14 goals and had 25 points during the 2010-11 season, but was limited to just 35 games last season. The lockout saw him start this season in the AHL rather than with the Sabres, and he scored 15 goals and had 44 points for the Rochester Americans. Since his recall in February he has four goals and nine points for the Sabres in 26 games, scoring numbers that put him on par with the likes of Nathan Gerbe and Tyler Myers.
Two of Porter’s goals have come in the last four games, and he as registered at least a point in each of those four contests. Porter is on a two-way contract this season and a one-way deal next season. If he can keep performing at this level, it’s a no-brainer for the Sabres to keep him around, and he’s quite a bargain considering he’s the lowest-paid forward on the team’s roster.
Jonathan Katje is an NHL senior writer for Rant Sports. You can follow him on Twitter or add him to your circles on Google Plus.
