Jochen Hecht's Value

 

   Jochen Hecht's return was lost in all the hoopla surrounding the Lucic-Miller incident, T.J Brennan's first NHL goal and a thrilling shootout. On the score sheet, it wouldn't appear Hecht made any difference at all. He registered two hits, four shots and won only six of 17 face offs in 18:15 of ice time. But the score sheet never tells the whole story. Hecht brings a strong, reliable game to an offense that has been anything but, sans the first line. 

   Even in his eight-year tenure with the Sabres, Jochen Hecht hasn't dropped any jaws with his numbers. His highest point total in a season was 56. For goals and assists, 22 and 37 respectively. He isn't the healthiest player either with only one 82-game season and that was in Edmonton. 

   What Hecht brings to the table isn't quantitative. He delivers experience, leadership and hard work. His captaincy in the 2007-2008 season is attestation to all of these qualities. In the last few years, he's also frequently been an assistant captain in the lineup. If you've ever seen a Sabres' game, whether in person or on the couch, you've seen Jochen Hecht make smart decision after smart decision. He's a battler along the boards and if there's ever a chance to take the puck to the net, he does so with force. If he has a split second of space,  he'll fire it on net - an often overlooked skill. Hecht's value, to me, was epitomized in a simple, yet crucial play. Seventeen minutes and 19 seconds into the first period, Hecht ends up with a one-on-one against Dennis Seidenberg. He gets as close as he can to Tim Thomas before shooting. More importantly, after the shot, Hecht doesn't go lazily into the corner as most players would. Instead, he jumps around Seidenberg in an effort to recover the potential rebound. In this particular instance, there wasn't one, but that's not going to change his game in the future.

   Hecht is also a versatile player. He's a tremendous penalty killer and is often counted on in the dying minutes of a one-goal hockey game. Although he hasn't necessarily been known for his power play abilities, I believe he could be used successfully in front of the net. Throughout the course of a hockey game, there really isn't a situation that Hecht can't handle. 

Sabres' fans should be happy to have this guy back!