Kaleta was demoted to the AHL early in the season after a series of suspensions and a knack for dangerous play necessitated his temporary leave from the NHL. He was in the midst of cleaning up his act with four points in seven games with Rochester when an ACL injury ended his season. Kaleta is entering the final year of his contract and his future is still in doubt. The Sabres attempted to trade him prior to his demotion but to no avail, and if the club believes that his playing style hasn’t changed, it could spell the end of the Buffalo native’s time with his hometown Sabres. Though he has shown he can score goals in the past, Kaleta is still most effective as a checking player.
Kaleta's one goal in 34 games last season was disappointing, even for a player known more for agitating than offense. His role has been diminished with the arrival of the more versatile Steve Ott, but Kaleta figures to be in the mix with two seasons remaining on his contract. In those 34 games last year, he put up 67 PIM, so there is some value there in leagues that are heavily weighted toward enforcers.
Kaleta remains a fan favorite in Buffalo as an agitator and a local boy, and will be around long-term after signing a three-year contract extension over the summer. He'll split agitating duties with newcomer Steve Ott, and is worth considering in leagues that reward PIMs and hits, having racked up 116 peanlty minutes and 139 hits. Kaleta won't chip in too much offensively, as he has posted nine goals over 114 games the last two seasons, luckily, Buffalo has plenty of other players to score.
Kaleta is not a "goon" so much as he's the Sabres' new version of Matthew Barnaby. Kaleta, who was born and raised in the suburbs of Buffalo, is a fan favorite, but his fierce style of play is a gigantic reason for all of the injuries Kaleta endures. He hasn't played in more than 55 games for Buffalo in any of the last three seasons, and without much discernible offensive talent, his physicality is the only thing keeping him in the NHL, so expect the injuries to pile up again for Kaleta as he recklessly throws his body around the ice. He is a decent source of penalty minutes and hits when he is healthy, however, finishing third with 126 of the latter category.
Kaleta is a fan favorite because he grew up in Buffalo. The physical winger transitioned last year from an enforcer role to one where he could be considered a bit of an offensive threat on the fourth line in Buffalo. The 2010-11 campaign will show us if Kaleta's 10-goal season was an anomaly, or if that's what can be expected of him. With the way he plays, he's going to get his share of injuries, but a good season from Kaleta would be 60 to 65 games, 15 to 20 points, and 90-plus penalty minutes.
Last season was a career high year for Kaleta who had 9 points and 89 PIMs in 51 games. Although he faces competition from younger talent, Kaleta will most likely be returning to his fourth line spot if not for his gritty style of play, for his hometown fan appeal. Needless to say, Kaleta’s high amount of PIMs doesn’t nearly compensate for his below average scoring and has fairly little fantasy value.
Kaleta accumulated 41 penalty minutes in 40 NHL games last season. He's an enforcer that needles the other team but doesn't get into many fights. He could be a decent source of penalty minutes if he wins a full-time role this season.
Kaleta is an enforcer that isn't likely to see much NHL time in 2007-08.
