Veteran goaltender Craig Anderson will approach his mentorship role with one message in mind

Veteran goaltender Craig Anderson may not be a spring chicken, but the role he will play in Buffalo this season doesn't require youth to be on his side. Anderson will be there specifically to impart some wisdom on a very young Buffalo Sabres team as the club looks to change the narrative moving forward.

The message is simple; work hard and grab every opportunity to can and, in Anderson's words, "never be satisfied". These are more than just words from the 40-year-old netminder - they're a way of life.

Anderson, who was originally expected to retire this offseason before accepting a 1-year deal with the Sabres to act as a mentor, is charged with the responsibility of not only communicating that message to the young core in Buffalo this season, but also the responsibility of leading by example and showing the next generation of Sabres players what it takes to have a lengthy NHL career.

"It took me a while to figure that out," Anderson said of his "never be satisfied" mentality. "Even down to summer workouts. Are you doing enough or are you doing more than enough to make sure you're ready to go? If you're doing the bare minimum, that's what you're going to get. 

"Unfortunately, a lot of guys play their careers just doing the bare minimum. Some guys can get away with it, some guys end up being career minor leaguers because of it. There's a great opportunity for a lot of young guys to come in and grab hold of a job here. If I can instill that mentality of never be satisfied, hopefully they have long careers."

Anderson was once a premier goaltender in the National Hockey League and is preparing for his 19th NHL season in 2021-22, and the Sabres also have a young up-and-coming goaltender who will undoubtedly benefit from having the veteran goaltender around to learn from.

Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen, 22, got his first taste of NHL action this past season, appearing in 4 games for the Sabres, managing a 1-3-0 record, posting a 3.88 GAA and a very respectable .906 SV%. Not bad by any stretch of the imagination when you consider how atrocious the Sabres were in 2020-21.

Luukkonen will definitely pick up some tricks from Anderson, a 652-game NHL veteran (7th-most among all active NHL goaltenders), whose career SV% is .913.

The vet and the rookie will be in competition for a share of the net with 32-year-old Aaron Dell, who also signed a 1-year deal with the Sabres during free agency.

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