In March 2018, KeyBank Center went crazy after a young winger found the back of the net. It gave the Sabres a 1-0 lead against the surging Vegas Golden Knights. The goal was scored by one of Buffalo’s own.
It was Western New York native Justin Bailey who scored that goal as he played for his hometown team, and he was once considered a strong prospect for the Sabres.
Drafted in second round in 2013, he had amazing physical features standing at 6-foot-4. He had good speed and, in part because he was being born in Buffalo, Sabres fans were excited and anxious to see how his career progressed.
He should great promise for the AHL’s Rochester Americans, scoring 45 points during the 2015-16 season. He seemed poised to potentially earn a prominent role alongside Jack Eichel. But during his time while being activated for the Sabres, he had only eight points in 53 appearances.
Despite playing strong in the lower levels, he was inconsistent when he reached the NHL. He did not seem to be able to stay as a regular offensive presence in Buffalo.
Justin Bailey played for the Sabres across three seasons
This was mainly due to not finding a place and adding the depth needed for the Sabres during his tenure. They traded the Buffalo native to Philadelphia Flyers in 2019.
It was around this period where he skated around several NHL teams going back and forth between the minor league teams and being recalled to the NHL rosters. He never played a full season in the NHL during his career.
He played well for the San Jose Sharks in spirts but could not sustain that success on a regular basis. The Sabres and other teams tried to use him on the penalty kill but he just could not break through.
He also made a stop with the Vancouver Canucks.
Consistency and dependability are key for a player to stay active on an NHL roster. It is also very important when a player may be on the third or fourth line. Bailey’s story is not a new one in the NHL.
This is a demonstration that sometimes the feel-good story in the NHL does lead to success or the Hollywood-like ending. Justin Bailey is now with Barys Astana in Russia’s KHL. He does not seem to have prospects of returning to the NHL at age 31.
Bailey had a few moments that gave Sabres fans reason to smile but it was not enough to keep him on the roster for the long haul.
