The Buffalo Sabres have many players in their system and not every one of them makes it with the team. Do you ever wonder what happened to that fringe player who almost made it but then disappeared? Well have no fear! I have tracked down that player and will tell you exactly what he has been doing all this time.

I will start today with a player that is very near and dear to my heart. I can't really call Chris Butler a bust, but he was shipped out of town when he couldn't perform. I was in the very front row behind the net when Butler scored his first NHL goal. Butler came on strong but faded which led to his trade to Calgary for Robyn Regehr.

Butler played 2011-2012 in Calgary, suiting up for 68 games, a career high. Butler tallied 15 points including two goals. He was a -9 on the season and once again struggled defensively at times, but managed to go a long way in filling Robyn Regher's shoes on the top pairing with Jay Bouwmeester. He was derailed by an injury late in the season as well. 

Butler has improved the way many Sabres fans predict around the time he left Buffalo. While he didn't rebound in any statistically significant way, he made strides in returning to a dominant form that could make him a top pairing defenseman in the future. He was even invited to the United States' World Championship team. 

Butler was traded in the interest of getting better now. He is still a little bit of a project and will continue to get better. Butler should have a successful NHL career and if 2011-2012 is any indication the sky is the limit for Chris Butler.