Chris Stewart is out to prove his outlier season is actually the standard with the Buffalo Sabres.

"I want to re-establish myself as one of the best power forwards in the game," he told John Vogl of the Buffalo News. "I think when I've been given that opportunity in my career to showcase what I can do, I've delivered."

The 26-year-old Stewart scored 28 goals, 64 points and tallied 73 penalty minutes as a sophomore with the Colorado Avalanche during the 2009-10 season. But since then, Stewart, who was acquired from the St. Louis Blues in the Ryan Miller trade last season, has only eclipsed the 30-point mark on one occasion despite tallying double-digit goal totals each season.

The big body slid down the depth chart in St. Louis, averaging less than 14 minutes of ice time per game last season.



He should be thrust into a more focal role with the Sabres, who will have a wide open competition within the top six during camp.