If Porter dresses for one of Buffalo's last two games in Florida this weekend, it will be his first NHL game since April 9 of last year. Even if he doesn't, he still has the postseason to look forward to in Rochester, and he won't be alone.
The list of Sabres who are eligible to return to the Amerks for their postseason run includes forwards Alex Nylander Nicholas Baptiste; defensemen Brendan Guhle, Casey Nelson and Matt Tennyson; and goaltenders Linus Ullmark and Adam Wilcox.
Nelson's eyes lit up when asked about the thought of a playoff run.
"I want nothing more than to go win a championship," he said. "… I guess you can almost call it a second chance for a few of us to go make some noise in the playoffs."
While the Sabres' season will end upon the conclusion of their game in Florida on Saturday, what happens in Rochester in the coming weeks could one day have an impact on the future of the organization.
Building a winner in the AHL was always part of Jason Botterill's plan, from the moment he was introduced as general manager last May. It's why he brought in leaders like Porter and alternate captain Nathan Paetsch, players he was familiar with from past stops in his career.
Porter may not have played a game in a Sabres uniform this season, but that doesn't mean he hasn't affected the NHL club.
"He spent most of the season in Rochester, but it doesn't mean that he hasn't helped this team," Baptiste said. "From being in Rochester, he's developed so many young guys, myself included."
"… He's a guy that just keeps things light all the time. If things are going tough, he finds a way to lighten everybody up and get things right back on track. I can't say enough about what he's meant, not only to my season but also a lot of the young guys who have continue to come up here."
Porter saw first-hand how playoff experience in the AHL can translate to the NHL during his time in Pittsburgh, when regulars on playoff teams in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton were able to step in and become contributors to Pittsburgh's back-to-back Stanley Cup runs.
The Sabres will finish their season in last place after falling to Ottawa on Wednesday. But knowing the young players on the roster, Porter believes that many of the faces already in the organization can be a part of the turn-around. In that sense, their experience in this playoff run will be invaluable.
"They get that experience down there, there's going to be four, five, six, seven guys from there coming up here," Porter said. "If they're used to losing, it's going to continue up here. If we can get down there and go on a long playoff run and hopefully win a Calder Cup, that experience for them is going to translate up here."
When asked to name an MVP for the Amerks this season, many of the young players in the Sabres dressing room were quick to mention Porter's name. He was flattered by the sentiment, but thinks there's plenty of praise to go around.
