Christmas may come early this year for Mike Weber.

The Cranberry Township native may make his National Hockey League debut with the Buffalo Sabres before the holidays, according to his agent, Butch Ott.

"There are some nurturing steps that need to be taken first,"Ott said. "But by Christmas, I can see Mike in a Buffalo uniform.

"In terms of athleticism, attitude, psyche, he has what it takes to be a professional hockey player."

Weber, 19, was chosen in the second round, 57th pick overall, by the Sabres in the 2006 NHLEntry Draft. He was returned to his junior team, the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League, prior to last season.

The Sabres and Weber agreed to a three-year contract Aug. 15. Terms were not disclosed.

"But Mike did very well,"Ott said. "He got much more than the standard NHLentry level contract."

Weber stands 6-foot-2, weighs 205 pounds and is a defenseman. In four years in the OHL, he accumulated 13 goals, 57 assists, 70 points and 534 penalty minutes in 261 games.

"He's a physical, defensive defenseman,"Buffalo general manager Darcy Regier said in a press release announcing Weber's signing.

Ott is employed by Ardmore International, a firm that has sent 12 clients — including future Hall of Famer Mike Modano — to the NHLduring the past 10 years.

The company also sent Weber to St. Petersburg, Russia for a preseason professional hockey camp to get him acclimated to that level of play. Weber is expected to return to the states within a week.

"He's over there working with Evgeni Malkin, Alexander Ovechkin, a lot of other pro standouts,"Ott said. "The professional season starts earlier over there and we thought the exposure to that level would give Mike a jump on things."

Weber is coming off his best OHLseason, collecting a career-high six goals, 28 assists and 34 points to go with 172 penalty minutes.

Just before the OHLtrading deadline, he was dealt to the Barrie Colts and wound up getting six assists in seven playoff games with his new team.

"Windsor is in a rebuilding stage and Mike was the only commodity they had to trade,"Ott said.

"Hockey is all about time and space, knowing how much you've got as a player on the ice and performing within that. As soon as Mike adapts to the speed of the pro game, he'll be called up."

The Sabres' American Hockey League affiliate is the Rochester (NY)Americans. Of the seven defensemen listed on the club's preseason roster, two each are from Canada and Finland while one each is from Russia, Czechoslovakia and Sweden.

Weber left Seneca Valley High School after his freshman year at age 15 to move in with a host family in Windsor, Ontario, to pursue his goal of one day playing in the NHL.