The buzz has been around since HSBC Arena opened.

Why not create some space for the legacy of the Braves? Hang some jerseys, some banners; put some memorabilia in a display case in the lobby. Good idea?

Until now, arena management has said an emphatic, “No!”

I can see their point, I suppose. The Braves never played in HSBC. The Braves ditched town.

Any tribute to the Braves would involve expense to the arena, the Sabres, and the city. Certainly not for the Braves, or their successors the Los Angeles Clippers.

On the other hand, the Braves may be gone, but not their memory, and certainly not the place they hold in the hearts of thousands of fans; fans who fill the HSBC for Sabres and Bandits games.

It could be argued that this is why sports franchises should not be portable. The intangilbles, the spirit, the true essence of a team is in the memories, the space, the place, the sentiment. The identities of a town and team in the venue of origin are as interdependent as heart and soul.

A heart can be surgically removed and transplanted, but the soul isn’t transient.

Cut a team out of it’s physical body and you have a team with no soul. Transplant it on the opposite coast and you have a fan base with no connection to history.

What’s left? A zombie franchise. 

So, it could be argued that more of the true essence of the Buffalo Braves remained in the hearts of Buffalonians and in the walls, the seats, the halls and tunnels of Memorial Aud than was packed up and shipped off to San Diego.

Those of us who had the opportunity to pay our last respects, to walk up to the demolition site and peer through the safety fence, through the gaping hole at naked memories fully exposed.

We could feel the sighs, hear the cheers, see the lights, the colors, the composite emotion and commotion of eight years worth of basketball passion that is just as real, just as palpable as they were when the Braves were at their peak.

Ironically, the last wall of the Aud will fall within days of the falling of a man who rightly called himself “the institutional memory” of the Braves.

Now that Randy Smith is dead, the subject of a tangible tribute to the likes of Smith, McAdoo, DiGregorio and company is cropping up again around cyberspace.

The worst expression of this sentiment is a call for the Clippers to retire some jerseys. Clippers, Schmippers! There isn’t a fan in LA, unless they are Buffalo Ex-Pats, who would remember or care.

It’s a zombie franchise. So forget the Clippers.

Build the temple where the spirit remains. Especially now that the Aud is gone and our “Institutional Memory” with it, the need to house that memory and that spirit is critical.

It is time for Buffalo fans to rise up and demand that HSBC Arena hang a banner commemorating the accomplishments of the Buffalo Braves.

It is time for a display case to remind us of the spirit that Randy Smith and company brought to this city and its citizens. 

It is time, before there are any more obituaries to write, to invite the likes of McAdoo, DiGregorio, Heard, McMillain, McMillen, Walt Hazard, Bob Kauffman, Emmet Bryant and the rest for a Buffalo Braves reunion, for a banner hanging ceremony, a dedication of “Braves Corridor” in their new home at HSBC.

Pictured Above: former Buffalo Brave, Randy Smith (right) with A.C. Green (center) when Green broke Smith’s record of 906 consecutive NBA games played.

I’ve been reading everything Sabre related on this site for a while now and I’m tired of disputing things in the comments. I’m gonna tell you what will and needs to happen and why all these ridiculous ideas will not work.

I’d love for us to make some changes and bring in some different players as well, but a lot of these crackpot ideas are just not possible.

Let’s start by telling you what will not happen this offseason:

 

1. The Sabres will not trade Derek Roy.

It’s obvious the goal for this offseason is going to be to make the team better prepared for a playoff run this season. 

While I don’t doubt we could get a good package for Roy, what are we going to get for him that will make us better right away? You won’t get a better scorer. You won’t get someone better in the faceoff. You won’t get a better value at $4 million. 

Maybe if you could get a top defenseman for him and clear enough salary to sign an adequate replacement center it would make us better. But it’s a lot more likely we’d be gaining salary while losing a consistent offensive player (and we are already short in that department). 

Any deal where we move Roy is likely only going to give us depth or long-term potential, neither of which makes us better this season. And after the player salaries we get back, how much money could we actually save?

$1-2 million? 

Now if you switched Roy’s and Vanek’s contracts there would be some benefits to this deal. But at only $4 million we aren’t clearing enough room where we can get back young impact talent and sign a free agent player who can be an important part of the team.

More importantly, you know Connolly will miss some time and basically every free agent capable of centering a first or second line will cost more than Roy on the open market and is probably out of our price range after we fill the defensive holes. 

The Sabres will be out of the playoffs again if we’re left with some combination of Gaustad, Hecht and Gerbe as our top 2 centers for any extended period of time when Connolly is out.

Also, Lindy loves Roy.

He made him the top center for team Canada at the worlds.  He was second on a star-studded team for ice time for forwards there. He also really picked up his play in the draw after the break.

Lindy won’t let him go. 

If there is one thing that Darcy and Lindy do well, it’s work together and he isn’t going to trade away one of the coach’s favorite players. 

 

2. The Sabres can’t easily cut payroll.

Lets go through every contract the Sabres have that is more than $2.5 million (other than Miller and his $6.25 million) and evaluate who we can and should explore trading. 

Thomas Vanek (cap number $7,142,857, five years left) is just too expensive to get fair compensation for in a trade. And besides, he’s had 36-plus goals three years in a row.

Roy broke 30 two years ago and Pominville did it three years ago. The rest of the Sabres’ roster (who has a chance at coming back) has a combined two 20 goal seasons, and both of those are still question marks (Stafford last year, who could leave as a restricted free agent, and Hecht two years ago, who was a non-factor last season). 

If we lose Vanek, our offense is back to the abysmal years from 1996 to 1999, when we couldn’t win a cup with what might be the best five-year period a goalie’s ever had.

Jason Pominville (cap number $5,300,000, five years left) had too bad of a season (especially defensively) to have enough trade value to be worth trading.

Honestly who can we get for him that has more potential and/or makes less and still produces to give us flexibility? Maybe a 35-year-old with a year or two left. But that isn’t in the best interest of the organizaiton. 

Pominville had 30 goal and 80 point seasons in the very recent past and finished strong last year (six goals, 12 assists, +7 in his final 13) so there is some hope it was just an off year (and I still blame some early offensive struggles on being stuck with Hecht).

If the Sabres were going to go out on the line and sign a big winger to replace him and then trade Pominville later (for a defensemen, draft picks or cheaper players) I wouldn’t have a problem with it, but free agency isn’t that deep at right wing. You mostly have guys that are too expensive (Hossa, Gaborik, Havlat), past their prime (Satan anyone?), or not a big enough offensive threat (we could always get Kotalike back). 

I have a bad feeling the one big offensive sign will end up being Brian Gionta. I’ll cry if they bring in another umdersized forward.

Tim Connolly (cap number $4,500,000, two years left) I think has potential to be traded if the right situation arises. He’s too much of an injury risk and we need a sure thing.

If a team who’s deep at center would trade some reliable player for the higher-ceiling Connolly, I think it would be in our best interest. Swapping him for a physical 50-60 point center could be a great move, but we would need to find the ideal situation (somebody three-deep at center).

Otherwise we gotta keep him and hope for the best.   

Derek Roy (cap number $4 million, four years left) I already talked about.

Jochen Hecht (cap number $3,525,000, three years left) is the one who in my opinion absolutely has to go. I don’t care if we get one draft pick from the last round and nothing else. I don’t care if we swap him for another disappointing player from another team.

I’d trade that contract for spare zamboni parts if there was a taker. 

He can’t score, he can’t win draws and he drags down his linemates. I really think the prolonged Hecht/Pominville pairing early in the season is the reason that Jason dropped so much this year, at least offensively.

Craig Rivet (cap number $3,500,000, two years left) is the captain, the leader and our most physical defensemen (the biggest hole our team has). We need to add physical defensemen who can provide leadership, not subtract it.

He also reportedly started his offseason workouts a month ahead of his usual schedule, so he should hopefully be able to avoid the injuries that nagged him this year.

Tony Lydman (cap number $2,875,000, one year left) is a keeper for me right now because of how the defense as a whole looks.

Right now all we have is Rivet (who is brittle), Tallinder (see below), Paetsch (who is best suited as a backup playing defense or the fourth line whenever needed) and then a bunch of guys with less than a year’s experience in Butler, Myers, Weber and Gragnani.

Lydman was pretty bad with the puck in our zone last year (although I think part of that was being stuck with Tallinder), but he played physical and led the team in hits and blocked shots. He’s likely gone by the deadline anyway, but we should keep him to start the year to give the youth more time to develop. 

Henrik Tallinder’s (cap number $2,562,500, one year left) time is up in Buffalo. My second must go along with Hecht. The defense needs to be rebuilt and he’s the first piece to go. You’ll find someone in need of multiple blue liners willing to give up something very small to take him on for a year.

When it comes to the rest of the players who have contracts for this year, Gaustad, Paille, Butler and Paetsch are all guys that have to stay.

The only player with a questionable contract is Gaustad, but he’s a good faceoff man with size and physicallity, which the Sabres lack. I’d prefer Ellis (an unrestricted free agent) over Mair, but the difference is probably negligible for a fourth line center. 

To summarize, Hecht and Tallinder are gone. Lydman will be gone by the deadline, but it’s probably better to hold him until you see how Rivet and the kids hold up. Pominville and/or Connolly could go if everything lined up perfectly, but those aren’t the most likely scenarios.

Scoring talent is just too thin on this team and you can’t give up players with that type of potentital unless you get someone similar back, which isn’t likely to happen with their quesiton marks.

 

3. There won’t be giant turnover this offseason, as I’ve seen suggested in many places.

 

Yes it would be nice to drop some of our dead weight and replace them with some more reliable veterans, but it isn’t feasible for our team. 

We aren’t a big enough market to spend up to the cap like some teams. We also have a core of six guys (Vanek, Roy, Pominville, Connolly, Rivet, Miller) who it isn’t really easy, smart or beneficial to move, making up about $31 million of our projected $52 million budget.

I’m expecting we keep the payroll the same as last year, which isn’t a given with the failing economy. 

That would then leave $21 million for the remaining 14 players, or $1.5 million a player, which isn’t much, especially when everyone wants to pony up more for a better backup goalie and keep the luxury of a player like Paetsch who wouldn’t play every day.

That also doesn’t include the money that is paid to Stafford (or a top line forward to replace him) and Spacek (or another defensemen to put in the pairing), both of whom are necessities.

We’d be lucky to only spend $7 million there, leaving $14 milion to spend on the remaing 12 players, or $1.3 million per player. 

I’ll show you exactly how hard it is to spend that below.

There just isn’t enough money for us to be Pittsburgh and fill out the roster with guys like Fedotenko, Sykora and Satan every offseason. We also don’t have the offensive depth to move those big contracts. 

Unless we can get two 20-goal scorers for the price of one of our top guys (which isn’t all that likely), it isn’t going to make the team any better right now.

 

4.  So what do we do this offseason?

First off, dump Hecht and Tallinder for whoever you can get. That saves $6 million and I’m assuming they get nothing that helps next season.

That leaves $40 million committed to 13 players (Vanek, Pominville, Roy, Connolly, Gaustad, Paille, Mair, Rivet, Lydman, Butler, Paetsch, Miller and Lalime).

Assuming we don’t have Paetsch starting and the payroll stays the same as last year, that means we have $12 million to spend on two left wingers, three right wingers, and three defensemen, including a winger with offensive talent to play in the top six and a top defenseman (Spacek or a replacement). 

Next we’ll sign restricted free agents Kaleta (obvious choice) and MacArthur.

MacArthur was good when he was with Stafford and Roy early and when he was with Pominville and Connolly late, he won’t be a star but give him a shot in the top six and he’ll score 50 points; well worth the money.

Each should only cost about $1 million (due to inexperience, injuries, slumps), leaving $10 million to spend on one left-winger, two right-wingers, and three defensemen.

Next we’ll go to Portland. 

Gerbe cleary deserves the spot as the last left winger. 

We’ll assume that one out of the group of Myers/Weber/Gragnani breaks camp in the third defensive pairing (or we resign Sekera). Without Sekera the two should cost about $1 million combined, leaving $9 million for two right wingers and two defensemen.

Here’s where we get into trouble.

We cut $6 million in payroll, we resigned our two cheapest restricted free agents, we promoted two players from the AHL making around the league minimum, and we haven’t touched any of our unrestricted free agents. 

We still have four empty roster spots, only $9 million to spend, and still clearly need a right winger to play in the top six, a defenseman for the top pairing, and probably a third line scoring threat.

Even if we move someone like Roy or Connolly, we only save $4-5 million, and would then need to try and fit two top six caliber forwards, a top defenseman and two more players into the payroll just to stick with the formula we had last year.

Ideally, I’d love to see us add a few million in payroll (and you could trade Lydman and resign Sekera for a little extra cash as well) and then have the space to both resign Stafford and Spacek and bring in Mattias Ohlund and Nik Antropov (I just really want to add size in the baddest way). 

I also think a line of Gerbe, Gaustad and Antropov would be hard to defend (and that is far from a typical Sabres line). It’s at least a third line that could bruise and gets its fair share of goals.

That’s not going to be the exact offseason, but I think it’s pretty accurate until we get to those last four spots to fill. 

Admittedly, the salary numbers for Kaleta, MacArthur, Gerbe and the rookie defensemen are probably off, don’t really know how entry level contracts work with players that aren’t called up yet, or what the market will be for the restricted free agents.

I’m more just pointing this out to show you can’t just say we need to sign a better backup goalie and some veterans on defense and the third line and expect the budget to work out, because it won’t. With Miller and Pominville getting giant raises this year and Stafford looking for his first big deal we’re already over last year’s salary before trying to addi any new players.  

Anyway lets hear what you have to say.

Does anyone disagree on my reasons for why players won’t/shouldn’t be traded? 

Is there any obvious trade partners out there that may be willing to trade a young player primed for a breakout who could help us right away?

The biggest problem to me is the only proven 20-goal scorers are Vanek, Roy, Pomminville and Stafford (although a healthy Connolly and MacArthur on the second line all year would both likely do it).  And then it’s a real possibility that Connolly gets hurt and Stafford signs elsewhere. 

Can we really trade Roy (or any of the big contracts) with that little offensive depth?

Most teams would probably want to base a deal around draft picks anyway. Wouldn’t that just be conceding the season before it starts? 

I just really don’t see our core players changing for a while, at least not unless we have some breakout players come up (Gerbe), making other guys become expendable. 

We are a legitimate playoff contender and trading any of our top guys jeopardizes that.  I think we are overreacting a little to missing the playoffs.

There are some issues and reasons for concern, but even with the doubts we’re still easily a six seed or better if Miller and Vanek are healthy. Our team also matched up against Boston, New York, New Jersey, and Montreal fairly well, while Pittsburgh, Washington and Philly are going to start having roster turnover from cap issues. 

One of the next few years we just need the cards to fall right. Good matchups, a well timed Miller hot streak and a little luck and we’re in the finals where anything can happen.

I’ve been reading everything Sabre related on this site for a while now and I’m tired of disputing things in the comments. I’m gonna tell you what will and needs to happen and why all these ridiculous ideas will not work.

I’d love for us to make some changes and bring in some different players as well, but a lot of these crackpot ideas are just not possible.

Let’s start by telling you what will not happen this offseason:

 

1. The Sabres will not trade Derek Roy.

It’s obvious the goal for this offseason is going to be to make the team better prepared for a playoff run this season. 

While I don’t doubt we could get a good package for Roy, what are we going to get for him that will make us better right away? You won’t get a better scorer. You won’t get someone better in the faceoff. You won’t get a better value at $4 million. 

Maybe if you could get a top defenseman for him and clear enough salary to sign an adequate replacement center it would make us better. But it’s a lot more likely we’d be gaining salary while losing a consistent offensive player (and we are already short in that department). 

Any deal where we move Roy is likely only going to give us depth or long-term potential, neither of which makes us better this season. And after the player salaries we get back, how much money could we actually save?

$1-2 million? 

Now if you switched Roy’s and Vanek’s contracts there would be some benefits to this deal. But at only $4 million we aren’t clearing enough room where we can get back young impact talent and sign a free agent player who can be an important part of the team.

More importantly, you know Connolly will miss some time and basically every free agent capable of centering a first or second line will cost more than Roy on the open market and is probably out of our price range after we fill the defensive holes. 

The Sabres will be out of the playoffs again if we’re left with some combination of Gaustad, Hecht and Gerbe as our top 2 centers for any extended period of time when Connolly is out.

Also, Lindy loves Roy.

He made him the top center for team Canada at the worlds.  He was second on a star-studded team for ice time for forwards there. He also really picked up his play in the draw after the break.

Lindy won’t let him go. 

If there is one thing that Darcy and Lindy do well, it’s work together and he isn’t going to trade away one of the coach’s favorite players. 

 

2. The Sabres can’t easily cut payroll.

Lets go through every contract the Sabres have that is more than $2.5 million (other than Miller and his $6.25 million) and evaluate who we can and should explore trading. 

Thomas Vanek (cap number $7,142,857, five years left) is just too expensive to get fair compensation for in a trade. And besides, he’s had 36-plus goals three years in a row.

Roy broke 30 two years ago and Pominville did it three years ago. The rest of the Sabres’ roster (who has a chance at coming back) has a combined two 20 goal seasons, and both of those are still question marks (Stafford last year, who could leave as a restricted free agent, and Hecht two years ago, who was a non-factor last season). 

If we lose Vanek, our offense is back to the abysmal years from 1996 to 1999, when we couldn’t win a cup with what might be the best five-year period a goalie’s ever had.

Jason Pominville (cap number $5,300,000, five years left) had too bad of a season (especially defensively) to have enough trade value to be worth trading.

Honestly who can we get for him that has more potential and/or makes less and still produces to give us flexibility? Maybe a 35-year-old with a year or two left. But that isn’t in the best interest of the organizaiton. 

Pominville had 30 goal and 80 point seasons in the very recent past and finished strong last year (six goals, 12 assists, +7 in his final 13) so there is some hope it was just an off year (and I still blame some early offensive struggles on being stuck with Hecht).

If the Sabres were going to go out on the line and sign a big winger to replace him and then trade Pominville later (for a defensemen, draft picks or cheaper players) I wouldn’t have a problem with it, but free agency isn’t that deep at right wing. You mostly have guys that are too expensive (Hossa, Gaborik, Havlat), past their prime (Satan anyone?), or not a big enough offensive threat (we could always get Kotalike back). 

I have a bad feeling the one big offensive sign will end up being Brian Gionta. I’ll cry if they bring in another umdersized forward.

Tim Connolly (cap number $4,500,000, two years left) I think has potential to be traded if the right situation arises. He’s too much of an injury risk and we need a sure thing.

If a team who’s deep at center would trade some reliable player for the higher-ceiling Connolly, I think it would be in our best interest. Swapping him for a physical 50-60 point center could be a great move, but we would need to find the ideal situation (somebody three-deep at center).

Otherwise we gotta keep him and hope for the best.   

Derek Roy (cap number $4 million, four years left) I already talked about.

Jochen Hecht (cap number $3,525,000, three years left) is the one who in my opinion absolutely has to go. I don’t care if we get one draft pick from the last round and nothing else. I don’t care if we swap him for another disappointing player from another team.

I’d trade that contract for spare zamboni parts if there was a taker. 

He can’t score, he can’t win draws and he drags down his linemates. I really think the prolonged Hecht/Pominville pairing early in the season is the reason that Jason dropped so much this year, at least offensively.

Craig Rivet (cap number $3,500,000, two years left) is the captain, the leader and our most physical defensemen (the biggest hole our team has). We need to add physical defensemen who can provide leadership, not subtract it.

He also reportedly started his offseason workouts a month ahead of his usual schedule, so he should hopefully be able to avoid the injuries that nagged him this year.

Tony Lydman (cap number $2,875,000, one year left) is a keeper for me right now because of how the defense as a whole looks.

Right now all we have is Rivet (who is brittle), Tallinder (see below), Paetsch (who is best suited as a backup playing defense or the fourth line whenever needed) and then a bunch of guys with less than a year’s experience in Butler, Myers, Weber and Gragnani.

Lydman was pretty bad with the puck in our zone last year (although I think part of that was being stuck with Tallinder), but he played physical and led the team in hits and blocked shots. He’s likely gone by the deadline anyway, but we should keep him to start the year to give the youth more time to develop. 

Henrik Tallinder’s (cap number $2,562,500, one year left) time is up in Buffalo. My second must go along with Hecht. The defense needs to be rebuilt and he’s the first piece to go. You’ll find someone in need of multiple blue liners willing to give up something very small to take him on for a year.

When it comes to the rest of the players who have contracts for this year, Gaustad, Paille, Butler and Paetsch are all guys that have to stay.

The only player with a questionable contract is Gaustad, but he’s a good faceoff man with size and physicallity, which the Sabres lack. I’d prefer Ellis (an unrestricted free agent) over Mair, but the difference is probably negligible for a fourth line center. 

To summarize, Hecht and Tallinder are gone. Lydman will be gone by the deadline, but it’s probably better to hold him until you see how Rivet and the kids hold up. Pominville and/or Connolly could go if everything lined up perfectly, but those aren’t the most likely scenarios.

Scoring talent is just too thin on this team and you can’t give up players with that type of potentital unless you get someone similar back, which isn’t likely to happen with their quesiton marks.

 

3. There won’t be giant turnover this offseason, as I’ve seen suggested in many places.

 

Yes it would be nice to drop some of our dead weight and replace them with some more reliable veterans, but it isn’t feasible for our team. 

We aren’t a big enough market to spend up to the cap like some teams. We also have a core of six guys (Vanek, Roy, Pominville, Connolly, Rivet, Miller) who it isn’t really easy, smart or beneficial to move, making up about $31 million of our projected $52 million budget.

I’m expecting we keep the payroll the same as last year, which isn’t a given with the failing economy. 

That would then leave $21 million for the remaining 14 players, or $1.5 million a player, which isn’t much, especially when everyone wants to pony up more for a better backup goalie and keep the luxury of a player like Paetsch who wouldn’t play every day.

That also doesn’t include the money that is paid to Stafford (or a top line forward to replace him) and Spacek (or another defensemen to put in the pairing), both of whom are necessities.

We’d be lucky to only spend $7 million there, leaving $14 milion to spend on the remaing 12 players, or $1.3 million per player. 

I’ll show you exactly how hard it is to spend that below.

There just isn’t enough money for us to be Pittsburgh and fill out the roster with guys like Fedotenko, Sykora and Satan every offseason. We also don’t have the offensive depth to move those big contracts. 

Unless we can get two 20-goal scorers for the price of one of our top guys (which isn’t all that likely), it isn’t going to make the team any better right now.

 

4.  So what do we do this offseason?

First off, dump Hecht and Tallinder for whoever you can get. That saves $6 million and I’m assuming they get nothing that helps next season.

That leaves $40 million committed to 13 players (Vanek, Pominville, Roy, Connolly, Gaustad, Paille, Mair, Rivet, Lydman, Butler, Paetsch, Miller and Lalime).

Assuming we don’t have Paetsch starting and the payroll stays the same as last year, that means we have $12 million to spend on two left wingers, three right wingers, and three defensemen, including a winger with offensive talent to play in the top six and a top defenseman (Spacek or a replacement). 

Next we’ll sign restricted free agents Kaleta (obvious choice) and MacArthur.

MacArthur was good when he was with Stafford and Roy early and when he was with Pominville and Connolly late, he won’t be a star but give him a shot in the top six and he’ll score 50 points; well worth the money.

Each should only cost about $1 million (due to inexperience, injuries, slumps), leaving $10 million to spend on one left-winger, two right-wingers, and three defensemen.

Next we’ll go to Portland. 

Gerbe cleary deserves the spot as the last left winger. 

We’ll assume that one out of the group of Myers/Weber/Gragnani breaks camp in the third defensive pairing (or we resign Sekera). Without Sekera the two should cost about $1 million combined, leaving $9 million for two right wingers and two defensemen.

Here’s where we get into trouble.

We cut $6 million in payroll, we resigned our two cheapest restricted free agents, we promoted two players from the AHL making around the league minimum, and we haven’t touched any of our unrestricted free agents. 

We still have four empty roster spots, only $9 million to spend, and still clearly need a right winger to play in the top six, a defenseman for the top pairing, and probably a third line scoring threat.

Even if we move someone like Roy or Connolly, we only save $4-5 million, and would then need to try and fit two top six caliber forwards, a top defenseman and two more players into the payroll just to stick with the formula we had last year.

Ideally, I’d love to see us add a few million in payroll (and you could trade Lydman and resign Sekera for a little extra cash as well) and then have the space to both resign Stafford and Spacek and bring in Mattias Ohlund and Nik Antropov (I just really want to add size in the baddest way). 

I also think a line of Gerbe, Gaustad and Antropov would be hard to defend (and that is far from a typical Sabres line). It’s at least a third line that could bruise and gets its fair share of goals.

That’s not going to be the exact offseason, but I think it’s pretty accurate until we get to those last four spots to fill. 

Admittedly, the salary numbers for Kaleta, MacArthur, Gerbe and the rookie defensemen are probably off, don’t really know how entry level contracts work with players that aren’t called up yet, or what the market will be for the restricted free agents.

I’m more just pointing this out to show you can’t just say we need to sign a better backup goalie and some veterans on defense and the third line and expect the budget to work out, because it won’t. With Miller and Pominville getting giant raises this year and Stafford looking for his first big deal we’re already over last year’s salary before trying to addi any new players.  

Anyway lets hear what you have to say.

Does anyone disagree on my reasons for why players won’t/shouldn’t be traded? 

Is there any obvious trade partners out there that may be willing to trade a young player primed for a breakout who could help us right away?

The biggest problem to me is the only proven 20-goal scorers are Vanek, Roy, Pomminville and Stafford (although a healthy Connolly and MacArthur on the second line all year would both likely do it).  And then it’s a real possibility that Connolly gets hurt and Stafford signs elsewhere. 

Can we really trade Roy (or any of the big contracts) with that little offensive depth?

Most teams would probably want to base a deal around draft picks anyway. Wouldn’t that just be conceding the season before it starts? 

I just really don’t see our core players changing for a while, at least not unless we have some breakout players come up (Gerbe), making other guys become expendable. 

We are a legitimate playoff contender and trading any of our top guys jeopardizes that.  I think we are overreacting a little to missing the playoffs.

There are some issues and reasons for concern, but even with the doubts we’re still easily a six seed or better if Miller and Vanek are healthy. Our team also matched up against Boston, New York, New Jersey, and Montreal fairly well, while Pittsburgh, Washington and Philly are going to start having roster turnover from cap issues. 

One of the next few years we just need the cards to fall right. Good matchups, a well timed Miller hot streak and a little luck and we’re in the finals where anything can happen.

Buffalo Sabres owner Tom Golisano announced during his speech at the 2009 Financial Executive of the Year Awards luncheon on May 14 that he would move to Florida due to rising NY state taxes.

Golisano said the move is not expected to affect his ownership of the Buffalo Sabres, which probably means he’ll maintain the same role he had this season: Let co-owner Larry Quinn do everything, which is not necessarily great news for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in two seasons.

The self-made millionaire and founder of Paychex, has made a $77m profit on the $92m he paid for the team in 2002. However, Golisano’s involvement has decreased immensely in the past two years.

The value of the team has slowed to four percent growth from previous year, as opposed to a 45 percent increase over two years prior to ’06. The team was 17th in ’06, and now 21st in franchise value.

Needless to say, this move to Florida ensures Golisano will have less and less involvement, allowing Quinn to be the primary decision maker.

You can’t blame the guy for moving as Golisano says he’ll save more than $13,000 per day in taxes by moving to Florida.

That’s a staggering five million per year!

Obviously, New York has been brutally disastrous to Mr. Golisano, given that his income is such that he has to pay so much per day in taxes.

The question now becomes: How can Golisano run the Sabres from Florida?

Maybe with saving all that money he can bring some better talent to the Sabres, like some better defensemen.

Does this mean Sabres fans should be concerned about a possible relocation?

Could Golisano’s move to Florida be just a precursor for the selling of the team?

There have already been others interested in the team as Billionaire, and twice former NHL franchise owner, Jim Balsillie contacted the owner of the Buffalo Sabres about buying them earlier in the ‘08-‘09 season. Balsillie phoned Sabres owner Tom Golisano in December of ’08, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Still Golisano seems adamant and assures that the Sabres will not be moving anytime soon.

The city loves the team, and it’s a wonder that a team in a region in the top third of the NHL’s market is in the bottom third for franchise value.

Maybe fans are starting to get fed up that Buffalo has becoming a team that develops stars, only to trade them away to the competition (Drury – Rangers, Briere – Flyers, Campbell – Sharks).

Let’s hope these greedy NY government officials don’t send away fans as well with their taxing.

Buffalo Sabres owner Tom Golisano announced during his speech at the 2009 Financial Executive of the Year Awards luncheon on May 14 that he would move to Florida due to rising NY state taxes.

Golisano said the move is not expected to affect his ownership of the Buffalo Sabres, which probably means he’ll maintain the same role he had this season: Let co-owner Larry Quinn do everything, which is not necessarily great news for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in two seasons.

The self-made millionaire and founder of Paychex, has made a $77m profit on the $92m he paid for the team in 2002. However, Golisano’s involvement has decreased immensely in the past two years.

The value of the team has slowed to four percent growth from previous year, as opposed to a 45 percent increase over two years prior to ’06. The team was 17th in ’06, and now 21st in franchise value.

Needless to say, this move to Florida ensures Golisano will have less and less involvement, allowing Quinn to be the primary decision maker.

You can’t blame the guy for moving as Golisano says he’ll save more than $13,000 per day in taxes by moving to Florida.

That’s a staggering five million per year!

Obviously, New York has been brutally disastrous to Mr. Golisano, given that his income is such that he has to pay so much per day in taxes.

The question now becomes: How can Golisano run the Sabres from Florida?

Maybe with saving all that money he can bring some better talent to the Sabres, like some better defensemen.

Does this mean Sabres fans should be concerned about a possible relocation?

Could Golisano’s move to Florida be just a precursor for the selling of the team?

There have already been others interested in the team as Billionaire, and twice former NHL franchise owner, Jim Balsillie contacted the owner of the Buffalo Sabres about buying them earlier in the ‘08-‘09 season. Balsillie phoned Sabres owner Tom Golisano in December of ’08, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Still Golisano seems adamant and assures that the Sabres will not be moving anytime soon.

The city loves the team, and it’s a wonder that a team in a region in the top third of the NHL’s market is in the bottom third for franchise value.

Maybe fans are starting to get fed up that Buffalo has becoming a team that develops stars, only to trade them away to the competition (Drury – Rangers, Briere – Flyers, Campbell – Sharks).

Let’s hope these greedy NY government officials don’t send away fans as well with their taxing.

Okay, before all the Buffalo Sabres fans jump down my throat and call me the Anti-Christ, hear me out. If Jim Balsillie was awarded the Phoenix Coyotes and subsequently allowed the move to Hamilton, it could become a Buffalo Sabres fans dream.

Here’s why.

Let’s look at a few aspects of the Buffalo Sabres organization as a whole and just see what could be improved. The Sabres ownership is primarily run by two people, Tom Golisano and Larry Quinn. Quinn is the managing partner and minority owner of the Sabres. Golisano is the money and power, so to speak. Nothing pertaining to money spent does not happen without Tommy G putting his stamp of approval on it first. 

Some may look at this and say, “Okay, Ron, big deal. Every team has an owner that has a say in team’s operation.”

Yes, very true, but how many teams have multiple owners that have no hockey background as the Buffalo Sabres have? Quinn, a real estate and land developer by trade, has been with the organization multiple times and honestly has shown little in the way of forward thinking with this team since the day he his second term.

Golisano, on the other hand, is a self-made billionaire of a business called Paychex. Again, no hockey background to speak of. But one thing Golisano does possess is a second-to-none business sense. He understands the value of a dollar and knows what it takes to make money. That being said, how does Balsillie moving a team to Hamilton make the Buffalo Sabres’ fans happy?

The NHL is a business—just like anything else. It thrives on planting a butt every 12 inches in an arena. With the current state of the local and national economy, some teams have made cutbacks to ensure that they will stay viable through the hardship. But a guy like Balsillie comes along and gets awarded the Coyotes franchise that moves close to Buffalo with a promise of $150 million in improvements.

One can only think that a man like Balsillie who has a voracious appetite about getting a team would not accept anything less than success from his franchise. That alone may force the Buffalo Sabres brass to sit and take a long hard look at what they have done and which direction this team is headed.

As Quinn said, a team in Hamilton could be a big hit to the Buffalo Sabres franchise, in terms of attendance. Well, I guess Quinn and Golisano would have to work that much harder to make sure the product on the ice is a quality one in which thousands of people would sell their right arm to attend.

Buffalo Sabres fans are starting to get sick of status quo from this team. The bottom line is that winning fixes problems and sells tickets. The Sabres have been lucky over the last two seasons to have as many fans attending their games as they do; the lack of a quality product will soon cause regular attendees to shy away from buying tickets and find better ways to spend their hard earned money.

Even worse, the casual fans that can either only afford to go once in a while or only care to go once in a while will turn away completely from overspending to attend a game that fails to entertain anyone besides popcorn vendors.

This is big business, but is nothing more than K Mart trying to compete with Wal-Mart for the tough-to-earn consumer dollar. And like any other business, you can only take so much ringamoro before you shop elsewhere. Balsillie would make this team sharpen their collective pencils and actually force them to show they care about the fans and not just the profits they claim they do not make. Please let Balsillie get that franchise. I have a sneaking feeling Sabres fans, in the end, will be much happier.

Okay, before all the Buffalo Sabres fans jump down my throat and call me the Anti-Christ, hear me out. If Jim Balsillie was awarded the Phoenix Coyotes and subsequently allowed the move to Hamilton, it could become a Buffalo Sabres fans dream.

Here’s why.

Let’s look at a few aspects of the Buffalo Sabres organization as a whole and just see what could be improved. The Sabres ownership is primarily run by two people, Tom Golisano and Larry Quinn. Quinn is the managing partner and minority owner of the Sabres. Golisano is the money and power, so to speak. Nothing pertaining to money spent does not happen without Tommy G putting his stamp of approval on it first. 

Some may look at this and say, “Okay, Ron, big deal. Every team has an owner that has a say in team’s operation.”

Yes, very true, but how many teams have multiple owners that have no hockey background as the Buffalo Sabres have? Quinn, a real estate and land developer by trade, has been with the organization multiple times and honestly has shown little in the way of forward thinking with this team since the day he his second term.

Golisano, on the other hand, is a self-made billionaire of a business called Paychex. Again, no hockey background to speak of. But one thing Golisano does possess is a second-to-none business sense. He understands the value of a dollar and knows what it takes to make money. That being said, how does Balsillie moving a team to Hamilton make the Buffalo Sabres’ fans happy?

The NHL is a business—just like anything else. It thrives on planting a butt every 12 inches in an arena. With the current state of the local and national economy, some teams have made cutbacks to ensure that they will stay viable through the hardship. But a guy like Balsillie comes along and gets awarded the Coyotes franchise that moves close to Buffalo with a promise of $150 million in improvements.

One can only think that a man like Balsillie who has a voracious appetite about getting a team would not accept anything less than success from his franchise. That alone may force the Buffalo Sabres brass to sit and take a long hard look at what they have done and which direction this team is headed.

As Quinn said, a team in Hamilton could be a big hit to the Buffalo Sabres franchise, in terms of attendance. Well, I guess Quinn and Golisano would have to work that much harder to make sure the product on the ice is a quality one in which thousands of people would sell their right arm to attend.

Buffalo Sabres fans are starting to get sick of status quo from this team. The bottom line is that winning fixes problems and sells tickets. The Sabres have been lucky over the last two seasons to have as many fans attending their games as they do; the lack of a quality product will soon cause regular attendees to shy away from buying tickets and find better ways to spend their hard earned money.

Even worse, the casual fans that can either only afford to go once in a while or only care to go once in a while will turn away completely from overspending to attend a game that fails to entertain anyone besides popcorn vendors.

This is big business, but is nothing more than K Mart trying to compete with Wal-Mart for the tough-to-earn consumer dollar. And like any other business, you can only take so much ringamoro before you shop elsewhere. Balsillie would make this team sharpen their collective pencils and actually force them to show they care about the fans and not just the profits they claim they do not make. Please let Balsillie get that franchise. I have a sneaking feeling Sabres fans, in the end, will be much happier.

This is the fifth and final submission in a series of articles about the greatest underdog venues in U.S. pro sports. The criteria is simple: small-market towns, communities that get no respect, that personify the under-rated, that constantly challenge the giants of the world, and/or that have suffered some terrible devastation but are rebuilding.

There is the oft-quoted excerpt from A Chorus Line: “..to commit suicide in Buffalo would be redundant.”

If you’re from Buffalo you either love the line and quote it as Gospel, or you hate it and find yourself arguing against it explicitly and implicitly in every conversation you have with people who are not from Buffalo.

As I wrote in my B/R article, Why I’m a BFF (Bills Fan Forever), Being from Buffalo is like being Jewish. It’s not just a place to live or to have moved from, it is the experience of being not only in a place but of a place. It’s more theological and psychological than it is geographical. It’s a strange combination of identity, self-esteem (individual and collective) and culture that are all interwoven into the landscape, architecture, climate, and experience of the place.

If you belong to the professional social networking site, Linked In, you will notice a disproportionate number of groups for Buffalo expats (natives and long-time residents who currently live away from Buffalo). Their comments and discussions– about Buffalo sports, politics, events, and shared  history– resemble what one might expect to find in a chatroom of the Jewish diaspora.

There’s just something different, deeper, intrinsic and unshakable about being from Buffalo that I have not observed in people from other mid-sized or larger cities (with the exception perhaps, to a somewhat lesser degree, of people from other towns on our Top 5 List).

The late, great Tim Russert is a perfect example of a Buffalo expat. He’d been gone for most of his adult life. He’d lived in New York and Washington. He’d become one of the top two or three journalists of his generation. Yet, he owned an apartment in Buffalo, went back there most holidays, wrote a book about growing up there, and always ended his program “Meet the Press” with a cheer for the Bills or the Sabres when they were in season.

The continued fanatical following of the Buffalo Braves, an NBA franchise that lived in Buffalo for eight years and has been the Clippers for 31 years, is another example of what I’m talking about. Far from dying out, this obsession with Buffalo’s NBA team continues to grow. The most recent manifestation of that is the release of a new coffee table book, “Buffalo, Home of the Braves,” featured in my B/R article of the same name.

So what is this about?

Like Cleveland, but even more so, Buffalo as a city, a region, and a people, gets no respect, is constantly being stereotyped by weather, by blight, by various Rust-Belt images, and is often parodied as culturally primitive and crass. And…

It’s sports teams have, like Cleveland’s but even more so, lived lives of extended desperation, frustration, and (like Browns I) abduction.

The Cavaliers have nearly missed the NBA finals numerous times, and lost the final round once. The Bills have nearly missed the Superbowl several times and managed to lose it four consecutive times, two of those times as the favorite.

And that’s only half the story. The Sabres have made the Stanley Cup Finals twice in their history and each time lost gallantly played and heartbreaking series.

The Bills could have won their first superbowl except that Scott Norwood, who up to that point was the most reliable kicker in the NFL, went wide right on a chip shot. Now the term “Wide Right” is considered profanity in Buffalo.

The Sabres went six games against the Dallas Stars in their most recent Stanley Cup Finals and eventually lost game six near the end of the third overtime (thus having played a double-game, on a controversial non-call when the “winning goal” was made from “in the crease” (another localized profanity).

The rule was eliminated the following year, but at the time it should have been called and might have extended Buffalo’s life long enough to play (and win) a seventh game.

And that’s just sports.

Buffalo, unlike sister Rust Belt cities like Pittsburgh, Milwaukee to a lesser degree, and even Cleveland, has experienced all too little revitalization since its smoke belching factories were shut down.

Yes, there’s been some cosmetic improvement in the inner city. The ugly, smelly factories are mostly gone. Some new building has occured in their stead, and  downtown.

A charming cultural district has emerged. There are world class museums, especially the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, great restaurants, a world class orchestra (Buffalo Philharmonic, once directed by Michael Tilson Thomas and still going strong).

The University at Buffalo (flagship of the State University of New York system) remains a leading center of academic pursuit and scientific research.

A medical research center is emerging that when complete will rival the Cleveland Clinic (a little irony there?).

As a tourist destination Buffalo’s Metro Area includes the entire Niagara Region on both sides of the border. In fifteen minutes from downtown Buffalo you can be standing on the brink of the Horseshoe Falls absolutely mesmerized by one of the natural “Wonders of the World.” There are four and five star hotels, casinos, music and theatrical venues along with tourist traps, wax museums, and the rest.

Not only is Buffalo misunderstood and underappreciated for its current strengths, it is almost completely unknown for its golden era when it was a leading American city.

It’s position on the Erie Canal, Lake Erie, and its access to hydro-electricity (more on that later) made Buffalo a leading port and manufacturing hub as well as a financial and cultural center.

At the turn of the previous century Buffalo was home to more millionaires per capita than any city in the United States. The mansions in which these industrial giants and financiers lived are still well preserved on Delaware Avenue in a neighborhood called “Millionaires Row.”

Proximity to Niagara Falls and hydro electricity made Buffalo the first city in the world to be fully electrified. The Pan American Exposition (e.g. World’s Fair) was held in Buffalo to show off electricity.

One permanent building from the Expo remains as the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society (History Museum). Across a reflecting lake in beautiful Delaware Park is the equally classic lines and columns of the Albright-Knox.  

A beautiful system of parks and traffic circles designed by Frederick Law Olmstead (architect of Manhattan’s Central Park) is still well maintained.

But does anyone outside of the Niagara Region know any of this? Of course not. They know snow, blight, chicken wings and underdog sports teams.

That’s why once from Buffalo, always from Buffalo. That’s why Buffalo and Buffalonians have an Avis Complex (from the old Avis commercial, we’re number two so we try harder). That’s why the souls of Buffalonians past and present will languish in a perpetual purgatory in this world and the next until the Bills or the Sabres win a World Championship.

Yes, as much as Buffalo has bragging rights beyond the sports world, there’s this sense in which the religion that is Buffalo-ness (compare to the religion of being Jewish and tied to the land of Israel) is centered on the sacramental exploits of its major league teams. In the Buffalo psyche nothing will be enough to vindicate, redeem, and liberate the city and its souls unless or until one of the teams is on top of the world.     

This is the fifth and final submission in a series of articles about the greatest underdog venues in U.S. pro sports. The criteria is simple: small-market towns, communities that get no respect, that personify the under-rated, that constantly challenge the giants of the world, and/or that have suffered some terrible devastation but are rebuilding.

There is the oft-quoted excerpt from A Chorus Line: “..to commit suicide in Buffalo would be redundant.”

If you’re from Buffalo you either love the line and quote it as Gospel, or you hate it and find yourself arguing against it explicitly and implicitly in every conversation you have with people who are not from Buffalo.

As I wrote in my B/R article, Why I’m a BFF (Bills Fan Forever), Being from Buffalo is like being Jewish. It’s not just a place to live or to have moved from, it is the experience of being not only in a place but of a place. It’s more theological and psychological than it is geographical. It’s a strange combination of identity, self-esteem (individual and collective) and culture that are all interwoven into the landscape, architecture, climate, and experience of the place.

If you belong to the professional social networking site, Linked In, you will notice a disproportionate number of groups for Buffalo expats (natives and long-time residents who currently live away from Buffalo). Their comments and discussions– about Buffalo sports, politics, events, and shared  history– resemble what one might expect to find in a chatroom of the Jewish diaspora.

There’s just something different, deeper, intrinsic and unshakable about being from Buffalo that I have not observed in people from other mid-sized or larger cities (with the exception perhaps, to a somewhat lesser degree, of people from other towns on our Top 5 List).

The late, great Tim Russert is a perfect example of a Buffalo expat. He’d been gone for most of his adult life. He’d lived in New York and Washington. He’d become one of the top two or three journalists of his generation. Yet, he owned an apartment in Buffalo, went back there most holidays, wrote a book about growing up there, and always ended his program “Meet the Press” with a cheer for the Bills or the Sabres when they were in season.

The continued fanatical following of the Buffalo Braves, an NBA franchise that lived in Buffalo for eight years and has been the Clippers for 31 years, is another example of what I’m talking about. Far from dying out, this obsession with Buffalo’s NBA team continues to grow. The most recent manifestation of that is the release of a new coffee table book, “Buffalo, Home of the Braves,” featured in my B/R article of the same name.

So what is this about?

Like Cleveland, but even more so, Buffalo as a city, a region, and a people, gets no respect, is constantly being stereotyped by weather, by blight, by various Rust-Belt images, and is often parodied as culturally primitive and crass. And…

It’s sports teams have, like Cleveland’s but even more so, lived lives of extended desperation, frustration, and (like Browns I) abduction.

The Cavaliers have nearly missed the NBA finals numerous times, and lost the final round once. The Bills have nearly missed the Superbowl several times and managed to lose it four consecutive times, two of those times as the favorite.

And that’s only half the story. The Sabres have made the Stanley Cup Finals twice in their history and each time lost gallantly played and heartbreaking series.

The Bills could have won their first superbowl except that Scott Norwood, who up to that point was the most reliable kicker in the NFL, went wide right on a chip shot. Now the term “Wide Right” is considered profanity in Buffalo.

The Sabres went six games against the Dallas Stars in their most recent Stanley Cup Finals and eventually lost game six near the end of the third overtime (thus having played a double-game, on a controversial non-call when the “winning goal” was made from “in the crease” (another localized profanity).

The rule was eliminated the following year, but at the time it should have been called and might have extended Buffalo’s life long enough to play (and win) a seventh game.

And that’s just sports.

Buffalo, unlike sister Rust Belt cities like Pittsburgh, Milwaukee to a lesser degree, and even Cleveland, has experienced all too little revitalization since its smoke belching factories were shut down.

Yes, there’s been some cosmetic improvement in the inner city. The ugly, smelly factories are mostly gone. Some new building has occured in their stead, and  downtown.

A charming cultural district has emerged. There are world class museums, especially the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, great restaurants, a world class orchestra (Buffalo Philharmonic, once directed by Michael Tilson Thomas and still going strong).

The University at Buffalo (flagship of the State University of New York system) remains a leading center of academic pursuit and scientific research.

A medical research center is emerging that when complete will rival the Cleveland Clinic (a little irony there?).

As a tourist destination Buffalo’s Metro Area includes the entire Niagara Region on both sides of the border. In fifteen minutes from downtown Buffalo you can be standing on the brink of the Horseshoe Falls absolutely mesmerized by one of the natural “Wonders of the World.” There are four and five star hotels, casinos, music and theatrical venues along with tourist traps, wax museums, and the rest.

Not only is Buffalo misunderstood and underappreciated for its current strengths, it is almost completely unknown for its golden era when it was a leading American city.

It’s position on the Erie Canal, Lake Erie, and its access to hydro-electricity (more on that later) made Buffalo a leading port and manufacturing hub as well as a financial and cultural center.

At the turn of the previous century Buffalo was home to more millionaires per capita than any city in the United States. The mansions in which these industrial giants and financiers lived are still well preserved on Delaware Avenue in a neighborhood called “Millionaires Row.”

Proximity to Niagara Falls and hydro electricity made Buffalo the first city in the world to be fully electrified. The Pan American Exposition (e.g. World’s Fair) was held in Buffalo to show off electricity.

One permanent building from the Expo remains as the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society (History Museum). Across a reflecting lake in beautiful Delaware Park is the equally classic lines and columns of the Albright-Knox.  

A beautiful system of parks and traffic circles designed by Frederick Law Olmstead (architect of Manhattan’s Central Park) is still well maintained.

But does anyone outside of the Niagara Region know any of this? Of course not. They know snow, blight, chicken wings and underdog sports teams.

That’s why once from Buffalo, always from Buffalo. That’s why Buffalo and Buffalonians have an Avis Complex (from the old Avis commercial, we’re number two so we try harder). That’s why the souls of Buffalonians past and present will languish in a perpetual purgatory in this world and the next until the Bills or the Sabres win a World Championship.

Yes, as much as Buffalo has bragging rights beyond the sports world, there’s this sense in which the religion that is Buffalo-ness (compare to the religion of being Jewish and tied to the land of Israel) is centered on the sacramental exploits of its major league teams. In the Buffalo psyche nothing will be enough to vindicate, redeem, and liberate the city and its souls unless or until one of the teams is on top of the world.     

What if the Buffalo Sabres could have won just two more games on the year, and barely stolen the eight seed from Montreal? Lets take a look.

Should the Sabres have taken the eight spot in the Eastern Conference (they missed by two points) they would have had to face Boston in the first round. Boston ran over Montreal in a sweep, outscoring the Canadiens 17-6.

The Sabres saw the Bruins a total of six times in 2009, and the Sabres took the series by winning four and only losing two. The Sabres also outscored the Bruins 21-14.

Could Buffalo have beaten the Bruins?

Well, they might not have beaten them, but if I was going to predict it, the Sabres would have beaten the Bruins in seven games, or at least gave a better series than Montreal did.

Now, should the Sabres have won that series against Boston, they would have had to face Washington in the quarterfinals (remember, they re-seed with the worst seeded winning team playing the best seed who won available).

Don’t get me wrong, Washington is a great team, led by Alexander Ovechkin, but their goaltending is weak. Simeon Varlamov did play well for the Capital against the Penguins, but his defense gave up too many opportunities that Pittsburgh capitalized on, and in the end it came back to hurt them.

The Sabres could have beaten the Capitals in my eyes. If Buffalo could have been firing on all cylinders, and brought that proud feeling to the fans back in town, then they could have moved on to the Eastern Conference finals in six.

Now, we get to the semi-finals for the Eastern Conference. The Sabres would have been playing the Pittsburgh Penguins. Buffalo split the four-game regular season series with Pittsburgh, losing in regulation 5-2, then in overtime at home 4-3 on a goal from Malkin.

The Sabres won their two games in the season against them both by scores of 4-3, but all four of those games were back before the trade deadline in December.

Sadly, the Sabre train would end here, as I wouldn’t see the likes of our youth pulling out four games against Malkin, Crosby, Fleury, Orpik, Staal, Guerin, and Sykora. I would say Penguins in six, as I give us wins both at home.

But, let’s just keep dreaming (as if we aren’t all ready) and say that Buffalo won again, and went to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1999. Oh, what a season!

They would end up facing Detroit (unless somehow the Blackhawks can muster out a series win as they are all ready down three games to one), a team that they couldn’t beat in the regular season, losing all three match-ups.

Maybe a little intensity could get them past the Wings and onto the team’s first Stanley Cup ever, but it just wouldn’t seem likely to beat the cup reigning workforce. Detroit would have won in either five or six.

How can I predict all this stuff? I can’t. I’m just giving all us Sabres fans out there a little thought, and a barrier to how bad our season ended. Hey, there’s always next year, huh?