After the Buffalo Sabres finished off their second-straight disappointing season, managing partner Larry Quinn said the team would conduct a “thorough evaluation” to determine the reasoning for the team’s downfall.

Just a week removed from that statement, it was announced that both General Manager Darcy Regier and Head Coach Lindy Ruff would be retained.

Now, weeks later, Sabres faithful are pondering what will happen next this offseason. It is obviously painful to watch the NHL Playoffs, especially when the team you root for isn’t one of the 16 teams battling for Lord Stanley’s Cup.

The Sabres should make plenty of offseason moves to ensure their fans improvement in the 2009-10 season. I mean, why not? I’m not saying the team needs to rebuild by any means, but last season after almost expectantly missing the playoffs after the Drury-Briere folly, Regier and Co. followed suit by having a pretty mediocre summer, trading for captain Craig Rivet.

Yes, Rivet was a decent addition. Heck, the team was reluctant enough to slap the “C” on his chest just weeks after his arrival.

And let’s not forget how the front office reworked a few deals to keep core players around for years to come. Ryan Miller, Jason Pominville, Jochen Hecht, Paul Gaustad, and Daniel Paille all signed new deals a year ago. At the time we applauded their persistence to get deals done, and it seemed as though most fans were appreciative of a rather busy offseason.

This time around, the Sabres have a lot more work to do. They should not settle for minor changes. The team has missed the playoffs for two straight years since winning the Presidents’ Trophy three seasons ago.

Regier has to make the decision on six unrestricted free agents and five restricted free agents. Some easier decisions than others, obviously, but a busy offseason nonetheless. Also, fans are hoping “other” changes will be made, via trade, or by making additions through free agency, or promotions within the organization. 

Since this has been a very popular topic among you Bleacher Creatures, I decided I’d join in the guessing game.

I am going to try and be as realistic as possible, but also I will try to discuss all the possible scenarios the Sabres may be evaluating as we speak. In a three-part article, I will discuss the Sabres’ free agents, both restricted and unrestricted, possible free agents the Sabres may target, possible players on the trade market, and also prospects within the organization, who may be on the brink of becoming stars in the NHL.

 

Unrestricted Free Agents

Maxim Afinogenov, 28, RW; 2008-09 salary: $3.5 million

Probably the easiest decision this offseason for the Sabres is to part ways with the Russian speedster. Just three years ago he led the team in points halfway through the season before a wrist fracture put him in the press box. Since then he has been more than a disappointment. He had just 48 points in 104 games in two seasons, and spent plenty of time as a healthy scratch during that time period.

Bon voyage, Maxim.

Andrew Peters, 28, LW; 2008-09 salary:$550,000

I read other day that every NHL team needs a fighter. Well, in the Sabres’ case, Andrew Peters would be that guy right? He played 28 games last season averaging a little over four minutes of ice time and accumulating 80 PIMs.

This is probably as useless of hockey player I have ever seen. I have a hard time believing Peters even has a spot on any NHL team. The league has run out of room for the traditional goon. And besides, the Sabres should have plenty of guys who can fill the void in the fighting department. Craig Rivet and Paul Gaustad will do just fine.

Dominic Moore, 27, C; 2008-09 salary: $900,000

When Moore was acquired via trade from Toronto, most people, including me thought that he was going to be brought in as a rent-a-player. The Sabres acquired Moore late on deadline day for a second round pick acquired from an earlier trade involving Ales Kotalik and the Edmonton Oilers.

Moore had 41 points in Toronto before coming to Buffalo and many thought that he would come in and contribute in the points department. Well, in 18 games with the Sabres he was only able to record a goal and three assists.

It has been rumored upon his arrival that he was asking for a hefty raise in Toronto, which was one of the main reasons he was traded. Depending on what the Sabres do with some other players, it might be best to let Moore go.

He is a third-line center at best, and with guys like Gaustad, Adam Mair, and Matt Ellis already on the roster, there might not be any room for a player of Moore’s caliber. But like I said, it depends on what the team does.

Matt Ellis, 26, LW-C; 2008-09 salary: $475,000

Ellis was one of the surprises this season after being picked up off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings. Ellis stepped in right away after some key injuries sidelined Gaustad and Jochen Hecht earlier in the year. Watching Ellis was a bit refreshing. He was one of those high motor guys that you knew was giving 110 percent for the logo on the front of his sweater. In 45 games, the fourth-liner finished with 12 points (7G, 5A).

Ellis is your traditional depth forward, and a guy that would be very cheap to keep around. But last season I became a little weary of the talent drop off between the top two lines and the bottom lines. The Sabres almost looked like they were running two fourth lines for the majority of the season.

I am not bashing on Ellis, but I think they were a little stacked with players of his talent level. Yes, guys like Ellis are much needed, but with Gaustad, Moore, Mair, Paile, Pat Kaleta, and even Nathan Paetsch on the roster, you kind of have to narrow that group down a bit, right? There’s a 50/50 chance Ellis is a Sabre next season.

Teppo Numminen, 39, D; 2008-09 salary: $1.1 million

What can you say about Teppo? Such a great career. In 19 seasons he played almost 1400 games, recording 637 points. Everyone in the league was aware of Numminen’s story coming in to last season.

He played a total of two games in 2007-08, spending most of his time recovering from his second heart surgery in as many years. At the start of last season, he was back and ready to go. He played the majority of the first half of the season, but after all-star break it seemed as though his age was catching up to him. Not only that but there was a young stud emerging on the Sabres’ blue line by the name of Chris Butler. In 57 games, Numminen contributed 17 points (2G, 15A).

In all likelihood, the veteran defenseman has played his last game in a Sabres uniform. He has publicly stated he is unsure about a return next season, but said that if he did he would want to play in Buffalo. Chances are he will hang up the skates.

Jaroslav Spacek, 34, D; 2008-09 salary: $3.3 million

Out of all the unrestricted free agents the Sabres have to deal with this offseason, Spacek is the toughest decision. The Sabres’ blue line struggled last year, and had a number of dumb mistakes and defensive-zone meltdowns. Not only did the Sabres have trouble in their own end, but they also had trouble moving the puck out of their zone.

Spacek signed a three-year deal just over $9 million a few seasons ago. He was brought to Buffalo not only to be a sound, physical defenseman, but also to contribute in the points department. He has been a mainstay on the point on the power-play for the Sabres, and his shot and passing ability has been a key attribute to an above-average unit the last three seasons.

Last season, Spacek recorded 45 points in 80 games, though he struggled earlier on in the season. He finished tied for fifth in points with Drew Stafford. In the last two seasons Spacek has totalled 44 points on the power-play alone.

One of the Sabres’ biggest needs this offseason is on the blue line. The Sabres are in dire need of a big, physical, gritty defenseman, but also a puck-moving, offensive defenseman.

Depending on what Regier’s plans are to bolster the defense, Spacek may be around next season at a rather reasonable price. At $3 to $3.5 million I think the Sabres could keep him around. If he can contribute 40 to 45 points, it may be worth it. If the Sabres do not re-sign him, they will need to fill the void he will leave on the power-play.

 

Restricted Free Agents

This is where the real fun begins. Well, sort of.

The real fun would be going out and signing or trading for different players, but that doesn’t happen too often in Sabreland. The Sabres have tougher decisions regarding their restricted free agents.

Drew Stafford, 22, RW; 2008-09 salary: $984,000

The Sabres looked to Stafford last season to be one of the top point producers on the team. Early last season we were accustomed to seeing Stafford paired with Thomas Vanek and Derek Roy on the team’s top line. His season started off very slowly, and was bounced around to various lines.

Like most of the Sabres last year, he struggled, and at times he went many games without scoring a goal. He was, however, very productive in the months of January and February, only to fall off the score sheet when the team needed him most.

Stafford was drafted 13th overall by the Sabres in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. The 6’1″, 200-pound winger has great hands and play-making ability. He was inserted into the lineup early in his career in the 2006-07 season where he played 41 games and tallied 27 points. Just two season later he was playing on the top line.

Last year he reached the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career, finishing with 20 goals and 25 assists. His inconsistencies were as troublesome as some of the higher profiled players such as Vanek, Roy, and Jason Pominville.

Because of his potential, I see Stafford getting extended. Somewhere around a two-year, $5 million deal sounds sufficient. He has nowhere to go but up, especially playing alongside a player such as Vanek. He is capable of scoring 25 to 30 goals a year, while adding a physical aspect to his game. At $2.5 million per, that would be a bit of a bargain. But he has to perform.

Clarke MacArthur, 23, LW; 2008-09 salary: $522,000

MacArthur came out of the starting gates very quickly last season. In the first two months, MacArthur had six goals. But after a hot start, MacArthur went 17 games without finding the back of the net. This awful stretch forced Lindy Ruff to make him a healthy scratch on a few occasions.

He lacked the intensity and passion that was needed to play the game at a high level, and many, including his coach, questioned his motivation. This is MacArthur’s biggest question mark.

MacArthur finished the season with a career-high 17 goals and 14 assists. He was bounced around anywhere from the fourth line to the top line, and towards the end of the year he was playing alongside Tim Connolly. MacArthur again went on a tear at the end of the year when he scored five goals in the final eight games.

To me, he is a player the Sabres could do without. He is capable of producing points, and even coming up with a few goals now and then, but his inconsistencies are far too great to overcome. However, he might turn out to be a player the Sabres are willing to trade.

If the Sabres decide to make a qualifying offer, it will likely be in the ballpark of $1.25 million per season.

Patrick Kaleta, 22, RW; 2008-09 salary: $500,000

The Sabres know what they will be getting when they extend Kaleta this summer. The 5’11”, 195-pound winger is developing into the Sabres most feared hitter. He plays a lot bigger than his size, and is just one of the few high-energy guys on the Sabres roster.

The only knack on Kaleta is his offensive ability. Yeah, a fourth-liner usually doesn’t score 20 goals anyways, but he is sometimes one dimensional. 

If he worked on his offensive game, both his stick handling and passing ability, he could develop into a very useful two-way player. He has good speed, and is usually very responsible in his own end. Ruff played him on numerous occasions on the penalty kill because he was very good in getting in the shooting and passing lanes.

The Angola, NY native will likely make around $750,000 with his new deal. If he can stay healthy, which was a problem last season, he is very effective. Kaleta played in only 51 games last season due to a couple injuries, including a neck and head injury.

Andrej Sekera, 22, D; 2008-09 salary: $659,000

Like Kaleta, I believe Sekera will be a full-time Sabre next season. Many fans became sick and tired of seeing Sekera make mistakes last season, and that is understandable. But in reality, it was his first full season as a top-six defenseman in the NHL. Cut him some slack. The Sabres’ defensive unit as a whole wasn’t very good to begin with. The last thing Sabres’ fans should be doing is laying it all on a rookie.

When Brian Campbell was traded a year ago, Sekera was already seeing some playing time. His offensive style drew comparisons to Campbell’s, thus being the reason why some thought of him as Campbell’s replacement last season.

Sekera is a very smooth skater, and is very good on making outlet passes to his forwards. He is more of a positional defenseman but he does not shy away from the physical aspect of the game.

Halfway through the season I think he did an above-average job in his own end, and at some point, I thought he was one of, if not the best defenseman in Buffalo. But his game dropped off. He began to make dumb mistakes, costing his team goals.

Even towards the end of the season, Ruff had to scratch him for a few games. He publicly said he had no confidence in his game. It happens. Young players get flustered, and usually that is when a savvy veteran comes into play, but leadership wasn’t very plentiful in the Sabres’ locker room last season.

Sekera has a great deal of potential, and maybe someday he will turn out to be that Campbell-like player some are saying he could be. He can quarterback the power-play, and use his offensive ability to his advantage.

His deal will likely be around $1.25 million per, but no greater than $2 million. He is young. Give him time to develop. I expect him to be much better next season.

Mark Mancari, 22, RW; 2008-09 salary: $522,000

Mancari is more of a prospect right now, but he may be a player the Sabres will look to step in and play next season.

The 6’4″, 225-pound winger played only three games last season, but during that short span he showed a lot of energy, grit, and one heck of a slap shot.

Mancari was selected to the last two AHL All-Star games. Two seasons ago he won the hardest shot contest at the AHL skills competition with a 102.8 MPH slap shot. Zdeno Chara’s hardest shot was recorded at 103.1 MPH.

During his time time in Portland/Rochester, he has been among the team’s top scorers. Last season he had 67 points (29G, 38A) in 73 games for the Pirates. He was mostly seen playing alongside two other well-known prospects, Nathan Gerbe and Tim Kennedy.

Out of all the Sabres’ prospects, Mancari might be the most NHL ready. He has tremendous size and strength, and of course, a great shot. Mancari will probably be re-signed for about $700,000 per and should be battling for a roster spot next season.

If he can play with the toughness and grit the Sabres lack, while also producing points, there is no doubt he will be in a Blue and Gold sweater next season. One can only hope he can play at his true potential.

 

Recap

There is no doubt that Sabres management will have plenty of tough decisions when it comes to re-signing their free agents this summer. Not only do they have to deal with their own current free agents, but they also need to play the field, and see what else might be out there to suit their needs.

If they re-sign their restricted free agents to qualifying deals, they will be very limited in cap space. The Sabres will lose a lot of cap room when Connolly’s and Pominville’s contracts go into effect this summer. This is one of the main reasons why the Sabres may look to explore the trade market.

Players such as Jochen Hecht, Daniel Paille, Clarke MacArthur, Henrik Tallinder, Nathan Paetsch, Derek Roy, and Toni Lydman could all be part of that bunch. The most advantageous scenario for the Sabres would be to trade Hecht and Tallinder, but after all, hockey is a business, and a deal would need to be made. 

Nonetheless, I will explore these possibilities in my next article. I will discuss the possible trade market the Sabres may offer and also go over why I think these players could be traded.

I will also discuss the players the Sabres may want to look at in free agency.

Note: Contract information was obtained from nhlnumbers.com

I could sit here and write fifty-billion articles on what the Sabres need to do this offseason, so why not just put it all out there at once? This could get fun…

 

DEREK ROY– [keep] I would like to see what he can do for the next two years. He is signed on for four more seasons, so I would like to see what he can do for us in those years. We can then see what is value is in 2011.

JASON POMINVILLE– [Questionable] If this is the guy we need to get rid of in a trade to acquire some SERIOUS draft picks, or a top notch guy in a package, then by all means trade him. He only had 20 goals last year and needs to produce for the city of Pominville, or they will all be poor and out of jobs.

THOMAS VANEK– [keep] This is an obvious keep unless you’re some crazy fan that wants to deal him for fifty picks and a goalie. He is the center of our franchise and is needed to make a playoff run in the near future.

TIM CONNOLLY– [keep] Timmy, we all love you man, but if you can’t play more than 60 games in a season, its not worth keeping your $4.5 million-a-year contract. He played in 48 games last year and notched 47 points, so he can put points up, but he needs to stay healthy if he wants to stay another year.

JAROSLAV SPACEK– [keep] Try to sign this guy. He is a unrestricted-free-agent, but he did say he wanted to come back to Buffalo and play, so we could possibly get him for little money. He was our  leading scorer on defense last year could repeat those numbers should we sign him this off-season.

DOMINIC MOORE– [questionable] How can you seriously play two whole months without knowing you broke your wrist? Nonetheless, he produced only one goal and three assists as a Sabre.

At the same time, he totaled 13 goals and 32 assists last year. He is good on the draws and is a great penalty killer, so having him could help immensely. We should try to sign him, but we could see him walk out for the best offer, which could be as high as $3 million.

DREW STAFFORD– [leave] Drew put up decent numbers last year but couldn’t find the scoring touch enough in the clutch. It seemed to me that he scored in games when the Sabres were in control, but couldn’t bury his chances when they were down late. He isn’t consistent, and that could come back to bite him in the end.

CLARKE MACARTHUR– [leave] Let’s face it, he is never going to be a top six winger, so why wast our time on him. He is still young at 24 and put up 31 points last year, but that wont cut it. He is the one who sees the boot in my eyes.

PAUL GAUSTAD– [keep] Paul Guastad is probably the only guy, other than Mair and Kaleta, on the Sabres who plays with heart night in and night out. He is a fan favorite in Buffalo and doesn’t have to score a 60 point plus year to be considered good.

He just needs to win face-offs, provide enforcement, and hit to live up to his role on our club. He is a keeper for sure.

JOCHEN HECHT– [leave] Please let Hecht go. He doesn’t help our team at all. Its funny to think that just two years ago he had 50 points. Since he wont help our team, let him go.

DANIEL PAILLE– [keep] Since management has already signed him this off-season, it looks like we won’t be seeing him go anytime soon. This is good because he announced his marriage date just a week ago.

I personally like Paille. He is young, fast, and a very gritty guy who can take the body and crash the net well. I predict him to be a future captain or co-captain, so I like the re-signing of him by the Sabres.

CRAIG RIVET– [keep] He was last years captain. Rivet doesn’t need to score a million points. He needs to enforce his role as a strong checker and look out for our smaller guys to fulfill expectations. However, a 40 point season would be lovely from a guy like him.

TONI LYDMAN– [leave] I am sick of watching Toni stand around the front of the net pivoting in circles whenever the opposing team has the puck in our zone. Toni needs to either find a new team or just retire and go into coaching. Either way, the Sabres should definitely let go of him.

MAXIM AFINOGENOV– [questionable] Max needs a BIG year. This could be a make or break year for him regarding his career. If he can’t step up big and get another 60+ point year, we should let him go or package him up. The only reason I believe he is still here is due to his $3.5 million tag, which can’t sell his 20 point season.

ADAM MAIR– [keep] Mair is a great guy who isn’t afraid to get in someone’s face. He even walks into other teams’ dressing rooms and starts fights with their players and staff! He is good at what he does and understands his role, which is being a rigid fourth line center.

I like Mair and hope the Sabres find a way to keep this guy, which could be hard with enforcers like Kaleta, Guastad, Paille, Mair, and Peters on the roster.

ANDREJ SEKARA– [keep] Andrej played great during his second year with over 35 games played. He produced 19 points last year from the point and is still developing in a faster league, so we haven’t seen him in full effect yet. We could see him play better next year.

TEPPO NUMMINEN– [leave] No one  notified Teppo that it isn’t 1987 anymore. He still rocks the mullet and believes he can produce consistently at age 40. We need to become serious if we want to make a playoff run and keeping this guy around doesn’t cut it. 

HENRIK TALLINDER– [questionable] He played most of last year paired with Lydman, ruining his stats. I admit that his play has declined, but I also believe he can turn it around in 2010 and produce more for this team.

PATRICK KALETA– [keep] Kaleta plays fierce hockey and competes harder than any player in the NHL. He may not hit or pick fights with the right guys at the right time, but you can always expect him to be checking and creating chaos and disruption with the other team every night, which is why I would like him to stay.

The Buffalo Sabres need a big upcoming 2009-10 year if they want to keep the fan base from completely vanishing.

Ever since the president’s trophy team of 2007, the Sabres haven’t come close to hoisting Lord Stanley, or even making the playoffs.

Should the Sabres have another train-wreck year, things could get crazy in Buffalo.

The Sabres need a playoff year. Plain and simple, no way around it, it’s already set. The Sabres need to make the playoffs in order to satisfy the fans.

Not only that, the team needs to be playing in the postseason for many other reasons. One would be retaining current head coach Lindy Ruff’s job.

Ruff is currently the longest-serving head coach in the NHL. Ruff is a great head coach, and knows how to run a team. The problem isn’t Ruff—it’s the players that are put on the ice night in and night out for this team.

The management of the Buffalo Sabres needs to bring in better-skilled guys if they expect Ruff to do something this year. Larry Quinn and Darcy Regier need to bring in guys that are as skilled as Chris Drury or Daniel Briere, who left the team just two seasons ago.

If the team can manage to bring in three to four guys who can perform, they should be able to make a playoff run that resembles their past glory.

Another reason this team needs to make the playoffs is for the fans.

The fans are dying for a playoff run, and should the Sabres not deliver again, we could see many hop off the bandwagon. The reason the Sabres still have many fans is due to the two deep playoff runs just three years ago. Many of those fans still support the Sabres, but this could be the last year we see them in the crowds.

The Sabres need to make the playoffs now, and should this not be the year again, Buffalo could see many fans, as well as players leave. Buffalo could end up being on the other half of the best teams in the NHL again.

Marc’s new weekly top ten! Each week He will count down the top ten of whatever is on his mind!

This week, he counts down the ten worst mascots in the NHL!

Will your team be the team that holds the worst mascot of the NHL? Click to find out!

All of the mascots were chosen by me, and it is my sole opinion on the topic.

(Note that none of the Mascots paid or bribed me with extra tickets, or popcorn in the making of this article)

When the Buffalo Sabres host the Toronto Maple Leafs, it’s safe to say that about one-fourth of the building is filled with screaming (mostly drunk) Leaf fans, most, if not all, of which make the 100-mile trip to Buffalo.

 

Now, with one of the greatest rivalries in hockey, imagine if a team moved right in between them. Literally.

 

Co-CEO at Research in Motion, the developer for the well known BlackBerry wireless solution, Jim Balsillie now is trying to move the Phoenix Coyotes into southern Ontario, possibly Hamilton.

 

The problem with this is that the NHL has legal rights on the team, and argue that even if Balsillie was to purchase the team from Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes, the NHL would still have the ability to have the full say in where they are located.

 

Should the Coyotes be moved to Hamilton, the only building that would satisfy  NHL regulations would be Copps Coliseum, where the current AHL farm team to Montreal, the Hamilton Bulldogs, play. The arena is almost twenty-five years old, and would need some serious upgrades if it wanted to satisfy an NHL crowd and players.

 

Also, how would Montreal feel if the bulldogs shared a home with the Hamilton (insert team name here). While on that topic, what would the new team be called anyway? The Hamilton AutoBots, BlackBerries, or even better, the Ball sillies. Get it? Obviously I’m just poking fun at the idea, but should a team come to Hamilton, if you really think about it, no actual team names make sense for that area.

 

Besides, the average yearly income for the city of Hamilton is steady, around $35,000. That surely wouldn’t be enough to support an NHL-caliber team. Especially with where the economy is right now. 

 

Another thing, isn’t Hamilton a bit close to Buffalo and Toronto to build a franchise there? If you look at a map, Buffalo to Hamilton is about 70 miles, and Toronto to Hamilton is only 40 miles away from each other. In my opinion, the three cities are way too close. 

 

A more realistic location would be in London. The cities have similar populations, and it is in the middle of lower Ontario.

 

Should the team move to Hamilton, how many Sabres fans would we lose? In reality, close to none, as very few die hard Sabers fans make the 45-minute drive to the HSBC Arena every game. But should a team move there, the danger of losing our team to a bigger market team if Balsillie lets his franchise grow, we could see some changes over a longer period of time.

 

 

 

There’s no confirmation on whether or not Tom Golisano is chewing a microphone right about now, but the man sure has some answering to do with that statement right before the 2008-2009 season last year.

For the second year in a row, the Sabres find themselves on the outside looking in as they watch their playoff counterparts battle their way for the coveted Stanley Cup. 

This, after two straight Eastern Conference Finals appearances.

It’s clear that the group that they have now is a talented one.  Whether they produce or not is one thing, but the most important thing is that they are surrounded with the correct supporting talent in order to succeed. 

The problem starts from up top.  B. Tom Golisano is clearly not a hockey man, but that’s not something I want to get into at this point, as it’s been an argument ever since the guy bought the team.  Until he decides to sell the franchise, most of us will just have to deal with the hit-or-miss seasons.

The next problem is right under that man’s nose.  Besides Larry Quinn (obviously, another non-hockey man), the people the Sabres actually have to make hockey decisions have not performed their duties well.

I’ve said this once, and I’ll say it again: Darcy Regier lucked into the team Buffalo fans saw come out of the lockout, making the man look like a genius. 

But ever since, key players of this high-caliber team left for better deals—we’ve been left to wonder how much of a hockey genius this man could be. 

Free agency seemed like a necessary tactic in order for this Sabres team to continue to succeed, however, the fans of Buffalo were assured that they had up-and-coming talent on which they could count.

No offense, but the Sabres are not the Detroit Red Wings, a team who continues to draft diamonds in the rough and put out a great on-ice product.  That being said, the Sabres draft very well, as shown by how much talent they put out on the ice year after year.

However, we are still left with a team with potential.  That is all. 

The one and only way that this team will ever succeed again, is to surround all the young players they have with at least two decent, leading veterans. 

All the pieces are there.  They have two arguably top-line centers, plenty of good wingers, and a decent enough defensive corps, not to mention an All-Star goalie in Ryan Miller (and I can say that whole-heartedly now). 

However, there is still much left to be desired, as shown by their absence in the playoffs for the past two years.

Unfortunately, the Sabres are tied up in cap space, having a lot of dead weight in players like Jochen Hecht and Henrik Tallinder, two players who have not lived up to the potential in which the brass is paying them for. 

We look at Detroit, also tied up in cap space for next year.  But then again, look where Detroit is right now.  Their only worry is not having the ability to bring back one of their many superstars that they carry on their team.

That being said, the Sabres do not need to bring in any superstars to this team.  It is believed that this team has plenty of young, potential star players in this league, like Derek Roy, Thomas Vanek, and Jason Pominville. 

However, these players are still young and have not reached their prime, and unfortunately, unless something happens, their talents will most definitely not be maximized at their prime unless management decides to bring in more veteran leaders around here.  Good veteran leaders will cost some money, though.

The plan of action should be to get rid of any dead weight lying around on this squad, whether that be through fully getting rid of those contracts by trading, or by buying out and only paying a fraction of that salary counting against the cap.  The latter is the more likely of the two options. 

Along with getting rid of the dead weight, it may be necessary to get rid of a player who actually plays to his potential.  I see Derek Roy as a nice guinea pig due to his production and bargain of a contract. 

Getting rid of this money gives help in the area of getting a good veteran leader like Sergei Zubov, who would really maximize a defensive corps considered weak in the past. 

What may be a relatively cheap (in my standards) pickup, would be a guy like Todd Marchant.  He made about $2.6 million last year, and may take a nice hometown discount (doubtful) for a team he most likely supported growing up in Williamsville, NY, a suburb outside of Buffalo. 

Only time will tell.  With the Conference Finals underway, the playoffs will be ending shortly.  The only thing Sabres fans will have to wait for, then, is July 1st, when the free-agency period begins.

As the 2009 NHL Playoffs continue on into early June, the Buffalo Sabres find themselves on the outside looking in once again for their third straight year. So how do they correct that? Play like they did during the 2005-06 campaign.

KEY

(NOW- This past year, 2008-09)

(THEN-The 2006-07 campaign)

(SOLUTION- What they need to do this off season)

POSITIONS

THEN

The Sabres had two elite centers in Daniel Briere and Chris Drury, and not to mention Derek Roy, who was still developing as a top center. Regardless, Drury was the man to count on, and won faceoffs at big times, like his faceoff win and goal with 7.8 seconds left in the playoffs against the New York Rangers in Game 5 to keep the Sabres alive.

NOW

The team has been strong at center, but doesn’t have many guys who were noticeably consistent at draws when it was much needed. Roy was consistently around the 40 to 60 percent range with faceoffs this year.

Paul Gaustad was all over the place and was very inconsistent, but had many games where he was above 70 percent, and one game where he was perfect. Still, he isn’t a go to guy when your down one with a minute left in the third.

Tim Connolly, who is one of our elite center men, sadly is in the 20 percents with most of his games, but somehow keeps getting the call in the late minutes. Finally, our best face-off man comes from a man we traded for at the trade deadline back in March, Dominic Moore.

Moore was in the 45 to 60 percent range all year in draws, and was a major reason the Sabres decided to acquire him. Maybe they were remembering how important faceoffs were in tight situations, and needed a man to fill that role.

SOLUTION

Trade or sign a guy or two who you can truly trust at times to win the draw to set up a scoring chance. The Sabres need a guy they can send on the ice and have faith in, something we don’t have with any of our centers right now. Here is a guy I think the Sabres should make some serious offseason talks to.

Jamie Lundmark—The guy makes $600,000 a year, and could be an asset to the team by winning draws in clutch times (he had four games with 100 percent faceoffs, and six games above 80 percent). For that cheap, bring him in and let him take draws.

THEN

The Sabres had good young developing players such as Jason Pominville, Maxim Afinogenov, Drew Stafford, and Ales Kotalik, all who had a 25 point plus year. Afinogenov was sixth on the team in points with 61, almost triple what he’s put up in the last two years (28 and 20).

NOW

The Sabres still have most of their wings from the playoffs back in 2006, and now Stafford is more of a contributor, but we might see him go this off season.

Daniel Paille is more of a player as well, as is Patrick Kaleta, who doesn’t put many points up, but is our enforcer now (sorry Andrew Peters). Afinogenov has stopped producing, and Clarke MacArthur doesn’t deserve a starting spot.

 

SOLUTION

Alright, so I think were pretty set on the wingers, but might need to add one top line winger, and two third or fourth line wingers too. Here is a guy that the Sabres might want to look into during free agency this off season.

Mark Recchi—For a guy that is 41 years old, he put up 61 points last year. He is a veteran, and could lead this team if the Sabres management can sign him. He’s also very cheap as he came off a year earning only $1.25 million.

 

THEN

Agh, flashback to the good days with Brian Campbell getting 48 points, Dmitri Kalinin not absolutely sucking and getting 29 points, Teppo Numminen put his heart monitor down and notched a nifty 29 points as well. In addition, Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman ACTUALLY played WELL as a pair! Agh those were the good days.

 

NOW

Well, we have a 40-year-old defenseman who thinks he’s 25 and who we believe can still cotribute, probably the worst defensive pair in hockey with Lydman and Tallinder, who cant even watch the front of the net (I cant even count how many times last year after a goal against us that Lydman was just turning in circles in front of our net).

Jaroslav Spacek is our best defenseman by far, he had 45 points last year. Chris Butler played well last year in the action he saw, which could help in the future, but still, I don’t think he is ready to be a full time player next year.

Andrej Sekera played really well for his early career, and is looking to take a top four spot next year. Craig Rivet played well, as expected, leading the team, and nailing 24 points, 22 of those being assists.

Don’t be upset at his low numbers however, he isn’t much of a goal scorer, but enforces on the ice, and takes control of his team, which was a major reason he was granted the captain role around the first week he met his new team.

 

SOLUTION

The Sabres need a young defenseman, but also need good proven guys back there as well. This off season, the Sabres should be looking to get one young player who can still play, and two proven guys all ready. They should also let go of Nathan Paetsch, Numminen, and Tallinder. Here are some ideas:

Jay Bouwmeester—At least make a run for him and keep offering to him until you go over $5 million.

Marc-Andre Bergeron—He had back surgery in April, but if he can return fully and play like he has been, then he can be a 30 to 40 point player.

Filip Kuba—He is a proven defenseman, and had 40 points last year at defense for Ottawa. It would be nice to get a guy who can contribute as much as he did last year, as he had 37 assists.

 

Goalie

The Sabres are set with Ryan Miller, and could bring up Jonas Enroth for next year just to get some experience in. They may also need a back up.

All in all, the Sabres need some work during the off season, and if the management of Larry Quinn and Darcy Regier don’t make any major moves to satisfy the fans who’ve stuck around during this two year playoff drought, it could get ugly in Buffalo.

After two seasons without making the playoffs, and the addition of the Platinum seating price range last year, the season ticket sales have not suffered. 94 percent of season ticket holders renewed their seats and there is projected to be another 500-700 more season tickets available for the 2009-2010 season.

Chief Operating Officer, Dan DiPofi, released this statement: “Our season ticket holders are the lifeblood of this organization. Since the first day Tom Golisano purchased the team in 2003, we wanted to be sure our season ticket holders received the best price on their tickets. In return, our fans have been fiercely loyal to us and we take great pride in the partnership we have nurtured with them over the last several years.”

Your damn right!

Anticipation is already building for the NHL draft on June 26th with the Sabres having the 13th overall pick in the first round. I can’t wait to see a few change-ups made in the offseason.

Until then: Lets Go Sabres!

The Buffalo Sabres have announced today they have signed 2008 first-round draft pick,  and current Kelowna Rockets defenseman, Tyler Myers, to a three-year NHL entry-level contract.

The 6-foot-8 defenseman was recently named the Western Hockey League’s Playoff MVP, as his Kelowna Rockets have advanced to the Memorial Cup Championship. Myers contributed with 20 points (5G-15A) in 22 games this postseason.

He is coming off a career-best year in the WHL where he posted 42 points (9G-33A) in 58 games, along with a +31 plus-minus rating and 105 penalty minutes.

Myers showed great potential this past winter for the Canadian junior team, who won the 2009 World Junior Championships in Ottawa. Myers had one goal in seven games.

The Katy, Texas native–who currently resides in Calgary, AB– has accumulated 77 points (17G-60A) in 191 games for the Rockets from 2005-2009. He was drafted 19th overall in the 2005 WHL draft at the age of 15.

Myers, 19, has drawn comparisons to Boston Bruins’ defenseman, Zdeno Chara, for his size and Detroit Redwings’ defenseman, Nicklas Lidstrom, for his smooth-skating ability. The only downside to Myers’ size, is his current 215-pound frame. The Sabres sure hope he can add an extra 10 to 20 pounds before he is suiting up in the Blue & Gold, somewhere in the next couple years.

Sabres.com contributed to this article