Today, March 4th at three PM was the NHL’s trade deadline. Thomas Vanek (above, pictured with management) returns to the lineup tonight against Montreal alongside some major deals, changing his teammates for the remainder of the season. Let’s take a look at what trades, and re-signings management made, or did not make, this year.
Glen Sather has given up some of the future in an effort to make the playoffs in 2009. It’s been a long season for the Rangers, one where they started very strong, and then have faded so much they are barely in a playoff spot with 20 games to go. In what may be Sather’s last season as GM (he is a rich man, and can’t imagine he can be bothered to live through the mess he has created), and he is clearly trying to do what it takes to save the season.
The gambit may well fail, as Pittsburgh is very likely to pass the Rangers in the standings with the addition of Guerin. Buffalo has also strengthened with Dominic Moore, the goaltending depth, and the confirmation that Connoly is staying.
The Rangers gave up a second-round pick and a conditional pick, quite possibly in the second or third round if Antropov signs a new contract. Antropov is a free agent come the summer. New York also gave up three players for Derek Morris, who is also a free agent in a few months.
One of the players is Petr Prucha, who still has potential for a long productive career. They also gave up cap space for the next three years for claiming Sean Avery; they are responsible for half of his hefty contract.
Ranger fans will be happy to see the moves, but there is a very good chance that the team misses the playoffs and will look back on this week as one that screwed the team, leaving them stuck with Redden and his contract and doomed to mediocrity for the next few years.
March 4, 2009
(3:17 P.M EST)
BUFFALO, N.Y.—As the team prepares to go into the last stretch to the playoffs, Buffalo Sabres management signs Dominic Moore in a last minute effort for Ales Kotalik with a 2nd round pick in a four team trade, and sign veteran Tim Connolly and goalie Mikael Tellqvist.
Center Dominic Moore, acquired at the last minute of the deadline for Ales Kotalik and a second round draft pick in a four tream trade sending Kotalik to Edmonton , is a great playmaker with 29 assists, 41 points total with Toronto, and great potential to the Sabres.
Tim Connolly was signed to a two-year extension of $9 million, giving him a raise after missing 34 games in each of the past two seasons.
Goalie Mikael Tellqvist was traded to the Sabres from the Phoenix Coyotes for a fourth round draft pick for a backup role as Ryan Miller continues rehab on his ankle sprain.
So what grade do we give to the Sabres?
As I listen to the fans of Sabres in the past half hour on WGR550 AM radio, I hear good things about signing Connolly—only if he stays healthy, a good point—and good things about our new goalie for insurance, and Moore to add some firepower to the offense with the arrival of Thomas Vanek and Maxim Afinogenov tonight.
A signing of a goalie is a good addition to the team, as we have no timetable on Ryan Miller, and a good insurance help for these last 18 games.
The signing of a forward to help score goals where the Sabres offense is lacking was critical this deadline. Did we see that signing? Yes. Finally the Sabres management came through to get a playmaker and a help to the struggling offense.
I’ll leave the grade up to you in the poll.
The Sabres are searching a playoff spot between fifth and eighth place, where tonight is the start to a hopeful playoff run.
The Sabres play Montreal at 7:30 tonight at HSBC Arena, trying to end a three-game losing streak and to go into a tie with Carolina for ninth place. Tonight’s game will be Nationally Televised on Versus and TSN and on WGR550 AM radio, the Sabres’ flagship station.
-Bobby Giambra-
Carey Price will get the start Wednesday night when the Montreal Canadiens visit the Buffalo Sabres.
Price, who has struggled since the All-Star break, has been sitting on the bench lately while Jaroslav Halak has been shining for the Canadiens.
Halak however is ailing the flu and has missed the Canadiens’ last two practices.
Halak was the winner of the Canadiens’ Molson Cup February Segment, going 5-2 with a 2.90 GAA and a .931 SvPct with one shutout. He is currently on a four-game winning streak.
Forward Alex Tanguay has been practising with the team, but was not cleared by team doctors to play tomorrow. He is expected to be available either Friday or Sunday.
Captain Saku Koivu was not at practice today, likely taking a therapy day.
Center Kyle Chipchura was sent down to the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs before the Canadiens set out to Buffalo this afternoon.
Currently sitting ninth in the Eastern Conference with 69 points in 63 games, the Buffalo Sabres are in the thick of the playoffs race with the trade deadline looming.
The Sabres have lost their past three games, scoring only three goals during that span and during Ryan Miller’s absence. Patrick Lalime has been doing very well in goal for Buffalo, but an evident lack of offensive support and led to poor results, especially against the Islanders on Saturday where they lost 2-0.
Injuries to key players such as Thomas Vanek, Tim Connolly, Paul Gaustad and Ryan Miller have affected the team’s chemistry along the way. Jason Pominville and Jochen Hecht’s subpar seasons haven’t help either.
With Thomas Vanek likely back Wednesday against the Canadiens, the Sabres will likely get the boost they need to start scoring goals again.
The real question now is should the Sabres be sellers or buyers before tomorrow’s trade deadline?
The fans are desperate for a playoffs appearance and I’m sure Lindy Ruff would welcome any help he can get; however, GM Darcy Regier will have to be very creative to bolster his lineup for a playoffs run.
With Miller’s long term injury, the Sabres desperately need to acquire another veteran goalie if they hope to make it to the postseason. The Sabres also need help on their backend and their defensive has been very inconsistent throughout the year.
Regier will likely try to trade underachieving forward Maxim Afinogenov – if he can find a taker. Other players such as Tim Connolly and Henrik Tallinder are likely dangled by Regier in order the get free up some salary and get help.
Some defensemen the Sabres should try to acquire are Phoenix’s Derek Morris, Columbus’ Rotislav Klesla, Nashville’s Dan Hamhuis, ans Colorado’s Jordan Leopold.
New Jersey’s Scott Clemmensen and St. Louis’ Manny Legace would complement Patrick Lalime’s work nicely and should not be expensive
March 2nd, 2009
(7:00 p.m. EST)
Buffalo, NY: A tale of two seasons between the Buffalo Sabres and the Buffalo Bills are on the verge of chaos and disgrace for Buffalo fans. Tempers are flaring as I sit here at my kitchen table listening to WGR550 AM Buffalo Sports talk, agreeing with fans, and radio hosts complaining about management in Buffalo.
Buffalo has yet to see the Bills or the Sabres win a Championship, simply because our management has yet to make moves on trade deadlines and to make a push toward the playoffs by adding players.
Buffalo fans are known as some of the loyalist, and are paying for a product to perform and win whether it’s on the ice or field. Fans are furious with the GM’s of the Sabres and Bills not doing enough to make fans happy and to make their teams better to compete for a championship.
The loss of Vanek and Miller is no excuse for the Sabres to become slumpers in the NHL as of late, since Lalime has stepped up and the offense has not produced in front of him.
Vanek, in fact by reaction to Buffalo fans, should have nursed his jaw while playing as other players in the NHL do the same, especially if your on a team such as the Buffalo Sabres who need all the offense you can get.
Moves by the trade deadline tomorrow at 3 p.m. EST for the Buffalo Sabres is a big must for management to regain trust of Buffalo fans, or expect more opinionated fans, and a drop in ticket sales for the once predominant franchise after the NHL lockout.
Check out all the latest news on trades and acquisitions of the Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo Bills as the next 24 hours become tense for Buffalo, by tuning into WGR550 AM radio, or online at WGR550.com, Buffalo’s sports radio and the Sabres flagship station.
-Bobby Giambra-
March 1st, 2009
(6:00 p.m. EST)
Buffalo, NY: The Buffalo Sabres are in a dilemma while sitting at ninth place in the Eastern Conference. Missing two of their top players, Goaltender Ryan Miller, and Forward Thomas Vanek, the Sabres see themselves tied for 9th place and one point out of a playoff spot behind the Pittsburgh Penguins after a three-game losing streak.
The question Buffalo fans are asking is, will the Sabres make a move by 3 p.m. tomorrow? Buffalo fans, along with WGR 550 AM radio out of Buffalo, NY are asking for moves by Buffalo GM Darcy Regier, of either Maxim Afinogenov or Tim Connolly for another big defenseman or a forward to produce points for the Sabres as they have scored just three goals in their past three games, and were shut out by the last place New York Islanders 2-0 Saturday.
Afinogenov has been a healthy scratch as he was cleared over 10 days ago to play after suffering a groin injury. He has missed more than 20 games, which caused him to speak to The Buffalo News saying simply that he wants to play, or he wants out. But are teams willing to give up for a player who has the most potential but just cannot produce, scoring just two goals and having 12 points on the year?
Tim Connolly has produced for the Sabres as of late, but is injury prone. A player who is possible help for teams in need of a playmaker and could make a deep impact for a playoff push. Buffalo needs to find players within their system or players available upon the trade deadlines, which want to move into a leadership role to make that final playoff push in the upcoming weeks.
Some available players to watch on the move to the Sabres, if any moves are made, are defensemen Derek Morris of the Phoenix Coyotes, Columbus Blue Jackets, sixth-year veteran Rostislav Klesla, and forward Milan Hejduk of the Avalanche, and Nashville Predators Center Radek Bonk.
Thomas Vanek is expected to play Wednesday Night (according to Sabres.com) against their Northeastern Division foe Montreal Canadians after suffering a broken jaw, which will help out Buffalo’s offense (hopefully).
Along with Vanek, Afinogenov is expected to play also; as fans are hoping he plays to a high standard as he something to prove to the Sabres’ management.
Darcy Regier must make some critical decisions to gain some offensive fire for the slumping Sabres, and to make Sabres fans happy with the product their PAYING to watch.
Wednesday 3 p.m. is judgment day for the 2008-09 Sabres as they find out there fate whether they have new additions or the team they have right now as the final weeks of the season are approaching.
Stay tuned for updates between tonight and tomorrow 3 p.m. EST for all trades and signings, on NHL.com, TSN.ca, or for Buffalo Fans, tune in to WGR550 AM radio for all your Sabres news.
-Bobby Giambra-
With the trade deadline on a couple days away, and after watching the dismal performance by the Sabres at the Islanders on Saturday night, it’s clear the Sabres biggest woes are not due to this team minus Ryan Miller.
In losing their last three games, its clear they need help on defense and possibly someone who can put the puck in the net. With that said, here are some players that I could see on the trading block in the days before the March 4 deadline.
The Sabres are in a tough spot with Tim Connolly. The question now is whether to keep him or not. He will be a unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. The last three years of his contract have basically been a no-show for Connolly, as he was hurt for the majority of those three years. But in the last three months, he has become one of the more productive forwards on the team, but with his injury history what team would possibly take a chance on him.
Max Afinegenov is now healthy, but has yet to play, making me wonder if the Sabres have finally had it with having patience in his development as a two way forward. His constant turning the puck over in the offensive zone has made fans and coaches alike frustrated with this player once held as the next Pavel Bure.
Other players that may catch an eye by other teams could be Ales Kotalik who shows signs of domination when he wants to play, but he has his spurts of not showing up many nights. Jochen Hecht, Tony Lydman, and Hennrick Tallinder could all be on the trading block if the Sabres want to get help for the final push for the playoffs.
Sadly for Sabre fans though, in order to actually get something, you need to give something up. And unless the Sabres are willing to part ways with players like Derek Roy, Paul Gaustad, Jason Pominville, or Thomas Vanek, which wont happen, they’re not going to get much in return.
I believe it may be quite difficult for the Sabres to be buyers at the deadline, with the chance for one of the final three playoff spots up for grabs, the Sabres will probably on the outside looking in again this year.
With the NHL Trade Deadline fast approaching… the Buffalo Sabres find themselves as of today (3/1/09)in 9th place , and out of the playoffs.
In order to make the NHL Playoffs this year I feel Darcy has to make moves he traditionally does not make…and change the chemistry of this team.
In this article I am going to propose trades that I feel would help the sabres improve their team for thpresent as well as the future.
This current team lacks leadership, heart & toughness. It is time to let some of the dead weight go so we can improve our team.
All of a sudden, the Buffalo Sabres have dried up in terms of scoring goals. Not quite the expectation when this team started out the year with a 6-0-2 record. However, the wheels began to fall off when Thomas Vanek suffered a broken jaw against the Ottawa Senators.
Gone was the team’s leading scorer and his 32 goals vanished with him. Having one of the brightest goaltender in the league, Ryan Miller, it wasn’t all expected to go sour. It goes without saying that Miller gives the Sabres a chance to win every night.
But Miller would suffer a high ankle sprain precisely two weeks after Vanek’s injury. Indeed, it turned into a domino-effect. Scott Gomez upended the franchise goaltender behind his own net.
What did the Sabres do in response? Nothing.
Standing there as if unharmed by the incident, they watched as the largest component to their playoff hopes lie on the ice clutching his ankle.
What sort of a message would this send to the opposing teams? Something along the lines of, ‘ we can do what ever we want to these guys’.
It’s the sad truth. By failing to take any action on the New York Rangers, Buffalo opened the door for future opponents to run them over.
Patrick Lalime was acclaimed the new starter in Miller’s absence. From his days with the Senators, faith wasn’t a word many fans would put in a sentence with Lalime’s name.
Our postseason aspirations were now led by a man who had a 4-18 record in 2005/2006. His first start under these circumstances came against the Anaheim Ducks.
Mind you, his team didn’t do much to help his cause. Just over a minute into the game, Toni Lydman coughed up the puck and Teemu Selanne had a breakaway.
Your first test is one-on-one with a player who scored 76 goals in his rookie year. Lalime couldn’t be blamed for that one, but the two goals which followed were soft ones.
Buffalo competed harder, and took the play to the Ducks, but ultimately fell 3-2.
Two days later, the Sabres visited the Carolina Hurricanes, and Lalime had a much stronger outing in this one. With the game tied at one after 65 minutes, a shootout would decide the second point.
Jussi Jokinen scored the lone goal, and Lalime’s 31-save effort went to waste.
Finally, the loss which really struck a fatal blow to the Sabres last night. Taking on the New York Islanders, Yann Danis backstopped the team ranked 30th in the NHL to a 2-0 victory.
Again, Lalime made 30-plus saves and couldn’t be at fault for his team’s uninspired play.
So, with a 0-2-1 record without Miller, the Sabres are anticipating a return from Vanek this upcoming week. It may be just the spark they need with an offense that’s firing blanks.
Will it be enough? Who knows. This group is more than capable of turning it around with a few high-scoring affairs.
The question many may ask themselves is this: If the Buffalo Sabres can’t defeat the Islanders without Miller, who can they beat?
