The Flames haven't made the playoffs since 2009 and haven't made it past the first round since 2004. Many people think it's time for the Flames to turn the page on Iginla and look to acquire assets to build around.

If the Flames decide to move Iginla, the Sabres should make a strong push for him and here's why.

Iginla's a Goal-Scorer

Over the last 11 years, Iginla has scored at least 30 goals per season. During eight of those years, Iginla scored 35 goals or more. In addition, Iginla has recorded more than one point per game in nine of the eleven years. In the other two years (2005-06 and 2011-12), he managed to total 67 points each season.

While Iginla may not be able to produce 70-80 points a season turning 35 in July, even 55-60 points a season will help the Sabres produce offensively.

Iginla Has Playoff/Stanley Cup Experience 

The Flames have been in the playoffs in five of the last eight seasons. In 2004, Iginla was the main part of the Flames run to the Stanley Cup where they lost in Game 7 to the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

Iginla has the playoff experience the Sabres need and can fill the leadership role vacated by Paul Gaustad when he was traded last season.

An Iginla trade would fill another hole as well. The Sabres have always looked to fill Daniel Briere's playoff scoring since he left via free agency. In 54 career playoff games for Iginla, he has recorded 49 points, including 28 goals. A point-per-game scorer in Iginla would help the Sabres poor offensive scoring over their last few playoff games.

Iginla Can Play Center 

Although the Sabres have Cody Hogdson and Derek Roy, they need an established leader and center. Derek Roy may be moved this offseason, and the Sabres shouldn't throw Hodgson into the No. 1 center role.

While his faceoff percentage is only 52 percent over the last two seasons, Iginla's presence on the ice will help propel the Sabres into the Stanley Cup contenders.

Iginla is due to make seven million dollars during the 2012-13 season. With Jochen Hecht and Brad Boyes salary of 7.525 million dollars coming off the books, acquiring Iginla wouldn't be an issue with the salary cap.

In return, the Sabres could move Drew Stafford along with a defensive prospect or draft pick. The Sabres have numerous forwards, such as Foligno, Ellis, Ennis, etc, who can replace Stafford, but acquiring Iginla would help the Sabres find the No. 1 center they have been looking for.

Since Iginla is a free agent after next season, the Sabres could look to extend him as well and keep him around for a few more years if they so choose.

If the Sabres plan to be Stanley Cup contenders, they need to acquire a No. 1, point-per-game center.

It would be tough to acquire a better player than Iginla. Time to make it happen, Darcy. 

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Unfortunately, the most pressing need for the Sabres is a No. 1 or 1a center, and the free agent market is very thin. They do, however, have money, picks, and players. It's now up to general manager Darcy Regier to turn those advantages into the final pieces.

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Obviously, this team isn't far off. Most of the trouble the team encountered this season can be attributed to injuries, as they lost over 350-man games because of the injury bug. We most likely won't see that again.

The front office began the offseason already by announcing yesterday that both Lindy Ruff and Darcy Regier will return for 2012-2013. I know there are folks on both sides of the fence here, but I don't think enough can be said for continuity. Ruff brought a mostly healthy team on a mad charge in the second half, and Regier signed players such as Christian Ehrhoff and Ville Leino while trading for Robyn Regehr and the overlooked Alex Sulzer.

The team also will have salary room to work with, having the contracts of Jochen Hecht, Brad Boyes and Shaone Morrison coming off the books. The likes of Boyes especially can be replaced instantly by new-found gem Marcus Foligno. Add in Paul Gaustad, and that will give Regier about $12 million to use.

Virtually the entire team will be in place with just a couple restricted free agents to wrangle under contract, most notably Tyler Ennis and Patrick Kaleta.

Unfortunately, the team still only has one glaring need, and that is a true No. 1 center. This year's free agent crop is surprisingly thin at that position. The head of the list reads: Daymond Langkow, Ollie Jokinen and Jarret Stoll. Only Jokinen has ever been considered a No. 1, and his 2011-2012 salary of $3 million will probably go down. 

I know people will say that Derek Roy could be traded, but I don't really see any team trading a No. 1 center for a package containing Roy. Let's hope Regier can do something to fill this long-standing hole. 

It doesn't often fall into place as it is now, but Buffalo finds themselves in an interesting position holding most of the necessary pieces to make a run. With the right move—and I said "move"—this team may even be a favorite.

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With two games to go in the NHL's regular-season schedule, there are two playoff spots left in the Eastern Conference and three teams fighting for them.

The results of Monday and Tuesday night made the chase for the final two spots a bit more interesting; the Washington Capitals lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres rallied for a 6-5 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

With the Sabres showing more heart in their efforts, they managed to tie the Capitals in points. Each have 88 with two games remaining. The Capitals sit above the Sabres, having 36 regulation plus overtime wins (ROW) to Buffalo's 32.

ROW is the first tiebreaker should two teams be tied in points at the end of the season. This means the Sabres will have to have more points than Washington in order to finish ahead of them.

The other team in the hunt is Southeast Division leader Florida Panthers. With 92 points, they are ahead of both Washington and Buffalo, but can still miss the playoffs if each of those teams win their two remaining games while Florida loses their final two in regulation.

The Panthers only need one point to clinch a playoff spot, which they should be able to pick up against Washington or the Carolina Hurricanes (32 wins, 48 total losses, 80 points).

Regarding the Florida vs. Washington matchup on Thursday night, Florida has yet to score a goal in the Verizon Center this season, losing 3-0 in October and 4-0 in February. Washington leads the overall season series 3-2 and could very likely win Thursday's game.

The Sabres must take on the Flyers Thursday night in Philadelphia. Buffalo is 0-3 against Philadelphia this season and was blown out 7-2 in the one game at the Wells Fargo Center in February. (The other two games took place in Buffalo.)

The best prediction is probably a Philadelphia victory in regulation.

Assuming this occurs alongside a Washington win in regulation, the teams would head into their final regular-season games as follows:

If Washington beats Florida and the Sabres fail to pick up a point against the Flyers, Buffalo is done.

Even if Washington were to lose their final game in regulation and Buffalo picked up two points in a victory (both teams finishing with 90 points), Washington would win the tiebreaker due to more regulation plus overtime wins.

Check back after Thursday for another update. For now, it looks like Florida and Washington will be getting the final two spots.

Jason Sapunka covers the NHL and the Philadelphia Flyers.

Follow @moreSapunka

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The great people of Buffalo live for Sabres hockey. Players were alarmed when the boos poured down. With a 3-0 deficit, the clock was against Buffalo and a playoff run seemed out of reach.

Buffalo had already taken a blow from the Maple Leafs a few days prior. The Sabres won a huge game against the Washington Capitals, then backtracked and saw themselves on the outside looking in. They knew what the stakes were against Toronto and, with only two games remaining, they needed the two points.

So they capped off a remarkable game with a stunning 6-5 overtime win. Fans were reinforced of a few things as well: these Sabres never back down and they receive contributions from everybody on their squad.

Alexander Sulzer made a name for himself. He stepped up and twice helped Buffalo overcome two-goal deficits. Over the past 32 games, the Sabres are 20-7-5. They don't want to have a streak that ends with a too-little-too-late spirit. They want the playoffs and don't be surprised if they taste the playoffs.

The Sabres were one of the league's most disappointing teams. Their high payroll didn't translate into on-ice success. The comeback against the Maple Leafs was similar to the comeback towards playoff contention this season. And the road shouldn't end here.

The victory against Toronto was magical. It kept the Sabres alive. Veterans have provided the leadership, but the young players have provided the goals. Ryan Miller has stepped up his game and Tyler Ennis is playing some of his best hockey.

The Sabres' victory was meant to be. They could have folded in and spoiled their season in front of their home crowd. They dug in and toughed it out. They have overcome adversity and roster moves this season, making them mentally tough.

Being mentally and physically sound will benefit the Sabres with two games left. They know they need four points. The season has turned around for Buffalo and the light is at the end of the tunnel. Though they don't control their own destiny, the playoffs are their destiny.

The message is simple; the Sabres have a never-say-never attitude that has allowed them to return to playoff contention. Washington must slip for Buffalo to leapfrog them and be in the top eight in the East. The way Buffalo recovered against the Toronto Maple Leafs was not coincidence or luck. They have a playoff run in them and just need things to go their way for two more nights.

And based on the wicked turnaround, would anyone be surprised?

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The NHL has a long history of brothers making their way in the league, following each other to hockey stardom. Recently, Marcus Foligno solidified his spot in the Buffalo Sabres lineup and has added his family name to the list of accomplished brother tandems to suit up in the show.

The younger brother of Ottawa Senators forward Nick, Marcus has quickly established himself as a key component of the Sabres' late-season push towards the Eastern Conference playoffs and has been responsible for providing a spark that is helping the Buffalo boys live up to their early-season expectations and show that if you get hot at the right time of year, you can be a dangerous opponent for everyone down the stretch.

After playing junior hockey in his hometown of Sudbury and establishing himself as a physical and offensively gifted player, Marcus began the season in Rochester with the Sabres AHL affiliate. After a couple of trips up to the big club, he began to firmly entrench himself in the Sabres lineup and build chemistry with teammates while finding his way onto the scoresheet on a more regular basis.

Marcus’ recent offensive surge has coincided with the Sabres' climb up the standings, putting themselves in a position to have a shot at the playoffs—a place where Marcus could potentially find himself facing off against his brother at some point.

• Marcus has been sharp for the Sabres lately, recording eight points in the past seven games, including five goals in that span.
• After starting the season in Rochester, Marcus’ tenacious and dedicated play saw him called up to Buffalo where he has been scoring at a point-per-game pace so far early in his NHL career, and it appears as if he will be sticking around for the remainder of the year.
• Marcus mimicked his dad recently, (former NHLPA member Mike Foligno), doing the famous ‘Foligno Leap’ after scoring a goal for the Sabres.

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Foligno’s tally tied the game at 3-3 with 5:54 left in regulation.

Just as important as his timely goal was Foligno showing his willingness to play a physical style.

Some in the media have speculated that the Sabres felt Foligno was ready to provide that power-forward type of role, which made Zack Kassian expendable.

"It was better timing than anything. Hard work paid off there," Foligno told the Buffalo News. "I got a lucky bounce and I was really happy to tie the game up for the guys and really happy to contribute. I was hoping I could score. Whenever you could contribute like that, it's huge."

Interestingly, Foligno's brother, Nick, was in the game for Ottawa and was able to see his brother's first career tally. 

Nick Foligno's reaction to the goal: "I was happy and [ticked] off at the same time."

Marcus Foligno will try and stick with the Sabres the rest of the stretch run and avoid a demotion to the AHL's Rochester Americans, where he had 14 goals and 20 assists for 34 points.

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Here are the top-three highlights from a light schedule of hockey games:

1. Sabres Defeat Canadiens 3-2 (OT), Gain Critical Playoff Ground

It seemed impossible earlier this season, but the surging Sabres are finding ways to win hockey games and hover around the eight seed in the Eastern Conference.

Tyler Myers' game winning goal 2:59 into overtime Monday night brought the Sabres' point total to 74, jumping ahead of Winnipeg and now just two points behind Washington for the last remaining playoff spot in the East.

Tyler Ennis scored both of the Sabres' goals in regulation, set up by Drew Stafford on both occasions.

2. Landeskog's Effort the Difference Against Ducks

Avalanche rookie Gabriel Landeskog set the tone early with a crushing hit on Ducks defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky and sniped the game winner at the 1:52 mark of overtime to keep Colorado as the eight seed in the West.

Landeskog, the 19-year-old Swedish forward, scored his 19th goal of the season last night and now stands at 44 points on the season. He's tied with Philadelphia's Matt Read for the most goals among rookies and is just two points behind New Jersey's Adam Henrique for the most points among all first-year players.

Interestingly enough, Landeskog is taking a page out of Alexander Ovechkin's book and leads all Colorado forwards in hits this season, as well.

3. Sharks Not Willing to Go Away

San Jose snapped a brutal five-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Oilers in Edmonton on Monday night. The Sharks got power play goals from Joe Thornton and Logan Couture and an even-strength tally from Torrey Mitchell to edge the Oilers.

With those two points, the Sharks sit just one point behind the aforementioned Avalanche for the last ticket into the playoffs. San Jose still has 14 games remaining, all but one of which are against Western Conference teams, including three vital matchups against the Los Angeles Kings, who sit in 11th place in the standings.

Ryan O'Leary is a writer and researcher for Bleacher Report's Video Production Department with seven years experience in the sports industry. Ryan covered the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Hockey Tournament with CTV and has spent time covering the IIHF World Championships, NHL and Collegiate Hockey during his career.

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Ennis picks up a loose puck off the stick of Drew Stafford with speed and enters the Montreal Canadiens zone. He then shakes Canadien defenseman Andrei Markov out of his hockey pants and does the same to goaltender Peter Budaj.

It will be hard to find more than a handful of better goals all season long than Ennis' Monday night.

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Now, the team has turned a corner and the Sabres have re-embodied their warrior spirit and are toiling powerfully towards the playoffs. 

They currently sit at 11th place in the Eastern Conference just three points out of the playoffs.

For the average fan, all of this is good news and the team couldn't have kicked it into gear at a better time of the year. However, this can be more damaging for the team in the long run.

Teams like the Edmonton Oilers that make Cinderella runs for the Stanley Cup Finals, like the one in 2005-2006, usually end up pretty far down the standings less than a decade later.

The Sabres have been a fringe team for the better part of the last decade and the franchise hasn't reached the finals since the whole Brett Hull debacle. 

To win now further delays the process of rebuilding that this franchise needs in order to crack the top echelon of the NHL, something that new owner Terry Pegula is adamant about.

Here are four reasons why the Sabres are winning at the wrong time.

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