the last on tim kennedy (for me, at least)

tim kennedy would be in the blue-and-gold for the 10/11 season if:

• he could win faceoffs
• his agent, allain roy, would have properly guaged the market-place
• he would have accepted a two-way contract with the sabres

cut the crap with all the home-town-boy sentiment...

simple fact is that nobody wanted to trade for the former 6th-round pick and nobody was willing to snatch him up on waivers for $1m...and, as we speak (type,) kennedy has yet to sign a contract even though the sabres are on the hook for $167k this season (and next)...fact is, kennedy is a small, bottom-six (as of now) lw who gambled and lost...

as a player, i really liked his sandpaper, really liked the way he brought it every game, and think he has the capability to become a top-nine lw production-wise...in essence, he was anti-core...a hard-working, lunch-bucket player who, on the ice, didn't seem to take for granted the fact that he was in the nhl...

for his part, darcy regier offered $800k on a two-way contract which, imo, was a somewhat generous offer considering the market-place this off-season...as much as i dislike what regier has done over the past few years, and as much as i believe he should not be renewed at the end of the season, it looks as if his offer was above market-value for kennedy and more than fair in this case...

the gamble for the kennedy camp was that regier would do what he said he would do...that he would buy out the contract if it came in at that price...after all, they thought (imo, of course,) there's no way that the sabres would create a public relations mess over $200k for a hometown-boy, right?...the (print) press and the afternoon radio sports-talk show would be all over it...dirt from the past would be flying...parallels between past "controversial" decisions and this one would put regier in a cage...and the quinn-bashing would, once again, reach a feverish pitch...

all parties played their cards well on this one...it was obvious that regier had the hand won, pretty foolish to think that he could be bluffed...

much respect for kennedy...he did well on the ice and i'm sure a contract awaits him for this season...even though it may end up being a parallel salary (including the sabres $167k,) there are many players who've either done that or have taken less to continue to play the game...

good luck, tim