and the player i see them using to get it?..........tim connollyhear me out...
the sabres will not win the cup this year unless there's an almost unprecedented alignment of the stars; so why cling to an asset that can bring back a very good return?....there are other players on the team who can be moved, but connolly will be a player that quite a few teams will covet...
why?
tim connolly has mad skills, plays in all situations and can be considered a #2 center on many teams...he's a #2 center on the buffalo sabres right now...when healthy, he does produce and has shown that he can produce in the playoffs (last season not withstanding)...and, as of late he's beginning to heat up...
with "#1" center derek roy out for the season, moving the sabres #2 center would leave the team perilously thin up the middle, but, so what?... right now the sabres have as good a chance at making the playoffs without him as they do with him...in addition, he's is very marketable right now as teams bolster try to their roster for the playoffs...
the trade deadline is based upon supply and demand which is why there's so much overpayment for hockey commodities...right now, at least three teams in the east could be looking for a #2 center based upon injuries and/or lack of depth--boston, pittsburgh and washington...
the plight of bruins center marc savard is well documented...the skilled center just can't stay healthy and he's out, yet again, with a concussion...boston also has two #1 picks in the up-coming draft, their own and the one they got from the leafs in the phil kessel deal...
the pens have been decimated by injuries to sidney crosby (out indefinitely with a concussion) and evgeni malkin (out for the year with torn mcl and acl)...although jordan staal can move up to the top line, injuries to the pens top-two centers leave them really thin...
washington is having a helluva time scoring this year...they're strong on the wing and only have one legitimate center--1st-liner nicklas backstrom...they're falling fast right now and could use a #2 center to boost scoring...
even atlanta, who's been plummeting in the standings could use a center to bolster their playoff chance...in the western conference there's columbus and calgary who are battling for a playoff spot...
all-in-all that's anywhere from three to six teams, at least, that could be bartering for the services of connolly...and, since the sabres have eaten most of his contract this season, teams should have more flexibility eating what's left of his $4.5m salary...
what could the sabres get for him as a return?...high demand and low supply should equal a pretty good return for the sabres...
we'll start with the mike fisher...fisher was sent from ottawa to the nashville preds for a 1st-round pick and a conditional pick...although they are two different players, both connolly and fisher are top-nine centers who could help a team from the deadline and on into the playoffs...
based upon connolly's skill, the fact that he can play in all situations, the laws of supply and demand and the mike fisher trade, is there any reason to believe that he'd fetch anything less than a low first-rounder?...
almost every playoff-bound team, especially the ones with stanley cup-aspirations, looks to bolster their defense at the trade deadline...
the sabres have eight d-men on the roster, surely one of them not named myers could be available...ufa-to be steve montador and his inexpensive salary would make sense for boston...
so now we're looking at connolly and montador for the pick...that's the BASIS for the trade...fill in the rest to get it done...
oh, and one more thing when it comes to the boston bruins, jim benning, a part of the sabres organization for a number of years, is gm peter chiarelli's assistant with the bruins...
far-fetched?...maybe...but it's that time of year, isn't it?
every fan wants to play gm this time of year...it's one of the big-three "arm-chair gm" days, the others being draft day and july 1st...
and?.................................i'm a fan...
: )
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