Terry Pegula--"I Want To Keep Not Only Statistically Good Players...

...but winners, gritty players."

So spoke the Grand Pegubah as he officially took over the Buffalo Sabres on February 22, 2011.

I've used the term "anti-core" on many occasions to describe a player who's the antithesis of the "soft-but-skilled," easy to play against core player that GM Darcy Regier has filled his team with.

The above quote from Pegula is in and of itself "anti-core."

Would Pegula have agreed with Regier when the latter said that the Sabres had "two of the top-20 centers in the league" at the 2009/10 post-season presser?

Nate Gerbe has a heart bigger than Zdneo Chara

You do the math. But that discussion is for another day.

This is about 5'5", 170 lb. Nathan Gerbe.

The restricted free agent may never have the stats of a Derek Roy nor does he have the pedigree that made him the #5-overall pick in his draft like Tim Connolly was in 1999. But he's got attributes that Roy and Connolly lack like intestinal fortitude and heart. Gerbe, unlike the core, skates with a sense of purpose, not a sense of entitlement.

He was a winner in college and he's the first of three consecutive Dudley "Red" Garrett Award Winner for AHL Rookie of the Year.

"Who needs the Hobey Baker?
 I've got the national championship,"

Gerbe is also doing things that could (operative word here) be the stuff of legend like burying a puck at center ice to get the team out of it's home-funk and potting a wicked back-hand top-shelf to ensure a spot in the playoffs for the team.

In a 2-0 win vs. Montreal, Gerbe scored both goals including an empty-netter that was done through junk-yard dog determination.

There's his two goals in a Sabres-team record five seconds vs. the NY Islanders and his unhappiness with how that game went.

All of this after he pulled himself from the precipice of benching and/or possible demotion.

Put it all together and Nathan Gerbe embodies the qualities that Terry Pegula wants.

How long will he sign for? Because of Gerbe's early struggles Regier will have options in both term and dollars. He could even tuck the kid under UFA status with a two year deal and keep Gerbe as an RFA at the end of it. Coming of his $850K entry-level deal, he should be in the fold for somewhere between $1-1.5M.

Regardless of what happens with this contract, in his blogger's eyes Gerbe should eventually be a fixture in the Buffalo Sabres line-up for years to come.

The Pegula Rewards Program buffalosabresnow list:


GM, Darcy Regier--No
Head Coach Lindy Ruff--Yes
Director of Amateur Scouting Kevin Devine--Yes


UFA Players:

Tim Connolly--No
Steve Montador--No
Mike Grier--Yes, in a front office role
Rob Niedermayer--Yes, if the Sabres are contenders
Cody McCormick--Yes
Matt Ellis--Yes, in two-way contract
Patrick Lalime--No
Mark Mancari--No


RFA Players:

Drew Stafford--Yes
Andrej Sekera--No
Mike Weber--Yes
Marc-Andre Gragnani--Yes
Chris Butler--Yes
Jhonas Enroth--Yes
Nathan Gerbe--Yes