Three Prospects I'd Like To See Come To Buffalo If A Trade Happens

With the Buffalo Sabres pressed hard against the cap and a salary-in/salary-out scenario a necessity, it may take two trades to keep the Sabres cap-structure in line. Is there a desperate team out there looking for a top-six forward? Would they be willing to part with one of their top center prospects to do so? Do they have the cap space to take on a $4M contract?

Should the Sabres brass decide to move any of "the core," one would be hard pressed to believe that a marquis player would be headed back to Buffalo.

Florida GM Dale Tallon is said to be looking to bolster his line-up with a top-six forward. Although Edmonton's Ales Hemsky was mentioned as a good fit for the oft-injured right winger, the Cats could use a good #2 center.

The Minnesota Wild were once on top of the Western Conference, that was until they went 1-6-3 in their last ten. Injuries have been a big problem, but scoring has always been lacking. They presently are 29th in the league in goals/game.

The Phoenix Coyotes are presently in 11th place in the Western Conference and are playing some pretty good hockey. Two of their top-three centers are injured right now and they've begun to tail off going 4-5-1 in their last 10 games.

All three of these teams could be in the market for a #2 center who can put up points and is reasonably priced.

Let's just say that Derek Roy were available. He's a player that averages over .75 points/game, is making $4.5M and plays in all situations. Plus, after this season Roy will have only one year remaining on his contract.

A return for him, especially because he has not been playing up to his potential would be solid, if unspectacular. One would think that neither prime players, top prospects or 1st round picks would be in the equation. But a combination of a mid-to-upper level center prospect plus another prospect and/or draft pick might do the job.

Presently Florida is nearly $10M under the salary cap. Minnesota, around $8.5M and Phoenix about $10.5M. Plenty of room for any of those teams to absorb Roy's contract.

But what would the return be for the Sabres?

Let's take a look.

On November 22, 2011, Hockey's Future had Florida as the #1 organization for prospects.

Here's what they said:  "With 23 selections in the last two drafts, every position in the Panthers organization is loaded with top-end talent and solid depth...The system is laden with future NHLers at forward and defense, and boasts multiple skilled and physical players throughout."

Forget about their top-prospects which include center Jonathan Hubereau as he'll be their centerpiece for years to come. But the #2 center in their rankings would be center Nick Bjugstad.

Bjugstad was the 19th overall pick in the 2010 draft, the second first-rounder by Florida and he's presently playing for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Why would the Sabres be interested in him?

From NHL Central Scouting's Jack Barzee: “He's further along and more polished than (Boston's Blake) Wheeler. He's also a better skater than David Backes was at the same age (17). The only difference is Backes was thicker, but the ingredients are there. He wants the puck and wants to make plays. He's a blue-collar type kid who works his tail off."

"He wants the puck and wants to make plays," an ingredient that seems to be lacking in Sabreland. "He's a blue-collar type of kid who works his tail off." That screams Buffalo.

From Hockey's Future:  "[Bjugstad] has high-end hockey sense that he displays at both ends of the ice. He has a strong wrist shot that he regularly puts on net."

Bjugstad is big coming in at 6'4" 190lbs. He has skills, being Minnesota's "Mr. Hockey" his senior year in high school. But the differentiating factors are his hockey sense and the fact that he has a "strong wrist shot" that he uses to get a shot on net. In an age of defenses clogging the middle and blocking shots, a quick release wrist shot and/or snap shot would be more of a weapon than the "vaunted" slapshot.

Would Florida be willing to move him?

Panthers prospect,
Nick Bjugstad

With Huberdeau in the mix and looking to land with the big club next season, the Cats should have the top-center position locked down for years to come. Stephen Weiss is presently their top-line center with Marcel Goc as #2 on the depth chart. Goc is bottom six at best, with fourth line duties probably better suited to his skill set.

Huberdeau and Weiss would make a solid one-two punch down the middle for the foreseeable future.

With Rocco Grimaldi, Drew Shore and John McFarland all rated in the same area as Bjugstad, the Cats look to be dealing from a position of strength.

Why would Florida want Derek Roy?

With Huberdeau still maturing in junior, he could be two years away from having an impact in the NHL. Roy would not break the bank for the next year and a half and would step into a 1B center slot with Weiss taking the 1A. If Huberdeau were to make the jump next season as the #1 center, having Weiss and Roy down the middle would be solid.

The big question is, would Roy be a Tallon-type of player? It might be a bit of a stretch, but it's a situation that could work for both teams.


The Minnesota Wild at one time were perched atop the Western Conference, then, like the storm in Rudolph, "it hit." After a five game win streak to start the month of December, the Wild went 2-6-2 to end the month scoring a total of 16 goals during that 10-game stretch.

The team took a big drop in the standings during that slump and are now sixth in the conference.

Although injuries have taken their toll on the team, they've not been particularly strong down the middle. Behind solid top-line center Mikko Koivu are 35 yr. old Matt Cullen and Kyle Brodziak. Both are playing a line above where they should be.

Mikael Granlund, a #9 pick in 2010, is Minnesota's top prospect, he's a center and is presently competing in the World Juniors. Charlie Coyle is their second rated prospect and he's a right winger.

Down the list we go, and in near the middle is center prospect Zack Phillips.

Phillips is 6'1", 181 lbs. and was the #28 overall pick from last years draft. Minnesota received that pick as part of the Brent Burns/Devin Setoguchi trade and it was their second first round pick in the draft. Interesting to note that the aforementioned Coyle was also part of the deal with San Jose'.

Phillips is said to have the skill, and Hockeysfuture has this to say about him, "[he] is primarily a playmaker but is no slouch when it comes to putting the puck in the net either. Blessed with great on ice vision and loads of hockey sense, his ability to anticipate the play cannot be overstated."

Minnesota Wild prospect,
Zack Phillips (R)

One thing that jumps out is that he was described by Central Scouting's Kim Houston as a "cerebral player."

He does have drawbacks, though, and among them is one thing that a few Sabres past and present are guilty of is not keeping their feet moving. Said St. John Seadogs assistant coach Greg Leland, "We don't really have to work on him with his skills, just his consistency and effort and being committed to being the best player that he can be."

Phillips would seem to fit the Regeirian mold of a skilled player with some consistency/motivation issues who's not overly physical . But, as a young player this lateral (from a particular style of play) move would at least yield upside potential. And it would help in the salary cap situation.

Why would Minnesota want Derek Roy?

They need scoring. They have a top-line center in Miko Koivu, but the drop to Matt Cullen as second on the depth chart is significant. Cullen would make for a solid third-liner and Roy would fit right in.

For a team that knows how to win with defense and is 29th in the league in goals/game, a center like Roy who can play defense and add scoring would seem like a good fit.


The Phoenix Coyotes are franchise that seems like it's always in a struggle for survival. The Yotes are under the governorship of the NHL right now as Commisioner Gary Bettman is trying desperately to keep things in Phoenix with a new owner.

The former Winnipeg Jets franchise has had a rough go of it in the desert, but they've started to right the ship in their post-Wayne Gretzky era. Oddly enough, Phoenix made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history after Gretzky stepped aside and Dave Tippett took over as head coach.

Tippett has taken this team to the playoffs in two consecutive seasons and has them on the bubble at this point in the season.

The Yotes have 6'6" Martin Hanzal up top at center and traded for 35 yr. old Daymond Langkow over the summer. Hanzal is presently on injured reserve, but is expected to return with in a week or two. Langkow has battled through minor injuries, but is clearly on the decline after a long career.

Center prospect Ethan Werek was originally drafted #47-overall by the NY Rangers with a compensatory pick they were awarded. Werek was traded to Phoenix in May, 2011 for forward Oscar Lindberg (#57-overall, 2010.)

Werek came out of junior with good size, 6'1", 185 lbs., but is now listed as 6'2", 208 lbs by the AHL's Portland Pirates.

Hockeysfuture had this to say about him, "Werek is a hard-working player with excellent intangibles. He possesses a willingness to do the little things to help the team such as being hard on the forecheck and, grinding along the boards and holding his ground out front of the net."

Skating seems to be the knock on him, and the added weight may be a contributing factor to his stat-line of three goals, three assists and a minus-12 in 28 games for the Pirates.

Former NY Ranger
2nd-round pick, Ethan Werek,
is presently with Phoenix's
AHL affiliate, Portland.

He could top out as a bottom-six player in the NHL, but with the proper teaching and work, he could also end up as a solid two-way, top-six center.

The one thing about the Sabres is that Regier has only drafted a center in the top-two rounds once since Marek Zagrapan in 2005--Luke Adam. Their organizational depth-chart has a gap between their starters and junior prospects starting with Kevin Sundher (3rd-round, 2010.)

Why would Phoenix want Derek Roy?

Depth. With the Yote's in a constant struggle to make the playoffs, injuries down the middle could be enough of a set-back to keep them out. Since Hanzal went out on December 23, Phoenix is 2-3-2. Roy between Hanzal and Langkow on the depth-chart not only adds insurance for injuries, but also move Langkow into a better position down a line.


Three teams with cap space who could put a #2 center to use without mortgaging the future.

prospects i'd like to see come to buffalo at the deadline

some of these, maybe all, might be "pie in the sky"...(shrugs)

the teams that might be regarded as tops in the eastern conference--philadelphia and boston--predictably, got out in front of the trade-deadline...both teams knew what they wanted and got it done...

as for the sabres, like we've done throughout the darcy regier era, we sit...and wait...and watch the glee with which other fans welcome their teams' trades...we sit off in the corner of the playground watching other teams compete, waiting for the school-master to let us in...

yawwnnnnnnn...the end of the regier-era can't come soon enough...

anyhow, with the list of teams shoring up their roster as the post-season approaches diminishing almost daily, it behooves regier to get something done...

the sabres, through defection (chris drury, daniel briere) and incompetence (tim connolly,) are thin up-the-middle...and for a number of years they either struck out on their draft-picks at center (marek zagrapan, felix schutz) drafted a center very late (maxim schevjev, 6th-round, 2002; nathan gerbe, 5th-round, 2005; benjamin breault, 7th-round, 2006; paul byron, 6th-round, 2007,) were left drafting a small one (gerbe, byron, tyler ennis, 26th overall, 2008,) or didn't draft a center at all (2003, 2004)...

luke adam (2nd-round, 2008) is the only drafted prospect that bucks the aforementioned trend...

the traditional return for veteran players who'll help a contender in the playoffs is a prospect and/or draft picks...therefore a small list of center-prospects who i'd like to see in the sabres organization...

the following profiles are taken from a great site, hockeysfuture.com, unless otherwise noted...

• Benn Ferriero--san jose' sharks...an undrafted free agent, ferriero is on the fringe of the nhl having played 20 games with the worsester sharks in the ahl and 32 with the big club this season...a "balls-to-the-wall"-kinda player somewhat in the vein of flyers center, mike richards...the 5'11", 195 boston, ma native and former 7th-round pick of the phoenix coyotes (2006) seems as if he may be a late-bloomer who'll never take for granted that he's playing in the nhl..."Ferriero is a tenacious, fiercely competitive forward who plays equally well at both ends of the ice. He has great hockey instincts and does a superb job of reading and following plays. While Ferriero may be small he is by no means weak. His strength makes him a difficult player to move off of the puck and the way he plays his game makes covering him a daunting task for opposing defenders. Ferriero has shown a willingness to go to and take the punishment in front of the net to create scoring opportunities. He is also powerful skater."...in other words, "anti-core"
• Evgeny Kuznetsov--washington capitals...kuzentsov is playing in the khl and it looks like he'll be there through the 2012/13 season...at 6'0" 175 lbs, he still has some growing room and, although he's listed as a right-wing, he can play center...sure, the sabres haven't gone after any russians in a while, because they could get burned, but maybe with the new ownership they'd take a shot with this kid..."Kuznetsov displays a mixture of strength and skill along with the exuberance of other young Russian players such as Evgeny Malkin. His game is still in its early stages of development, and he has the expected shortcomings when it comes to defending consistently and tactical play. What sets him apart from other players his age is his flawless skating, stick handling and passing and pass receiving skills along with a fearless desire - particularly along the boards - to control the puck and create scoring opportunities."...anyone who watched the world juniors last month, saw the aggressiveness, skill and skating this kid has
• Tomas Tatar--detroit redwings...strictly a dream-scenario here, but the following analysis should provide some insights as to the difference between detroit and buffalo...from redwingscentral:  "He's one of those guys the puck just follows. He's got the offensive instincts, the head and the hands." — Red Wings assistant general manager Jim Nill (June 2009)...He's relevant in every game. He has a big future ahead of him. He's got really, really nice hands, really good vision and he's hard on the puck in the corners. He plays the game hard, too, for a skilled guy. He's not big but he's strong on his skates." — Grand Rapids Griffins general manager Bob McNamara (March 2010)...he is on the smallish side at 5'10", 175 lbs and it'll be interesting to see what a top-notch organization can do with the package he has...
• Marcus Kruger--chicago blackhawks...is already being considered "a steal" after being drafted in the fifth-round of the 2009 draft, "Kruger  is an exceptionally skilled playmaker with elite hockey sense. He likes to set up plays and find his teammates with tape-to-tape passes. Has become much stronger which has improved his game, although he still could use additional strength and muscles. Works well in all three zones and has leadership qualities."...originally clocking in at 5'11, 172 lbs. he's said to have bulked up to 190...

of course, no one outside of the "war-room" (or in the sabres case the last five-plus seasons, "the kiddie pool") knows what's going on, but just some food for thought to take our attention away from the last two home games...

we'll see...

once again, regretfully, the over/under for regier making a trade is february 28 at noon...the heavy money is still on over

i want the sabres to get boston's #1 pick in 2011

no, not the bruins own pick...i want the one that they got from toronto in the phil kessel deal...

and the player i see them using to get it?..........tim connolly

hear 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?...

yeah, possibly...and you're probably sayin' to yourself, "self?, boos may be right, but even if there's a snowball's chance in hell that connolly's worth that much, how would the sabres get the leafs top-10, possibly top-five pick that the bruins own?"...

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...


: )

looking for that #2/3 lw, part deux

ahhhh, the trade deadline...and new ownership ta boot...both are headed buffalo's way pretty soon...the question to ask would be, "will any player(s) be headed to the sabres under the directive of new owner terry pegula and his hockey people?"...

a few things to look at as we head towards the trade deadline:

• i doubt the sabres will trade for a true #1 center at the deadline for a myriad of reasons including availability and cost...although nothing is impossible, it's highly improbable
• the defense is pretty much set, although if the opportunity to snare a top-pairing d-man (like robyn regehr?) were to present itself, solidifying the d is always a good thing in the stretch-drive
• back-up goalie is still a problem, but will it be addressed?...(shrugs)...it should be, but it's getting to the point where it doesn't matter...they'll be riding miller all the way (perhaps right into the ground)

in addiiton to personnel, there's always the financial aspect...not only is the player's actual salary/cap-hit a serious consideration, but the ancillary effect of the player needs to be taken into consideration as well (see previous blog)...

the sabres have relied upon revenue-sharing for the "viability" of the franchise post-lockout...i can't see them deviating from the norm for the rest of the season...pegula and his people will have a clean slate for next season and the opportunity to formulate their plan over a full season...

that being said, as scary as it is for the sabres to be involved in a stretch-run with jochen hecht, tim connolly, rob nierdermayer, paul gaustad and rookie, paul byron at center, that may be what we're looking at for the rest of the season...hell, tim connolly may not even be here march 1st...

as for the right wing, jason pomminville, drew stafford, patrick kaleta, mike grier and even thomas vanek--who has seen plenty of time there--make for a pretty solid right side...

the problem for me is still the left side...tyler ennis and thomas vanek are in the top-six, then the we're looking at nathan gerbe and cody mccormick...gerbe is still inconsistent and mccormick is bottom-nine, although i like what both bring to the team...so it's back to an area we looked at back in november in looking for that #2 lw ...

the three players we looked at were, tampa bay's simon gagne, cory stillman of the florida panthers and wojtek wolski who was traded from the phoenix coyotes to the ny rangers in the interim...

here's three more as the trade-deadline draws nearer:

brooks laci

• brooks laich, washington capitals--the caps, by their standards, are having a very average year...washington is a highly skilled team, as we all know, but their 2.69 goals/game average (17th in the league) is way off their pace of last season when they lead the league with 3.82 g/g...they are strong on the wing and weak down the middle with only bonafide #1 center nicklas backstrom as a legit top-six...they have big bodies on the wing in jason chimera and mike knuble and they have the mad skill of alexander ovechkin and alexander semin out there as well...soon-to-be ufa laich comes in at 6'2", 200 lbs...the former 6th round pick (ottawa, 2001) is not affraid of the "bloody-nose" areas and has scored 20+ goals in each of the last three seasons...at 27, he seems to have found his game, much like undrafted free agent rene' bourque of the calgary flames...although he's having a mediocre year by those standards, and remains inconsistent, his play is north-south and edgy and he leaves it on the ice every minute....why would the caps trade him?...the caps could really use a center behind backstrom, especially a set-up man...tim connolly would certainly fill their void (while creating a void at center for the sabres)...both are ufa's come seasons' end and this could be one of those deals that benefit both teams...although there are cap problems for washington (they have $1.6m in cap-space to work with,) in this scenario, the difference could be made up somewhat easily...



curtis glencross

• curtis glencross, calgary flames--the flames are one of the hottest teams in the league right now...they are 7-0-1 in their last eight, and this surge has them knocking on the door of the western conference top-eight...28 year-old glencross seems to be following in the footsteps of fellow undrafted free agent bourque and has potted four goals during the flames run...although it doesn't look as if he'll reach the level of bourque, there's no reason to believe that he can't be right around 20 goals consistently...his price is right--$1.2m--and the guy works his butt off every game...his skill level is a notch above mccormick and, even in his inconsistency, he's still more consistent than the young gerbe is...why would the flames move him?...might be an low-impact ancillary move to free up some cap-space...the flames can take on about $1.3m in salary right now so moving glencross would give them even more to work with as they climb to a playoff spot...
• nick foligno, ottawa senators--sentimental pick?...mmmmmmm, yeah, in a way...in my humble opinion, i'd really love to see the sabres enter the pegula-era with the brother's foligno (nick joining sabres prospect marcus, who, btw, made the hockey news' hot list this week) battling for the blue and gold...is there any reason to think that foligno could contribute more in the goal department than mccormick?...i'm not sure, he's still young, and at 23, the former #1 pick (28th overall, 2006) still has up-side...maybe you can look at his last goal when he rifled a backhand from the slot top-shelf (i really like players who can pot a goal on the backhand) as a window to his skill-level...he's a character guy as well as big (6' 0", 210 lbs.) and gritty...ottawa will be in sell-mode this deadline and foligno might be available for a pick...that pick will probably be no less than a third, possibly a second and either well within darcy regier's comfort zone...

all-in-all, i really can't see the sabres making a big splash at the deadline, and this season i'm really ok with that...adding some punch on the left wing would be a move that would allow the team to up-grade without doing much damage to the roster for the start of the pegula-era...

looking for that #2 lw

on wgr yesterday morning, lindy ruff talked about the ennis, roy, vanek line on the howard simon show...ruff mentions the progression of that line from the beginning of the year before they were broken up to now where they're now considered a "big-gun" line...

will lindy "the tinker" ruff keep this line together?...he said that they will get more ice-time the better they play, so i guess it's up to them...pretty sure most sabres fans would like for that line to continue to produce, and lead--and therefore continue as a legitimate #1 line--so that the sabres can address other areas...

since darcy regier seems to be married to #2 center tim connolly, at least until the end of the season, most sabres fans would agree that "tiny-tim" isn't going anywhere...add in the fact that his lack of production dating back to last years post season has caused his "stock" to plummet and you have an "immovable 'glass' object" skating for the sabres at center...fine...whatever...maybe we'll revisit this in 2011...

jason pomminville is a solid top-six, all-purpose rw, so that position is set...which leads us to #2 lw...

i'll defend jochen hecht 'til the end...during the '08/9 season which saw his play and production plummet, hecht was vilified by the media and fan-base...last season he produced typical hechtian numbers--20 goals, 20 assists and lead the team with a +14...even so, he was considered "grossly" overpaid...

sure, hecht has a cap-hit of over $3m, but with the sabres under the cap by $4m, he should not be considered a cap-liability...he should be considered a quality #3 winger who can ably fill in on the second-line, one who can produce in that role provided he has good chemistry with his line-mates...last season the hecht, connolly, pomminville line was the best, most consistent line...until hecht's injury and the subsequent demise of connolly...in addition to 5-on-5, hecht anchors the sabres top pk-unit along with pomminville...

ideally, hecht playing on the third-line in a shutdown role with rob niedermayer at center and mike grier on the other wing this season...if the sabres could fill that #2 lw spot with a quality top-six winger and drop hecht down to the third-line, they could make some serious progress (the only thing better being a quality #2 center)...

that being said, i've probably gotten way ahead of myself concerning the near-future of the sabres roster, but it's still interesting to see if the sabres could pull off an upgrade to the top-six lw spot...here's a list of some lw's who could fit in nicely...are they actually available?...(shrugs)...what would it cost the sabres?...probably more than gm darcy regier is willing to give up...an exercise for an "arm-chair" gm?...absolutely...nothing more, nothing less:

• simon gagne, tampa bay lightning--went to the bolts in the off-season as a philadelphia cap-casualty...a former #1 pick of the flyers (#22 overall) in 1998, gagne is a former two-time 40-goal scorer capable of potting 30+ provided he stays healthy...something that's become a problem over the past few seasons...the bolts moved #2 lw, ryan malone and his $6m contract, to the right side to make room for gagne, who played 6 games for his new team producing zero points and coming in at a minus-8 before he was, again, sidelined by injury...gagne has a cap-hit of $5.25m and will be hitting ufa-status this off-season...would be a classic rental for a team in the stretch-run heading into the playoffs...some problems for the sabres:  incredibly pricey for the frugal sabres, pairing gagne with connolly could end in disaster as both are known to be injury-prone and, probably most important, gagne has a no-trade clause in his contract...every year for the past two or three years, tampa has been hailed by the pundits as the team on the rise ready to reach the playoffs, and every year they've missed out...should this pattern continue, the bolts may want to ship him to a contender, and should the sabres be in that position, they would have the cap-space to bring on that contract...

• cory stillman, florida panthers--the panthers went into full rebuild-mode under new gm dale tallon before the draft shipping some serious quality in nathan horton and keith ballard to boston and vancouver respectively...stillman, a former #1 pick of calgary (# 6 overall) in 1992, is with his 6th team, including a stint with ottawa as a rental...he has two stanley cup rings during his career bookending the lockout with a championship in '04 (tampa) and one in '06 (carolina)...although stillman never hit 30 goals, he was consistently in the lower to mid-twenties through the prime of his career...not sure how much this 6' 200 lb, 36 year old has left in the tank, and he's surely not known for his defense, but buffalo could use his pp acumen (five times hitting 10 goals or more) on the second unit...they could also use two-ring playoff leadership in a top-six role ...he comes at a price ($3.5m) that is "more affordable" for the sabres (as opposed to gagne) and the return for him could probably end up in the second-round area, a place where regier seems very comfortable...

• wojtek wolski, colorado avalanche---could be a classic "fish out of water" in phoenix...where does the only polish player in the nhl go for pierogis, kielbasa and golabki in glendale arizona?...exactly...bring him in, sit him down at the polish villa in cheektowaga with a large solidarnosc flag and give him a taste of home...wolski's starting to pick up the pace for the yotes after a very slow start, and it'll be interesting to see what the former #1 pick (#21 overall, colorado, 2004) does for the remainder of the year...he's had solid numbers throughout his young career and is surrounded by a quality coach and team in arizona...problem for the sabres would be that phoenix is weak down the left side behind ray whitney, which means the yotes would probably not be interested in moving him, and if they did, the price would be much higher than for the previous two...it would be worth it, though...the sabres could jump-start their organizational move towards a bigger team by adding the 6'3, 210 lb winger and not skimp on the skill-set either...wolski's signed for the next two seasons with a cap-hit of $3.8m

those are three for now...

although it's fun to think that the sabres would actually upgrade the top-six by pursuing a #2 lw, any likely move up there would come from within...

6' 2" 215 lb luke adam is tearing it up for the portland pirates this season with team high 11 goals, 19 points (tied for the team lead) and is a defensively responsible plus-10 in 15 games...the organization cannot deny what adam brings to the table...the question remains whether he can transfer that to the nhl...average results in two games with the sabres this season did nothing to detract from his potential, though, conversely, it did nothing to force them to keep him up...although he's playing center for the pirates, a move to the lw on the second line may not be bad for himself or the buffalo sabres...

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes in the air?...hopefully...part 2

as previously mentioned, the 40th anniversary edition of the buffalo sabres is stuck in limbo with management and coaches in place and a reluctance on the part of general manager darcy regier to move any of the "core," top-six players...since regier has shown a penchant for little change within the core, it's up to managing partner larry quinn to force regier into making a trade of significance...and he's done it before...

back in july, 2003, darcy regier refused to part with 2002 draft pick (#11 overall) keith ballard in order to obtain chris drury...quinn stepped in and forced regier to do it, and it worked out pretty well ...(note:  quinn was also instrumental in drury's departure as well)...

would quinn do it again?...i'm not sure...as of right now he has his own personal problems as he recovers from heart surgery at the cleveland clinic, so it's safe to say that he has other things on his mind...it's expected that he'll be in the hospital for at least a few more days...hopefully, once he regains his faculties and feels well again, he'll have had some sort of epiphany to the effect that stagnation is causing the sabres fans to become restless and that it is beginning to show at the box office...and it will only get worse if things continue as they are...

should quinn do it?...absolutely...it actually shoulda been done this off-season (if not a few years ago)

what should they do?

paul hamilton on wgr's "roundtable" brings up daniel briere's present situation with the flyers...basically briere said that life's easier right now because he's not seeing the likes of zdeno chara very much in the course of a game...when he was in buffalo, he would see chara the whole game...in other words, he was going up against the top d-men in the league...you could also add that he was facing the opposition's top checking line as well...

with those top players tied up for most of the game, production fell to the second and third lines...with briere anchoring the sabres top line, chris drury's line and derek roy's line thrived...thomas vanek had a year worthy of a $50m poach attempt by then oilers gm kevin lowe...

with the departure's of drury and briere, the likes of roy and vanek were asked to step up to the top-line and face the top-defenders in the league while the rest were counted on for secondary scoring...the results were two missed playoff years in a row and question marks as to whether or not they could produce in that situation with that style of play...

last season saw an emphasis on vezina-winner ryan miller and the defense lead by calder-winner tyler myers...production from the top-six forwards was stunted, but defense carried the team to the playoffs...in the playoffs vs. the boston bruins there was no scoring from the sabres top-centers--roy and tim connolly-- vanek looked fully able to handle his top-lw role, pomminville contributed and rookie tyler ennis contributed in a depth role...once again, on the whole, they looked over matched in their roles...but, still, nothing was done...

so now we're 10 games into the season and the sabres are faced with a few areas that are weak:

• ryan miller still has not hit his stride, although much can be attributed to a mediocre (at best) defense
• the defense is off to a rough start with tyler myers going through growing pains, jordan leopold is still adapting to the new climate, but has played very well, and shaone morrisonn had the triple-whammy of adjusting to a new team, a d-partner and dealing with an early season injury
• on offense more adjustments with rob niedermayer, cody mccormick and nathan gerbe coming in and tyler ennis beginning his first full season
• scoring from the forward lines are down, with some players being non-existent

i believe that all of these will work themselves out, save for the last point...which is on the backs of the top-six "core"...

the #1 line that will face the oppositions #1 defenders is vanek/roy/drew stafford...so far, roy started hot and has cooled down, vanek started cold and is heating up, stafford is still inconsistent...i do believe that vanek is a top-line player...roy can produce in a top-line role facing top defenders, but is better suited to the second line...stafford is more like a third-line rw...

nothing new, the sabres are still lacking a true #1 center while #1 rw is, and has been, even more of a major problem area

that could be overcome if the second line produced...it hasn't...and therein lies a major problem...

the line of jochen hecht/connolly/pomminville was the most consistent line the sabres had last season...a line the helped get the team off to a great start...this season, that line started out slow, some would say were "invisible" on a nightly basis...

with the sabres #1 line taking on top-defenders, this line has the opportunity to do some damage...connolly should be able to handle #2 center duties, but looks out of it most nights...pomminville is a solid #2 rw, but has been injured...hecht is a #3 lw, but is capable of playing #2 as long as there's chemistry between him and his linemates, as proven last season...

right now, the invisibility of connolly means the sabres are lacking a player to take on the #2 center position...

what are the sabres options in regards to filling these holes?...regier would say that these players will "grow into them"...on the other end, some sabres fans would say trade everybody except miller, myers and ennis...

maybe quinn could tell regier to address one area...even if the second line starts producing, there's still areas that could use some help on the top line...although i'm not privy to, nor claim to be privy to, any inside information concerning the availability of players, by the looks of, it here are some players that might be available:

• jamie langenbrunner, rw, nj devils--the devils are in worse shape than the sabres and one would have to think that some changes are coming...langenbrunner brings alot to the table--he has two rings, is a leader still capable of top-line duties, and is clutch in the playoffs...potential top-line:  vanek, roy, langenbrunner
• simon gagne, lw, tb lightning--gagne's a goal-scorer...he's been injury-prone lately, but when he's on the ice, he's a top-notch lw...presently he's goalless in six games with his new team and is a minus-8...it should not be a problem moving vanek to rw (i actually think he'd do much better there)...potential top-line:  gagne, roy, vanek
• chris drury, c, ny rangers--(ducks for cover)...i know all the criticisms and hatred for the guy, but he brings a lot to the table, has two years left on his contract with only this one being financially atrocious and would certainly help in the secondary scoring role and top-six leadership role...ny was a bust for him and the team...potential second-line:  hecht, drury, pomminville

these are just examples based upon what might be out there and how they would help fill a few major holes in the sabres top-six...of course, there's always the "internal salary cap" which would need to be addressed if any of these three, or their ilk, were brought in...(ummm...tim connolly makes $4.5m this season...hint, hint)...
the bottom line is this, darcy regier needs to shake-up and strengthen the top-six...larry quinn is his boss...if quinn says do it, it'll get done...if it doesn't happen soon, whether this team turns it around or not in the near future, the bottom line will be adversely affected...and i'm pretty sure that will not please larry quinn