Brad Boyes...should be seen as the last move Sabres GM Darcy Regier made on his own.
At the time, Boyes to Buffalo for a second round draft pick was touted as a departure from the old Tom Golisano regime. Boyes still had another year left on his $4m contract which wasn't the way the team had done business previously. So, the Buffalo media was all on board with the financial commitment of the move (despite jettisoning the remainder of Craig Rivet's contract) and the length of the remaining contract. But, this move smacked of same ol', same ol'.
Boyes failed miserably in Buffalo.
At 6'0" 205 lbs., he had the size. He had the skill, having been a former 40-goal scorer (2007-08.) And he had the slapshot that was supposed to help an anemic powerplay.
Kinda sounds like a familiar player, especially when you throw in that Boyes was pretty good in the shootout.
Here are some numbers 6'1" 220 lbs. Right winger. 25 goal season in 2005-06. Wicked slapshot, especially useful on the powerplay. Shootout specialist.
Ales Kotalik.
Kotalik was vilified for never using his size and playing a perimeter game. Boyes ended up being the exact same player. Kotalik's production sank as the NHL got tougher. The New York Rangers, never shy about throwing money around, thought he was useful, signed for three years at a total of $9M.
It took a little while, but they unloaded him to Calgary, who thought he'd be useful. They figured out that he wasn't, demoted him and insisted that Buffalo take on his salary in the Robyn Regehr trade. In 97 games for the Rangers and Flames he scored 15 goals.
Both players are the same type of player that Regiers's vaunted "core" consisted of--skilled but soft and afraid to get their noses dirty. And both had their best seasons when the going was relatively easy--the few years post-lockout. Now both are officially off the books.
Boyes had some parting shots at Head Coach Lindy Ruff, coming off as someone who wanted to be coddled, "Coming from coaches and having success with coaches that were yellers and screamers and hard on you, that's fine, as long as you get a pat on the back when you do something well.
That starts by communicating with off-ice stuff, saying hi, asking how the family is. Those things go a long way. I'm just looking for a coach that will do that to begin with."
Really?
Somebody give him a hug.
(Quick note. I worked with a 60 yr. old woman who said the same thing when a new manager with the same Ruff-like management skills came on board.)
Boyes was a Regier-kinda player, the type that he added to the team when he dismantled "the hardest working team in hockey."
Regier never knew toughness and/or grit. He drafted Andrew Peters with a high second round pick, then opted for him over Eric Boulton as the team's tough guy. Boulton could, and still does skate a regular fourth line shift and knows how to fight. Peters is now on WGR.
He was the antithesis of Peters who only played a few minutes a game and turtled way too often when dropping the gloves.
Regier also opted to re-sign Kotalik over a heart-and-soul guy, J.P. Dumont.
On the blueline, his defense-corps was loaded with "puck-movers," while his big, tough d-men were the likes of Mike Card and Michael Funk.
What it comes down to is this, if left up to him, he would build the type of team we've seen post-lockout. A team that has talent, but lack heart. It worked well when he had leadership and loads of talent in an easier NHL, but since the summer of 2007, the fertile ground with which his dreams came to fruition has been trample under foot by a menacingly tougher brand of hockey.
Owner Terry Pegula came in and let Regier, and Ruff as well, do their thing with what they had. And one would assume that last season he had seen enough.
Last year's disaster from Milan Lucic/Ryan Miller to not making the playoffs called for some action. And I believe that Pegula, through his advisors, directed Regier to retool the team with an emphasis on grit and toughness. Hence signing a true heavyweight in John Scott and the trade of "core-incarnate" center Derek Roy for LW Steve Ott and D Adam Pardy, either top-half players, while both adding to positions that are more than full.
There's no doubt that Darcy Regier can pull things off.
If we go back to the trade deadline he said he wanted to add for the stretch run and build for the future without mortgaging the future. Voila, C Cody Hodgson comes in along with D Alexander Sulzer and out goes Zack Kassian and Marc-Andre Gragnani.
Hodgson's slated for top-six work this season and Sulzer was re-signed as a depth defenseman. In Vancouver, Kassian's role has diminished to that of fourth-line duty/depth forward while Gragnani is an unrestricted free agent after the 'Nucks opted not to offer him a contract as a restricted free agent.
Put it all together and Darcy Regier knows how to get things done.
Just don't let him shape the team in his likeness and image. Buffalo's tired of being a punching-bag joke.
Showing posts with label brad boyes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brad boyes. Show all posts
Friday, July 6, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Four moves for the Sabres....
if GM Darcy Regier and the Sabres brass are willing to throw in the towel on the season.
That, of course, is a big "if."
The goal, in this blogger's eyes, is to add some center depth now and better position themselves for the draft by trading movable players. Unrestricted free agents are obvious, but teams are always looking for defensive depth at this time of year and there are a number of teams that could use a top-six center.
The names we'll look at are Derek Roy, Paul Gaustad, Jordan Leopold and Brad Boyes.
What we're looking for are at least two center prospects in return and two draft-picks somewhere in the the #16-56 range (ideally, we'd want to go higher, but that might be a bit of a stretch.)
Qualifier: It's kind of fun playing GM from behind a keyboard. After all, your ass isn't on the line as you spend millions of your owner's money both near-term and years down the road. Nor do you have the responsibility of uprooting a player and, possibly, his family.
Speculation is the order of the day at this time of year and even though there's no inside info here, with the amount of information on the internet you can draw some conclusions as to what players, especially prospects, are all about. With that info in hand, you can look at a teams' playoff position and read up on needs and/or wants then play match-maker.
Far be it for me to be so stodgy as to stand idly by with the trade deadline less than a week away. This is the time of year armchair gm's relish as they toy with delusions of Stanley Cup grandeur, and I'm game.
That being said, here we go.
(Edit: After posting this article, the Tampa Bay Lightning traded forward Steve Downie to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Kyle Quincy. Bolts GM Steve Yzerman then sent Quincy to Detroit for a 2012 first-round pick and a minor league defenseman--Sebastian Piche.)
Derek Roy
It's been said that the Sabres tried trading Roy over the summer, and, obviously it hasn't happened yet.
Up until the Pittsburgh game this past Sunday, Roy was having a dismal season. But during that game he showed glimpses of why he was near a point/game player for a few years.
Back in early January, we focused on three teams in the playoff hunt that could use a top-six center like Roy--Florida, Minnesota and Phoenix.
Florida is in a battle with Washington for the Southeast Division lead and the loser could still end up in the playoffs. Minnesota is a mere four points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference with four teams to jump. And Phoenix is presently holding down the #7-seed in the West.
We looked at a return for Roy, with the return being a mid-upper level center prospect coming back. The names: Nick Bjugstad (Florida,) Zack Phillips (Minnesota,) and Ethan Werek (Phoenix.) Click on the link above for more info.
But there's an interesting development in Washington.
Their center depth was depleted with the injury to Niklas Backstrom back in January. Right now down the middle they have sophomore center Marcus Johansson, Brooks Laich, Jeff Halpern and Matthieu Perreault at the pivot.
Backstrom's out with concussion related problems and he's yet to resume skating. Although the Caps are not in dire straights right now, a move to keep them in the hunt for both the playoffs and the division title might be a good one.
The Caps are tight against the cap, but could create space for Roy's $4M cap-hit this season and be in pretty decent shape for next season as well.
The cool part about the Caps is that they have an extra first-round pick this season thanks to Colorado giving theirs up for goalie Semyon Varlamov.
As Roy begins to heat up along with Washington's playoff chase, Roy could be put to good use by the Caps. Yes, they are having goaltending problems and would probably would like to have a Jonathan Bernier (LAK) or a Cory Schneider (VAN,) but that isn't likely to happening until the off-season.
If the Caps want to add a #2 center like Derek Roy, they have an extra first-round pick to give in return. But if I were in the Sabres shoes, I wouldn't stop there.
The goal for this arm-chair gm is to add depth to the center position too.
The Sabres are not going to get the Caps top-center prospect, Cody Eakin. Nor will they get any upper-level prospect (unless there's a package deal) so Buffalo can set their sights on an older "prospect" in the Caps system--Mattias Sjorgen.
The 24 yr. old free agent signing is presently playing in Europe after an ill-fated stint with the Hershey Bears. According to Hockey's Future, Sjorgen used an out-clause in his contract and his status with the team is unknown.
Sjorgen has good size, 6'1", 210lbs, and is projected out as a bottom-six center. For the Sabres, other than Luke Adam, their center depth has prospects on the small/skilled side of the equation.
Would the Sabres be able to get Sjorgen along with one of Washington's two first-rounders?
Why not? As a free agent Sjorgen cost the Caps nothing to sign. And they'll have Roy, a clear #2 behind Backtrom, or an outstanding #3 behind Johansson as well.
The trade by buffalosabresnow:
Paul Gaustad
"Goose" is a perfect UFA for a contender looking for a deep run in the playoffs. He's big, his defensive play is outstanding and his prowess in the dot is top-five. You're not going to get much offense out of him, but there are at least a couple of teams who wouldn't care.
Oh, and his $2.3M annual cap-hit is easily absorbed.
But, as mentioned here (and a lot of places as well,) Goose to Detroit is about as good a fit as any this trade deadline.
Sunday, on Hockey Day In America, Gaustad's line was up against the Evgeni Malkin line as the Pittsburgh Penguins visited the First Niagara Center. Goose, along with LW Nathan Gerbe and RW Patrick Kaleta, throttled Malkin as the Sabres rolled to a 6-2 win.
Something like that would only enhanced Gaustad's worth.
The Red Wings aren't exactly spring chickens anymore, although players like Niklas Lidstrom somehow defy age. But, as aged as they are, right now they could be looked at as the Stanley Cup favorite this season.
For the Wings, the future is now and adding Gaustad certainly will give them one of the deepest groups of forwards in hockey.
So, as we move Goose to the Wings, a fit like that deserves a decent return. The Wings have plenty of center depth in their system with three of them ranked in the mid-upper area of the organization: Riley Sheahan, Calle Jarnkrok and Landon Ferraro.
Of the three, Sheahan has attributes that any team would want, specifically the Buffalo Sabres.
A junior at Notre Dame, Sheahan has an NHL-ready 6'2", 200lb frame, plays a solid two-way game and seems to have a good head on his shoulders.
The trade by buffalosabresnow:
Jordan Leopold
Leopold is one of those veteran, top-four defensmen that always seems to be on the move at the deadline in fact he knows it first-hand. He's dependable, good in his own end, can put up points, and can log big minutes.
The only drawback to him being moved is that he will have one more year on his contract after this season, so he's not a rental.
The Sabres have quite a few defenseman who can do what Leopold does so moving him would not really hurt them next season.
Once again, there are always a few teams that are looking for veteran defensive depth, but one team could really use his services--Florida.
The Panthers are turning their franchise around after not making the playoffs for the last 10 years. They've done it by bringing in a bevy of veterans to hold the fort while their deep pool of prospects develop.
After a hot start, Florida dropped out of the Southeast Division lead only to gain it back a game later from Washington. But injuries on the back-end have the potential to derail their playoff push.
Three of their six starters on defense are on IR with veteran Ed Jovanoski slated to return very soon.
Enter Leopold.
With Florida well-stocked at every position in the organization, the Cats could, conceivably get by with minimal picks in the upcoming 2012 draft. Sending a couple Buffalo's way for Leopold would not hurt the organization in any way.
The buffalosabresnow trade:
Brad Boyes
The first acquisition by Sabres GM Darcy Regier under the new ownership of Terry Pegula.
Boyes is a former 40-goal scoring winger who was brought in to bolster the forward group--as a center.
It didn't work out well. In 67 games with Buffalo, Boyes has eight goals and 19 assists and has been dropped to the fourth line.
Boyes will be an unrestricted free agent, and with most of his $4m contract being paid, teams in the hunt for the playoffs, or looking to (hopefully) bolster their scoring from the wing for a long playoff run could look to Boyes as an option.
The team that Boyes could end up with is the team that he's played for before--Boston.
The equation is simple. Bruins RW Nathan Horton is out with a concussion and the team is said to be looking for a replacement. Rick Nash has gathered all of the headlines as the Columbus Blue Jackets have said that all is on the table for their last-place team.
But Nash does not make any sense for the Bruins at this juncture of the season. They're looking for rental.
After Nash, the Edmonton's "Captain Canada," Ryan Smyth, would be next on their list, but he's said that he wants to stay in Edmonton. Another Oiler, Ales Hemsky has been a perennial trade candidate for a couple years now with nothing ever coming of it. Perhaps his $5M cap-hit has been a determent.
As we move down the depth-chart of wingers, we get to Brad Boyes. He has the size and can play a gritty game at times, plus he wouldn't cost the Bruins much in return.
The buffalosabresnow trade:
When owner Terry Pegula said that "the reason for the existence of the Buffalo Sabres is to win the Stanley Cup," he didn't say how they would do it. When he mentioned that his goal was a Cup in three years, he obviously thought this team was closer than they really were, but that vision has been obliterated.
A partial reconstruction should be in the cards this season. This trade deadline along with a potential a lottery pick in the 2012 draft represents a unique opportunity for a team that's in dire need of, at least, a "re-tool."
For too long--nearly ten years--Buffalo has been mired in mediocrity to the point where they're not good enough to win it all, yet not bad enough to get a top-five draft pick. It's time to buck that trend and tank the season.
The buffalosabresnow plan of attack using that thought and the aforementioned trades:
Or a team, via the above moves (and a drive to the bottom of the standings by the team) with two first-rounders (including a top-five,) three second-rounders, two third-rounders and a fourth rounder along with two center prospects?
That was fun.
Thanx for reading.
That, of course, is a big "if."
The goal, in this blogger's eyes, is to add some center depth now and better position themselves for the draft by trading movable players. Unrestricted free agents are obvious, but teams are always looking for defensive depth at this time of year and there are a number of teams that could use a top-six center.
The names we'll look at are Derek Roy, Paul Gaustad, Jordan Leopold and Brad Boyes.
What we're looking for are at least two center prospects in return and two draft-picks somewhere in the the #16-56 range (ideally, we'd want to go higher, but that might be a bit of a stretch.)
Qualifier: It's kind of fun playing GM from behind a keyboard. After all, your ass isn't on the line as you spend millions of your owner's money both near-term and years down the road. Nor do you have the responsibility of uprooting a player and, possibly, his family.
Speculation is the order of the day at this time of year and even though there's no inside info here, with the amount of information on the internet you can draw some conclusions as to what players, especially prospects, are all about. With that info in hand, you can look at a teams' playoff position and read up on needs and/or wants then play match-maker.
Far be it for me to be so stodgy as to stand idly by with the trade deadline less than a week away. This is the time of year armchair gm's relish as they toy with delusions of Stanley Cup grandeur, and I'm game.
That being said, here we go.
(Edit: After posting this article, the Tampa Bay Lightning traded forward Steve Downie to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Kyle Quincy. Bolts GM Steve Yzerman then sent Quincy to Detroit for a 2012 first-round pick and a minor league defenseman--Sebastian Piche.)
Derek Roy
It's been said that the Sabres tried trading Roy over the summer, and, obviously it hasn't happened yet.
Up until the Pittsburgh game this past Sunday, Roy was having a dismal season. But during that game he showed glimpses of why he was near a point/game player for a few years.
Back in early January, we focused on three teams in the playoff hunt that could use a top-six center like Roy--Florida, Minnesota and Phoenix.
Florida is in a battle with Washington for the Southeast Division lead and the loser could still end up in the playoffs. Minnesota is a mere four points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference with four teams to jump. And Phoenix is presently holding down the #7-seed in the West.
We looked at a return for Roy, with the return being a mid-upper level center prospect coming back. The names: Nick Bjugstad (Florida,) Zack Phillips (Minnesota,) and Ethan Werek (Phoenix.) Click on the link above for more info.
But there's an interesting development in Washington.
Their center depth was depleted with the injury to Niklas Backstrom back in January. Right now down the middle they have sophomore center Marcus Johansson, Brooks Laich, Jeff Halpern and Matthieu Perreault at the pivot.
Backstrom's out with concussion related problems and he's yet to resume skating. Although the Caps are not in dire straights right now, a move to keep them in the hunt for both the playoffs and the division title might be a good one.
The Caps are tight against the cap, but could create space for Roy's $4M cap-hit this season and be in pretty decent shape for next season as well.
The cool part about the Caps is that they have an extra first-round pick this season thanks to Colorado giving theirs up for goalie Semyon Varlamov.
As Roy begins to heat up along with Washington's playoff chase, Roy could be put to good use by the Caps. Yes, they are having goaltending problems and would probably would like to have a Jonathan Bernier (LAK) or a Cory Schneider (VAN,) but that isn't likely to happening until the off-season.
If the Caps want to add a #2 center like Derek Roy, they have an extra first-round pick to give in return. But if I were in the Sabres shoes, I wouldn't stop there.
The goal for this arm-chair gm is to add depth to the center position too.
The Sabres are not going to get the Caps top-center prospect, Cody Eakin. Nor will they get any upper-level prospect (unless there's a package deal) so Buffalo can set their sights on an older "prospect" in the Caps system--Mattias Sjorgen.
The 24 yr. old free agent signing is presently playing in Europe after an ill-fated stint with the Hershey Bears. According to Hockey's Future, Sjorgen used an out-clause in his contract and his status with the team is unknown.
Sjorgen has good size, 6'1", 210lbs, and is projected out as a bottom-six center. For the Sabres, other than Luke Adam, their center depth has prospects on the small/skilled side of the equation.
Would the Sabres be able to get Sjorgen along with one of Washington's two first-rounders?
Why not? As a free agent Sjorgen cost the Caps nothing to sign. And they'll have Roy, a clear #2 behind Backtrom, or an outstanding #3 behind Johansson as well.
The trade by buffalosabresnow:
- Derek Roy to Washington for one of their two first-round picks and prospect Mattias Sjorgen.
Paul Gaustad
"Goose" is a perfect UFA for a contender looking for a deep run in the playoffs. He's big, his defensive play is outstanding and his prowess in the dot is top-five. You're not going to get much offense out of him, but there are at least a couple of teams who wouldn't care.
Oh, and his $2.3M annual cap-hit is easily absorbed.
But, as mentioned here (and a lot of places as well,) Goose to Detroit is about as good a fit as any this trade deadline.
Sunday, on Hockey Day In America, Gaustad's line was up against the Evgeni Malkin line as the Pittsburgh Penguins visited the First Niagara Center. Goose, along with LW Nathan Gerbe and RW Patrick Kaleta, throttled Malkin as the Sabres rolled to a 6-2 win.
Something like that would only enhanced Gaustad's worth.
The Red Wings aren't exactly spring chickens anymore, although players like Niklas Lidstrom somehow defy age. But, as aged as they are, right now they could be looked at as the Stanley Cup favorite this season.
For the Wings, the future is now and adding Gaustad certainly will give them one of the deepest groups of forwards in hockey.
So, as we move Goose to the Wings, a fit like that deserves a decent return. The Wings have plenty of center depth in their system with three of them ranked in the mid-upper area of the organization: Riley Sheahan, Calle Jarnkrok and Landon Ferraro.
Of the three, Sheahan has attributes that any team would want, specifically the Buffalo Sabres.
A junior at Notre Dame, Sheahan has an NHL-ready 6'2", 200lb frame, plays a solid two-way game and seems to have a good head on his shoulders.
The trade by buffalosabresnow:
- Paul Gaustad to the Detroit Red Wings for Riley Sheahan
Jordan Leopold
Leopold is one of those veteran, top-four defensmen that always seems to be on the move at the deadline in fact he knows it first-hand. He's dependable, good in his own end, can put up points, and can log big minutes.
The only drawback to him being moved is that he will have one more year on his contract after this season, so he's not a rental.
The Sabres have quite a few defenseman who can do what Leopold does so moving him would not really hurt them next season.
Once again, there are always a few teams that are looking for veteran defensive depth, but one team could really use his services--Florida.
The Panthers are turning their franchise around after not making the playoffs for the last 10 years. They've done it by bringing in a bevy of veterans to hold the fort while their deep pool of prospects develop.
After a hot start, Florida dropped out of the Southeast Division lead only to gain it back a game later from Washington. But injuries on the back-end have the potential to derail their playoff push.
Three of their six starters on defense are on IR with veteran Ed Jovanoski slated to return very soon.
Enter Leopold.
With Florida well-stocked at every position in the organization, the Cats could, conceivably get by with minimal picks in the upcoming 2012 draft. Sending a couple Buffalo's way for Leopold would not hurt the organization in any way.
The buffalosabresnow trade:
- Jordan Leopold to Florida for a 2012 2nd-round and 2012 4th-round pick
Brad Boyes
The first acquisition by Sabres GM Darcy Regier under the new ownership of Terry Pegula.
Boyes is a former 40-goal scoring winger who was brought in to bolster the forward group--as a center.
It didn't work out well. In 67 games with Buffalo, Boyes has eight goals and 19 assists and has been dropped to the fourth line.
Boyes will be an unrestricted free agent, and with most of his $4m contract being paid, teams in the hunt for the playoffs, or looking to (hopefully) bolster their scoring from the wing for a long playoff run could look to Boyes as an option.
The team that Boyes could end up with is the team that he's played for before--Boston.
The equation is simple. Bruins RW Nathan Horton is out with a concussion and the team is said to be looking for a replacement. Rick Nash has gathered all of the headlines as the Columbus Blue Jackets have said that all is on the table for their last-place team.
But Nash does not make any sense for the Bruins at this juncture of the season. They're looking for rental.
After Nash, the Edmonton's "Captain Canada," Ryan Smyth, would be next on their list, but he's said that he wants to stay in Edmonton. Another Oiler, Ales Hemsky has been a perennial trade candidate for a couple years now with nothing ever coming of it. Perhaps his $5M cap-hit has been a determent.
As we move down the depth-chart of wingers, we get to Brad Boyes. He has the size and can play a gritty game at times, plus he wouldn't cost the Bruins much in return.
The buffalosabresnow trade:
- Brad Boyes to Boston for a 2012 3rd-round pick.
When owner Terry Pegula said that "the reason for the existence of the Buffalo Sabres is to win the Stanley Cup," he didn't say how they would do it. When he mentioned that his goal was a Cup in three years, he obviously thought this team was closer than they really were, but that vision has been obliterated.
A partial reconstruction should be in the cards this season. This trade deadline along with a potential a lottery pick in the 2012 draft represents a unique opportunity for a team that's in dire need of, at least, a "re-tool."
For too long--nearly ten years--Buffalo has been mired in mediocrity to the point where they're not good enough to win it all, yet not bad enough to get a top-five draft pick. It's time to buck that trend and tank the season.
The buffalosabresnow plan of attack using that thought and the aforementioned trades:
- Sabres end up in the top-five of the draft and land an impact center.
- Derek Roy gets them a mid-lower first-round pick plus a big, bottom-six center prospect (Mattias Sjorgen)
- Paul Gaustad gets them potential top-six center prospect Riley Sheahan
- Jordan Leopold lands a second and a fourth round pick in the upcoming draft
- Brad Boyes gets the team a third-rounder
Or a team, via the above moves (and a drive to the bottom of the standings by the team) with two first-rounders (including a top-five,) three second-rounders, two third-rounders and a fourth rounder along with two center prospects?
That was fun.
Thanx for reading.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
For Those Of You Jonesing For Any Sabres News
With Buffalo having almost finished their off-season check-list, Sabres news is pretty hard to come by these days.
Of the newsworthy options out there, you could delve into the world of high drama and worry yourself to death over the debt-ceiling.
You could spend hours watching ESPN as big shots on both sides of a $9B NFL-quarrel leave football fans biting their nails wondering when the season will start (too bad the NFL and NFLPA will lock-out pre-1993 retirees from any benefits that will make their lives a bit manageable.)
The Women's World Cup Soccer Team did great (I happened to catch the Brazil game as well as a good chunk of the Japan match and both were thrilling,) the Pittsburgh Pirates were in first place for a couple of days (something that hasn't happened this late in the MLB season for decades) and Tiger Woods fired his caddie. All stories that momentarily pique interest, but cannot fill the void.
In Buffalo, the goalie debate has begun (in fans minds) as Jhonas Enroth signed for two years. Andrej "Rej" Sekera signed a four year deal for $2.75M/year, much to the consternation of many Sabres fans. And former Sabres Clark MacArthur and Tim Connolly cashed in big time with the Maple Leafs which is always great blogger-fodder.
The only thing left to do on the Sabres list is re-sign RFA d-man Marc-Andre Gragnani. With the team being around $4M over the cap ceiling this off season, eventually they'll need to jettison some salary and moves will need to be made before the season opener.
For now, though, as we cool off from 100+ heat indexes caused by a heat-dome over much of the Midwest and east coast, there's really not much going on in Sabre-land.
Jonesing for some Sabres-related news? Here are a few articles to chew on while wondering why there always needs to be drama, posturing, dread and fear in the headline news.
Jim Fink of Buffalo Business Journal says that Terry Pegula's spending spree may cause the billionaire owner/fan to "drill another well".
So far, Uncle Terry has committed over $120M to remaking the Sabres organization from re-signing Head Coach Lindy Ruff to flying to Saskatchewan to woo Robyn Regehr.
Fink touches on the well known aspects of Pegula's spending spree like $100M+ in players contracts doled out recently and underscores the fact that Pegula underwrote the Alumni/Fan Appreciation gathering and the Rick Martin Tribute.
But one thing that may have eluded many is the pricetag for the renovation of the Sabres locker room, with Pegula "Spending, according to Buffalo City Hall records, $6 million on renovating the Sabres locker room and training facilities at HSBC Arena."
Yowza!
I highly doubt that Uncle Terry will need to drill anytime soon, though. A return of 5% on his $3B worth would yeild $150M. More than enough cover for his spending spree out-of-pocket.
This truly is uncharted waters for the Buffalo Sabres and their fans.
Former Minnesota Golden Gopher, Thomas Vanek, spent this past Wednesday playing hockey with the likes of Zach Parise (New Jersey Devils,) Kyle Okposo (NY Islanders,) Paul Martin (Pittsburgh Penguins,) and Brent Burns (San Jose Sharks.)
Patrick Johnson of the South Washington County Bulletin covered the first-ever [Derek] Stepan/[Taylor] Chorney/[Jeff]Taffe NHL Players Charity Hockey Game. The event was held in the Cottage Grove Ice Arena, Cottage Grove, MN where 1500 fans packed the arena to watch and meet over 30 NHL players, including Vanek.
Among the group of players contributing their time and goodwill was United States Hockey Hall of Fame and Buffalo Hall of Fame Member Phil Housley. Housley, who was born in St. Paul, MN is a coach for the Stillwater Ponies High School hockey team in Washington County.
Tickets for the event were $25 pre-sale. (Boing!)
(shrugs)
That's the roomer from this Vancouver paper.
We're all familiar with the glut of wingers on the Sabres. We also know that the Sabres will be over the cap by at around $4M after re-signing Gragnani. Even if they demote Ales Kotalik and Shaone Morrisonn and rid themselves of their $5M in salary, the team will be too close to the cap for comfort and another move will need to be made.
Jason Brough of The Province makes the case for Boyes to Vancouver for a draft pick saying that the team could use a right-handed sniper and could clear cap-space to get Boyes. Disregard (as the author did) the fact that Brough made a case for Chris Drury to the 'Nucks as well.
Boyes' weak playoff performance vs. the Flyers would justify the Sabres moving him. Although getting a draft-pick in return would be OK, maybe it would be better to somehow finagle the deal so that Cody Hodgson, who seems to be on the out and is a player we wouldn't mind bringing in, would be part of the return.
Regardless, it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense for Vancouver, but, hey, if they want to, I'm sure Darcy Regier and company would be willing.
Finally, I don't know about you, but I consider Jhonas Enroth's $675K per year salary a steal for the Sabres.
No Sabres back-up since Martin Biron has instilled the a sense of confidence from the crease like Enroth did last season.
Case in point.
Last season Enroth played 14 games, went 9-2-2 with a 2.73 gaa and a .907 sv%. The year before, Patrick Lalime played in 16 games as a back-up. He went 4-8-2 with a 2.81 gaa and a .907 sv%.
Almost identical stats, but much different results.
The fact that the team negotiated a deal that was only $25K higher than Lalime's salary is fascinating. The fact that Darcy Regier wasn't at the table is intriguing.
According to WGR, Sabres' Assistant To the General Mangager Mark Jakubowski was involved in the negotiations with Enroth and his agent.
Who!?
You know, Mark Jakubowski, the guy who's spent the last three years as Regier's assistant? The former Director of Hockey Administration for the team? The guy who's yet to have a wiki page?
From the 2010/11 Sabres Media Guide:
Mark Jakubowski begins his sixth year with the Sabres and third as the Assistant to the General Manager. His responsibilities include statistical and salary cap analysis, contract research relating to player negotiations and arbitrations, managing player transfers, team roster administration, and all matters relating to compliance with the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement and other NHL agreements. Jakubowski also assists with the American Hockey League hockey operations of the team’s minor league affiliate, the Portland Pirates. Jakubowski graduated with an economics degree from the University of Rochester, where he also played baseball. He resides in Hamburg, NY.
This is the first time I've heard a name other than Regier involved in contract negotiations for the Sabres (no, you can't use Larry Quinn here.)
If this is Jakubowski's first contract, all I can say is, nice work.
Peace.
Of the newsworthy options out there, you could delve into the world of high drama and worry yourself to death over the debt-ceiling.
You could spend hours watching ESPN as big shots on both sides of a $9B NFL-quarrel leave football fans biting their nails wondering when the season will start (too bad the NFL and NFLPA will lock-out pre-1993 retirees from any benefits that will make their lives a bit manageable.)
The Women's World Cup Soccer Team did great (I happened to catch the Brazil game as well as a good chunk of the Japan match and both were thrilling,) the Pittsburgh Pirates were in first place for a couple of days (something that hasn't happened this late in the MLB season for decades) and Tiger Woods fired his caddie. All stories that momentarily pique interest, but cannot fill the void.
In Buffalo, the goalie debate has begun (in fans minds) as Jhonas Enroth signed for two years. Andrej "Rej" Sekera signed a four year deal for $2.75M/year, much to the consternation of many Sabres fans. And former Sabres Clark MacArthur and Tim Connolly cashed in big time with the Maple Leafs which is always great blogger-fodder.
The only thing left to do on the Sabres list is re-sign RFA d-man Marc-Andre Gragnani. With the team being around $4M over the cap ceiling this off season, eventually they'll need to jettison some salary and moves will need to be made before the season opener.
For now, though, as we cool off from 100+ heat indexes caused by a heat-dome over much of the Midwest and east coast, there's really not much going on in Sabre-land.
Jonesing for some Sabres-related news? Here are a few articles to chew on while wondering why there always needs to be drama, posturing, dread and fear in the headline news.
Terry Pegula's Having Himself a Good Time
Jim Fink of Buffalo Business Journal says that Terry Pegula's spending spree may cause the billionaire owner/fan to "drill another well".
So far, Uncle Terry has committed over $120M to remaking the Sabres organization from re-signing Head Coach Lindy Ruff to flying to Saskatchewan to woo Robyn Regehr.
Fink touches on the well known aspects of Pegula's spending spree like $100M+ in players contracts doled out recently and underscores the fact that Pegula underwrote the Alumni/Fan Appreciation gathering and the Rick Martin Tribute.
But one thing that may have eluded many is the pricetag for the renovation of the Sabres locker room, with Pegula "Spending, according to Buffalo City Hall records, $6 million on renovating the Sabres locker room and training facilities at HSBC Arena."
Yowza!
I highly doubt that Uncle Terry will need to drill anytime soon, though. A return of 5% on his $3B worth would yeild $150M. More than enough cover for his spending spree out-of-pocket.
This truly is uncharted waters for the Buffalo Sabres and their fans.
Thomas Vanek Joins Some Pretty Big Names In Minnesota For Charity Event
Former Minnesota Golden Gopher, Thomas Vanek, spent this past Wednesday playing hockey with the likes of Zach Parise (New Jersey Devils,) Kyle Okposo (NY Islanders,) Paul Martin (Pittsburgh Penguins,) and Brent Burns (San Jose Sharks.)
Patrick Johnson of the South Washington County Bulletin covered the first-ever [Derek] Stepan/[Taylor] Chorney/[Jeff]Taffe NHL Players Charity Hockey Game. The event was held in the Cottage Grove Ice Arena, Cottage Grove, MN where 1500 fans packed the arena to watch and meet over 30 NHL players, including Vanek.
Among the group of players contributing their time and goodwill was United States Hockey Hall of Fame and Buffalo Hall of Fame Member Phil Housley. Housley, who was born in St. Paul, MN is a coach for the Stillwater Ponies High School hockey team in Washington County.
Tickets for the event were $25 pre-sale. (Boing!)
Brad Boyes On the Move To Vancouver?
(shrugs)
That's the roomer from this Vancouver paper.
We're all familiar with the glut of wingers on the Sabres. We also know that the Sabres will be over the cap by at around $4M after re-signing Gragnani. Even if they demote Ales Kotalik and Shaone Morrisonn and rid themselves of their $5M in salary, the team will be too close to the cap for comfort and another move will need to be made.
Jason Brough of The Province makes the case for Boyes to Vancouver for a draft pick saying that the team could use a right-handed sniper and could clear cap-space to get Boyes. Disregard (as the author did) the fact that Brough made a case for Chris Drury to the 'Nucks as well.
Boyes' weak playoff performance vs. the Flyers would justify the Sabres moving him. Although getting a draft-pick in return would be OK, maybe it would be better to somehow finagle the deal so that Cody Hodgson, who seems to be on the out and is a player we wouldn't mind bringing in, would be part of the return.
Regardless, it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense for Vancouver, but, hey, if they want to, I'm sure Darcy Regier and company would be willing.
Who Did the Work On the Jhonas Enroth Contract?
Finally, I don't know about you, but I consider Jhonas Enroth's $675K per year salary a steal for the Sabres.
No Sabres back-up since Martin Biron has instilled the a sense of confidence from the crease like Enroth did last season.
Case in point.
Last season Enroth played 14 games, went 9-2-2 with a 2.73 gaa and a .907 sv%. The year before, Patrick Lalime played in 16 games as a back-up. He went 4-8-2 with a 2.81 gaa and a .907 sv%.
Almost identical stats, but much different results.
The fact that the team negotiated a deal that was only $25K higher than Lalime's salary is fascinating. The fact that Darcy Regier wasn't at the table is intriguing.
According to WGR, Sabres' Assistant To the General Mangager Mark Jakubowski was involved in the negotiations with Enroth and his agent.
Who!?
You know, Mark Jakubowski, the guy who's spent the last three years as Regier's assistant? The former Director of Hockey Administration for the team? The guy who's yet to have a wiki page?
From the 2010/11 Sabres Media Guide:
Mark Jakubowski begins his sixth year with the Sabres and third as the Assistant to the General Manager. His responsibilities include statistical and salary cap analysis, contract research relating to player negotiations and arbitrations, managing player transfers, team roster administration, and all matters relating to compliance with the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement and other NHL agreements. Jakubowski also assists with the American Hockey League hockey operations of the team’s minor league affiliate, the Portland Pirates. Jakubowski graduated with an economics degree from the University of Rochester, where he also played baseball. He resides in Hamburg, NY.
This is the first time I've heard a name other than Regier involved in contract negotiations for the Sabres (no, you can't use Larry Quinn here.)
If this is Jakubowski's first contract, all I can say is, nice work.
Peace.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
The Sabres' Keys To the Series From the Goal Out
First things first: Forget the regular season.
--Forget that the Philadelphia Flyers head into the playoffs stumbling. It really doesn't matter.
--Forget that the Buffalo Sabres head into the playoffs on a serious roll. It will help them, but it doesn't mean too much.
This is the playoffs, the NHL's second season. The Flyers went to the Stanley Cup Finals last season and are loaded with playoff experience. They know what to do and what to expect this time of year.
The Flyers and Sabres boast contrasting organizational styles when it comes to team building:
--Philadelphia's GM, Paul Holmgren, has built a team heavy on finances and heavy on free-agency
--Buffalo's Darcy Regier has built the team on a fairly tight budget through drafting and patience.
Both teams boast two of the best coaches in the business:
--the Flyers with Stanley Cup-winner Peter Laviolette
--the Sabres with Lindy Ruff
The contrast in team-building styles takes the ice tonight in the first-round matchup.
Holmgren has hedged his bets on building a team of high-priced skaters at the expense of goaltending. The roulette wheel in goal for the Flyers has not helped them win the Cup yet, but they were knocking on the door last season losing in the Finals to Chicago in six games. This year, like last season, they're one of the favorites to win the Cup, or come out of the East at the very least.
Regier has the philosophy of build from the goal out and has placed his bet upon goalie Ryan Miller to lead the Sabres to their first Stanley Cup. And this is where we'll start with the #7-seed Sabres keys to beating the #2-seed Flyers in round one of the playoffs which begins tonight.
Buffalo's keys to taking the series:
- Ryan Miller--Captain Obvious here, but as Miller goes, so goes the Sabres. Fact is, it will be hard to pitch a shutout vs. the potent Flyers' offense. The tremendous forecheck from the Orange and Black will produce plenty of turnovers and, therefore, a multitude of scoring opportunities. Miller's task will be to keep the scoring to a minimum and come up with big saves at crucial times. In addition, he'll see plenty of odd-man rushes coming his way, and a big save could be a momentum-turner. This is how an elite goalie will be judged. He's rested, should be fully focused and has shown the ability to rise to the occasion.
- The Buffalo D-Corps--They're young. They will be under constant pressure from the Fly-boys and will need to keep their turnovers to a minimum. And, because Ruff wants his defense to join the rush, they'll need to pick their spots as well.
- The Forwards In Their Own Zone--Don't cheat up-ice. Guaranteed they'll get caught and it'll end up in their own net. It all starts with defense and transition. Working up a sweat in the defensive zone has been known to lead to goals for the hardest workers.
- The Brad Boyes/Tyler Ennis/Drew Stafford Line--This line is known as a "perimeter line" right now. Ennis and Stafford could be expected to play that way, but Boyes needs to get his nose dirty. He's the key. Continued perimeter play from him will continue his goal-scoring drought and exacerbate an problem that occurred in last year's playoffs--no goals from the Sabres top-two centers. Scoring from this line eases the pressure on the Tim Connolly/Thomas Vanek/Jason Pomminville line.
- Connolly--He was one of the aforementioned centers from last season. His special teams play has been excellent as of late and he needs to keep it up. On the PP, though, he needs to take care of the puck when heading into the Flyers zone. He cannot beat three defenders and needs to be smarter. Five-on-five he needs to show the desire he had in the 2005/06 playoffs and he needs to trust his shot, which is lethal.
- Put Doubt Into the Flyers Goalie Situation--Laviolette now has three goalies to juggle and a very short leash. Make him choose between the three by making any of them look shaky.
Will the Flyers win with all there money up-front? Or will the Sabres "build from the goal out"/balanced approach win out?
Don't know, but this is a series that should go at least six games, possibly seven.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
road warrior
and you all thought the sabres were on a long road-trip...
in addition, lindy ruff pointed out today that he has played 11 games in 17 days beginning with buffalo...here's how it plays out:
february 18 @ buffalo
february 19 vs. anaheim
---off day---
february 21 vs. chicago
february 22 vs. colorado
---off day/travel day---
february 24 @ vancouver
february 25 @ edmonton
---off day, travel day---
february 27 @ calgary
---off day, travel from calgary to ny---
march 1 @ ny rangers
---off day, travel day---
march 3 @ carolina
---off day, travel day---
march 5 @ philadelphia
march 6 @ minnesota
---off day, travel day---
and you all thought the sabres were on a long road-trip...forward brad boyes was traded to buffalo on february 27 as his st louis blues were in calgary finishing off a three-game western road trip...as of right now boyes is looking at a 10-game, coast-to-coast road trip...
february 18 @ buffalo
february 19 vs. anaheim
---off day---
february 21 vs. chicago
february 22 vs. colorado
---off day/travel day---
february 24 @ vancouver
february 25 @ edmonton
---off day, travel day---
february 27 @ calgary
---traded to buffalo---
---off day, travel from calgary to ny---
march 1 @ ny rangers
---off day, travel day---
march 3 @ carolina
---off day, travel day---
march 5 @ philadelphia
march 6 @ minnesota
---off day, travel day---
---the rest of the road trip---
march 8 @ pittsburgh
---off day, travel day---
march 10 @ boston
---off day, travel day---
march 12 @ toronto
march 13 vs. ottawa
---off day---
march 15 vs. carolina
when all's said and done, boyes will have played 16 games in 26 days and will have gone on back-to-back/coast-to-coast road trips totaling 10 consecutive games...he will have played five sets of back-to-backs and will have had a grand total of two days off without travel involved...
good thing he's 28 yrs. old and in his prime...
oh, and did i mention that not only did he change teams in the process, as of late he's changed positions having been placed at center due to a rash of injuries?
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
sorry guys, not sure what's changed
in addition, tim connolly's name has been bantered around in trade talks, again, and for the third straight year, he remains a sabre, much to the chagrin of this particular fan...
here's why...
the sabres are a bubble team this year and it seems as if the new management team has a three-year plan...they are not cup-contenders this season and they said that they're adding not only for this season, but for the future as well--enter brad boyes who's signed for next season...
there's been alot of talk as to pegula taking off the chains and letting regier spend money and they talk of the proof being the addition of boyes who carries a $4m cap-hit...yet, it's rarely mentioned that the sabres waived craig rivet and his, overall, $3.5m cap-hit...although the sabres are on the hook for half of rivet's salary this seaon, it's basically a wash, as the sabres remain under the cap by just under $4m...
and i'm ok with that, it's about what i expected...keeping that in perspective, what has changed?
there was a golden opportunity for the sabres to get good value based upon supply and demand, for tradeable, unrestricted free agents...yet regier spun the retaining of connolly as proof that the sabres were not sellers and we're looking to add to the team...in other words, he's still committed to his core--a core that has failed to get the team to the playoffs in two out of three years, with a one-round-and-out performance last season....once again, they are on the precipice of the playoffs and have just as good a shot missing them as they do making them...
after berating regier and his trade-philosophy the last two seasons, the buffalo media is on the pegula bandwagon, seemingly at the behest of the new owner...just take a look at the stories from the buffalo news:
- sabres shift thinking with boyes trade, john vogl--basically an article about the sabres trading for a $4m player with another year on his contract...not one mention of craig rivet being the salary out for the salary in
- deadline deal singifies new era, bucky gleason--"Regier's decision to keep Connolly could be viewed as another passive approach and keeping a player for too long, but actually it was an act of aggression. It was a bold move, in the face of public scrutiny of the chronic underachiever, designed to help them make the playoffs this season.
The time to trade Connolly was two years ago. He has disappeared over long stretches, but he's a dangerous player when he performs to his potential. It's not enough to warrant another long-term commitment, but Regier figured, with Derek Roy sidelined, he was their best option."...really?...what has connolly done this season?...what did he do in the playoffs?...paul hamilton on wgr this morning said that connolly's basically shot and that, as a fan, he'd rather see luke adam on the ice - ohl teammates together again after 12 years, mike harrington--a "feel-good" story on the re-united of brad boyes with tim connolly and steve montador who all played with the erie otters 12 years ago...and we actually have connolly saying something to the media--"[Boyes] has got a great release with his snapshot and his slapshot," Connolly said. "He's a real smart player and it will be my job if I'm playing with him to get him the puck in scoring areas."...really?...what was your job before boyes came on board?...oh, and the addition of boyes, without subtraction, could mean that tyler ennis goes to the third line
which brings us to rob niedermayer, he of zero goals this season...it's possible that he will be on the bench with the addition of boyes...what? and vancouver, who wanted a fourth-line center, couldn't be coerced into trading for him instead to chris higgins?...
i don't buy that thing's have changed...nothing will change as long as darcy regier is still with this organization...
quick, name me your favorite buffalo sabre right now...
exactly, ya had ta think about it, didn't you?...last year was easy, tyler myers...
most are touting darcy regier as "the genius" behind this move...actually, regier had to be convinced by his head of amateur scouting, kevin devine, to go after myers...at the urging of devine, regier got into "serious" discussions with l.a. gm, dean lombardi, at the draft...and here's how regier approached this decision: he and lombardi wrote down names on a napkin, both coveting a defenseman...if the names were the same?...los angeles keeps their pick...if they were different?...the sabres trade up...
nothing like leaving it to chance, eh darcy?...
the littany of passive transgressions against the sabres by regier is long...and yes, he was probably hamstrung by upper management...
but was he really?...or was he hamstrung by his own meekness as an nhl general manager...
Monday, February 28, 2011
brad boyes--"set-up man"
so recently acquired forward, brad boyes is being touted as a set-up man...
great...friggen' awesome...
ummm...just one question....who's he gonna set-up?...
tim connolly?...he's a set-up guy...well kinda, if you consider 18 assists in 47 games to be worthy of that moniker...no...you can't count the assists he got from a turnover and goal by the opposition--as his minus-11 indicates...
ok, so he won't be setting up connolly...how about jason pomminville?...you know, he of the 9.4% shooting percentage...the same guy who was switched from left wing back to right wing in a matter of a few shifts?...
vanek?...wasn't lindy ruff saying just the other day that he likes vanek on the right side because he can uncork his slapshot easier?
ennis?...ummm...maybe...at least he's a left winger...
hecht?...(snicker, snicker)...ok...find hecht on, or below, the goal line, his favorite shooting spot and feed him for the bank-shot...
of course boyes may be setting up nathan gerbe on the third line as to not disrupt the chemistry of the core...
oh...and boyes has a great one-timer, especially on the powerplay...sound familiar?...al (cough, cough) kotalik (cough, cough)...from what we heard this morning from people in the know, boyes' goal production tanked with the blues powerplay...
look, i like brad boyes and in a previous blog said that he could become a steal...he piqued my interest when it was rumored that he was expendable...i really thought he would be at center, though...and, forchrissakes, could he be any worse than hecth at center?
who will this lone deadline day player-for-a-second-round-pick end up like?...one-game wonder, steve bernier?...steve "the invisible one" moore?...an out-of-shape raffi torres?...hope not...
terry pegula was wondering why darcy regier was disliked so much by the local media and fans...well, mr. pegula...ummm, if your sabres miss the playoffs again, you'll know why...in fact, you'll actually see it first hand...
VIVA LA CORE!!!
great...friggen' awesome...
ummm...just one question....who's he gonna set-up?...
tim connolly?...he's a set-up guy...well kinda, if you consider 18 assists in 47 games to be worthy of that moniker...no...you can't count the assists he got from a turnover and goal by the opposition--as his minus-11 indicates...
ok, so he won't be setting up connolly...how about jason pomminville?...you know, he of the 9.4% shooting percentage...the same guy who was switched from left wing back to right wing in a matter of a few shifts?...
vanek?...wasn't lindy ruff saying just the other day that he likes vanek on the right side because he can uncork his slapshot easier?
ennis?...ummm...maybe...at least he's a left winger...
hecht?...(snicker, snicker)...ok...find hecht on, or below, the goal line, his favorite shooting spot and feed him for the bank-shot...
of course boyes may be setting up nathan gerbe on the third line as to not disrupt the chemistry of the core...
oh...and boyes has a great one-timer, especially on the powerplay...sound familiar?...al (cough, cough) kotalik (cough, cough)...from what we heard this morning from people in the know, boyes' goal production tanked with the blues powerplay...
look, i like brad boyes and in a previous blog said that he could become a steal...he piqued my interest when it was rumored that he was expendable...i really thought he would be at center, though...and, forchrissakes, could he be any worse than hecth at center?
who will this lone deadline day player-for-a-second-round-pick end up like?...one-game wonder, steve bernier?...steve "the invisible one" moore?...an out-of-shape raffi torres?...hope not...
terry pegula was wondering why darcy regier was disliked so much by the local media and fans...well, mr. pegula...ummm, if your sabres miss the playoffs again, you'll know why...in fact, you'll actually see it first hand...
VIVA LA CORE!!!
brad boyes to buffalo
according to tsn, st. louis has traded forward brad boyes to the sabres for a 2011 second round pick...
the 28 year old is 6'0", 205 lbs and is signed through the 2011/12 season with a cap-hit of $4m (interesting note: i used the cap-hit number not actual salary, the difference between the pegula-era and the previous regime)...
the well-traveled boyes is a former 1st-round pick (#24, 2000) of toronto, was traded to san jose' then boston, then st. louis...he clocked in with 43 goals in 2007/08 (his first full season with the blues ) and 33 in 2008/09, but tailed off considerably scoring 14 goals last year and is on pace for 15 this season...some have attributed the decline to being moved to the wing and feel that he'd be much more comfortable at center...
this could turn out to be a stellar first move by darcy regier and co...the blues are loaded up-front, and have excellent depth at center and rw--especially with the addition of chris stewart...for buffalo to give up a second-rounder, this could turn into a steal...
boyes production is far surpassing that of current sabres #2 center tim connolly this season and there's no reason why boyes couldn't jump into connolly's slot considering wingers have not been a serious problem area for the team...
even though it's been reported that connolly was not being moved, this is an intriguing move by the club...word on the street is that the sabres, with no financial constraints (outside of the nhl cap,) could be very active later today (although i always temper my enthusiasm when it comes to darcy regier and trades)...
we'll see what ken sawyer, regier, and their staff have in mind over the next 12+ hours and whether or not they've done their homework...
imo, great move by the team and all of us sabres fans who have watched the last three deadlines pass with token moves by a meek gm now have our interest piqued...hopefully this is the start of a significant departure from the previous 3+ years...
full story from the buffalo news here
the 28 year old is 6'0", 205 lbs and is signed through the 2011/12 season with a cap-hit of $4m (interesting note: i used the cap-hit number not actual salary, the difference between the pegula-era and the previous regime)...this could turn out to be a stellar first move by darcy regier and co...the blues are loaded up-front, and have excellent depth at center and rw--especially with the addition of chris stewart...for buffalo to give up a second-rounder, this could turn into a steal...
boyes production is far surpassing that of current sabres #2 center tim connolly this season and there's no reason why boyes couldn't jump into connolly's slot considering wingers have not been a serious problem area for the team...
even though it's been reported that connolly was not being moved, this is an intriguing move by the club...word on the street is that the sabres, with no financial constraints (outside of the nhl cap,) could be very active later today (although i always temper my enthusiasm when it comes to darcy regier and trades)...
we'll see what ken sawyer, regier, and their staff have in mind over the next 12+ hours and whether or not they've done their homework...
imo, great move by the team and all of us sabres fans who have watched the last three deadlines pass with token moves by a meek gm now have our interest piqued...hopefully this is the start of a significant departure from the previous 3+ years...
full story from the buffalo news here
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