Which Buffalo Sabres' Unrestricted Free Agents...

...will be a part of the Pegula Rewards Program?

The decisions this season will not be as difficult as, say, 2007 when Daniel Briere and Chris Drury were up for a new contract. Nor will it be on par with last off-season when decisions were made on d-men Hank Tallinder and Toni Lydman.

Still, it's a new regime this 2011 and some UFA decisions will need to be made concerning current Sabres. And GM Darcy Regier is still in charge.

A quick look at Buffalo's UFA's and whether they could/should be a part of the future Blue and Gold:

--Tim Connolly--A classic case of not cutting your losses and, worse, compounding them by doubling down.

Going back to Connolly's 1999 draft-class, take out Daniel (#2 overall) and Henrik (#3) Sendin and you have one of the worst first round drafts in decades.

Tim Connolly


The #1 overall pick that season was one of the all-time busts--Patrick Stephan. The #4 pick, one pick before the NY Islanders selected Connolly #5, was Pavel Brendl. Other notable first-round picks include:  Taylor Pyatt (#8,) Branislav Mezei (#10,) Jeff Jillson (#14,) David Tanabe (#16) and Barret Heisten, who was the Sabres first-rounder (#20.)

Connolly, along with Pyatt, came from the NY Islanders in the Michael Peca deal. The dismantling of "the hardest working team in hockey" was in full swing with that trade, and it seems as if Regier wanted Connolly to be the centerpiece for his team-building philosophy.

There's no denying that Connolly had mad skills to center the top-line for the Sabres, as witnessed by his 11pts (5g, 6a) in eight games of the 2006 playoffs when he was a force. Unfortunately he had zero goals in three playoff appearances since.

Injuries plagued his entire career, but Regier stuck to his player. And the losses mounted after Connolly was felled by a concussion in the 2006 playoffs against Ottawa.

He was never the same after that. Nor was the league, for that matter.

Yet, Regier held firm.

The Connolly timeline after he was knocked out of the 2006 Ottawa series:

• re-signed by Regier in the 2006 off-season to a three-year contract extension while recovering from a concussion.
• because of that concussion, played only the final two regular season games of the 2006/07 season, but played 16 games in the playoffs producing nine points (all assists) that playoff year.
• played 48 games in the 2007/08 season, the team missed the playoffs
• played a total of 48 games in the 2008/09 season. Was re-signed to a two-year extension with a 50% bump in salary at the 2009 trade-deadline. Regier's logic? That Connolly's return from injury and subsequent re-signing was like bringing in a top-two center without giving up anything in return. The team missed the playoffs
• Connolly plays in the most games (73) since the 2002/03 season and scores a career-high in points (65,) but misses the final nine regular season games with a foot injury. The team finishes 3rd in the Eastern Conference in the 2009/10 season.
• Connolly and fellow top-two centerman Derek Roy, do not score a goal in a six-game loss to the underdog Bruins in the 2010 playoffs. Regier called Connolly a "top-20 center in the league" at the 2010 end of season press conference based upon Connolly's career best, regular season production.
• His production falls noticeably in the 2010/11 season and his plus/minus plummets from a plus-10 the previous year (his fifth year in a row on the plus-side) to a minus-10, the Sabres enter the playoffs as a #7-seed.
• Connolly is felled by a Mike Richards boarding penalty in game six of the 2011 playoffs. His ineffectiveness on offense relegated the center to a big-minute checking/penalty-kill forward. He had no goals in the playoffs again.

WGR's Paul Hamilton, when asked about Tim Connolly on numerous occasions throughout this past season, simply said that "he's shot."

I agree, and so is the decade-long Tim Connolly experiment.




Veteran d-man Steve Montador
may have some thinking about
where he wants to go next season.

 --Steve Montador--"Monty" came to Buffalo via FA in 2009 with a rep for playing a tough, physical game. But what really caught my eye as I watched him on a daily basis, was how well the 6', 200lb. d-man moved the puck up-ice. Plus, he could put up a reasonable amount of points. Which was all well and good.

 I doubt that anyone slated him for a top-four d-man role, yet that's where he found himself earlier this season along side Jordan Leopold. And he played pretty well, leading the team in plus-minus. But, as was the case throughout his two years in Buffalo, he was inconsistent.


In 2009/10 he played well, then was benched, then was probably the best d-man in the six-game loss to Boston in the playoffs.

In 2010/11, he was excellent, then dipped, then got better, then got worse.

Basically, this is something you'd expect from a young d-man, not a 30-year old who'd been to a Cup Finals(Calgary, 2003.)

I like the guy as a tough leader, despite his propensity for turnovers and mental errors in his own end. And ya gotta love a guy who will drop the gloves for his teammates despite rarely winning a fight. But the fact is, the Sabres can get that type of play from their youngsters who, unlike Monty, have plenty of up-side.

It comes down to a numbers-game. The Sabres are full of young d-men and they have a back-log in the system.

Thanx for the hard work, Monty, and good luck. Someone will give you a contract worth more than the Sabres offer and some team will get you much more playing time than you'll likely see in the Blue and Gold.



Sabres winger Mike Grier may be
ready to hang up the skates. Let's
hope he remains with the team
in some front office capacity.

 --Mike Grier--The amazing thing about Grier was how many breakaways the 36 yr. old got this season. After losing what little speed he had throughout 12 years as a hard-hitting, hard-playing, hard-charging winger, somehow, someway he was able to get behind the d and go in all alone. Not that he had a scorers touch or anything like that, but he broke free.

When Grier bolted in 2006, it was a big loss for the team, as well as the fan-base. He was a decidedly different player from the core--less talent, more heart--and to have him walk away was like ripping a piece right out of you.

His return was welcomed, but it was painfully obvious that he was near the end of his career.

And his playing career should come to an end. But, a guy like him with his smarts and passion should not be let go again.

How does Assistant GM/Director of Player Development, Mike Grier sound?




Rock solid veteran
Rob Niedermayer

 --Rob Niedermayer--Another veteran war-horse along the lines of Grier, only with a Stanely Cup on his resume.

"Nieds" did what he was brought in for--provide leadership in the playoffs. Of course, there was a time when the Sabres were a long-shot to make the playoffs, and he certainly wasn't helping much. He didn't score his first goal of the season until the 53rd game.

 But in the playoffs he was everything they'd hoped for--leadership in a checking role while putting up a few points.

Would the Sabres want him back at $1.2m?

I don't think so, nor would it be fair to offer him less to stay. Nieds is very close to retiring and the Sabres are at least two big pieces away from contending.

As of right now with the team as is, it doesn't look as if there'd be a match. But, if the Sabres were to add those pieces and had the financial wiggle room to play him in a limited role for the regular season then an increased role in the playoffs, I would re-sign him. Even at $1.2m.

I like what he brings to the table.

Willing pugilist, Cody McCormick

--Cody McCormick--Became a fan favorite after being called up from the minors during the 2010 playoffs. He endeared himself by going all out every shift and his game, so unlike "the core,"  was encapsulated in one play that saw him charge hard to the net taking out both goalie and the cage.

McCormick's a fourth-line/energy player. A dime-a-dozen-type of player, he can play LW and center and gives you his all in a limited role. He's a tough customer and willing pugilist.

All-in-all, he's a solid fourth-line player who's hard work and dogged determination has earned him a spot in the line-up. If, somewhere down the road a better role player comes along, then so be it.

As for now, he's in.



Yeah, I'm Matt "Friggen" Ellis.
Gotta problem with that?

 --Matt Ellis--As mentioned above with someone possibly (eventually?) replacing a fourth-liner, so is the case with Ellis.

He was a hard-working energy guy for the Sabres and was in the line-up until he was, essentially, replaced by McCormick.

Quick story on Ellis:  Much to the dismay of Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi, Darcy Regier plucked the left-winger off of waivers in October of 2008. That was a mere four months after the draft-day, trade-up by Regier with Lombardi to select Tyler Myers.

Ellis is presently the captain of the Portland Pirates and brings strong leadership to the team.

No reason why he shouldn't remain in that role again.

Patty Lalime (left) and buddy Ryan Miller.

 --Patrick Lalime--The consummate team player. But, unfortunately the Sabres needed much more than that, they needed a back-up goalie who could actually win games.

Lalime's record in two years as back-up for the Sabres--9-21-5.

Thanx, Patty, but Jhonas Enroth will take over from here.




Mark Mancari shouldn't hold his
breath waiting for the Sabres to
offer him a one-way deal.

 --Mark Mancari--Big right-winger scoring oodles of goals and putting up great numbers in the AHL.

Unfortunately, Mancari was never able to bring those numbers to the big-club.

Some may say that he never got a real shot as he spent most of his time in a bottom-six role.

(shrugs)

It's probably more of a case of Mancari not being able to catch-up with the speed of the NHL. He's pretty slow, and he lacks the grittiness that would befit, what amounts to a fourth-line, energy player.

He'll get a shot somewhere else next season.


The Pegula Rewards Program buffalosabresnow list:

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

UFA Players,

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

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...


: )

who is jordan leopold?

july 1st is generally regarded as christmas day for hockey fans as gm's from throughout the league present gifts for their fans in the form of free agent signings...some years the "glamour-toys" are highly-desired and overly expensive...outside of ilya kovalchuk, july 1, 2010 was less-than-stellar in regards to free agents...lots bicycles, coats and socks...

as a sabres-fan, not much should be expected on that day...darcy regier is a firm believer in building through the draft augmenting that by jumping into the "secondary" fa-market for bargains...and, as par for the course, regier hit target looking for quality at a less-than-premium price...that's where jordan leopold comes in...

initially, when they announced the leopold signing, it was--really?...ummm...who?...looking back at my initial reactions from the buffalo news sabres blog, it was yet another vanilla player signed by a vanilla gm...

when i see the "puck-mover" tag on a player, it denotes a player who is neither a shut-down d-man, nor is he a tough/gritty shot-blocker; basically someone who has some defensive liabilities...the worth of the "puck-mover" lies in his offensive abilities...unfortunately, it's a player who does not have the end-to-end rush capabilities of a brian campbell, the finish of an elite scorer like mike green, or the pp acumen of a sergei gonchar...

the "puck-mover" provides enough skill to get the puck out of his own end, either by hitting a forward with a quick, accurate pass or moving it to center on his own...his +/- will be dependent upon his team, only hitting a solid positive number on upper-echelon teams...in most cases, though, he'll probably hover around negative single-digits to zero (dmitri kalinin comes to mind)...he does have enough skill to play on the pp and contribute on the second unit and should probably get you anywhere from 30-40 points throughout the year...

an all-around jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none, the "puck-mover" usually plays top-four/2nd-pairing minutes and will play in all situations including time on the 2nd-unit pp and pk...he'll eat up 20+ minutes and have the capability to play against the oppositions top-lines when needed without a significant drop-off from the top-pairing...

that's pretty much what the sabres have in jordan leopold...

terms like "solid in his defensive positioning," "great outlet passes," "skates well," "joins the rush,"  "consistent production" and even "underrated" have been used to describe the positives...on the negative side:  "doesn't hit," "hasn't lived up to his offensive potential" and  "career minus +/-"...and, the biggie "has struggled to stay healthy lately"

before injuries, leopold was a key defensive cog in the 2004 stanley cup run for the calgary flames who lost to the tampa bay lightning in seven games, his second year in the league (btw, steve montador was on the third-pairing for the flames as well)...

his stat-line in the playoffs as a second-pairing d-man that year: 
--26 games, zero goals, 10 assists (6 pp,) +5, 6 pim
--toi/avg:  25:41 (2nd amongst calgary d-men,) 3:39 pp (1st,) 3:20 sh (4th)

in the finals:
gm one, 4-1 win:  19:38 toi (2:52pp, 3:56pk,) even +/-, 0 pts, no pim
gm two, 4-1 loss:  20:53 (7:01, 6:34,) -1, 0 pts, no pim
gm three, 3-0 win:  23:56 (3:14, 4:17,) even, 1 asst (secondary, pp,) no pim
gm four, 1-0 loss:  25:43 (2:13, 3:33,) even, 0 pts, no pim
gm five,  3-2 win (ot):  28:55 (:44, :58,) +1, 0 pts, no pim
gm six, 3-2 loss (2ot):  33:30 (3:17, 3:01,) -1, 0 pts, 2pim
game seven, 2-1 loss:  22:39 (1:50, 4:31,) even, 1 assist (only assist on pp goal,) no pim...

post lock-out saw leopold as a solid trade-commodity as he went from calgary to colorado back to calgary then to florida and eventually to pittsburgh at the trade deadline in 2010...

sprinkled in that time-period were a myriad of injuries from groin, hip and wrist ailments to a "head injury" in 2008 culminating with the concussion in the 2010 playoffs on a well-documented hit from andy sutton...

so why did regier go after leopold july 1st?...well, he needed a top-four replacement for the departed hank tallinder and toni lydman...but why leopold?

it seems to fit the "darcy-mold" (a mold of which i'm really tired of)--a skilled player who can skate, a d-man who can get the puck out of the zone, enough offense to contribute, the flexibility to play in all situations, and enough defensive prowess as to not be a defensive liability...plus, and this is a big one, leopold wanted to come to buffalo...

a former minnesota gopher, leopold contacted fellow-alum thomas vanek about buffalo...vanek gave the area rave reviews for family life...in fact leopold's wife contacted vanek's wife as well..."I’m looking for a spot that’s good for the family, and my kids have fun while we go out and strive for goals," he said... "I think it was the whole package for myself, my family, hockey – for what I was looking for, Buffalo was a good spot for me."

this wasn't the first time that family came into play when leopold needed to decide upon his future...back in july, 2009 leopold re-upped with the florida panthers on a one-year deal having "turned down longer-term offers and more money from other clubs" because, he "didn't think other interested teams were 'the right fit for my family.'"

with leopold wanting to sign with buffalo and the sabres needing a top-four d-man, the three year/$9m deal was easily consummated...

for the sabres, is a solid, if unspectacular, 2nd-pairing d-man who can play in all situations worth $3m per year?...will his "puck-moving" skills/point-play on the pp generate more offensive production?...is regier taking a gamble considering leopold's recent history of concussions?...am i convinced?

i'll stick with my "vanilla-player" initial reaction, although i've tempered my stance a bit (the bitterness of not landing volchenkov having subsided) and am looking at leopold as a compliment to craig rivet on the second-pairing...a defensive version (if you will) of jochen hecht, a player villified for his production/price ratio, yet a player who, imo, has more value than given credit for...

i think that's what we'll see with leopold...having him on the second-pairing with  rivet, having him healthy and playing a system where he'll fit in, and having his family situation stabilized may get him back to the form he showed back in 2003/04 with the flames...

and, if that's the case, then it's a good thing