sorry guys, not sure what's changed

terry pegula at his introductory press conference asked for everyone, including the media to get behind the team...for the past three years darcy regier and the buffalo sabres organization traded for a player and gave up a second-round pick...we also heard from regier that the asking price was too high for the players they've wanted, just like the last three years...and, we've also heard that the sabres are looking to add for a playoff push--that would be adding to "the core"...

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

hook, line and sinker...

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...

btw, on tyler myers...the los angeles kings traded colten teubert to the edmonton oilers as part of the dustin penner "blockbuster" trade yesterday...teubert was picked one spot behind myers in the 2008 draft because regier actually traded up for the spot they took myers in..traded with the los angeles kings...significant?...yes...

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...

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

finding a new home for current sabres

vancouver is said to be looking for a 4th-line center --rob neidermayer

washington is said to be looking for a #2, two-way center --tim connolly

chicago is said to be interested in --steve montador

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

kaberle to the bruins?...or snake oil?

does anyone else find it odd that toronto maple leafs defenseman tomas kaberle's list of teams he wanted to be traded to was limited to one team?...the boston bruins

the same bruins that sent phil kessel to the leafs for two firsts and a second...

hmmmmm...seems as if, 


(blaring trumpets sound)


BRIAN BURKE!!!



(you may all rise from your knees now)


is, once again, getting leaf-nation all excited with a little snake oil...it's kaberle time...again...remember last trade deadline? and the 2010 off-season?...

yesterday, tsn's darren dreger had leaf-nation in a frenzy when he said, "Failing a complete meltdown - which has scuttled at least one previous trade involving the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tomas Kaberle, and the Boston Bruins - there's strong belief that Kaberle will be traded to Boston."

wow...you could almost feel the collective genuflect to mount maple leaf, with the angels singing burke's praise...the blogs go wild with kaberle getting back the #1 they gave away...

and dreger, gets leaf-nation into more of a tizzy with this title to his report:  SOURCES SAY BRUINS WILLING TO PAY A PREMIUM FOR KABERLE...

after that striking headline, on the heels of the previous "failing a complete meltdown" article, here's what we get as the personal pr-guy for burke and the leafs:

• burke "insists there are other teams involved in the hunt"
• the dynamics aren't done, but a "traditional" return of draft pick and/or prospect
• sources say there's a "willingness" on the part of the bruins to pay a premium

although it may come true, i smell something fishy

the "anonymous hockey blogger"
has his sources

tsn' darren dreger
has his sources

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

well...whaddaya know?...the deal got done

portland pirates sign a defenseman

here's the press release from portlandpirates.com (my highlight):

Portland, Maine - The Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League announced today that they have signed Nick Tuzzolino to a tryout agreement.



The 25 year-old defenseman was playing for Utah in the ECHL where he had seven goals and 18 assists for 25 points in 45 games. The 6-foot-5 Buffalo, NY native, who also played with the ECHL's Wheeling Nailers earlier this season (one assist in three games), has played in 179 career ECHL games collecting 22 goals and 62 assists for 84 points and 361 penalty minutes. The New York Islanders originally drafted him in the seventh round (196th overall pick) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

cool that another buffalo native is getting a shot with the sabres organization like goalie david leggio did this past summer...

just curious as to why?...

we all know that the sabres have eight defensemen up with the big club...

over in portland they have eight as well:  marc-andre gragnani, tj brennan, drew schiestel, nick crawford, alex biega and dennis persson, all sabres draft picks...they also have free agent signee, tim conboy...

the eighth is recent pto-signee brian o'hanely (02-05-2011)...

unless o'hanely is released from his pto contract, that will make nine d-men on the portland roster...

as the trade deadline nears, anyone else find this:

leafs gm talks about trades

toronto maple leafs gm,

(blaring trumpets sound)

BRIAN BURKE!!!



(you may all rise from your knees now)

had an interesting take on the deadline, and the weeks leading up to it...

why on a sabres blog?...we'll get to that, but here he is:





first off, the reason i went to this sportsnet page was news that leafs d-man, tomas kaberle, would only accept a trade to boston as part of his no-trade clause...my last two blogs concerned the sabres dealing with boston for the bruins 1st-round pick via toronto...

what came out of watching this video was how burke does things that darcy regier should be doing...things like:

• "try[ing] to get out in front of the trade deadline...before the cattle stampede...and you're stuck with a lesser alternative"
• "when you make a mistake and a player's not working out, fix it"...words of advise from his former boss, harry sinden
• "we've been busy on the phones for a while"

yeah, say what you will about burke, but the guy does make moves to try and better his team...

i still think he's a wind-bag and a snake-oil salesman and that leaf-fans who turn towards mount maple-leaf every day to hear the call of burke have been rail-roaded...but?...whatever...the leafs were, are and always be a bitter division rival...

interesting note:  i went to the page to find out about kaberle, and the video that was there, the one that i posted, had nothing to do with kaberle...(shrugs)

redemption for darcy regier is right there

in the previous blog i wrote about wanting the first-round pick that the bruins got from toronto in the phil kessel deal...my thinking was that boston may be looking to bolster the team down the middle due to the loss of center marc savard and that tim connolly would be a fit as a rental...


i used the mike fisher to nashville trade as a base...the return on fisher was a first and either a second or third...

i also brought out the point that anywhere from three to six teams could use connolly's skills in a top-nine/top-six role including boston, pittsburgh and washington as well as, possibly, atlanta, calgary and columbus...

dallas stars center brad richards
is out indefinitely with
a possible concussion

since then, dallas center brad richards went down with an "upper-body injury"...speculation is that it is a concussion as he will not be flying with the team on their road trip which began last night in edmonton (a 4-1 loss) and continues tonight in calgary...

dallas is falling fast (2-7-1 in their last 10 games)...injuries have decimated the stars and are the main reason they've gone from tops in the pacific to a couple of losses away from dropping out of the playoff race...

i'm not saying connolly will be traded, but darcy regier has a shot at redemtion for the $9m contract he gave connolly two years ago as well as the innanity of his "two top-twenty centers in the league" statement...

nor am i saying that dallas would be the place that connolly ends up...but, what we have is another team that could use help up the middle...supply and demand...demand is getting higher and supply is tight, especially with ufa's...

with the bruins trading for bottom-six forward, chris kelly, the likelyhood of them going after another center diminishes...but the fact remains that the sabres could get a good return for connolly no matter where he goes...

redemption is there, mr. regier...

(knock, knock, knock)

that's opportunity at the door

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...


: )

some random thoughts for february 10, 2011 (Andrej Sekera, Marc-Andre Gragnani)

how do you go from a 3-9-2 start, which put you at or near the bottom of the league, to 2 games below .500, and very near a top-eight spot in the conference without winning three games in a row?...very simple, don't lose more than two in a row...

and that's exactly what the sabres have done...since nov. 6th the sabres have gone 22-13-3 while losing two games in a row four times, once in late november (tampa, pitt) and once in mid december (fla, tampa) and once in late december (fla, calgary)...in that same time-span they've won two in a row seven times (four times since derek roy went down on dec. 23) including the latest (vs. totonto and tampa)...

been hearing alot of squawking concerning the lack of a three-game winning streak, and it's well deserved...but at least they haven't gone into a prolonged slump

~~~~~~~~~~

vancouver d-man dan hamhuis got leveled by the ducks ryan getzlaf last night and was out of it for a few moments...no comment on the hit here, except to say that it was a hockey hit, but ya gotta look at the canucks and see possible trading partner...their defense has been battered all season and, even with the return of sami salo possibly on saturday, they are still missing keith ballard who may be out 4 weeks and alex edler who's out indefinitely with back problems...

if darcy regier were to talk with 'nucks gm, mike gillis, i'm sure he'll bring along photos of nathan paetsch, jeff jillson and rory fitzpatrick...been there, done that, got bounced

~~~~~~~~~~

i want toronto's first-round pick in the 2011 draft...boston has it, and it looks to be around a top-five...word on the street is that it may be available...

bruins gm peter chiarelli is believed to be taking a look at rookie center zach hamill first, but "acknowledged he’d have to consider taking a look at what's available in the trade market."

ummmm....hello...darcy?....you remember jim benning, don't you?...yeah, he was with the organization for a while and went to boston where he's now assistant general manager...seems as if they could really use a veteran center as well as a veteran d-man...sure, it's within the division, but think about it--a top-five pick in the draft this year

~~~~~~~~~~

sorry guys (and gals,) i've not been sold on andrej sekera all season...love the way he can move the puck up-ice, don't like much else...as previously blogged, he needs to get away from tyler myers...myers has enough problems of his own and really doesn't need the scatter-brained defensive liabilities that rej brings to the table...park his ass on the third-pairing or, better yet, move him at the deadline...

one thing that makes rej moveable is the fact that the sabres are deep with "puck-movers" in the organization...marc-andre gragnani was poised to make the sabres out of training camp before his quest was derailed by injrury...last season was an ahl breakout year for the 6'2", 200lb. third-round pick (2005)--he had 12 goals, 31 assists and was a plus-2...this season's he's looking to better those marks...presently he's second on the team in scoring with eight goals, 24 assists and is a plus-11...the sabres also have fast-developing drew schietsel as well as tj brennan, alex biega and nick crawford plying their trade in portland...in addition, dennis persson, who at one point looked to be a lost-cause/first-round-bust, seems to be "getting it"...

would it really hurt the sabres near or long-term to move sekera, especially at the deadline when they'll get the optimum return?

~~~~~~~~~~



did y'all realize that portland back-up (and williamsville, ny native) david leggio is 14-4-0-1 with a 2.64 gaa and has a .915 sv%?...not bad for an undrafted free agent...(for more on him check out my previous blog)

~~~~~~~~~~

with the trade of ottawa's mike fisher to nashville today (no real surprise in "mr. underwood" heading to music city,) the 2011 trade deadline is off to an early start with the fisher deal being the fourth in the last 24 hrs...

with the gun sounding, how long will it be until regier joins the race?...yeah, i know...february 28th, noon is the over/under with the heavy money on the over...

peace

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...