Reviving the second ranked offense

By Jon

The coaching carousel continues to turn, but one of the hot candidates was taken off the market when the Broncos reached an agreement with former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels last night. While he was certainly a hot commodity and a chic candidate for several coaching vacancies, Denver's decision seems to be more than a little curious.

Let's take a look at Denver's regular season team stats, shall we?

Team offense (NFL Rank in parentheses)
Overall rank: 2
Total yards: 6333 (2)
Yards/game: 395.8 (2)
Total rush yards: 1862 (12)
Rush yards/game: 116.4 (12)
Total pass yards: 4471 (3)
Pass yards/game: 279.4 (3)
Points/game: 23.1 (16)

Now without even looking at the defensive numbers, you know they are going to be atrocious. How does a team ranked 2nd in team offense finish with a losing record? Terrible defense, that's how. Just for kicks, lets take a look at the defensive side of the ball.

Team Defense (NFL Rank in parentheses)
Overall rank: 29
Total yards allowed: 5993 (29)
Yards/game allowed: 374.6 (29)
Rush yards allowed: 2337 (27)
Rush yards/game allowed: 146.1 (27)
Pass yards allowed: 3656 (26)
Pass yards/game allowed: 228.5 (26)
Points allowed/game: 28.0 (30)

Now, common sense should tell everyone with half a brain that the Broncos need someone to come in and shore up the defense. Apparently the Denver brass missed the memo. McDaniels' defensive experience? Two years as a "defensive coaching assistant" in New England, for what it's worth.

According to Chris Mortensen at the WWL, Denver owner Pat Bowlen wanted a fresh, young face to take control of the team, but if you were planning on hiring someone with an offensive background, why did you fire Shanahan in the first place? His offensive approach seemed to be working quite well. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Therein lies another gripe: McDaniels' age. He's 32. He looks like he's about 23, tops. Now, I'm going to go way out on a limb here and say that the seven players on the Denver roster that are 32 or older may have a bit of an issue taking orders from their peer, especially after playing for one of the most respected coaches of all time. When Mike Shanahan took over as Denver's coach, Josh McDaniels was 18. I'm just sayin'.

Maybe Bowlen wanted some of the Belichick magic to rub off on his team? I mean, that's worked out for other teams hiring Patriot assistants, right? Oh wait ... no it hasn't. The Belichick coaching tree isn't exactly Walshian, now is it?

Maybe McDaniels will succeed. Maybe he will hire some hotshot defensive coordinator that will make all of Denver's problems go away. But are you sending the right message to your fans when you fire a future hall-of-famer that has been at the helm for fourteen years and replace him with some young punk with far less impressive credentials? Probably not.

Don't worry Broncos fans, at least he's not Dick Jauron.

Jauron Officially Extended

From the Worldwide Leader:

Updated: December 15, 2008, 1:32 AM ET

Despite going on a 1-7 slide that left the Buffalo Bills out of the playoffs, coach Dick Jauron signed an extension on Sunday, sources told ESPN.

The deal runs through the 2011 season. ESPN and the NFL Network reported on Oct. 26 that the coach had agreed to the deal. The Bills were 5-2 at that point and in contention in the AFC East.

The Bills lost 31-27 to the New York Jets on Sunday, giving up the go-ahead score in the final two minutes.

Jauron, 56-74 in nine seasons with the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions and Bills, entered this season in the final year of his initial three-year contract with Buffalo.

I'm not sure we've used the "Mismanagement" tag for the Bills yet, but we are now.

Sully on the Sabres

By Chris

News Columnist Jerry Sullivan has been on fire recently, and it's rare that I agree with him. But with recent columns on UB Football putting pressure on UB Basketball and yesterday's piece on why the Bills need to fire Dick Jauron, it's tough to find instances lately where he's really wrong.

And after all that's happened with the Sabres in the last two years, his column from last Thursday is pretty much dead on.

It's something I've been trying to make the time to analyze, so let's take a look at it now, Robistrator style.

This was clearly a very big day for the Buffalo Sabres. Eager fans lined up outside HSBC Arena before 10 a. m. Wednesday, waiting for the privilege of buying one of the new third jerseys at up to $295 a pop.

Bring out a new line of clothing and watch the people reach for their wallets. Sometimes I think it’s more about the jerseys than the team itself.

Hitting the nail on the head, it's evident with the influx of new jerseys (the home and away slug, the Winter Classic jersey and now the new third) and that ridiculous SabreStyle crap (or whatever it's called), they could put a picture of a third-world orphan on a T-Shirt, slap the word "Sabres" on it and it will probably sell out of the Sabres Store faster than you can say "Nathan Gerbe."

Who cares if Max Afinogenov is spinning around the ice with no apparent purpose, so long as the turnstiles and cash registers are whirring and the kids are content?

Max has been frustrating to say the least. But the kids love Max. Gotta play to your audience, right?

The way people respond to the Sabres, you’d think they had actually won something.

This is true. Almost 40 years in existence and no championship to show for it.

In that way, they’re a lot like the Bills. You have to admit, our two professional teams do a marvelous job of selling average teams to the public.

Although both have also struggled as recently as four years ago. A blacked out Bills game was a common theme a few seasons ago and I remember being in a half-empty HSBC Arena watching the Ducks come to town on a Wednesday night.

The teams have had some entertaining seasons lately and, at least in the case of the Bills, every offseason gives fans a reason to get excited again. Bringing in guys like Marcus Stroud, Kawicka Mitchell and James Hardy got fans pumped for the 2008 season and, looking back at August, it's tough to blame anyone for it. While the "splash" signing and draft picks may turn out to be somewhere between mediocre and bust, having Monday night games helps fill the stadium as well.

In the Sabres case, after the 2005-06 season, it became so hard to get tickets that many fans, myself included, hang onto my mini-pack just to guarantee that I'll be able to go to a few games (as well as the playoffs, knock on wood).

People act as if the Sabres are a sleeping giant, waiting to rediscover the magic of two years ago. How long must we wait? Going back to the start of last season, the Sabres are 49-54, including overtime and shootout losses.

Staggering numbers and the million dollar question: How long must we wait? Sully thinks we've waited long enough. Maybe we have.

So why all the fuss? Locking up players to long-term deals doesn’t make them stars. A big contract doesn’t make Jason Pominville an all-star. It doesn’t make Ryan Miller an elite goalie.

After more than 100 games, it stops being a slump. It’s a trend. They beat Boston on Wednesday, 3-2, but until proven otherwise, they’re average, without a consistent winning edge.

Pominville has never been an all-star. Miller might be an elite goalie. But we've locked these guys up for the long haul in fear of losing them to bigger markets. I would say that, individually, Pominville and Miller and much better than average. To say that the current team, however, the one we've watched since last October, with all of its flaws, is average is perhaps actually an understatement.

The core of this team rode Danny Briere/ Chris Drury to two Eastern finals. The Sabres lost their winning edge when those two left. They’ll stop hearing about it when they build their own legacy.

Who are those guys again?

Listening to the players at the morning skate, it sounded like last year all over again. Pominville said they needed to play with desperation and stay within the system. Toni Lydman talked about keeping it simple, going to the net and getting ugly goals. Same old stuff. They should just play a recorded message.

“It is a lot about the same,” coach Lindy Ruff said. “We should have won some games that we didn’t. But we’ve got to turn the corner quicker.”

A lot of this reminds me of Ryan's post a few weeks ago about "The System:"

With all that said, let's not talk about "The System" anymore. It obviously has no flaws, and if the players can't live up to "The System", we just need to find new players. Preferably robots who can focus on the multitude of rules and advice it offers for a full sixty minutes. Instead of talking about "The System" let's talk about another fun buzz word we throw around often: defensive responsibility.

Back to Sully...

On Thanksgiving Eve, the Sabres played with passion and verve befitting the occasion. But it’s no shock to see them play an inspired game. They’re a frontrunning group with maddening streaks of good and bad play. They want it to be easy. Never has a team gotten so full of itself with so little justification.

That right there is the essence of the Buffalo Sabres post-lockout. They play like they're on their high horse all the time when in fact they've had one great playoff run and one great regular season in the last three-and-a-half years. They do want it to be easy. Being able to rally from three goal deficits four years ago will give you that confidence. They know that they're talented enough to win games without putting in a full effort. However, it hasn't happened lately.

As Herb Brooks once said, "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard."

Management falls in love with its own flawed players. You’d think they were an elite team with a solid, veteran roster no kid can crack. Around the NHL, teams are playing kids and getting away with it. Phil Kessel and Milan Lucic in Boston, Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal in Pittsburgh, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews in Chicago — all 21 or younger and thriving in the league.

Falling in love with players is a strong phrase here. Management knows that the game is a business and bad assets are going to be costly to your success.

Of all the players Sullivan named there, all were top 5 draft picks with the exception of Lucic. Since 1996, the Sabres have picked in the top 10 only twice.

They struck out in 1996 when the took Erik Rasmussen seventh overall but they seem to have hit a home run by taking Thomas Vanek fifth in 2003 (although it's tough to go wrong with almost any first round pick that year). Teams like Chicago and Pittsburgh now have those super-star young guns because they suffered through some awful seasons in order to select that high in the draft year after year.

It actually is a positive that the Sabres haven't had to rely on top picks to step in right away. Who wants to be the LA Kings?

Meanwhile, the Sabres keep their top kids down in Portland. Tim Kennedy is 22, Nathan Gerbe and Mike Weber 21, but we’re supposed to believe they need more experience riding the AHL buses. The Sabres have no one among the top 30 NHL rookies in scoring. Of course, until they brought up Mark Mancari, they didn’t have any rookies.

The Sabres have had success in keeping the young kids down. Paille and MacArthur could still be serious projects if they had been rushed up. Mancari took four years to develop into what looks like a decent checking winger with a little scoring touch (who hopefully can continue to improve).

While I'd love to see Kennedy and Gerbe up here to spark out lifeless team, it probably is best for them to stay where they are right now. Unless Regier makes some serious moves, there just isn't room for these players in the lineup. What good is bringing Gerbe up if he's limited to six minutes a game on the fourth line, where his small frame won't do much good in the hitting department?

If the Sabres are going to make the decision to go with the new recruits, then they need to feature these players on scoring lines. But that's not their style so until things change up top, we're going to see more of the same on the ice.

The Sabres won’t admit it, but they’re in transition. The hope is in Portland, and the sooner they bring up the kids, the better. What do they have to lose, except more games? Let the kids learn in the NHL, like all those other promising young players around the league.

The development is the big issue again. Forcing raw talents like Gerbe and Kennedy to go against seasoned players they're not yet ready to match up against could stunt their growth.

The Sabres are banking on them developing quickly though. With Connolly, Afinogenov, Kotalik, Spacek and Numminen all due for unrestricted free agency at the end of the season, it's a safe bet you're going to see Kennedy, Gerbe, Mancari, Weber and Butler fill those spots. Don't expect any free agent splashes as the Sabres already have nearly $30 million tied up in salaries for next season. The young kids are going to have their time, it's probably going to be later rather than sooner (barring any inevitable injuries).

It’s a joke that Afinogenov is on this team. He’s been here since 1999, and he’s still making the same mistakes.

Afinogenov should have been gone long ago. He and Tim Connolly are symptomatic of the Sabres’ tendency to hang on to soft, finesse players who hold a franchise back. They need to move on and prepare for life with the young players. They’re the future.

What other soft, finesse players have the Sabres hung onto that have held the franchise back? Sure there was Satan but he was 35 goal scorer who helped lead the team to a Stanley Cup Finals appearance. Pat LaFontaine, maybe? Because his number isn't in the rafters for decoration. Does he mean Milan Bartovic?

If anything, it's not Max and Connolly being on the team that's the problem. Neither are on the ice now anyways. Instead it's the stupid salaries they were signed to. The Connolly contract is one that still boggles my mind, considering he was probably in a coma when he signed it.

Just imagine the jersey sales.

Like the Sabres need to sell any more jerseys. Quinn and company are racking in a boatload. But bringing up the Gerbes and the Kennedys may not only bring in marketing revenue but maybe something close to a championship as well. I don't see it happening for a while, but just imagine...

Welcome Back, Angelo John

by Ryan



I'm sure the ride back from the airport went juuuuuuust fine...

Free Agency '08!

[Refreshes TSN's Trade Tracker]

Rated R

By Chris

Scott Cullen over at TSN.ca has a nice column about restricted free agency and I'm going to steal his nice little chart.


What we're looking at is the range of compensation teams would receive if they do not match the qualifying offer sheets that their restricted free agents sign with other clubs.

This tidbit from that same article is also pretty interesting.

For example, if we start at the lower end, why not offer some of these guys a contract between $900,000 and $1.3-million, risking a third-round pick if their team won't match? Steve Bernier, RW, Buffalo; Paul Gaustad, C, Buffalo; Dan Paille, LW, Buffalo; Kevin Klein, D, Nashville; Nigel Dawes, LW, N.Y. Rangers; Ryane Clowe, RW, San Jose; Brooks Laich, LW, Washington

None of these players is going to make a huge difference to your team, but they could very well fit among your top nine forwards or, in Klein's case, as a regular on the blueline. For the price of a third-round pick, any of those would be a reasonable acquisition.

I like the fact that Cullen decided to throw three Sabres in that example. Mainly because Buffalo has plenty of experience in dealing with offer sheets (and Sabres management and Edmonton General Manager Kevin Lowe are no longer "friends" as a result). Since Bernier, Gaustad and Paille aren't exactly top-flight restricted free agents, you would think that the Sabres would be in the clear this year and not have to worry about other teams trying to snag their top restricteds. I did...until I saw this chart and remembered how the compensation works. Now I'm thinking that the Sabres may not dodge a bullet after all.

If a team really likes Dan Paille and is willing to pay him over $2.5 million, then they only risk losing a first and third round picks in next year's draft. It's not that steep a price to pay considering they'd be getting a 20 goal scorer that can also play the penalty kill. It can be very easy for teams like Toronto, looking to rebuild with a lot of cash to spend, to swoop in and mess with the budget of smaller market teams that operate on their own self-imposed cap (like the Sabres try to do).

The Leafs can afford to spend to the cap ceiling every year and if they're willing to overpay now for a player like Paille, who they feel can be a part of their core, then it might be worth it for them to give up a few draft picks for a player that can help them now. That's bad news, especially down the road if the cap keeps going up, for cash-strapped teams like Buffalo who rely heavily on retaining home-grown talent.

Another interesting piece in this process (as pointed out by a friend who I think has memorized the CBA) is that, as stated in that headache-inducing document:

10.4 Draft Choice Compensation for Restricted Free Agents

Clubs cannot acquire picks to use as compensation (with the exception being a Club's own draft selections that are traded and then re-acquired).

Clubs owing one (1) draft selection must have it available in the next draft.

Clubs owing two (2) draft selections in different rounds must have them available in the next draft.

Clubs owing three (3) draft selections in different rounds must have them available in the next draft.

Clubs owing two (2) draft selections in the same round, must have them available in the next three (3) drafts.

Clubs owing three (3) draft selections in the same round must have them available in the next four (4) drafts, and so on.

When a club owes two (2) or more draft selections in the same round, the signing Club does not elect the years in which such selections shall be awarded to the Prior Club; rather the selections next available will be transferred to the Prior Club (i.e., a club that owes two (2) selections has them available in the next two (2) drafts-- that is when they are transferred).

Basically, if a team wants to submit an offer sheet to a player, it needs to have picks available as compensation in the next draft. And they have to be the team's original picks.

Hypothetically, let's say the Sabres sign Capitals defenseman Mike Green to an offer sheet in that $3,923,437-$5,231,249 price range. The compensation to the Capitals if Washington doesn't match the offer would be a first, second and third round pick in the 2009 draft. The problem is that Buffalo doesn't own a third round pick in that draft because they traded it to the Kings to get Tyler Myers. Darcy Regier can't just trade Maxim Afinogenov to Vancouver for a third rounder and expect to use that as compensation because that pick originally belonged to Vancouver, not Buffalo. Also, Washington would be stupid not to match.

So, realistically, it's going to be tough for the Sabres to get into the Offer Sheet game without that third round pick because that pick is used a lot as compensation. Unless the Sabres re-acquire that pick from Los Angeles, it looks like your bubble is officially burst if you were expecting Buffalo to go after Green, Jay Bouwemeester or Valteri Filppula.

On the bright side, the Sabres.com P.R. MachineBlog has some very insightful words from Regier in terms of how much the team will be spending now that the cap has increased to $56.7 million next year.

REGIER GIVES INSIGHT INTO 08-09 PAYROLL

The NHL and NHLPA today announced the team payroll range for the 2008-09 season.

The lowest payroll limit has been set at $40.7 million, while the upper limit will be $56.7 million. That leaves the midpoint at $48.7 million.

Following Thursday’s developmental camp, Buffalo Sabres general manager Darcy Regier said this concerning the team’s potential payroll for the 2008-09 season.

“We’ll be above at the midpoint,” said Regier. “How far above it? We’ll have to wait and see. But we have some room, but not a lot of room.”

Yeah that pretty much told me nothing. Very insightful, indeed.

What I can tell you is that the Sabres spent $45.023 million last year when the cap was at $50.3 million. The Sabres already have $43.819 million committed in salaries next season to 12 forwards (including The Kaleta), 6 defensemen (including Andrej Sekera and Mike Weber) and one goaltender. That's not counting the restricted free agents they have yet to sign (Bernier, Gaustad, Paille or Clarke MacArthur) or any other potential moves Darcy and company may make via trade or free agency.


The Sabres do have some money to play with until they reach that $49 million mark. And the team payroll will almost certainly to go up again in 2009-10 despite the cap ceiling if Pominville and Miller are signed to extensions. Expect Buffalo to be very cautious with salaries in a league where it seems owners just don't seem to learn from past mistakes (See: Outrageous Contracts and Lockout).

A Look Ahead: Behind the Sabres Blue Line

By Chris

The new hockey year is fast approaching. Free agency opens up on Tuesday and soon we'll be looking forward to October when the Sabres season begins anew. As WGR has been calling it, "The Road to Redemption." Sounds kind of lame (it is) but after all success the team has had the last two seasons, it's somewhat fitting. Somewhat. The 2007-08 season pretty much was The Road to Perdition, after all.

Let's see how the team stacks up on defense and in goal.

On D, three of the top four spots are locked up. Henrik Tallinder, Toni Lydman and Jaroslav Spacek will be around. If the Sabres don't bring anyone in via free agency or trade, the fourth spot is Andrej "Balls" Sekera's to lose.

Given a full offseason to train and get healthy, the prospects are there for Tallinder to have his most productive season since 2005-06. And if Tallinder is going strong, Lydman plays better as a result. If that pairing is going strong, confidence can trickle down and make the entire unit better. It was that consistency that's been missing the last year and a half or so, mainly due to injuries to Tallinder.

Spacek really stepped up into a leadership role last season and was the team's steadiest defenseman, even when paired with a contract-weary Brian Campbell whose play crumbled under that added pressure. Spacek will sure up the powerplay and will hopefully continue to be a leader on a team that is still very much looking for its identity.

It may seem like a pretty big jump for Sekera to go from the seventh defenseman to a top four guy, but in the salary cap era, it seems players are expected to take up larger roles at younger ages. Especially now that players reach free agency at younger ages, they have less time to prove themselves. Sekera is going to be a restricted free agent at the end of next season. If he impresses enough this year, he could be looking at a big payday this time next year. Things can happen that quickly.

The development of Sekera and how much the Sabres want to rely on him should factor largely into how active they're going to be in the free agent market. If they feel that he can step in this year, will they look to signing a top four guy?

I think they have to. Figure the Sabres sign a guy like Brooks Orpik to, predicting inflation due to the Shea Weber deal (three years, $17.5 million), something around a five-year $28 million deal. If everything goes according to plan, a player like Orpik would certainly reduce Sekera's ice time and his price tag at the end of the season. Either way, this might be Spacek's last season in Buffalo as he enters a contract year. While Sekera would be a five this year, he would certainly be in the top four in 2009-10.

In that season you're looking at Tallinder and Lydman both going into the final year of their respective deals, a player of Orpik's caliber, Sekera, Mike Weber and Nathan Paetsch (mainly because he will still be under contract). That's a very strong starting six (on paper) that would probably cost the Sabres somewhere in the $16 million range (assuming the free agent will make $5 million and Sekera's salary skyrockets to $3 million). Keep in mind that the team spent about $17 million last season when you factor in the contracts of Lydman, Tallinder, Paetsch, Dmitri Kalinin, Teppo Numminen, Nolan Pratt and Brian Campbell. As salaries keep rising, the Sabres could be looking at a very cost efficient defense in two years, especially if they strike out at a free agent this year.

In addition to Orpik, on the free agent end, Darcy Regier and company could be looking at John-Michael Liles, Mark Streit or way under the radar, a player like Ron Hainsey (a 27-year old, 6'3'' 211 pound defenseman, who made only $900,000 last year while averaging over 20 minutes a game and scoring all eight of his goals on the powerplay for Columbus). I don't even want to hear those Brian Campbell-might-want-to-come-back rumors.

I'm assuming a lot here, mainly because it's difficult to predict exactly what the Sabres will do. They could very well move Sekera into the top four, re-sign Teppo as the fifth man, and rotate him with Paetsch and Weber to round out the corps. Bringing back Pratt is always an option as well, but it would make the most sense to choose between Numminen and Pratt as the resident "old guy."

2008-09 Salaries:
Jaroslav Spacek $3.300 million
Toni Lydman $3.150 million
Henrik Tallinder $2.9 million
Nathan Paetsch $800,000
Andrej Sekera $$659,000
Mike Weber $551,000
----------------------------
Dmitri Kalinin UFA (Darcy already said Kalinin's days in Buffalo are over)
Teppo Numminen UFA
Nolan Pratt UFA


In goal, the Sabres are looking to give Ryan Miller a long term deal. Whether or not Miller would be interested is another story. He's a top eight goalie without question, but with the market, he'll be making top four money. Look at Henrik Lundqvist's six-year $41.25 million deal as a benchmark for what Miller will be looking for. However, if I were the Sabres, I would front load the contract as much as possible so it's easier to move him in three or four years (especially if that Enroth kid really pans out).

I'm a huge Miller fan; we wouldn't have gotten anywhere in the playoffs in 2006-07 if it weren't for his heroics, but you need to keep all of your options open. In three years, if Enroth is the better choice, then at least the opportunity to trade a long term contract is there. That's a worry for another day, though.

Who is going to back Miller up in 2008-09 is the bigger question. The free agent pickings are slim to say the least. The Jocelyn Thibault Experiment backfired terribly but it makes sense to bring in someone with experience instead of letting a young unknown take up the role. Perhaps the Sabres could snatch up a Johan Holmqvist, Patrick Lalime, J.S. Aubin or even an Alex Auld.

Buffalo just needs someone reliable that can play around 20 games and hopefully win half of them. As long as the backup gives the team a chance, it's definitely an upgrade over the black hole that was on the end of the bench last year.

2008-09 Salaries:
Miller $3.5 million
--------------------
Dead to us (Thibault) UFA

A Look Ahead: Sabres Forwards

By Chris

With the NHL Entry Draft behind us, the new hockey year is fast approaching. Free agency opens up next Tuesday and soon we'll be looking forward to October when the Sabres season begins anew. As WGR has been calling it, "The Road to Redemption." Sounds kind of lame but after all success the team has had the last two seasons, it's somewhat fitting. Somewhat. The 2007-08 season pretty much was The Road to Perdition, after all.

Let's see where the team stands up front right now.

The Sabres have 11 forwards under contract, costing the team $28.959 million. Steve Bernier, Paul Gaustad, Dan Paille and Clarke MacArthur still need new contracts as restricted free agents. Signing restricteds to offer sheets seems to be a new fad among general managers, however these players aren't the type other teams should break that bank for. Each should be able to sign multi-year deals with the Sabres.

Paille and Bernier are both former first round picks. While Paille is on the verge of breaking out (I can't wait to see where the Sabres' cap number is on him since they'll mainly be paying him for potential), Bernier is still a bit of a mystery. "Big Bear" stormed out of the gates in that Nashville game but fell off the map after.

Part of it can be attributed to be young and adjusting to a new team, a team that was searching for an identity all year. Replacing the distraction that had become the Brian Campbell situation probably put some added pressure on him.

"This is a tough part, but I think the toughest part right now for me is when you get traded you get a big push, a big push of energy, you want to prove yourself," Bernier said. "After a couple of days you get a big down, and I did not sleep good the last couple of nights because of it. That's the toughest thing I think, to make sure you play the same way for a period of time, that's going to be something that I have to learn pretty fast."

That was Bernier on March 5, about a week after the trade. Hopefully he settles in right away at the beginning of the season. He seemed all right with Vanek and Roy when he first came to Buffalo but his play tailing off and an injury didn't help his case. Time will tell.

MacArthur is interesting because he's shown sparks of being a very good hockey player, but also disappears from time to time. He's locked in as one of the first call ups, but it wouldn't shock me if young guns like Tim Kennedy or Nathan Gerbe leapfrogged him by the time training camp lets out. The General is the type of player that could easily be moved in a package deal.

The centerpiece in that sort of trade? Three players mainly fit that bill and they're each entering their walk year. Maxim Afinogenov is making $3.5 million, Tim Connolly is set to rake in $3.5 as well, no matter how many games he doesn't play and Ales Kotalik, at $2.5 million is the third viable option.

Forwards hitting restricted free agency after 2008-09 include Drew Stafford and Jason Pominville. The Sabres have made it public knowledge that they would like to lock Pominville up before that time comes but the longer they wait, the higher his price tag will climb, ala Campbell.

It's not unreasonable to figure he could make an average of $5.5 million a season over five or six years (or something crazier that we were only joking about a few months ago) with the way salaries have been going as of late.

Regier was hesitant to give Campbell that sort of security, but maybe they think differently of Pominville. A Lady Byng nomination and the fact that he was the captain as they stumbled down the stretch (although he actually did a very good job publicly in the role, always being accountable), may factor into them actually giving him that kind of money.

Stafford went through the stereotypical sophomore slump, having to deal with injuries in addition to a heavier workload. Towards the end of the season, he seemed to settle in on the fourth line with Adam Mair and Pat Kaleta, but he's expected to be a top line talent.

If the Sabres aren't careful, he could turn into the American Kotalik--a player with a ton of talent and size but doesn't use either often enough. It could also look like the Sabres choose between Bernier and Stafford since they're similar players. It will be easier to figure that scenario out after Bernier gets a contract.

It doesn't look like Mike Ryan will be around unless he signs a two-way contract which would keep him in Portland and only in Buffalo in emergency situations. That wouldn't be a bad deal. Sure I won a generic Sabres wooden stick signed by him that hangs not-so-proudly on my wall, but I'm not holding my breath for it to become a collector's item.

And speaking of wasted roster spots, let's not forget Andrew Peters is still under contract. Sure he may be a good "locker room guy" but it doesn't help the team pick up wins on the ice. Anyone against waiving him? Anyone?

With an abundance of forwards, don't expect the Sabres to dive headfirst into that end of the free agent pool. While veteran additions like a Rolston or Roberts (or heck even a Darcy Tucker) would be nice, the reality is that, up front, the Sabres seem pretty much set. Regier has publicly questioned Afinogenov's future, but a trade would likely bring in a defenseman and open up a full-time roster spot for a guy like Kaleta.

And with extensions for Pominville and Ryan Miller likely on the horizon, it's like signing two free agents next season.

2008/09 Salary Numbers:
Vanek: $8 million
Hecht: $3.8 million
Roy: $3.5 million
Afinogenov: $3.5 million
Connolly: $3.5 million
Kotalik: $2.5 million
Pominville: $1.375 million
Stafford: $984,000
Mair: $750,000
Peters: $550,000
Kaleta: $500,000
----------------------------
Ryan: UFA
Bernier: RFA
Gaustad: RFA
Paille: RFA
MacArthur: RFA

Dear Sabres Managment,

This is how you run a "white out."

It usually helps when you try it on years where the majority of the fan base doesn't buy $200 jerseys. Putting a $2 shirt over that is a tough sell, eh? Although at this point, I think I'd buy anything Sidney Crosby is selling...



Jesus, even the dude with the tie did it right. Plus it makes it easier to pick out the Ranger fans. Speaking of Rangers fans... I was walking around a mall today and saw someone with an old Rangers third jersey. (The one with the Liberty Head on the front...) It was, of all things, a Matthew Barnaby jersey. As I walked past him I said, "Pens in 6."

Some Sun-Less Tanner Will Do

by Ryan

SABRES TOP PRIORITIES INCLUDE RE-SIGNING MILLER, POMINVILLE

Am I the only one that looks at that headline and goes, "That's it?" Perhaps it is a bit unrealistic to say that and really mean it, but I do. It's not that I'm unsatisfied with the logic, I just have a few problems with the presentation.

First of all, I'm freaking sick of press conferences with the Doobie Brothers Darcy and Larry at the helm. I don't need to be told how important re-signing Pominville and Miller is, anyone with a crash course in Salary Cap-ology knows how the market works these days. The thing is, I've come to ignore press conferences from the Twin Peaks of Prevarication after episodes such as "July 1st Damage Control" and "We are not trading Brian Campbell". Do we really need to hold these mission statement meetings to tide over the confused Sabres fans who think the the salary cap is sponsored by New Era?

Secondly, what does it say about your off season strategy when your main goal is to get two players who are under contract for a full calender year to sign new deals? I understand the proactive nature of all this, but when less than 10 months ago you were stressing "no negotiations in season" it seems like quite the leap in philosophy, doesn't it?

Of course hindsight is a critic's best friend, but how misguided do the post-lockout dealings look with this new policy in place? Not to put on my Bucky Gleason mask here, but how badly does it appear the front office botched the post lockout world? From misjudging market value to underestimating the power of RFA offer sheets, Darcy sure did appear to be downright baffled by the past few summers, and now he may be operating with the safety on in order to not get fooled again.

Finally, what does this say about the team's willingness to go after free agents? Does this mean the Sabres will not be "making a splash" come July 1st? Conventional wisdom already pointed to no, but focusing the bulk of your summer to getting players already on the team to stay doesn't bode well for us getting any fresh, crisp bodies in come October.

In the public swimming pool that is NHL free agency, the Sabres are the anemic kid who's allergic to chlorine. Even the biggest off season signing of last summer ended up with a boo boo. Jocelyn Thibault at $.760 mill. Leaping off the diving board and onto the concrete, still twitching from the blunt force trauma.

Boy, I can't wait for summer.

The Five Biggest Mistakes of the Season

by Ryan

Because everyone loves post-season lists...

5) Jocelyn Thibault
He seems like a delightful person, but we saw a lot of this from TBO this year:



I'm not going to give you the hindsight-aided "should have kept Ty Conklin" argument because that's dumb, but you have to think Darcy could have done better in the UFA goaltender category. Let's hope he improves this summer.

4) Trading Brian Campbell
Actually, it's what didn't happen following shipping Soup to San Jose. Something I wrote about the deadline on 3/3:

I think this year’s deadline will once again show Darcy’s inability to make a distinct decision. Weakening the team with Campbell’s deal but not completely retooling is not advantageous in the long run. We would have been better off if Darcy decided to make another move, one that shows either this season is a lost cause or that we are going to make a playoff push. Doing neither is not doing both.

I think the results of the season don't change my thoughts much.

3) Andrew Peters
Do I really need to talk this one out? Peters was an embarrassment this year, especially when you consider who he kept out of the lineup.



Pat Kaleta is the future of "goon hockey", let's throw Peters under the bus and get it over with.

2) Not Eating at Caliente Corner
I went to over a dozen games this year and not once did I stop by the Mexican eatery on the 100 level. I've been eying that place all year and somehow didn't make a stop there when I was hungry. It just doesn't make sense. I love overpriced nachos, why not pay a few more bucks to get overpriced nachos with even more stuff on them? Totally dropped the ball here.

1) Captain by Committee
Say what you want about the alleged emergence of Jason Pominville(!?!) as captain, but this novel experiment, like Prohibition, failed miserably. No consistent leadership led to, get this, inconsistency in play. One captain, Mr. December, was traded to San Jose in the middle of the playoff push. Even Pominville, the player who supposedly took the biggest step with this system, was at the helm for the worst two losses of the year (Montreal and Ottawa in the same week!), completely killing their playoff push. My how the expectations of leadership has fallen.

If you have any other ideas I'm open to suggestions. I know I have to live my mistake down all summer...

Pay the Kid

Everyone knows who's up next, and once again we are all saying Darcy won't let it happen again. The fact of the matter is that Ryan Miller is the real deal. He is, he's a starting goaltender that is finally carrying this team down the stretch, keeping them in games that they simply do not deserve. On Saturday night the Sabres stole a point from Carolina, but the real story was that Miller kept this team's playoff hopes alive.

No matter what numbers you have in your mind right now, know this: Miikka Kiprusoff will make $8 million in 09/10. If you think some other GM won't pay Miller that you're out of your mind.

Once again, you're move, Darcy.

One point but not enough

Remember 2003-04? The last season the Sabres tried this rotating captaincy thing? The Sabres just missed the playoffs and it wouldn't be until after the lockout when everything came together. You all know the rest of the story.

Tonight the Sabres stole a point, sure. They probably should have walked out of Carolina down five points to Philadelphia for that last place spot. Instead they're down four points with 13 games left to play.

Eighteen points should put them in a very good place. The playoffs.

Monday against the Rangers, Wednesday at Pittsburgh, Friday against Carolina, Saturday against the Leafs. Three of those four games should be very winnable, but we never know what team is going to show up every night.

Will it be team that looks like it cares (Nashville game) or the team that coasts through 48 minutes and hopes they can do enough in the other 12 to take two points (Washington last Wednesday)? We just don't know.

They've been a streaky team all year, winning four losing three, winning eight, losing 12...on and on and on. The 2007-08 Sabres have been inconsistent and mediocre. That's why they're going to be fighting for their lives to earn that eighth seed.

Fighting for their lives. Bold statement. It's what we all want to see from them, but do we even know they're capable of doing that? We're almost 70 games into the season and all we know is that we don't know what we're going to get from this team night in and night out.

Just looking at tonight's game, the defense was atrocious and, for the most part, the offense wasn't much better. Dmitri Kalinin has been mostly an embarrassment. He's supposed to be able to step up and be a top four defender and he hasn't been able to do that. When Brian Campbell was traded and no one else was brought in, you could look at that as a message from the front office to Kalinin to step up and play for a contract. He's failed miserably at that and the whole team is suffering from that backfire. Nathan Paetsch hasn't been much better and with Tallinder out and both of those guys in the lineup, you're going to see this team give up three, four goals a game.

I liked Afinogenov's game a lot tonight. Personally, I'm not the biggest supporter of Max but he's been one of the Sabres best players in the last three games. It's only a matter of time before he slips into "Old Max" and starts putting his teammates offsides again, so enjoy this stretch while it lasts.

Having Hecht back in the line up helped too. He played a strong game tonight which can't be said for many of his teammates. He played a huge part in Lydman's goal, winning the faceoff and being a presence in front of the net, where it's usually Vanek causing a disturbance.

And speaking of Vanek, where was he? Tonight was one of the few games during this latest stretch where he was noticeably invisible. Not a good sign for Atlas if he wants to live up to that promise.

Four points out with no games in hand. Which Sabres will show up on Monday?

Rejected

We'll let TSN.ca do the talking:

The Buffalo Sabres and defenceman Brian Campbell are still a ways apart on a new contract, as the veteran defenceman and his agent Larry Kelly are expected to turn down the team's latest multi-year offer.

Sources told TSN that the deal, offered Wednesday, is a three-year contract averaging less than $6 million a season.

Campbell, who will become an unrestricted free agent on July, is making $1.75 million this year and is among several big names rumoured to be on the move going into Tuesday's trade deadline.

Campbell is fourth on the team with 41 points (four goals, 37 assists) and ranks ninth among NHL defencemen in scoring.

In his eighth year with the Sabres, Campbell is coming off a career season, when he had 48 points (six goals, 42 assists) in 82 games last year

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=230260&hubname=

And from Sportsnet.ca:

Sportsnet.ca -- Sportsnet has learned the Buffalo Sabres recently made a formal offer to Brian Campbell that the all-star defenceman rejected.

Sources said the Sabres were set to make Brian Campbell among the top-paid defenceman in the league but the stumbling block remained the length of the deal which was believed to be only in the three-year range.

Campbell, who will become an unrestricted free agent on July, has recorded four goals and 37 assists this season.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2008/02/21/campbell_sabres/

If the Sabres really wanted to keep him, they would offer more than three years. Like they did with Briere, this looks like a "We offered him a contract. We tried. He rejected it, what else do you want us to do?"-type situation just to save face. And to justify trading him in the public's eye.

It's been fun, Soupy. but it looks like you'll be in another city by next Wednesday.

Slow Clap

by Ryan


Say what you will about the Anaheim Ducks fans, mascot, arena, or even the state of California itself, but don't you dare question their General Manager.

Brian Burke has got to be the best GM in hockey, right? Now maybe you wouldn't have said something like that in August when they lost Dustin Penner, but after reading this you can't help but be impressed with what he has done with the team.

Here are a few clips if you don't feel like skimming:

Sources tell TSN that Selanne signed a one-year deal with an annual base salary of $1.5 million, which means Selanne will receive just under $600,000 for the balance of this season. But as a player older than 35, Selanne is entitled to performance bonuses and he will almost certainly earn another $1.35 million from the Ducks this season. That performance bonus is achieved by simply playing 10 games, so, barring injury, Selanne will actually receive close to $2 million in base salary plus performance bonus for the balance of this season.

Not too bad, but what about overall cap space? They were over the cap to start the season, right?

And if the Ducks should add a player at the deadline, they have plenty of cap room this year to do it. As of today, they could add a player making an annual salary of $5 million. By the time the Feb. 26th trade deadline arrives, that player could be making closer to $6 million. If they sign a player of that level, it would mean they would have to carry forward Selanne's bonuses to next year, but there clearly is a lot of flexibility in terms of what the Ducks can do now and in the off-season.

Wow, flexibility indeed. That's swinging a trade for Brian Campbell and Ales Kotalik and still having some room to wiggle come next year. (Soup's a UFA and Ales has one year left at $2.5 mil)

Now maybe this is me, but isn't what just happened here the direct opposite of what we have going on in Buffalo? Think about it: both Anaheim and Buffalo had Kevin Lowe swoop in and try to nab an RFA this off season (Penner and Vanek, respectively), as well as some big name players hit the free agent market or contemplate retirement.(Neidermayer, Selanne and Briere, Zubris, Drury)

So what happened? Anaheim doesn't know what Selanne or Niedermayer is doing. They go out and sign Bertuzzi and Schnieder as well as resigning some key young players. Then Penner gets nabbed and they are suddenly down a winger. Things look pretty grim at the time.

Grim was the operative word in Buffalo as well. All three big UFAs walk and Vanek gets tossed a $10 million offer sheet for this year. Darcy and Co. have to do damage control and match while complaining about how unfair life in the NHL. The major off season acquisition is Jocelyn Thibault, and the phrase "we will be less competitive" is actually uttered by management.

So... what happens next?

For Buffalo it's an easy one: nothing. It is not fiscally sound to spend to the current cap, and so Buffalo stands pat all year and has rolled to a 21-21-6 record, currently 13th in the East.

Anaheim is a completely different story. Both Neidermayer had Selanne have returned and Burke had made that more then possible. Gone are Bryzgalov, Andy McDonald and Shane Hnidy while Branden Bochenski, Doug Weight, and Mark Mowers come in. The results are a 27-20-6 Ducks team that suddenly looks more than capable of defending their Stanley Cup reign with room to spare at the deadline.

Of course there are differences in each team's situation. The Ducks have proven they are willing to spend to the cap, while Darcy has blatantly said that Buffalo will not. However, that is not the main difference between the two clubs. For while Sabres management has stood pat and complained about the likes of Kevin Lowe, Nathan Horton, and ticket prices; Brian Burke stepped up and overcame the loss of Dustin Penner and some veteran leadership with shrewed management and the willingness to work within the system in place.

There was a time the Ducks were over the cap limit this year, but they made the right moves to both get that number down and still stay competitive. The same certainly cannot be said for Buffalo, and while that is not the only reason this team has underachieved it cannot be overlooked as one of the main problems this season.

I'm not asking to be in the situation Anaheim is in, and I'm not saying I want Brian Burke as my GM. All I ask is that our front office shows they have the "commitment to winning" that was talked about so much last summer. No more emergency "We're not trading Campbell" press briefings, no more "We're sorry" speeches, no more complaints about the system. Show me you believe in this team and this city by doing everything in your power to make this team work.

Don't sign Derek Roy because Nathan Horton inflated the market value for a forward his age, don't tell me you won't negotiate in season again if Brian Campbell is a Leaf next year, and for the love of God don't whine about a GM doing something completely within his means by giving an offer sheet to Thomas Vanek.

Make the system work for you within your own means. It's possible, we used to be the "prototype for the post NHL franchise" until this summer. It can't be all that hard to get that distinction back, look at teams like New York or Toronto floundering just like us even with those huge markets.

Please, don't make the next sign I hang in HSBC Arena say "Mike Grier Was Right".

What We Think We Know

By Chris


It's easy to forget where Daniel Briere came from.

Prior to becoming the Buffalo Sabres' first real superstar since Dominik Hasek, he had played just one full season in the National Hockey League, splitting time between Phoenix and its AHL affiliate in Springfield. The 24th selection in the 1996 draft finally broke out in 2001-02, putting up 32 goals, 28 assists and a +6 rating.

Then on March 10, 2003, the Buffalo Sabres traded Chris Gratton and a fourth round selection in the 2004 draft to the Coyotes for Briere and a third round selection in 2004. Briere scored 12 points in 14 games with the Sabres that season. He took on a leadership role in Buffalo and the rest is history.

So as the Sabres march out to the desert for a 4:00 faceoff against the Coyotes this afternoon, it's interesting that this piece of news found its way into the paper yesterday.

It looks like just another case of the Sabres trying to make excuses for themselves. Even though they had no real intention of re-signing Briere by lowballing him, they make it seem as if Briere was the one with a secret agenda. It's no real secret that Briere was going to go to Philadelphia if the Sabres were unable to come up with a strong offer. Common sense told anyone that.

We all know Bucky Gleason's angle. He's just as angry at the Sabres as a great majority of the fans are. He just has one of the largest public forums in Western New York to vent and does so a bit too often. But here he has a point.

Daniel Briere didn't do anything wrong.

When the Sabres failed to offer him a faircontract (if one at all), he knew he was going to be out of the area. There are rumors that Briere's house was already on the market before July 1 and that he was in Philly looking around. But as Bucky said, if Philadelphia was a team he knew would express interest (a rebuilding franchise with loads of cap room), it would make sense for him to check out the scene.

Just as long as he didn't talk to anyone in Flyers management. Which in this scenario, it sure seems like he didn't.

Briere may get booed in Buffalo, but it's obvious who really gave Buffalo the shaft. I'm not sure what Larry Quinn's goal is here by filing that request over six months after the fact (or if he filed it in July, why it took so long for the investigation to get underway).

But it does the Sabres no good on the ice. Briere's not around to score goals and Buffalo's currently in 12th place in the conference. And the streaky Sabres are currently in their deepest rut of the year, winners in just one of their last 11. We're still not completely sure of the identity of this team, other than the fact that they're Jekyll and Hyde personified.

Phoenix marks the second stop on the longest road trip in franchise history. Maybe they can find the new superstar in their midst in the desert this afternoon.

Soup's Off

By Chris

Brian Campbell is done. The Sabres had their chance to re-sign him and they couldn't agree on a number. Now they'll have to wait until the end of the season, whenever that may come form Buffalo.

Today, Campbell announced today that he and his agent have broken off talks with the Sabres and that he would wait to talk again at season's end. Potentially, it's very bad news for both the team and its fans. Once he hits free agency, it's pretty much a given that he signs the biggest contract. And that contract won't come from Buffalo.

If Campbell walks, the Sabres look like fools again. After the Briere-Drury debacle (well-documented), letting another great player leave for nothing will kill any good will fans still have towards the team.

So if the Sabres have no intention of signing Campbell (which they had the opportunity to do this past off season before he was named to his second All-Star game), whether it's because they don't feel he's worth the money or if they just don't want him on the team anymore, then there's only one way to make sure they get something for him.

Trade Brian Campbell.

The Sabres is struggling to say the least. While Brian Campbell may be the best defenseman right now, it's not saying much compared to the way the rest of the corps is playing.

Henrik Tallinder looks like he's playing hurt every game and it's seriously hurting Toni Lydman's game. Jaro Spacek has been very good while paired with Campbell, but he's hurt right now. Nathan Paetsch has been underwhelming following a strong rookie campaign. Dmitri Kalinin is a train wreck. Nolan Pratt is doing his job, as a six/seven grinder. And who knows if we'll ever see Teppo Numminen in a game again?

With the offense struggling even more so at this point (after finishing last season with an average of 3.63 goals for per game, they're scoring 2.88 goals so far this year), the playoffs are quickly fading out of the picture. Going into Monday night's games, the Sabres were in 11th place and four points out of the playoffs.

In the midst of a nine-game losing streak, things might actually have to get worse before they get better.

And for the team to make a run, things need to change. Darcy Regier has always been hesitant to make an in-season trade, but bringing in some fresh blood is what the team needs right now.

While it may seem like they're waving the white flag and telling everyone, "Yes, we're rebuilding," they'll be better off getting a return on good players now rather than let them walk for nothing later. And with Regier's track record, a trade will virtually guarantee good players coming back in.

So if Campbell gets moved after the All-Star break, the Sabres might as well clean house. Afinogenov, Kalinin, hell maybe Connolly too. Bring in players who Lindy Ruff won't have to call out while they're injured and hesitates putting back in the lineup after they've been cleared to play.

While that extreme is unlikely to occur, bringing new hungry players in who will buy into Ruff's message is what the team needs if they want to make the playoffs.

How many times do we all have to listen to Campbell or Jason Pominville or Ryan Miller talk about how the whole team needs to give a better effort? While they've played better in the last few games, this team needs finishers and guys who might actually fear getting benched.

Maybe just trading a few guys, or just Campbell will provide a spark for the guys in the locker room to play a little harder.

For now, Campbell just wants to focus on hockey, and with the way the team has been playing, that may be for the best.

Spreadsheets and Acronyms

by Ryan

I really wanted to do a preview of the Devils game tomorrow, but I just can't stand the Devils. They are everything that is boring about the game of hockey, and I'm never excited about playing them. I'll go into tomorrow praying we put forth some real effort, and maybe we'll come away with two points. Hey, we're only how many points out of a playoff spot?

Anyways, one of my favorite hockey sites is nhlnumbers.com. When I'm bored I tend to drift over there and imagine how this team is going to look in a few years. It states pretty clearly that it is not exact, but information like that can help give you an idea of what players are making, and at the very least tell you what their status will be at year's end.

I'm nowhere near a hockey expert, but I want to know things like "Paul Gaustad is going to be an RFA in July." Not only does that let me start throwing numbers around in my head, but that's good to know if you are looking at getting a Sabres jersey anytime soon. Trust me, you want to get at least a few years of use out of your jersey; those aren't getting any cheaper these days.

The point is that I worry. Sure, we have a lot of choices to make on the defensive end this summer, but beyond Goose and Paille's RFA status we are looking pretty good at forward. (As commenter Dave put it, "I'm done with the Mike Ryan experiment") But what about next year?

That's where things get iffy. A quick look at the board shows Max, Kotalik, and Timmy as UFAs, along with Miller, Jaro, and some pieces parts. That's a quarter of the team possibly going onto the open market. Yikes.

Of course there's the chance we re-sign someone in the near future. I would hope priority #1 is Ryan Miller, then a toss up between the three forwards previously mentioned. (Peters can sign an AHL only contract with the Manitoba Moose for all I care) My personal pick is Connolly, only because I feel he is progressing and we could still sign him with numbers similar to what he has now.

Another concern is the RFA status of Jason Pomminville. Regardless of how I feel about his play, he is putting up decent numbers this year and last year had a breakout season on Briere's line. No matter what he puts up in 08/09, he's going to want a huge increase in salary from his first contract. I doubt anything less than $3 mill will do.

Add that to the inevitable inflation of Miller's price, some combination of Connolly/Max/Ales, Stafford's RFA offer, as well as whatever we decide to do with Spacek's contract and, well... someone isn't going to be on this team anymore.

It's a simple matter of numbers. There isn't enough money for the players we have, and no one is going to take a hit just so they can play together. I know it's a bit ridiculous to look at things almost two years away, but I can't help but glance at this with the trade deadline looming. Maybe the right move is to trade one of those expiring 08/09 UFA deals and make some things happen in the present, or even get an extension in place now and work off of that. Some real progress was made when Hecht was extended in October, and it really set up how this summer will be handled by Darcy and Co.


The point is, you better pick your favorite players and hold on tight, boys and girls. This "magic" everyone wanted Danny and Dru to feel just isn't there anymore. No matter how this season turns out in the record books, it's going to get a bit hairy these next few summers. I'm sure Bucky is delighted.

This Conversation Happened

by Ryan

06-07: Better Days
Act Two, Scene Four: Boston 11/7

(Just after Marc Savard scores for the 3,000th time against the Sabres)

Gamber: This is what happens when you don't go out and sign Joe Torre.
Me: (Sarcastically) Yeah, gotta make a free agency splash.

(thinking)

(thinking)

(Campbell sends a lead pass to no one. Bobby Orr gently weeps.)

(thinking)

Me: Wait. That's brilliant!

Gamber: What?

Me: To sign Torre. That's brilliant.

Gamber: Why?

Me: Because Bowa and Mattingly would come with him.

Gamber: So?

Me: Don Mattingly. He's Chris Drury's favorite athlete of all time.

Gamber: ...and?

Me: How could Drury pass up the chance to play for his boyhood idol? He would have to force a trade back!

(Sekera is in a giving mood. Turnover)

Gamber: Uh... okay.

Guy Behind Me: Does that sign say "Max Boobs"?

(Scene)

Yes, both of us were completely sober at the time. It just goes to show you what happens when the product on the ice is less entertaining than the hypothetical time warp scenarios in the crowd.

If not for that Max Boobs sign, we may have made a run at A-Rod.

Ice Bowl Shenanigans

By Chris

Obstructed view seats went on sale today. Well, not really on sale. Your name goes into a raffle and then, if you're lucky enough, you get the tickets. And even then there are certain restrictions.

“The excitement for this event continues to build and I'm pleased to announce the Sabres were able to acquire 4,500 additional obstructed-view seats for our fans from the NHL for the Winter Classic,” said Quinn. “At the same time, we wanted to make these tickets available to as many families and children who wanted to attend as possible. Making the tickets available on-line was the safest way to ensure this process was fair and equal to all of our fans.”

Fans can register for the opportunity to purchase between two and four tickets, however, one person in the group must be 16 years of age or younger. No single seats will be sold. The ticket for the child will be clearly marked so no one over 16 will be granted admission with that ticket. In addition to these 4,500 tickets, 500 tickets will be donated to local charities associated with children.

I'm a little bitter because I was shut out on tickets with my mini-pack. Most of the blame goes to the NHL. They're the ones organizing the event and gave the Sabres only a certain amount of tickets to distribute. The Sabres dropped the ball on communication. The order forms mailed out were uninformative and left a lot of questions unanswered.

If the league ever decides to do this again, maybe next time they'll have everything prepared. Then again, this is the NHL we're talking about.