Buffalo Boy's Blog

Well the Sabres are done. Its baseball season in my book. It will actually be a normal spring and a long summer. Think about how much time you spend indoors watching playoff games when the weather is absolutely stellar. I feel like I didn't get enough spring and summer the last two years.

So since the Sabres are not making it, Im making a pledge to get outside and enjoy. The Sabres will try to say all the right things after an ugly what ever the score ended up being after 60 minutes, I turned it off after it was 7-3. It simply was not meant to be.

I am still going to watch, though, I am done posting on them until the last game of the season unless they win 10 of the next 11 they are not making anything but tee time in April. Toronto has caught them and honestly I can see the Leafs actually making it especially after a 3-2 win over Philly tonight. The Leafs have something Buffalo has lacked all season. A leader. Mats Sundin. Fans in Toronto can get all over Mats but let me tell ya, the Sabres needed a Captain Mats this year.

The Sabres failures this year were not due to management making poor decisions. It is the economics of the game post lockout. If they sign either Drury or Briere after or prior to the end of last season, they can't keep Vanek and probably lose Roy because they would have been over the salary cap. I would much rather have Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek for the long haul than Briere or Drury.

Lets face it, Vanek may have had a rough start but he is amongst the league leaders in power play goals and has turned it around in the second half to where he has a shot at 30-35 goals if he gets hot again. Roy has been the same Roy and then some. Leading the team in points, he can score and I think we have still only seen the tip of the iceberg with Derek Roy. Both Roy and Vanek are still only 23-24 years old.

:Letting Campbell go was the same deal. Sign him and Ryan Miller, probably the most important part of the team probably doesn't get signed next year. Id rather have a potential All Star goalie in net than Campbell. In addition they would have to worry about how to sign guys like Pominville and Stafford in another year as well who will both be due contracts. So while they may suffer in the short term, the long term is looking rosy because the talent is there, its just incredibly young.

Other guys I see leaving this offseason include:

Dimitri Kalinin- We have been waiting and waiting and waiting, but we cannot wait anymore for the talent in this guy to come out. Hes a mammoth guy but plays like hes skating on glass some nights. Not worth resigning although I equate Kalinin to when they let Richard Shmelik go, Shmelik was always on fans hit list but the season after we all missed him on the blue line.

Max Nation- Sorry Max but you have run your course. I always thought you'd be the next Pavel Bure, you showed it in flashes but flashes for your talent is not good enough and frankly not worth $4 million a season. So if there is a trade available at the draft, Bye bye and we will all wish you luck.

Jaroslav Spacek- I would consider moving him if you could net either A) a high draft pick, B) a young stud prospect defenceman or C) A young prospect power forward/center.

Tim Connelly- Any takers? if so bye.

Teppo Numminen- mid way through they year there was talk he'd be back, where did he go? Where ever he went, hes not coming back.  Thanks for your service Teppo, maybe when Lindy makes changes on the coaching staff you could step in behind the bench.

Thibault- He has been unreliable at best, lets bring up a young kid from Rochester to get some experience incase we can't sign Miller. Rumor has it there is a kid from Finland in the farm system that was lights out at Juniors.

Andrew Peters- For the love of all that is good in this world, no more Andrew Peters. Let Patrick Kaleta stay up and play. Kaleta can provide grit, toughness and he checks like a sledge hammer. He has also shown he can drop them too but he usually draws guys into penalties.

Free Agency: Go out and use some of the extra money and find a leader. Find the next Drury. Find anyone who can step in and calm the youth of this team down. A Mike Grier or Jay Mckee type would be nice.

Captaincy: STOP ROTATING THE DAMN THING AND PUT IT ON PAUL GAUSTAD'S JERSEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally, Id like to see Dylan Hunter up with the team next year. If he is half of what his dad used to be, he should suffice.

Sorry Im a little long winded but there was a lot to say about the disappointment that this season was. The positives are many still and if they make the right moves they should be better come next season.