Buffalo Boy's Blog

I hope Darcy Regier knows what he is doing. So far the free agent signings are lukewarm at best. I get it if they work, but if they bomb? Well, maybe its time to get a GM that will be a little more agressive. With $10 million available under the cap, I expected more. Its not like you are breaking the bank with the enormous contracts you have and will payout to superstars Cody McCormick and Pat Kaleta.

It can't be the contracts you failed to sign Toni Lydman and Henrik Tallinder to. I get them leaving even, I get that they were let go. They have basically been the stud defensemen on this team since the lockout and despite some playoff runs they have won you nothing. You have some youth in the organization in Mike Weber knocking on the door and you went out and got Jordan Leopold who honestly I have liked since he played in Calgary. So okay, give them a shot.

But today was the most interesting day of the free agency season, which is good and sad at the same time. Adam Mair is gone and the Sabres went out and picked up Rob Niedermayer. You are going to essentially replace Mair with Niedermayer which is fine.

Niedermayer has a cup ring and probably has the potential to bring some desparately needed leadership to the lockeroom. But how much does he have in the tank? He had a 61 point season way back in 1995 with the Florida Panthers. Hes far from being that player now. I like the fact he comes from a New Jersey Devils team that plays a style that we never do well against, the dreaded neutral zone trap, but a lot has to be proven.

I don't care if Rob Niedermayer does next to nothing from October to March, but once April hits this guy better show this team the way. Thats what this signing is about, its about April to June. If thats what this signing does for this team then Darcy Regier is a genius.

The next few weeks should prove interesting. Another center means that Roy or Connolly is most likely packing their bags, could it be for Thomas Kaberle? Im torn on that as well, sure Kaberle would help on the power play, but we need a sniper on one of the top two lines and we need size at center, hell we need size period.

Coming:

Jordan Leopold- D

Rob Niedermayer- C

Going:

Adam Mair- C

Henrik Tallinder- D

Toni Lydman- D