Shutdown Pair

Tag: Buffalo

  • Now, I love Jarome Iginla…

    …but as Scott points out a BSN, this is “Iginla for Pominville!” rumor is a big pile of nothing.  This all comes from a HockeyBuzz blog post by Garth, who says things like (not linking those guys, it’s the Stafford post if you must see it):

    I’ve been told that Pommer ($5.3 million cap hit, next three seasons) and Reggie ($2.75 million cap hit, next four seasons) would be a likely trade package to Calgary for Iginla.

    I would not be surprised at all if Buffalo were to trade Ville Leino to Calgary as part of an Iginla trade. Leino’s six year, $4.5 million UFA contract came as a shocker to all observers. Perhaps Regier grabbed Leino as a pre-emptive strike, at a value price, when he knew that he Buffalo was not a consideration to land Brad Richards on July 1. Leino is the proverbial “ghost man on first” right now. Regehr and Ehrhoff were introduced at pressers in Buffalo. Why hasn’t Leino been introduced to the people of Pegulaville?

    Now.  I probably owe my renewed love for hockey to Calgary and Jarome Iginla, as I had fallen away from the sport for a few years before the lockout (save going to the games a few times due to my buddy’s free Adelphia tix).  I loved watching the cup run the Flames made, and Jarome Iginla’s style of play is exactly what I love.  But that was years ago now.  Iggy isn’t a spring chicken, and I’m not sure trading two young, talented players for one older, more talented player with a rapidly approaching expiry date, is a good idea.  I wouldn’t kill them for it, but it would be a mark against ’em.

    What kills me is the Leino part of this, well, wouldn’t call it a rumor, more of a hope or speculation.  This isn’t the NBA, where sign-and-trade deals are a thing, and I think those are a thing because of the really odd salary structure they use (or did use, before they locked out).  Seems like a HUGE risk to sign a guy as trade bait, so I’m inclined to believe Darcy figured Richards was pretty set on NYR, and went after the next best guy he could get.  Also, who said Leino’s contract was ‘a value price’?  Anyone?  It may end up being one, the way Roy’s is now, but I can’t recall seeing ANYONE who thinks it is now.  Then there’s also the whole “Sabres need centers” thing.  Would be odd to trade him because of that, too.  The “Why hasn’t he been introduced?  HMM?” aspect might be the silliest.  Maybe the guy wasn’t available…he might be in Finland.  He might be lounging on a beach in Aruba.  It seems odd to immediately jump to ‘OMG he will be TRADED for IGGY asdfasdf;lksadjf’, but then again, I don’t write for HockeyBuzz.

  • First Niagara Center? Ok.

    I still think a ‘Center’ sounds like a place to shop, whereas an Arena is for battle, but hey, you could see the writing on the wall with HSBC pulling away from the regular person banking business.  Not sure how long it’s going to take for me to break out of the ‘heading down to the Arena’ habit.

    Anyone else kind of hoping there’s a Derek Roy bachelor pad hidden in the renovation plans?  Years after he retires, they find a door that no one is sure where it leads.  They open it to find a room filled with mattresses, empty wine coolers and an all-glass shower in the middle.

  • Poll: How do you handle the Versus games?

    Yet again, Buffalo is a popular choice to appear on Versus (soon to be renamed), the NHL’s main television partner in the United States.  For Sabres fans who love Rick Jeanneret, that leaves us a bit put out.  The solution is to (as the radio partner of the Buffalo Sabres, WGR550 will tell you) is to turn down the TV and turn on the radio…but do you actually do that?  I am curious as to how many of you do, so answer in the poll below:

    [poll id=”3″]

  • Good Luck, Patrick Lalime

    Patrick Lalime has retired, and will work 15 Montreal games for RDS, as well as contribute to other shows for the network.  He was a great person, if not the best backup goalie fit for Buffalo, and I wish him well.  If you’ve ever heard him speak (in English or French) you know he should be a solid TV guy.

    There were some startling numbers (pre-lockout) put on Twitter last night about Lalime, whose careers numbers (other than Cups) are very similar to Chris Osgood.

  • One Possible Roster

    Playing with the Cap Calculator at Capgeek (too much fun), I’ve worked out this roster possibility.  I’ll post new ones as the Sabres make more moves, or the real cost of an RFA contract becomes known.  I gave everyone that I brought on a bit of an upgrade in salary, seems like what usually happens to most RFAs.

    CAPGEEK.COM CAP CALCULATOR

    FORWARDS
    Thomas Vanek ($7.142m) / Derek Roy ($4.000m) / Jason Pominville ($5.300m)
    Brad Boyes ($4.000m) / Ville Leino ($4.500m) / Drew Stafford ($4.000m)
    Tyler Ennis ($0.875m) / Jochen Hecht ($3.525m) / Patrick Kaleta ($0.907m)
    Nathan Gerbe ($1.433m) / Paul Gaustad ($2.300m) / Cody McCormick ($1.200m)
    / Luke Adam ($0.875m)

    DEFENSEMEN
    Tyler Myers ($1.300m) / Robyn Regehr ($4.020m)
    Jordan Leopold ($3.000m) / Christian Ehrhoff ($4.000m)
    Andrej Sekera ($1.200m) / Mike Weber ($0.850m)
    / Marc-Andre Gragnani ($0.600m)

    GOALTENDERS
    Ryan Miller ($6.250m) / Jhonas Enroth ($1.200m)

    BUYOUTS: Tim Kennedy ($0.166m)

    CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
    (these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
    SALARY CAP: $64,300,000; CAP PAYROLL: $62,645,357; BONUSES: $562,500
    CAP SPACE (22-man roster): $1,654,643

    This is a fairly typical Lindy Ruff 22-man roster, I didn’t work too hard on lines and pairings as Lindy changes them as often as Bruce Boudreau changes his bib at lunch.  This setup demotes or trades Kotalik and Morrisonn, but really it could be done by moving Hecht or Boyes (or both) instead.  Basically, Buffalo has a ton of guys in that $3mil – $5.5mil price range, it makes sense that they’d get some of these guys out to make room not just for the space to sign the RFAs they have, but to also make room for some of the Amerks that are ready to make the jump.  The team is remade, and will be remade again next year.

  • Leino, Richards and You

    In the end, the Sabres went higher-risk/high reward by picking Ville Leino over Brad Richards.  Can Leino be a center again?  He was very good in limited faceoff duty last year.  He played the position until he was 23, so we have to hope it’s like riding a bike.  Ville has to be happy about potentially being with some solid young talent, whether it’s Gerbe or Ennis or Stafford or Pominville.  I’m willing to give this a try and get behind Leino.  Add in Ehrhoff and Regehr, hope for solid full seasons from Gerbe and Ennis, and this year should be a solid step up from the last.

    Or, Darcy Regier could trade several of the players currently on the roster away, and completely up-end my thoughts here.  Isn’t it fun?

  • Ehrhoff and Circumvention

    Look we all know that a 10 year contract for Christian Ehrhoff is kind of ridiculous, but it’s within the rules.  In face, the rules were ALREADY modified once to stop cap circumvention, and this is STILL fine, so for that part of it, I have no problem.  It’s a risk, but you have to take risks to win the Stanley Cup, and the cap number is not that onerous if Ehrhoff doesn’t match his goal total of the past two years.  I know what gets some people’s goat (*cough*Lambert*cough*) is the use of ridiculous ‘signing bonus’ numbers to work the system.

    But what is REALLY AWESOME is how it is now the Buffalo Sabres who are ticking off the other fanbases in the league.  Seriously, when was the last time ANYBODY was mad at the Sabres for working the system, or scoring a coveted free agent, or anything, really?  I don’t mean other fans hating an individual (Hi Kaleta) but actual irritation and anger towards the Buffalo organization.  It’s kind of refreshing, to be honest.

    So, as free agency begins in earnest today, Buffalo is a player.  They matter, and that bothers the other markets, makes them mad they have to contend with all the usual suspects AND the Sabres.  The team has another club in the bag for how to build, adding the big honking driver of free agent madness to the irons of trades and the wedges of drafting and developing players in the system.  No more laying up and relying on chipping it close and tapping in for par.  ‘Par’ is what the previous regime was all about.

  • GERBE!

    As you all know, Nathan Gerbe is signed, 3 years, $4.3 million.  Great number for a guy who lit it up in the second half of last year and played well in the playoffs.  This dodges one potential RFA offer sheet target (not that it was all that likely) and keeps the honey badger in the fold.  Can’t wait to see his performance in the upcoming year.  Lot’s of room left to make moves.  So exciting right now.

  • Mystery Players, Center Edition

    Let’s play a game.  I’ll give you the stats for several centers in the league, and you tell me which ones are ‘number one’ centers.  Ready, GO:

    • Player A:  28G, 49A for 77 points, 1.07 points/game in 2010/2011.  24G, 57A for 91 points, 1.14 P/G in 2009/2010.
    • Player B:  24G, 58A for 82 points, 1 P/G for 2010/2011.  26G, 43A for 69 points, .86 P/G for 2009/2010.
    • Player C:  32G, 44A for 76 points, .95 P/G for 2010/2011.  25G, 43A for 68 points, .89 P/g for 2009/2010.
    • Player D:  19G, 57A for 76 points, 1.13 P/G for 2010/2011.  19G, 50A for 69 points, 1.05 P/G for 2009/2010.
    • Player E:  21G, 36A for 57 points, .92 P/G for 2010/2011.  23G, 34A for 57 points, .95 P/G for 2009/2010.

    So who are they?  Drum roll, please!

    A:  Brad Richards
    B:  Derek Roy (10/11 numbers extrapolated to a full season)
    C:  Jonathan Toews
    D:  Ryan Getzlaf
    E:  Jason Spezza

    A couple of those guys missed 10-15 games in a season (Spezza and Getzlaf especially), but the numbers are still close, aren’t they?  And yet, some folks around town scoff at Roy as a top-flight center.  There’s usually one or two centers who outperform the crowd (Sedin or Crosby for example) but beyond that, this is what you get as a number one C.  I was curious about these numbers, and I hope this gives you another perspective on the center pursuit by the Sabres.

  • THE Most Important Sabres Question You Will Ever Answer

    [poll id=2]

    It started when I heard Rhett Warrener (and possibly Jordan Leopold?) call Robyn Regehr ‘Reggie’ in interviews, and I haven’t been able to shake this VERY IMPORTANT question ever since.  Many of you know I have a problem with Andrej Sekera being called ‘Reggie’, because the J IS SILENT in his name.  But!  Robyn Regehr’s claim in that regard is no better – Reg-ear is the G sound, not the J sound.  This team, as far as I’m concerned, has NO Reggie.

    Actually, not that I think about it, Silent J would be an outstanding nickname for Sekera.  I think it shall be my goal this season to get that into common usage.  Help me out!