How will the Sabres approach this offseason?

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We are a few months removed from the final Sabres game of the season and there hasn’t been too much action at One Seymour H. Knox III Plaza. However, there have been grumblings.

Will Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek get a power forward to add grit to their line?

For starters, Mike Grier voiced his desire to stay in Buffalo for the 2010-11 season. Darcy Regier responded in kind with a one-year $1.4 million contract. The Sabres still have seven unrestricted free agents (including Raffi Torres) and three restricted free agents on the roster entering tonight’s draft.

I don’t expect all eight contracts to be renewed, particularly Torres, Adam Mair and Patrick Lalime. In addition, I feel that Mark Mancari doesn’t have a spot in the Sabres’ organization anymore, mainly because he has mulled in the minors without being able to crack the NHL lineup for too long.

So, assuming the team resigns Pat Kaleta, Tim Kennedy, Matt Ellis and Cody McCormick there will be 13 NHL caliber forwards and six (seven counting Marc-Andre Gragnani) defensemen. Now, there is also a chance the Ellis and McCormick are not resigned in favor of different UFA signings or promotions from within the organization. Either way, there will be holes that need to be filled with the big club heading into next season.

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Where do they go from here?

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The Flyers, Bruins and Blackhawks have been the biggest movers and shakers so far this offseason.

Don’t expect to see Cristobal Huet in a Blackhawks uniform next year.

The Blackhawks unloaded yet another player when they moved Colin Fraser to Edmonton for a 6th round pick. So the Hawks have now unloaded five contracts, four of which were NHL players. Chicago has now cleared $6 million in salary cap space after having just over $1 million earlier in the week.

Chicago still needs to make a move or two in order to free up the cap space they need.

I expect to see Cristobal Huet shipped out shortly, whether it be by trade or buyout. However, I think a buyout of his $5.625 million cap hit is more likely. A year or two in the KHL would do a lot for Huet’s game and it would likely bring his salary demands down. But, there is no place for him in the NHL making what he is now, that means his cap hit is the next move for the Blackhawks to make. After unloading him the Blackhawks will have $11 million in space and likely have the space to acquire the role players they need for next season.

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The worst part of the World Cup

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The vuvuzelas aren’t that bad. If you watch enough games you get used to the din of the South African horns. In fact, I think it is cool that the host country has a cool tradition like this and I’m glad it is being embraced…sort of.

I could handle vuvuzelas all day compared to some of the ads being run this year.

The worst part of watching the World Cup is having to watch the awful, and I mean AWFUL, commercials that Nike and Adidas have put out for the tournament. Now, I have to give Nike credit because of their use of Homer Simpson in their Ronaldo ad, that bit was very funny. But, the rest of the “Write the Future” ads are terrible. The worst of the bunch comes at the beginning of the video posted below. Tell me why the Ivory Coast would celebrate as a nation before Drogba’s goal was in the net? And, tell me why Nike thought that idiotic Cannavaro song and party was a good idea?

The Adidas “The Quest” are equally bad. This commercial is lame, strange and over the top. I just didn’t like the commercial from the minute I saw it. Overall I was creeped out by it and I think Adidas should have reevaluated before giving final approval on the ad.

I’m sure both companies were looking at a visionary approach to putting out their products. But, I think they went a few steps too far in taking the next step. Maybe these commercial would have been better suited for the 2014 World Cup.

Azzurri a-bye-bye

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The defending World Cup champions have been ousted. Italy fell to Slovakia 3-2 today and finished last in group F. The Azzurri join 2006 finalists France as powerhouses to not make it through to the second round. It is the first time in the history of the World Cup that this has occurred.

Italy was bounced from the World Cup today, marking the first time the defending champions have not advanced to the second round.

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NHL Awards have a distinct Buffalo flavor

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First, let me give props to the NHL for doing such a good job with this year’s annual award show.

Ryan Miller poses with the Vezina Trophy.

Jay Mohr was hysterical as the host, the presenters were all pretty good, except Jamie Kennedy mispronounced the Vezina Trophy, and the performances were solid as well. All-in-all, I thought it was a huge success, especially compared to years past when the show was dryer than my mother’s cooking. It was particularly funny when Duncan Keith complained that they were trying to send him off by cuing the music, while Alex Ovechkin just waited until they turned his mic back on.

My only real disappointment was that Ryan Miller didn’t win the Messier Leadership Award. I wasn’t too torn up because it is a fake award so it didn’t really matter. But, I feel that Miller truly shows the meaning of a true leader and deserved the victory. Although, Sidney Crosby does have so many of those attributes as well. Continue reading →

The first domino(es) falls in Chicago

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Chicago has taken the first step in alleviating their salary cap nightmare.

Dustin Byfuglien will bring his net-front presence to the Atlanta Thrashers next season.

This afternoon, the team sent playoff hero Dustin Byfuglien to Atlanta along with Brent Sopel, Ben Eager and Akim Aliu in exchange for the Marty Reasoner, Jeremy Morin, the 24th and 54th overall selections in the 2010 draft.

The trade sheds about $4-5 million from the Blackhawks cap. That is assuming Morin plays in the AHL next season.

While the trade hasn’t officially gone through, this will end up better for the Blackhawks than for the Thrashers. Even though Atlanta gets the top player in the deal, they also inherit two sub-par players in Sopel and Eager. Meanwhile, Chicago now owns five picks in the first 60 of the draft, that gives them the ability to restock their prospect cupboard for the next 3-5 years.

In addition, Atlanta loses a quality role player in Reasoner and the first round selection they acquired from trading Ilya Kovalchuk.

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USA advances!

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It appeared the goal would never come for the United States. Another questionable call denied the Yanks an early goal and numerous chances as the USA pressed late painted a picture of futility. But Landon Donovan netted the deciding goal in the 91st minute on a counter attack keyed by Tim Howard and Jozy Altidore.

Landon Donovan celebrates his 91′ goal that sent the US through to the second round.

Howard made a key save and immediately started the counter-attack as Donovan came forward with Clint Dempsey, Edson Buddle and Altidore. Altidore put the ball across the box and Donovan scooped up the rebound off Dempsey’s redirect to, not only, put the United States through to the second round, but make the Yanks the group C winner.

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year

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Not Christmas. The lead up to the NHL Draft and the beginning of free agency. It started, in earnest, today. Now the following nine days leading up to July 1st will be full of trade fodder and moves to improve teams for the 2010-11 season.

Today saw, perhaps, the most deals since the end of the Cup finals. But, the wheeling and dealing really took off on June 17th when the Canadiens made a major splash by sending playoff hero Jaroslav Halak to the St. Louis Blues. I wish that I had put my thinking into words on this space because, the move cleared cap room for the team to sign Tomas Plekanec to an extension. In addition, the trade that saw Nathan Horton sent to Boston for Denis Wideman and a pick this afternoon.

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Nathan Horton shipped to Boston

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The Boston Bruins, this afternoon, acquired Gregory Campbell and Nathan Horton from the Florida Panthers in exchange for Denis Wideman and the 15th overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft (per Bob McKenzie’s Twitter).

Nathan Horton is on his way to Boston with Gregory Campbell.

This is quite possibly one of the most even trades I have ever seen. The immediate benefits will be seen by Boston more so than Florida. But, the Panthers can do quite a bit with the pick they received in the deal. Plus, Wideman covers up for the trade that sent Dennis Sidenberg at the deadline.

Wideman is coming off a poor year with the Bruins and will have a chance to bounce back with more minutes in Florida. Currently, monster defenseman Dylan McIlrath is rated 15th. Although, there is a good chance that the Panthers go with a forward in this spot, a guy like Nick Bjugstad or Emerson Etem could be a good fit for Florida.

Boston receives a solid power forward in Horton, plus a serviceable center in Gregory Campbell. Horton has been rumored to want out of Florida for some time, he will be put in a great situation in Boston. He, combined with Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin (depending who Edmonton goes with at #1) will more than make up for the loss of Phil Kessel last season. Boston has definitely set themselves up for a very strong run next season. Continue reading →

Blackhawks up against the cap

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A few quick hits regarding the Blackhawks salary cap situation:

  • Chicago has 10 upcoming free agents, four UFAs and six RFAs.
  • They have $1.234 million available to sign these players.
  • There is at least $3.5 million invested in each of the following players: Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith, Brian Campbell, Patrick Kane, Jonathon Toews, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp and Cristobal Huet. Plus, Kris Versteeg, Dustin Byfuglien and Dave Bolland are each on for $3 million.

The Hawks are in a very precarious situation moving into Friday’s draft. Of their upcoming free agents, Nick Boynton and Kim Johnsson aren’t likely to be brought back. As UFAs and veteran defensemen the pair don’t have a big impact in the future of the organization.

Andrew Ladd (rear) and Jordan Hendry (#42) are likely to be playing in a different city next year.

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