Upcoming Free Agents

[wonderbread]

With out breaking the bank,

 

My first choice would be

 

Ryan Malone...He plays like his hair is on fire, I love his grit and toughness as well as his offensive skills Would look great on a line with Bernier.

[deluca67]

With out breaking the bank,

 

My first choice would be

 

Ryan Malone...He plays like his hair is on fire, I love his grit and toughness as well as his offensive skills Would look great on a line with Bernier.

Watching the game are we? I heard them talk about Malone being a free agent and Pitts may not have money left for him. I like Malone but you have to be careful he is not another Martin LaPointe. He has played with some really talented players which may artificially inflate his numbers and performance. I'm not saying it's a bad idea. I would just like to be 100% sure.

[darksabre]

With out breaking the bank,

 

My first choice would be

 

Ryan Malone...He plays like his hair is on fire, I love his grit and toughness as well as his offensive skills Would look great on a line with Bernier.

 

Why would Malone even consider leaving Pitt?

[wonderbread]

Why would Malone even consider leaving Pitt?

 

 

$$$? why would Brian Campbell not sign a contract with the city he loves?

 

Deluca, I have been watching Malone for years now as a steel city resident and love his play but yes you did get me I am watching the game. As far as him not living up to expectations I agree to a certian extent but he has to be better than some of the dead wood we have skating for us now!

[deluca67]

$$$? why would Brian Campbell not sign a contract with the city he loves?

 

Deluca, I have been watching Malone for years now as a steel city resident and love his play but yes you did get me I am watching the game. As far as him not living up to expectations I agree to a certian extent but he has to be better than some of the dead wood we have skating for us now!

You have to take into account the money involved. I would love to have Malone over TC or Max. What is Malone's asking price?

[tom webster]

Malone's constantly been on that list of players rumored on the block. He never seems to have developed like they had hoped. That being said, he is an intriguing player but if you go after him, you have to decide that Hecht is your number two center. That would put him on Hecht's and Pominville's left wing.

He is going to command second line money.

[inkman]

The Sabres aren't signing any free agents outside of their own, hopefully none of them is named Kalinin.

[shrader]

The Sabres aren't signing any free agents outside of their own, hopefully none of them is named Kalinin.

 

They'll be signing a goalie again.

[stenbaro]

The Sabres aren't signing any free agents outside of their own, hopefully none of them is named Kalinin.

Thought you liked Kalinin?? Not bein a jerk just wonderin why the change of Heart?

[inkman]

Thought you liked Kalinin?? Not bein a jerk just wonderin why the change of Heart?

It was a good faith judgement. He did have a history of stepping up, although tat Dmitri seems long gone. Now he's a shot player with no confidence. I was hoping and let down like I have been every other time I have depended on someone else in my life. (outside of my wife)

[stenbaro]

It was a good faith judgement. He did have a history of stepping up, although tat Dmitri seems long gone. Now he's a shot player with no confidence. I was hoping and let down like I have been every other time I have depended on someone else in my life. (outside of my wife)

I think Lindy and Dmitri do not like each other and Dmitri packed it in when he recieved his millions..I wouldnt be surprised to see him play better with a different team, or he might just dissapear into the sunset..Curious to see how it plays out..

[tom webster]

It was a good faith judgement. He did have a history of stepping up, although tat Dmitri seems long gone. Now he's a shot player with no confidence. I was hoping and let down like I have been every other time I have depended on someone else in my life. (outside of my wife)

 

Must admit, I was hoping he would step up, and was again let down. Without dredging up old news, Darcy Reiger's biggest blunder may be not adding someone like Brad Stuart at the deadline. I woul bet it wasn't his call, but its just a hunch.

[carpandean]

I would love to have Malone over TC or Max.

Have to find a buyer first for Max or Timmy first as they are under contract for next season.

 

I haven't had a chance to look over the list yet, but until we find some buyers for our forwards, I would concentrate on signing UFA's for the blue line.

[Bmwolf21]

They'll be signing a goalie again.

Hopefully they go outside the organ-EYE-zation for that one...

[SabresFan526]

1. John Michael Liles

2. Johan Hedberg

3. Daymond Langkow

4. Trade for Rhett Warrener or some other defensive defenseman

 

Those are the UFAs I'd go after this offseason. No real big names that I'd want anyway. Don't want Redden. Love to have Campbell back, but not for his asking price. Who are the big name guys besides this list that would be good for Buffalo?

[R_Dudley]

Don't necessarily want any big name guys, IMHO these guy's are stepping up now because they are getting a chance and don't feel shy because there aren't any big names on the team that have played 20 times more games then them and might be put off if some rookie tried to talk it up... It's like once you have that elder statesman they all have to defer to him for fear of talking out of school or something....

 

I really think it's telling that this team is responding and playing so much better w/o tin man, peters, Kalinan, spacek, paestch....

 

The positions in no particular order that are the ones we could use some help you all have said. Backup, goalie, Good skating and a stay at home defenseman, solid second line center and Face off specialsit(ala sillinger type) and 2 or 3rd line left wing........ Not asking too much huh.....

[Team Strike Force]

I think Lindy and Dmitri do not like each other and Dmitri packed it in when he recieved his millions..I wouldnt be surprised to see him play better with a different team, or he might just dissapear into the sunset..Curious to see how it plays out..

 

Completely agree. I thought Ruff's comments in the Buffalo News article this morning could be taken as a subtle swipe at Kalinin.

 

Describing Paille's performance after being benched, here's what he said.

 

?You always look to see how a player comes off that situation,? said Ruff. ?Players all react differently. Some feel sorry for themselves, some usually blame the coach and say it?s not their fault. Some realize they?re not playing well and could play better so you watch what they do. Danny has responded in a positive manner.?

 

I'll bet dollars to donuts that Kalinin falls into that category.

[R_Dudley]

Completely agree. I thought Ruff's comments in the Buffalo News article this morning could be taken as a subtle swipe at Kalinin.

 

Describing Paille's performance after being benched, here's what he said.

 

?You always look to see how a player comes off that situation,? said Ruff. ?Players all react differently. Some feel sorry for themselves, some usually blame the coach and say it?s not their fault. Some realize they?re not playing well and could play better so you watch what they do. Danny has responded in a positive manner.?

 

I'll bet dollars to donuts that Kalinin falls into that category.

 

Thats dead on and at this point in his career if Lindy can't get him to play better than a change of scenery is the only option, I just wish we had tried to trade/get something for him before deadline because I think they may have possibly been able to get a 4 or 5th round draft choice...

[LabattBlue]

1. John Michael Liles

2. Johan Hedberg

3. Daymond Langkow

4. Trade for Rhett Warrener or some other defensive defenseman

 

Those are the UFAs I'd go after this offseason. No real big names that I'd want anyway. Don't want Redden. Love to have Campbell back, but not for his asking price. Who are the big name guys besides this list that would be good for Buffalo?

I'd like to have Langkow in place of Connolly as the #2 center, but in the open market I think Langkow is looking at a payday of 3.5-4...maybe higher. I doubt DR goes there.

 

I'm okay with Hedberg as a backup. I don't know much about Liles...poor mans Campbell? Rhett is broken down and at the end of his career, they need to look elsewhere for a 2nd pairing defensive defenseman. There will be plenty of options out there including Aaron Ward, Mike Commodore, Jason Smith, Brooks Orpik, etc... and many other if DR wants to get aggressive in the trade market.

[X. Benedict]

I'd like to have Langkow in place of Connolly as the #2 center, but in the open market I think Langkow is looking at a payday of 3.5-4...maybe higher. I doubt DR goes there.

 

I'm okay with Hedberg as a backup. I don't know much about Liles...poor mans Campbell? Rhett is broken down and at the end of his career, they need to look elsewhere for a 2nd pairing defensive defenseman. There will be plenty of options out there including Aaron Ward, Mike Commodore, Jason Smith, Brooks Orpik, etc... and many other if DR wants to get aggressive in the trade market.

 

I'm not too excited about any of those options. Liles may be one.

Actually, I am wondering what happens to Rosival in NY - they have a kind of love hate relationship with him, but I really think he is their best D-man who they might not be able to afford. He brings a very good point shot as well.

[inkman]

Apparently, I'm the only one who feels they won't be players in the FA market, outside of the inconsequential back-up goalie.

[nfreeman]

Sundin. 2 years, $12 million. Unload Max to make room under the cap. (I like Max, but I'd be OK getting rid of him in order to get a #1 center). That would give us:

 

Sundin-Pominville-Hecht

Roy-Vanek-Bernier

Connolly-Kotalik-Paille (Gaustad plays center here when Connolly is hurt)

Gaustad-Mair-Kaleta/Stafford

 

Devastating.

[X. Benedict]

Apparently, I'm the only one who feels they won't be players in the FA market, outside of the inconsequential back-up goalie.

 

I don't think you can count them out on principle ... Darcy's posture that the UFA market is a losers market is not so far from wrong, you generally have to overpay bigtime. However, when he seems to have his eye on someone he'll move if the price is right...but don't look for a first pairing move.

[LabattBlue]

Apparently, I'm the only one who feels they won't be players in the FA market, outside of the inconsequential back-up goalie.

I think it would be a BIG mistake not to try and upgrade the blueline with a 2nd pairing dman whose primary focus is DEFENSE. I'd also like to see a new 2nd line center, but I'm not sure if Darcy's dream that Connolly will be a star, is over yet.

 

PS The backup goalie is inconsequential this season because they either thought Tbo had something left in the tank, Lindy blew it by not giving him enough action early in the year or both.

[carpandean]

Apparently, I'm the only one who feels they won't be players in the FA market, outside of the inconsequential back-up goalie.

I think that we will play the FA market for the blue line, but I doubt we'll have the spots up front to allow us to. Unless someone is willing to take Max, Timmy or Ales on a trade, we've got them under contract for one more season. Right now, we have 10 forwards that started this season in Buffalo (so not Kaleta) under contract for next year and the guys who are up for RFA are guys that I'd like to keep (Goose, Bernier, Paille and MacArthur). If we sign each of those, then unless we can unload some in a trade, we will have more forwards than spots of the team, meaning that MacArthur and Kaleta would be stuck in the farm team or somebody will have to clear waivers (Peters?).

 

In the back end, we have more room to play with Kalinin and Pratt as UFAs, which leaves us only four Sabres defensemen under contract for next year. I wouldn't mind signing on Pratt again, and Sekera and Weber could come up, so theoretically we could fill from within. However, I'd like to see them make one move outside the organization. Only time will tell if they do.