Will Teppo Re-sign With Sabres?

[bob_sauve28]

Or is he too pissed about the suspension thing to come back? Anyone know?

 

BTW, he can still play very well

[stenbaro]

Or is he too pissed about the suspension thing to come back? Anyone know?

 

BTW, he can still play very well

Thats funny I just posted on the gdt about Teppo...My thoughts are this on Teppo...If he is younger say 4 or 5 yrs then I resign him...He gets hurt too much and is unreliable due to that..If they can sign him to a respectable contract for both parties then fine but only expect 45-50 games out of him and half the playoffs..I dont think he is pisssed although maybe he wanted to play last night to show other teams he could still play

[carpandean]

After last night, I believe he will be a Sabre next year. After Drury walked, he was going to be the key leadership figure on this team. Losing him may actually have hurt a lot more than people realized. Our biggest weak-point was the D and he would have provided a strong, veteran presence back there. I really hope that they pick someone else up during the off-season, possibly in addition, but maybe instead of Teppo. However, I wouldn't be surprised -- though, more than a little disappointed -- to see them come back with: Teppo, Spacek, Tallinder, Lydman, Sekera, Weber and Paetsch/Pratt. I actually think that group would play better than what we got most of this season, as long as they stay healthy, but I would still have serious doubts about there ability to go far with them.

[tom webster]

Thats funny I just posted on the gdt about Teppo...My thoughts are this on Teppo...If he is younger say 4 or 5 yrs then I resign him...He gets hurt too much and is unreliable due to that..If they can sign him to a respectable contract for both parties then fine but only expect 45-50 games out of him and half the playoffs..I dont think he is pisssed although maybe he wanted to play last night to show other teams he could still play

 

It would be nice if Buffalo was the kind of organization players gave home town discounts to like Chelios with Detroit. I would take Teppo at that money($1.5 mill) to be a 6, 7 or 8 defensemen and mentor to the kids. Somehow, I can't see that happenning and this ones all on LQ and TG. No way decision to suspend him was on DR.

[carpandean]

He gets hurt too much and is unreliable due to that..

Really? He played 79 regular season games and all 16 playoff games last year, as well as 75 regular season and 12 playoff games the year before. That's 3 of 98 misses last year and only 16 of 198 over the last two seasons. I would call having surgery to correct a heart-condition "getting hurt", so I don't count this season. That's better than many of our starters.

[stenbaro]

Really? He played 79 regular season games and all 16 playoff games last year, as well as 75 regular season and 12 playoff games the year before. That's 3 of 98 misses last year and only 16 of 198 over the last two seasons. I would call having surgery to correct a heart-condition "getting hurt", so I don't count this season. That's better than many of our starters.

I guess missing a whole season save one game is reliable..Pick your argument I guess...

[tom webster]

Really? He played 79 regular season games and all 16 playoff games last year, as well as 75 regular season and 12 playoff games the year before. That's 3 of 98 misses last year and only 16 of 198 over the last two seasons. I would call having surgery to correct a heart-condition "getting hurt", so I don't count this season. That's better than many of our starters.

 

 

I think the point is you cannot count on him as a focal point. Remember, he missed those games against Carolina because of a flair up of his heart condition.

[deluca67]

There is no need to bring him back. Make him a coach if you want. Just leave the ice time to the younger players who need it.

[SabresFan526]

Here's my post from the GDT:

 

That's not true at all. I'll accept that he is a risk at his age and with his heart condition, but saying that he is injury prone is in fact not true. Aside from the lockout shortened 1995 season where he played 42 games (a full season), he has averaged throughout his career 75 games per season. And, he has been an iron man in 5 of the seasons he is played in the NHL (not missing a game for the entire season). Call him a risky signing because of his age and heart condition, but don't make stuff up like he gets hurt too much, because that's not true at all. This is the only season he missed a tremendous amount of the season. Aside from this year, you cannot find a single season in his NHL career where he missed a substantial amount of time in his career.

[Campy]

I think the younger guys would benefit more from his being with the club than not. I hope he's back for one more year. Whether he will or not, who knows?

[SabresFan526]

I find it highly unlikely he would want to come back with the Sabres given the suspension and all, and that's too bad. This team needs his leadership and experience, especially the young guys. Here's something else that's critical that you'll miss without Teppo. He's always in position. He's never chasing and out of position. A great example was last night. When Tallinder was playing along the boards, Teppo was in the slot making sure there was nothing from a player crashing the slot, which was frequently the problem this year. He always got the clean play out of the zone. He's a great passer. His skills were missed tremendously this year. I would not have a problem if he came back, but given the suspension and all, I highly doubt he'd want to come back with the Sabres. Maybe with Montreal as that has become his new hometown, but not with Buffalo, in my opinion.

[stenbaro]

I find it highly unlikely he would want to come back with the Sabres given the suspension and all, and that's too bad. This team needs his leadership and experience, especially the young guys. Here's something else that's critical that you'll miss without Teppo. He's always in position. He's never chasing and out of position. A great example was last night. When Tallinder was playing along the boards, Teppo was in the slot making sure there was nothing from a player crashing the slot, which was frequently the problem this year. He always got the clean play out of the zone. He's a great passer. His skills were missed tremendously this year. I would not have a problem if he came back, but given the suspension and all, I highly doubt he'd want to come back with the Sabres. Maybe with Montreal as that has become his new hometown, but not with Buffalo, in my opinion.

No doubt about his clean play..He is a sound defensman...Worth more than Pratt not as much as what they payed him or scammed out of this yr..

[SabresFanInRochester]

I think Buffalo was counting on Teppo for leadership on D. I think the Pratt acquisition was an attempt to overcome that void. I mean, think of Sekera/Weber/Funk last fall -- because the D was so young, the team needed someone that was calming.

 

I love Teppo and think he still has a few years left. I think he could replace Pratt in the lineup. I liked Pratt too, but he got sloppy over the last couple games; perhaps groin related. There has to be an acquisition of an a$$kicker/enforcer for next season. You cannot keep the entire core, and add Teppo, and add another player.

 

Spacek

Sekera

Tallinder

Lydman

Teppo

Acquired D-man

 

Pratt - This guy served his purpose all year, but let him go back to retirement

Weber - I think he needs a little more time to develop, but definitely a factor in the future

Kalinin - good bye

Paetsch - move him back to the 4th line O or trade him

[Campy]

I find it highly unlikely he would want to come back with the Sabres given the suspension and all, and that's too bad. This team needs his leadership and experience, especially the young guys. Here's something else that's critical that you'll miss without Teppo. He's always in position. He's never chasing and out of position. A great example was last night. When Tallinder was playing along the boards, Teppo was in the slot making sure there was nothing from a player crashing the slot, which was frequently the problem this year. He always got the clean play out of the zone. He's a great passer. His skills were missed tremendously this year. I would not have a problem if he came back, but given the suspension and all, I highly doubt he'd want to come back with the Sabres. Maybe with Montreal as that has become his new hometown, but not with Buffalo, in my opinion.

 

Like you, I'm a Teppo fan. And you hit the nail on the head in regards to his positioning and passing - his decision-making is superb.

 

But contrary to the things I've read here, I was under the impression that the Sabres didn't have much choice in the matter as it was due to a provision in the new CBA. I remember a HNiC Stovepipe segment when the news of the suspension broke. I'm pretty sure they were saying that the Sabres' hands were tied and that it was something the players did agree to after all.

[Taro T]

I think the point is you cannot count on him as a focal point. Remember, he missed those games against Carolina because of a flair up of his heart condition.

I'd say he missed those games because of a "flair up" of a hip flexor sustained in game 1.

 

Considering he could barely skate in the warmups of game 6 and didn't make it out of the 1st period of that game, I'd put a lot more credence on that being the reason he was out rather than heart issues.

[SabresFan526]

I'd say he missed those games because of a "flair up" of a hip flexor sustained in game 1.

 

Considering he could barely skate in the warmups of game 6 and didn't make it out of the 1st period of that game, I'd put a lot more credence on that being the reason he was out rather than heart issues.

Hip Flexor or groin? I read it was groin, but they are both lower body injuries and a groin can make a hip flexor worse. Either way, I said the same thing in another thread. It was not heart related in the Carolina series. It was groin/hip flexor related.

[tom webster]

I'd say he missed those games because of a "flair up" of a hip flexor sustained in game 1.

 

Considering he could barely skate in the warmups of game 6 and didn't make it out of the 1st period of that game, I'd put a lot more credence on that being the reason he was out rather than heart issues.

As you said in GDT, it was game against Philly. My mistake but the point is the same.

[carpandean]

Point is that he has never missed significant time due to "injury" in his career. He doesn't "get hurt" much at all. He has a heart condition that he had minor surgery for before the 2006-07 season and then more significant surgery this year to correct his valve. The team should get the opinion of several doctors, but I'm guessing that the latest surgery has greatly decreased the chances of him missing time due to heart-related problems next season. If that is so, then since he is not "injury prone", he would reliable.

[stenbaro]

Point is that he has never missed significant time due to "injury" in his career. He doesn't "get hurt" much at all. He has a heart condition that he had minor surgery for before the 2006-07 season and then more significant surgery this year to correct his valve. The team should get the opinion of several doctors, but I'm guessing that the latest surgery has greatly decreased the chances of him missing time due to heart-related problems next season. If that is so, then since he is not "injury prone", he would reliable.

So you are going to spend money on a player who has had heart surgery, missed critical time because of an injury in the playoffs and is 39 yrs old? Think about it..

[tom webster]

Like you, I'm a Teppo fan. And you hit the nail on the head in regards to his positioning and passing - his decision-making is superb.

 

But contrary to the things I've read here, I was under the impression that the Sabres didn't have much choice in the matter as it was due to a provision in the new CBA. I remember a HNiC Stovepipe segment when the news of the suspension broke. I'm pretty sure they were saying that the Sabres' hands were tied and that it was something the players did agree to after all.

 

That is not true. Pisani for Edmonton? He was not suspended. There are other cases but this is one most similiar because it was non-hockey related illness. Buffalo tried to paint it the other way, but they were called out. You think it was coincidence they sent out press release around five o'clock Friday? That is time teams use when trying to slip something by, just like Redskins treied this week with Jerome Mathis.

[Taro T]

As you said in GDT, it was game against Philly. My mistake but the point is the same.

Q for you about the surgery he had this off-season. Was the operation the same one he had been planning to have after his career was over or was it something different?

 

The reason I ask is, it was my understanding that the post-career surgery would "cure" his condition but he didn't want to have the surgery while he was still playing because of the recovery time. IF this was the "let's fix the underlying problem" surgery, then I would expect there to be a higher probability that he will make it through a full season without issues than otherwise and that the heart issues shouldn't really be issues in the future.

 

Somebody will sign Teppo this off-season, unfortunately I don't think the Sabres will be the team signing him. Adding him as the #5 and upgrading either Hank or Toni in the top 4 would be a good start to getting this team back where it should be.

[tom webster]

Q for you about the surgery he had this off-season. Was the operation the same one he had been planning to have after his career was over or was it something different?

 

The reason I ask is, it was my understanding that the post-career surgery would "cure" his condition but he didn't want to have the surgery while he was still playing because of the recovery time. IF this was the "let's fix the underlying problem" surgery, then I would expect there to be a higher probability that he will make it through a full season without issues than otherwise and that the heart issues shouldn't really be issues in the future.

 

Somebody will sign Teppo this off-season, unfortunately I don't think the Sabres will be the team signing him. Adding him as the #5 and upgrading either Hank or Toni in the top 4 would be a good start to getting this team back where it should be.

 

You know,I was just wonderring the same thing. Because of new emphasis on privacy laws, they are not allowed to say exactly what he had done. Reading between the lines, I think it is likely that they were forced to repair the hole in his heart sooner than they thought because somethiing else happened faster than they thought, i.e. a new complication. I am just guessing here, however, and I'm uncomfortable doing that about a person's health because next thing you know, it ends up on another board as fact.

That being said, given how caustious the medical profession is, the fact that he came back implies a clean bill of health. The fact that he played yesterday to me implies a respect between him and Lindy and probably Darcy. This is all Larry and probably Tom.

[SabresFan526]

Q for you about the surgery he had this off-season. Was the operation the same one he had been planning to have after his career was over or was it something different?

 

The reason I ask is, it was my understanding that the post-career surgery would "cure" his condition but he didn't want to have the surgery while he was still playing because of the recovery time. IF this was the "let's fix the underlying problem" surgery, then I would expect there to be a higher probability that he will make it through a full season without issues than otherwise and that the heart issues shouldn't really be issues in the future.

 

Somebody will sign Teppo this off-season, unfortunately I don't think the Sabres will be the team signing him. Adding him as the #5 and upgrading either Hank or Toni in the top 4 would be a good start to getting this team back where it should be.

 

Link: http://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/heart-s...hl-hockey-star/

 

You are right. He was going to have to have the valve surgery at some point in his life and his expectation was to have it done after his career was over. But, he got it now. Given this surgery fixed the underlying root cause problem, I would not think there is a problem going forward, but I wouldn't know as I'm not a cardiologist. I would love to have Teppo back next year and pair him with Sekera and have Spacek play with John Michael Liles (I really want the Sabres to sign him so badly). Teppo would be a great mentor for the defenseman on the team, is very positionally sound, and is a great passer who can really set up the transition offense. You guys realize he had 40 points in 2005-2006 and nearly 30 points last year? I think he was missed tremendously this year, but that's my opinion. Unfortunately, I don't think he'd re-sign with the Sabres even if they wanted him back, which I'm not even sure they want him back either.

[carpandean]

So you are going to spend money on a player who has had heart surgery, missed critical time because of an injury in the playoffs and is 39 yrs old? Think about it..

Heart surgery - depends on what the doctors say. Obviously, it raises some questions, but if the more significant surgery this year correct much of the problem and they say it's unlikely to impact him during the season, then yes.

 

Missed critical time - so despite the fact that he has never missed significant (in terms of length) time due to injury (heart condition is not an injury), but had a very common and hard to play around injury once at an inopportune time, we need to write him off? How many other guys have missed similar time or more do we still have or would we like back. The timing was bad, but it was one injury two years ago. He missed only three games out of 98 last season. So, yeah, I am willing to let that slide.

 

39 years old - there are many great defensemen that age and, while that raise some concerns, Teppo is a very smart defensemen who doesn't put himself in position to take shots, he positions himself well-enough that he doesn't have to chase players around and probably would log first-pair ice time.

 

I didn't say that they have to sign him, but for a reasonable price, I still believe he has a lot to contribute to this team if they do. I'd also still like them to sign someone else to play on the top pair with Spacek and, if possible, trade off Lydman.

[stenbaro]

Heart surgery - depends on what the doctors say. Obviously, it raises some questions, but if the more significant surgery this year correct much of the problem and they say it's unlikely to impact him during the season, then yes.

Missed critical time - so despite the fact that he has never missed significant (in terms of length) time due to injury (heart condition is not an injury), but had a very common and hard to play around injury once at an inopportune time, we need to write him off? How many other guys have missed similar time or more do we still have or would we like back. The timing was bad, but it was one injury two years ago. He missed only three games out of 98 season. So, yeah, I am willing to let that slide.

39 years old - there are many great defensemen that age and, while that raise some concerns, Teppo is a very smart defensemen who doesn't put himself in position to take shots, he positions himself well-enough that he doesn't have to chase players around and probably would log first-pair ice time.

 

I didn't say that they have to sign him, but for a reasonable price, I still believe he has a lot to contribute to this team if they do. I'd also still like them to sign someone else to play on the top pair with Spacek and, if possible, trade off Lydman.

I agree..