Sabres Sign Paetsch

[jheigl]

http://www.wgrz.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=49875&GID=BmbiJ/Lf3k6XkfgVzpfyaHBAsZnkvKABEQtiAzYhP0M%3D

[Sabres244]

solid Darcy nice deal. now move Kalinin or Spacek

[slowpokemcgee]

Preferably both and sign someone cheaper/better.

[Bay Side]

Nice contract!

[skoorah720]

Wow we got him really cheap...that leaves us pretty flexible cap wise...we'll have about 5 million of cap space left. Gives Darcy a lot of wiggle room to wheel and deal...

[Jeanneret's LaLaLa]

definately time to dump spacek and invest in a solid defenseman. cause if we do have roughly 5 million to play with and dump him too, we have a lot of options.

[smashingt2312]

Good deal.

[jheigl]

If we can get rid of Spacek by some miracle, that would be great. But the 5 million we have left I would expect to be spent on a UFA IF a team walks away from an ARB award.

[Carl J. Ironsides]

Patches for a minimum of three more years? Too solid. Way too solid.

[Iggy72]

Good news. Now hopefully he'll get decent ice-time.

Pax.
Iggy72

[ricogarion]

A very solid deal for the Sabres and locking up a young defenseman the caliber of Nathan Paetsch is a very positive move.A solid building block for this future Stanley Cup champion.

[skoorah720]

If we can get rid of Spacek by some miracle, that would be great. But the 5 million we have left I would expect to be spent on a UFA IF a team walks away from an ARB award.

I think that the only way we bring in another player is via a trade. I doubt Darcy is going to sign an UFA.

[Carl J. Ironsides]

Now get Campbell locked up and have Tallinder, Lydman, Paetsch and Campbell signed for the next few years. That's a good foursome to build your defense around. The other spots, after next season, go to guys like Sekera, Weber, etc.

[skoorah720]

I have high hopes for Sekera...hopefully he'll show something in camp this year.

[shotgun]

nice now is that everyone??

[SabresFan220]

Great deal, I can easily see Darcy dangling Kalinin or Spacek to a team that doesn't like someone's arbitration award so they trade him. Paetsch needs to play more and could be a top 6 guy, but if we don't move out Kalinin or Spacek and keep him #7 I see him getting Numminen's games off if we give him any. For that matter in the NHL today 7 capable defensemen on your roster are essential for success because of inevitable injuries.

[skoorah720]

Now get Campbell locked up

My thoughts exactly

[anEinherjer]

I can see Spatch getting moved in a trade but not likely, and Kalinin is still young.

As much as I'd like both guys to get a change of scenery, I just don't see the brass "giving up" on either.

[SabreNasty2630]

great news! Glad to get Nathan locked up long-term.

[TRIPLE P]

3 years is good, better or worse.

[JFKDivisionChamps02]

good work FO.

[Hockeystud1414]

Good news indeed! Now Darcy may look at adding someone from outside the organization(ie peca) now knowing he has all of his own guys coming back!

[Thumper]

Great deal for a young defenseman that has a lot of upside both defensively and offensively. In 2 years, he could be the one d-man in the entire league that has the most bang for his buck.

[two4trippn]

Paetsch is ok but he's marginally better than our last tweener, Jean Luc Grand Pierre. With that contract, he could be exposed to waivers if needed, especially if an Amerk truly earns a spot out of camp. Nice job once again Darcy.

[pigpen65]

now move Kalinin or Spacek

Spacek.

[pigpen65]

Paetsch is ok but he's marginally better than our last tweener, Jean Luc Grand Pierre. With that contract, he could be exposed to waivers if needed, especially if an Amerk truly earns a spot out of camp. Nice job once again Darcy.

couldn't disagree any more. I really think draft position has a huge effect on fans' interpretations of players. If Paetsch was a former 1st round pick, people would be crazy excited about him. He's big, has a good accurate shot, is great at getting pucks through to the net, and works his ass off. So much so that he worked himself into a wing position last year when all the Dmen were healthy. Jean Luc had some potential, but he never produced on the ice. Paetsch was actually used, successfully, to jump start the PP for the highest scoring team in the league last year. He's got top 4 written all over him.

[Thumper]

I expect a lot out of Paestch in a year or two. He could very well be a top 4 guy in that amount of time in my opinion. He's got some special attributes, and another year with Numminen around will only help Paestch. That veteran intelligence from Teppo will greatly benefit Nathan. I think they're similar types of players, but obviously Paestch has the younger body that can throw a few checks and he has that extra gear in his legs which Numminen used to have.

[Thumper]

couldn't disagree any more. I really think draft position has a huge effect on fans' interpretations of players. If Paetsch was a former 1st round pick, people would be crazy excited about him. He's big, has a good accurate shot, is great at getting pucks through to the net, and works his ass off. So much so that he worked himself into a wing position last year when all the Dmen were healthy. Jean Luc had some potential, but he never produced on the ice. Paetsch was actually used, successfully, to jump start the PP for the highest scoring team in the league last year. He's got top 4 written all over him.

Absolutely. Amazing, pigpen. We both mentioned "top 4" and "Paestch" with in 1 minute of eachother.

[jlpubarch]

drop Space-K and sign a stay-at-homer...Suttons still free, right?

[Thumper]

Spacek.

Although we disagree here. I'd rather move Kalinin than Spacek. If we had cap problems, I'd go the other way. But we don't, and I like what Spacek brings much more than what Kalinin sometimes brings.

[jlpubarch]

^^ Spacek was brought in to score goals, and it was Kalinin, however, who netted the occasional goal (and two in the playoffs, if I'm not mistaken)

Kalinin either plays assy or out of his mind...but at the end of the day, he complements Numminen well and still finished with a positive +/-

Spacek did too, but he seems interchangeabe with Campbell. I'd much rather see a rock of a d-man teamed with Campbell (Sutton) and then sit back and watch that line lay out small forwards.

[jlpubarch]

Ok, so now that we have mad money wrapped up in our D core...who do we drop?

I think the Sabres made it apparent with this signing that they have bigger plans for Paetsch than keeping him on the sidelines all day.

Since they have expressed a desire to keep the 'core' intact, I think the odd man out is Spacek...which one of these is not like the others:

Kalinin...drafted by Buffalo.
Numminen...just signed.
Campbell...drafted by Buffalo, future captain, all-star.
Tallinder...drafted by Buffalo, shut down line.
Lydman...traded for, but on shut down line.

Spacek...UFA signing, relative let down.

[skoorah720]

Paetsch was on WGR this afternoon and corrected the rumor that he was signed for 3 million over 3 years. Actually it's 2.55 million over three years...Darcy signed him for even CHEAPER. Great job Darcy.

[Scary Good]

Looks like Nate wants to evolve in blue and gold, and i'm looking forward to watching him blossom.

[Thumper]

^^ Spacek was brought in to score goals, and it was Kalinin, however, who netted the occasional goal (and two in the playoffs, if I'm not mistaken)

Kalinin either plays assy or out of his mind...but at the end of the day, he complements Numminen well and still finished with a positive +/-

Spacek did too, but he seems interchangeabe with Campbell. I'd much rather see a rock of a d-man teamed with Campbell (Sutton) and then sit back and watch that line lay out small forwards.

Spacek was brought in to quarterback the point on the powerplay, and to soften the blow of losing the best shot-blocking defenseman in the NHL in Jay McKee at the same time. He didn't really do either. But that doesn't mean that he's less valuable than Kalinin. There are aspects of Spacek's game that I like.

First of all, his physicality is much better than Kalinin's. Spacek is quite possibly our most feared defenseman for the opposition as they chase the puck into the corners and behind Miller. He's got a bit of that Zhitnik quality in him where you don't know if he's going to bring his elbows up, or high-stick you in the face, or even hit you from behind.

He's got one of the best shots in the league. He was just atrocious last year in so many ways. I think he know's how much better he should have been, and hopefully, he should be better this year.

Kalinin on the other hand, is the teams worst defensman more often than he's even servicable. The Sabres win games despite Kalinin for about 80% of the time. This is an on-going trend with Dmitri and I'm tired of it. I don't care that he was solid for a couple of weeks in the post season because he's never maintained it and its quite obvious that he never will.

I have more faith in Spacek turning things around than Kalinin just becoming reliable all of the sudden without a relapse.