Marchant will slip through Regier's fingers

[starfirestar]

Has Todd Marchant lost insterest in playing for Buffalo? I've heard from various sites that all the big market clubs have there eyes set on Marchant, especially those dreaded blueshirts,LOL. Why would Marchant come to Buffalo when he could be on the boardwalk of an LA beach? Like always though, Regier is never good at signing free agents, mostly UFA, and us Sabres fans will have to wactch some disgusting team like the Grangers sign our home town guy, a guy that Sabres fans really wanted. He is seeking 3mil per season though. It is a lot, but sign him. Fans will be happy with that. Otherwise, Regier is going to have to pull off a trade and get someone in here that can put the puck in the net like Jason Arnott or trade for Mike Comrie.

[Overdue Bills]

Marchant is more likely than Kariya. I really expect Tom G to make a splash regardless of Regiers ineptitude

[itslonganditsgood]

I guess we will have to see what happens.

[Jim Bob]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?ID=46212&hubName=nhl

It looks like Todd asked the Rangers for a 6yr deal worth $24 million and they turned him down.

I wouldn't give him more than 3 years at $2.25 to 2.5 million per year.

If he wants $3 to 4 million per year I'd wish him good luck elsewhere.

There is no way he's worth that much to the Sabres when they have only a $30 million budget.

[LALAFONTAINE]

3 years, $7M sounds like a nice opening volley from the Sabres. You can live a lot better off of $7M in Buffalo than $8M in NYC.

[Player6600]

It could be that Marchant would rather go to a contender.

[LALAFONTAINE]

Then why isn't he talking with a team that made the playoffs last year?

[bernsy74]

I think that he thinks his stock is much higher now due to the large interest in him. He's gonna see what he can get elsewhere first.

[starfirestar]

4mil per season is lucrative for Marchant, when we can get Jason Arnott for 3.8mil per season. I know Jim Bob here will shoot me down for this, but what is so bad about Jason Arnott? He plays with an edge, something Gratton never did. He goes right in front of the net for the rebound, and is a big guy, so he is tough to move. He has a huge shot, and can play the point of the powerplay. You have to use him as a Center though. In Dallas, they put him on the wing a lot. Thats not his game. He did really good when he had Elias feeding him the puck, and just imagine what Arnott could do with Satan on his wing. Arnott is more suited to the Eastern Conference anyways. He does not play that wide open style game, like all the stars in the West do like Heduk, Sakic, and Federov.

[itslonganditsgood]

You know, the more I think about the situation with the Sabres and the CBA I just can't see the team signing any free agents. I think the Sabres organization is expecting a lockout and they probably don't feel it a good idea to sign someone for 3 years and will most likely only get the player for 1 or 2. The only way they are going to get this top 6 forward is through a trade.

[starfirestar]

Yea, probably. Columbus will land Marchant. Buffalo gets nothing. Same every year. Same lineup. No playoffs. But, if we finish last place, we can draft OVECHKIN next year.

[Jim Bob]

Arnott is OK I just feel that at $3.8 million he's way overpaid, especially for a Sabres team that needs more production than Arnott will bring to the table.

Arnott has the same number of 60+ point NHL seasons as Marchant does: 1. And Arnott's 68 point season came in his rookie year in Edmonton.

Arnott is a guy that you can count on to produce around 55 points per year. That would be nice and he would fit between Kotalik and Satan, I just don't think he's worth the money he's making to the Sabres.

Now if they could get the Stars to pick up $1 million or more of his contract........