Sabres Campbell/Brown

[buffjoe]

Are the new rules going to make it easier for a guy like Campbell to compete? He should be more valuable since he has great recovery speed. On the other hand does it take Brad Brown right out of the lineup. With no red line he's a sitting duck.

[Mouldsie]

That's a tough call without having seen any games played but in theory I think what you suggest would happen.

[LALAFONTAINE]

I think the layoff hurts Brown more than anything. His skills were marginal, and I think his edge might be gone to the point where he isn't NHL caliber anymore.

Campbell's a coward, which suggests no. His performance in Finland doesn't suggest a breakout, but his history in juniors and the AHL is that he takes 4 years or so before he starts to perform.

[buffmaniac]

the days of the big slow defensemen are over if these rule changes really happen

[LALAFONTAINE]

How so? In hockey's fastest days, Don Jackson was still a viable NHL defenseman. These rules won't make that much of a difference.

[MauvaisSang]

I think Brown would be gone regardless of the rule changes. He was already a marginal 7th defenseman two years ago. The Sabres need a big tough defenseman who can actually play. If they don't pick someone up in Free Agency or by trade, Doug Janik will probably still take Brown's roster spot.

[The REAL Sabres]

Hopefully Janik is ready. That would be great if he was.