Sabres passing Capology 101

[Bay Side]

Sabres passing Capology 101
By Dave Davis, TheFourthPeriod.com




(BUFFALO, NY) -- While the usual big market villains are on a no holds barred shopping spree, Buffalo Sabres GM Darcy Regier is patiently sitting back and playing the role of the consummate value investor.
"I've been very surprised by some of these contracts – not just the dollars but really the terms," Regier said.

It's not that the Sabres weren't interested in guys like Adrian Aucoin and Sergei Gonchar, quite the contrary. It's just that Regier refuses to fall into the trap that is currently encompassing some other naïve GM's in places like Philadelphia, Chicago, and Long Island.



Here's what a typical day is like now for Regier: During a recent conversation with agent Jay Grossman, who represents both Sabres defenseman Dmitri Kalinin and unrestricted free agent superstar goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, the possibility of the former Tampa Bay netminder looking at an offer from Buffalo came up.
"Jay Grossman is a good man, and the conversation did come up briefly," Regier admitted, although he stressed that the original purpose of the phone call was a minor issue regarding Kalinin. "But when Jay told me what Khabibulin was looking for, and was likely to get, we decided that wouldn't work for us."

Within a day or two, the star netminder signed with Chicago for four-years and a whopping $27 million.

So these are the new days of the NHL?

We've learned an astonishing fact this week about some of these GM's. Either they fell asleep during the recent salary capology courses, or they just aren't being smart enough to realize the holes they are digging for themselves.

One guy who gets it (not surprisingly) is New Jersey Devils CEO and GM Lou Lamoriello.

"What I didn't expect was so many long-term deals," he said Thursday during a conference call. "You have to do today and prepare for tomorrow. We don't know where the cap will be next year or the year after.”

Regier finally found a good fit with the signing of veteran defenseman Teppo Numminen. It was a one-year deal worth $2 million. It was the kind of deal that a fiscally responsible GM makes at this point in time, knowing that: 1) there will be a better market for younger players with more long term upside next summer, and 2) there is talk that the salary cap will actually be reduced for 2006.

Numminen should be a great addition here. He'll be a top four defenseman and should see some time on the power play. With the loss of ice hog Alexei Zhitnik, the Sabres could use some experience at the blueline.

And Regier has vowed that he's not done yet. Another body on defense should come in the next few weeks via trade. We don’t know yet whom he is targeting.

All we know is, going against the philosophy of some of his big market peers, he won't mortgage the farm and the future to get him.

http://thefourthperiod.com/news/buf050806.html

[г]

LOL, how much does it cost to get a fluff piece on thefourthperiod.com ?

[ckg68]

Well,then I guess Capitals GM George McPhee deserves a fluff piece too. 'Cause in a recent piece in the Washington Post,he's on the same wavelength as Regier is...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/04/AR2005080401756.html

(I picked that up from another hockey blog,The Hockey Page(from the Toronto Star)....at http://thestar.blogs.com/hockey/ )

[Thumper]

Lou Lamoriello is possibly the game's most efficient GM. He's taking the same stance as Regier.

What's Joe Sabre Fan got to say about that one? The cap could, and probably will be even lower next year, and maybe even lower the following year.

So who here wants Neidermayer for 7 million per season for 3 seasons???

[foster]

And there's no renegotiating the contracts per the CBA. You're either stuck with the player and his contract, trade him or cut him to get out from under the $$.

[The REAL Sabres]

Lou Lamoriello is possibly the game's most efficient GM. He's taking the same stance as Regier.Also, Lou has an inside track on the new CBA. He was on the league's negotiating team in all those "small group" meetings and was ultimately there as the current CBA was formed.

[BuffaloRanger]

There is no comparison between the Devils situation and the Sabres.

The Devils have a much better team to start with than the Sabres. Lou can maintain the status quo and still make the playoffs. They have legitimate all-stars. Buffalo has none. And they are still making more moves than the Sabres.

Compare the Sabres to other cash strapped, non-playoff teams. Maybe the Penguins for instance. They seem to be improving.

[pcnorth22]

.

Compare the Sabres to other cash strapped, non-playoff teams. Maybe the Penguins for instance. They seem to be improving.

you cannot compare the sabres to the penguins anymore...once the pens won the lottery, the cash they had to play with shot up considerably...meaning they weren't gonna be a team "under the revenue sharing threshold of 28m" but a team that can afford to get up to the upper cap limit...

the sabres are not in the same boat...granted i'd still appreciate some moves...a solid 2m/yr defenseman...and an old cheap big name forward...but all in all...the sabres i think are playing it smartly....

its a tricky situation; they need to fill seats; fans want big names so they'll buy tickets...but there is no guarantee that big names will fill the seats...so what do you do? get back to the hardest working team in hockey, and the fans will come back...besides the last 2 years or so, the sabres haven't had attendance problems, especially given their market size...everything will be fine...

[Papaduke]

I look forward to the trade that is being alluded to. I hope we steal a young stud from one of these cap busting teams for Biron.

[pigpen65]

I'm so pissed at what pittsburgh as done. They've done a 180 the past two weeks and went form the basement to a legit contender. And all the Sabres did was lose their two best players. total cluster ****

[ckg68]

pigpen: Pittsburgh is a legit contender on paper ONLY. Not a game has been played. Hell,for all we know the Pens may still end up in the basement of the Atlantic Division even with Crosby.

[pigpen65]

pigpen: Pittsburgh is a legit contender on paper ONLY.


That's true. THe difference is you look at Pittsburgh and you say, "what more can you do?" You look at Buffalo and you say, "What the hell are they doing?"

[LALAFONTAINE]

There is no comparison between the Devils situation and the Sabres.

The Devils have a much better team to start with than the Sabres. Lou can maintain the status quo and still make the playoffs. They have legitimate all-stars. Buffalo has none. And they are still making more moves than the Sabres.

Compare the Sabres to other cash strapped, non-playoff teams. Maybe the Penguins for instance. They seem to be improving.

The Devils can't maintain the status quo....namely Niedermayer.

Compare the Sabres to the Wild.

[RabidBillsFan]

I'm so pissed at what pittsburgh as done. They've done a 180 the past two weeks and went form the basement to a legit contender. And all the Sabres did was lose their two best players. total cluster ****

Do you HONESTLY think that Alexei Zhitnik is better than Drury or Briere?

I sure don't. Only Satan can be proclaimed as a totally legit 'best player'.

[LALAFONTAINE]

I would take Z before Satan or Briere. With Drury, it would be close.

[BuffaloRanger]

Yeah I wouldn't want to give up Drury's 18 goals.

The Sabres are a far worse team now then they were at the end of last season. I think most fans would have hoped for some improvement 2 weeks into this FA period.

[Thumper]

I would take Z before Satan or Briere. With Drury, it would be close.

You'd take Z over Briere at this point LALA? Get out of here. The age difference and the upside is ridiculous.

[Thumper]

Yeah I wouldn't want to give up Drury's 18 goals.


As if that's all the guy brings to the team, right? He's the heart and soul, the leader. Obviously, you don't seem to think intangibles like that matter.

[ckg68]

Honestly,all this kvetching and bitching and moaning is rattling on my nerves.

All the teams that have gone hog wild and signed FA's to improve their squads sounds good on PAPER only. Again,not one puck has been dropped. No one knows if the teams that picked up players will do any better than they did in 2003-04. Hell,they could very well regress.

Look at Ottawa. They could very well lose two of their top players next year. Marian Hossa rejected a 3-year deal because he wants beaucoup $$$. Jarome Iginla-like bucks. Hossa could very well follow Martin Havlat out of Canada's capital after next season.

[BuffaloRanger]

It's probabilities and odds. The odds are better a team that looks good on paper will make the playoffs. The odds of the sabres, based on the team they have now, beating out several of the "improved" teams for the 8th playoff spot are not very good.

Yes a team that looks good on paper could suffer injuries to it's top players. The time off may have caused former AllStars skills to vanish. These things are all possible but not likely.

What is likely is that the big question marks that the Sabres have in goal, def, and offense will be too much for this team to overcome. But at least we won't be in cap hell, or even close to it...ever.

[Napalm]

pigpen: Pittsburgh is a legit contender on paper ONLY. Not a game has been played. Hell,for all we know the Pens may still end up in the basement of the Atlantic Division even with Crosby.


The point is, that Pittsburgh is doing something that the Sabres are not. IMPROVING THE PRODUCT THEY ARE SELLING. Pittsburgh went from basement dwellers to contenders, even if it only looks that way on paper. And they are doing something else. Selling their product. And how are they doing that? Getting Crosby helped, obviously, but they are doing what us Sabres fans WISH our team would do. Make the fans interested enough to PAY $$$ to go see this team. How? By improving the team and not making the #1 priority being under the 28 million mark so they can get free money.

I am happy hockey is back. But after a year of no hockey, and the strides this team took "too little too late but was interesting" last season, Why does it appear that the team is rebuilding? To make the team stronger in the future? Yipee Skipee!!! Might as well call us the "Pittsburgh Pirates" or the "Milwaukee Brewers" of the NHL.

[RabidBillsFan]

Why does it appear that the team is rebuilding? To make the team stronger in the future? Yipee Skipee!!! Might as well call us the "Pittsburgh Pirates" or the "Milwaukee Brewers" of the NHL.

Major League Baseball HAS NO SALARY CAP.

The Pirates operate under an unfair system, unlike the Sabres. 'Nuff said.

[LALAFONTAINE]

You'd take Z over Briere at this point LALA? Get out of here. The age difference and the upside is ridiculous.

The age difference is four years. Briere is 28, and at his peak. He has no more upside. He's a nice player, but I'd prefer Z.

How is 4 years and no additional upside ridiculous? The players with upside are the younger ones like Pyatt and Connolly.

[Thumper]

The age difference is four years. Briere is 28, and at his peak. He has no more upside. He's a nice player, but I'd prefer Z.

How is 4 years and no additional upside ridiculous? The players with upside are the younger ones like Pyatt and Connolly.

28 and at his peak? He still has his best offensive seasons ahead of him.

His last 3 seasons he's obtained 60 pts in '01-'02, 58 pts in '03-'04, and his best season yet with the Sabres last season at 65 total pts. Before '01-'02, he never broke 25 pts.

4 years is 4 years regardless. Z could play for 7 or 8 more seasons, while Briere could play for well over a decade. No difference?

Briere still getting better. Phoenix cut ties with him too early quite obviously. Z will never be the player he used to be.

[bduff54]

lol, if Briere plays well over a decade i will be amazed.

[Thumper]

lol, if Briere plays well over a decade i will be amazed.

Its not out of the ordinary for guys to play until they're 40 these days. In 10 years, it may not be out of the ordinary for guys to play a year or two over 40.