The last month of Sabres hockey has been very, very much like the stock market. Just when you see a nice upswing for a day or two, things sour and there's another almost record-dip on the horizon.
For over 100 games now, and think about that figure, we've been waiting for these players to figure out that they are going to have to work every night. It's not like this is some sort of revolutionary new philosophy. In fact, many people work hard and perform well at their jobs most days of the year (although there are certainly slackers in the work force).
So it's time to make a deal, and apparently Darcy Regier is trying, as Bob McKenzie of TSN reports in his blog:
"The Buffalo Sabres are trying hard to move Maxim Afinogenov, but there's not much of a market right now for an underachieving and healthy scratch winger making $3.5 million with a $3.33 million cap hit."
That's understandably a hard-sell, and admittedly harder than I thought, depending on how long this effort has been undertaken. Over the summer, I argued that Afinogenov had value to someone, and that it depended on how much Regier was willing to accept.
Even if it has been a hard deal to make, maybe it's time to part with some other talent. Trades are risky business, but select what you think the team's biggest need is, and take a look at players of value around the league (For our purposes, I'm going to use the pretty cool TSN player rankings).
Want a defenseman? Several of TSN's Top 20 were either trade bait or available in the last few years: Lubomir Visnovsky, Ron Hainsey, Dennis Wideman, Filip Kuba, Mike Van Ryn, Sheldon Souray, Dan Boyle, Brian Campbell.
Want a forward? Marc Savard, Jason Arnott, Andy McDonald, Olli Jokinen, Ryan Clowe, Ales Hemsky.
It's not as easy as that, in fact very many of those players I don't have any interest in. The point is names that can make a difference are shopped, and this team could use a change. It looked like Craig Rivet and a year's worth of misery would be enough, but it hasn't been.
Lindy Ruff's assertion that it hurts to have Tim Connolly in the press box is absolutely right, but at some point you have to risk losing the asset. Regier took a risk that an incredibly-talented center wouldn't be an injury problem forever. That risk has mostly hit the skids, and there's no shame in saying, "This guy has been unreliable, and we believe he can shine, but it's going to be elsewhere if it happens."
There are six players on the roster who will be unrestricted free agents after the season: Maxim Afinogenov, Jaroslav Spacek, Connolly, Ales Kotalik, Teppo Numminen and Andrew Peters. There are circumstances surrounding each player, but rather than wait for the deadline, where their value will, traditionally or mythologically, be its highest, in some cases it would be a good idea to take a little less now and get better faster.
I wouldn't hesitate to deal Connolly or Afinogenov, just to get those questions out of the locker room, assuming the topics have ever been broached. I love Spacek as a Sabre -- he made a terrific play against Nashville -- but if you don't think he's going to sign back at a reasonable rate, find someone aching for a d-man and bring up Mike Weber. Same thing with Kotalik (though I suspect Europe may be in his future).
The point is, this team looks in need of an attitude adjustment, and in the long run, it doesn't matter if they are tremendous friends with great chemistry. My summer soccer team loves drinking together after we lose, but it doesn't mean we still can't meet out at a bar if we're on different teams (Have no fear about the Buffalo City Football Club, fans, we had a wonderful Fall and are primed to compete).
Using a bar league soccer team as an example aside, let's instead propose that the Sabres have no plans for any of their UFAs. If your plan is to go with this line-up, why not do it now?
(Stafford, MacArthur, Mancari, Sekera and Kaleta are all restricted, and due raises against the cap anyway).
In that case
If the system has its way, you'll see Gerbe and Butler in Portland for the standard duration of a year, and I think Peters inks on for another year in Buffalo, if only for what he brings to the locker room alone, but the point should be easily made -- this team could use some new voices.
I don't even like Cory Stillman, but would a guy like that sit by and let an effort like Monday's, even with four games in six nights, slide. Heck, I expected Rivet to climb out of the press box, repel from the rafters "Blades of Glory" style and inform the Sabres they were an NHL team at some point during the Nashville loss.
Regardless of whether they "turn it around," maybe it's time to access some new blood. Heck, I'm pretty sure Glen Murray is a free agent right now. He hasn't won much of anything in his career, but maybe he's just ornery and 36-year old enough to provide some "No Country For Old Men" on ice, whatever that means.
I'm not here to toss out names, or anything like that, but for the first time in my hockey-loving life, I genuinely believe in a "trade for trade's sake," and it's a really uncomfortable spot to be in. Maybe the Sabres can leach one of these guys. I don't even want to name names, because that's the argument.
I believe they have the talent, and the coach. They need the attitude, and to hear about it from a new peer.
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