COMMENTARY
Sabres find it’s tough to recruit
Updated: 07/07/08 6:50 AM
If the deal were struck in February, Darcy Regier would have been praised to the high heavens for acquiring veteran defenseman Craig Rivet and maximizing the return on Brian Campbell under difficult conditions. Six months later, what’s the difference? The Sabres’ general manager should still be commended for a job well done.
Campbell for Rivet was basically the deal once the draft picks were exchanged and Steve Bernier took the scenic route from San Jose to Vancouver, via Buffalo. The Sabres yearned for a veteran defenseman at 2007 prices, and Regier landed a good one in Rivet.
Rivet isn’t an elite player, but he’s an upgrade. He’s a tough, solid defenseman who can move the puck. He’ll score the odd goal, be dependable in his own zone and win a few scraps. He’s locked up at $3.5 million for each of the next three years, making him the Sabres’ highest-paid defenseman at a reasonable salary.
In fact, he’s precisely the kind of addition the Sabres could have used during their back-to- back trips to the Eastern Conference finals. But what the heck? He and Campbell were part-time defense partners last season, which was one reason the Skating Tomato thrived with the Sharks. He’s a quality player, a character guy, one this town will appreciate. Good for the Sabres, good for their fans, good work by Regier.
Still, the swap merely confirmed an underlying problem that has existed for years. The Sabres have a serious recruiting problem that makes life in the NHL tougher for the entire organization.
News alert: The Sabres have a poor reputation among players. It has become increasingly evident that the only way to get quality veterans into Buffalo is to force them here through trades. It’s an unpleasant way to survive.
Forget the woe-is-Buffalo excuse. Everybody knows this is a passionate hockey town, but the word has spread about the organization’s business practices. The Sabres are known more for their commitment to the bottom line than their commitment to winning. To players, it might as well be Edmonton.
Chicago was in a similar position and finished near the bottom of the league for years before Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews rejuvenated the fan base last season. GM Dale Tallon admitted he overpaid Campbell at $56.8 million over eight years, but he also delivered a strong message that the Blackhawks were headed in the right direction.
Thing is, it’s difficult to see where the Sabres are going. They didn’t even bother to offer hometown defenseman Brooks Orpik a contract. He returned to Pittsburgh with a six-year deal for $22.5 million, hardly a budget-buster. He’s making $250,000 per year more than Rivet, 33, who is better offensively but six years older. The message received there was that mediocrity remains acceptable.
On the flip side, there’s Detroit. Nothing against our bigger cousins across Lake Erie, but Detroit has nothing over Buffalo when it comes to lifestyle. Both are hockey-loving, blue-collar towns.
Every team is working under the same salary-cap system. The Red Wings’ ticket prices last season ranged from $22 to $85, on par with the Sabres’ prices. Once revenue sharing is factored into the equation, the NHL has the most level playing field in professional sports.
Yet since the lockout the Red Wings have won three straight division titles and one Stanley Cup, seven straight division titles and four Cups in the last 11 years. Players practically climb over one another to play in Motown. You think the Sabres had a chance to land a megastar such as Marian Hossa? No.
The Red Wings signed him to a one-year deal for $7.4 million because they built a reputation for doing things right. And that’s the difference.
