PITTSBURGH — Toni Lydman is no dummy. The Buffalo Sabres' defenseman knows this is the

time of year when players like him get traded.

Lydman's biggest worry, however, has nothing to do with his uncertain future. He's more

concerned about his longtime buddies in Blue and Gold.

Lydman, an unrestricted free agent this summer, might play his final game as a Sabre

tonight when Buffalo visits the Pittsburgh Penguins. As a veteran with an expiring contract,

he's a candidate to be moved by Wednesday's 3 p.m. trade deadline.

"I'm one of the probable guys," Lydman conceded Monday.

If he does go to a new team, he hopes the Sabres make the postseason without him.

"The biggest fear concerning the trade deadline might be if they move me, then hopefully

they're a playoff team because I don't want them to do worse," Lydman said. "That would

[stink]."

The Sabres, on a 1-4-2 slide entering the Olympic break, comfortably hold a playoff

position coming out of it. They are one point behind first-place Ottawa in the Northeast

Division with three fewer games played. It would take a monumental collapse during the

season's final 22 games to miss the playoffs.

That's what makes General Manager Darcy Regier's dilemma regarding Lydman and Henrik

Tallinder so tough. Both blue-liners have been contributors to the Sabres' impressive

standing. But there have been no talks about contract extensions, the players said, so Regier

may decide to move them now rather than lose them for nothing this summer.

"I'm unrestricted after this season, so yeah, it's a possibility," Tallinder said after

practice in HSBC Arena. "Anything can happen, but I'm used to it now. A lot of seasons there's

been trade talks for this team and for me and for everyone. It's nothing new.

"It could be a little bit tough if you get traded, but that's part of the business."

Veteran defensemen figure to be highly sought after during the next two days. The Penguins

showed that Monday when they acquired blue-liner Jordan Leopold from Florida. Even if Regier

is planning to keep his free-agent duo, someone might want them more.

"I don't think anyone's safe, really, because if it's the right price, I think everyone's

for sale," Lydman said. "If they get players they are interested in, they would trade even a

guy that they might have not considered in the first place."

Tallinder, the Sabres' second-round draft pick in 1997, trails only Tim Connolly as the

team's longest-tenured player. He is having a resurgence this season playing alongside rookie

Tyler Myers, leading the blue-liners in plus/minus (plus-8) to go along with his three goals

and 15 points.

Lydman has been with the team since 2005-06. The former blue-line partners want to stay but

say they refuse to become consumed by the deadline.

"It's not in my hands," Lydman said. "Whatever jersey I put on after Wednesday, that's who

I work for."

In addition to their contract status, the organization's depth on defense makes the players

targets to be traded. There are eight defensemen in Buffalo, including an Olympian itching to

play, and another eight in the minor leagues in Portland.

Andrej Sekera, a healthy scratch in 17 of the last 22 games, performed well for Slovakia at

the Games. The Sabres may look at his growth there as a sign he's ready to be a regular.

"I will get a chance, I hope, and I'm looking forward to it," Sekera said. "It was an

amazing thrill for us as a group, as a team, and for me especially. I'm just really thankful

to the coaching staff and our GM for the national team that they gave me a chance. I haven't

played a lot, and I'm really happy that I got to play all the games against the best players

in the world. It was a real good experience."

The anxiety of the deadline takes some excitement from tonight's game. The Sabres haven't

played since Feb. 13, so they are eager to get back on the ice. They just have to keep in mind

it might be their last time with this team.

"We had a tough stretch before the Olympics," Lydman said, "but overall we're in good

position. We're not too far from the top there in the East, and I like this team.

"Hopefully, I'm still here at the end of the week."