Darcy Regier had to know it was coming. He was in an informal chat about the Buffalo

Sabres' backup goaltending plans for next season, and the name Martin Biron was thrust forth

for consideration. The general manager just laughed.

"I'm really fortunate because he's still under contract with the New York Islanders and I

can't comment," Regier said.

That contract, though, expires at the end of June. So does Patrick Lalime's two-year deal

with the Sabres.

"We have to sign a veteran," Regier said. "Whether it's Patty, we have to have another

goalie."

The Sabres will indeed be in the market for a backup. Biron and Lalime figure to be the top

candidates.

Biron lives in the area and remains a fan favorite after spending his first 11 seasons in

the organization. The 32-year-old was a backup with the Isles after getting beaten out for the

starting job by Dwayne Roloson. Biron went 9-14-4 with a 3.27 goals-against average and .896

save percentage in 29 appearances.

Lalime played in 16 games with Buffalo, going 4-8-2 with a 2.81 GAA and .907 save

percentage. The 35-year-old is 9-21-5 over the past two seasons.

He was derided by the locals during a 3-2 loss to Minnesota in March, but the response by

his teammates showed how well liked Lalime is in the dressing room.

Several, including defenseman Steve Montador, publicly expressed their disappointment and

anger at the treatment.

"I know the game that he had here and how fans felt and how Montador spoke up on his behalf

because of the importance of him in the dressing room and the value of him as a teammate,"

Regier said. "If you look at his numbers, his numbers were pretty good."

Aside from the 18 other NHL goalies set to be free agents this summer, there is another

option for the Sabres. Prospect Jhonas Enroth, 21, has spent two seasons in Portland and could

vie for the backup spot.

"All I'll say is he's a good prospect," Regier said. "One of the things you struggle with

in the analysis is, is he better here as a backup playing infrequently or is he better in the

minors playing all the time?

"You want to get him at the highest possible level. When you bring a player here, you

recognize that he's going to be in a more specific albeit more limited role in the National

Hockey League than he is in the minor leagues. There are benefits of understanding that role

and playing in it, and there's also the risk of plateauing as well."

The Sabres' other unrestricted free agents will be forwards Mike Grier, Adam Mair, Matt

Ellis and Raffi Torres, and defensemen Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman.

Grier, 35, was among the team's best players in the postseason and wants to return.

"I'm happy here," he said. "It's a good group of guys. [Coach] Lindy [Ruff] and Darcy have

treated me well, and I enjoy being in the room with these guys. ... I think the year went

pretty well. We'll see what happens in the next few weeks, but hopefully I'll be back."

Torres certainly won't be. The winger was acquired from Columbus for a second-round draft

pick at the trade deadline and failed to score in 18 games. He was scratched for the final two

playoff games.

"It didn't benefit him, and it didn't benefit us, and it didn't work," Regier said of the

trade. "When we looked at him, we looked at him from the standpoint of a bigger body and

somebody who had played well in the playoffs for Columbus in the previous year. Quite

honestly, me personally, I wasn't looking at his 19 goals as much as I was hoping that he

could give us some competitiveness and board work in corners.

"I felt badly for him. He's an unrestricted free agent, and he's a good player, and I hope

things work out very well for him."