Questions about their futures are out there, so we might as well get straight to the answer and end speculation before it gains momentum. General Manager Darcy Regier and coach Lindy Ruff are expected to be retained regardless of whether the Sabres rally to make the playoffs this season.

FYI: The words “are expected to” were carefully chosen over “definitely will” only because you never know with absolute certainty, the same way you never know with absolute certainty that you’re going to wake up tomorrow. Minority owner Larry Quinn made it clear last week that both are sticking around.

“I don’t mean this to open up Pandora’s box, but anything like that you evaluate at the end of the year,” Quinn said. “But, no, that’s not an issue for us, changing the manager or the coach. . . . I’m not a believer of saying, ‘You have to do something, so fire the coach.’ I just don’t believe in that philosophy.”

The only allowance for wiggle room is Regier or Ruff doing something completely out of character, such as getting thrown in jail. Assuming they’re breathing and not in the clink, they will continue their stretch next season as the longest-tenured GMcoach combination currently in the NHL.

Despite the Sabres’ problems this season and the fact they could miss the playoffs for the fifth time in seven years, it should be hailed as good news. The other side of their ledger also includes four trips to the conference finals. Their success rate, while lacking a Stanley Cup, would be applauded in most cities.

“Darcy’s talent, more than anyone I know, is that he’s able to look at a young player and project what he’s going to become,” Quinn said. “Lindy’s great talent is getting him there. The Sabres are going to make it by adding those two areas of expertise in the organization. If somebody can show me someone that’s a lot better than either guy, I’m all ears. You would have a tough time.”

Here’s a sentence you don’t read often: I agree with Quinn.

No, I’m not getting soft. Nobody in the organization should feel comfortable with a team that’s on the bubble. Regier and Ruff should be held accountable if this team fails to reach the playoffs. They can’t have it both ways. Either Regier isn’t getting the right players or Ruff isn’t doing a good enough job in coaching them.

Anything else is an excuse.

This collection of players is too soft and not built for the current NHL. It falls mostly on Regier, who has done nothing of consequence to help the Sabres overcome the post Drury-Briere debacle. But his shortcomings aren’t from a lack of knowledge so much as a lack of support. He had good players and watched them walk out the door when the price started climbing. That falls on ownership.

Ruff is widely regarded as one of the NHL’s top coaches. He doesn’t need to change his message when it becomes stale. He needs Regier to change his players, a handful of whom have been here too long. You want to fire Ruff for the sake of shaking up the team? Fine, so long as you find the proper replacement. There aren’t many coaches out there who are better and available.

Basically, it would solve nothing.

The Sabres need roster changes, but they also need time. Their core of players still hasn’t hit their primes. They have a good group of young players in the AHL and several very good prospects, including towering defense-man Tyler Myers. I’ll say it again. They should be better across their roster in two years or so, when their kids grow up.

If they’re not significantly better in two years and moving toward contention, it will be time to change the general manager, coach or both.

Remember, the mission isn’t just getting to the playoffs or reaching the Stanley Cup finals. It’s winning it all. All along, Quinn has been clear on that goal and did not back off last week when asked again.

“I’ve been in the conference finals,” Quinn said. “OK, it’s not such a big thrill. You want to win the whole thing. .. We have to get to the next level. We have to find a way to do it. That’s what the goal is. It’s not to be pretty good. This town deserves a winner. They have supported us unbelievably, and these are really tough times. One way or another, we have to get them a winner.”

Or else.

St. Louis available?

Tampa Bay considered trading Martin St. Louis at the deadline with the idea they could load up with prospects and save money in the process. If he’s available this summer, the Sabres should check out the price tag.

St. Louis has two years and $8 million remaining on his contract after this season, which makes him a bargain. He was one of six players in the league who were leading their teams in points and plus-minus ratio. He had 25 goals and 67 points and was plus-6, an accomplishment considering the Lightning scored 49 fewer goals than they allowed.

He’s expected to draw some attention for the Selke Trophy, given to the top defensive forward in the NHL.

“I’d put him up against anybody in the league,” Lightning coach Rick Tocchet said. “You’re out there to protect a goal, you’re out there to put pressure on somebody, he’d be the guy you’d put out there. He’s one of the top guys in the league.”

Sykora at an impasse

The Penguins and veteran winger Petr Sykora are having fundamental differences on the terms of a contract extension, and the gap could be wide enough to send him into the open market July 1.

Sykora, 32, a nine-time 20-goal scorer, was looking for a three-year contract, a considerable bump from his $2.5 million salary and a no-trade clause. GM Ray Shero has been hesitant to give any player older than 30 a three-year deal and doesn’t want to get locked into a no-trade clause with so much uncertainty about the cap.

Ruslan Fedotenko also could be looking for a new team this summer after making $2.25 million this year. If he and Sykora are gone, it would leave Evgeni Malkin playing with two new wingers next season.

Avs face losses

With the future looking dreary and his glory days behind him, don’t be surprised if Joe Sakic hangs up his skates and begins writing his Hall of Fame speech.

The Avalanche is bracing for losses that could reach $10 million this season, and it doesn’t look much better for next year. Colorado is on the books for more than $43 million next season, which doesn’t leave enough money to sign Sakic or about 10 other players who need to be addressed.

Sakic would likely need to take a drastic pay cut, which is unlikely, or end his career with 625 goals and 1,641 points. He has said several times he wanted to finish his career in Colorado, but he could change his mind. He doesn’t want to remember his last season for persistent back problems and surgery to repair his finger from a snowblower accident.

He’s big boy now

Patrick O’Sullivan’s trade to Edmonton prompted questions about his father, John, a peach known mostly for beating up his son after youth hockey games in which the kid didn’t perform to his standards.

O’Sullivan was 16 years old when he pressed charges against his father after a particularly brutal beating. His mother filed for divorce shortly after the incident. O’Sullivan hasn’t spoken in years to his father, who lives in suburban Raleigh, N. C. He still has a restraining order against him.

“I just don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me,” he told reporters in Edmonton. “I’m 24 years old. I take care of myself now. It had an impact on my childhood, and once I reached a certain age and realized what was happening wasn’t right, I did something about it and it stopped. I’m much better. My mom and my sisters are much better. I could care less about him and where he is or what he’s doing.”

Around the boards

The Canucks are becoming increasingly concerned about losing the Sedin Twins. Both are looking for four-or five-year deals in the $6.5 million range. Vancouver is offering fewer years for less money. Leafs GM Brian Burke has the cap space to make it work in Toronto.

Nashville winger Jordin Tootoo rearranged Washington forward Matt Bradley’s face last week with several left hooks in a spirited brawl. Bradley suffered a cut across his nose so deep that blood was spurting from his face, keeping the cleanup crew busy for about five minutes. After a few stitches, Bradley returned to the game.

Oilers tough guy Steve MacIntyre on a proposal to give players a 10- minute misconduct for what they deem staged fights: “[Fighters] aren’t hurting anybody but themselves. [ Eric] Godard broke my cheekbone in a fight, and I didn’t go crying to anybody. It’s the school of hard knocks. There are too many pansies around these days.”

Philadelphia’s struggle in managing the salary cap has led to speculation that winger Simon Gagne could be on the trading block this summer. He has a no-trade clause, but really it’s a trade-approval clause. Something tells me he would be willing to take his $5.25 million salary to Montreal.