Darcy Regier stepped to the microphone and faced the masses Wednesday with an unmistakable

self-assuredness that's often absent at the NHL trade deadline. He was calm and unemotional as

he thanked Nathan Paetsch and Clarke MacArthur for their service while welcoming gritty

forward Raffi Torres to Buffalo.

Two years ago, the Sabres general manager's lip quivered when announcing he was forced to

trade away Brian Campbell months after nervously explaining away the Chris Drury-Daniel Briere

debacle. Years ago, he was near tears after trading Stu Barnes to Dallas with the franchise in

financial ruin.

In all cases, there was a sense Regier was upset because he had reached the end of an era.

His businesslike tone Wednesday suggested the Sabres were starting a new one and going in the

right direction. They merely needed enough time to get there.

He didn't ask for patience. He simply addressed the facts and moved forward.

The Sabres have one of the best goalies in the world in Ryan Miller, but they're not among

the elite teams in the league. They have a good team, but they're a year or two and several

players away from going deep into the playoffs and, maybe, possibly, if things fall into

place, contending for a Stanley Cup.

This year, there's a wide gap between the top five teams — Washington, New Jersey and

Pittsburgh in the East and San Jose and Chicago in the West — and others such as

Buffalo, Ottawa and Vancouver. The Capitals were busy for good reason Wednesday. They're

capable of winning the darned thing.

The Sabres' chances are slim at best.

I've never been the lead attorney on Regier's defense team, but I'm with him this time

around. What they really need is their kids to grow up while they shop for a true No. 1

center, a defenseman who can quarterback the power play and another scorer on the wing. They

weren't getting all three and more this year.

Look around Wednesday, and most traded mediocrity for mediocrity, junk for junk. For once,

doing little was doing it right. Regier kept a cool head at a time GMs lose their perspective.

Torres is a quality guy, a hard worker who plays with an edge. He has 19 goals this season

and will be an unrestricted free agent July 1. He's an upgrade over MacArthur, who had too

much talent to play in the AHL, not enough to make an impact in the NHL and was defensively,

as we say, challenged.

Paetsch was a good guy and a good teammate, but he was their eighth defenseman. He should

thank the Sabres for trading him. Really, when you add up everything, the Sabres traded away a

second-round pick for third- and fourth-round picks and a player who could help them in the

playoffs.

Stanley Cup? Sorry, not this year.

Understandably, selling next year gets stale after a while. The Bills have turned it into a

local delicacy. But the Sabres really are a year or so away from being among the top six teams

in the league, assuming they continue building around Miller and their young players approach

their potential.

Miller isn't just a hot goaltender this season. He's a great one. He's been playing this

well for months. He's matured into the player Buffalo imagined after the lockout. He reads the

play better and has become more consistent. He could actually be better next year.

Rookies Tyler Myers and Tim Kennedy should improve. Defenseman Mike Weber, who could play

in the NHL now, will replace Toni Lydman. Tyler Ennis is small but fast and creative with

terrific hands, a young Briere. The Sabres should have money to address their flaws with

Lydman and Henrik Tallinder likely coming off the books.

Business as usual for Regier? Yes. Sometimes, it actually works.