Lee Stempniak admitted it was a little strange two years ago when he sat in his locker stall

in Toronto and found none other than Brad May beside him. May was one of his favorite players

while growing up in West Seneca, a young fan during the Sabres' rock 'em, sock 'em days going

back to the Aud.

Stempniak still has an autographed picture of May that his grandfather snagged back in the

early 1990s. He was raised in blue and gold, his team's colors when he played travel hockey

for West Seneca. His retired No. 95 hangs on a wall overlooking the ice in the town rink.

"The May Day goal was one of the biggest sports moments in Buffalo history," Stempniak

said. "We went out to dinner and hung out because we were the two new guys who were traded

there. For me, it was really cool to meet someone like that who ended up being a teammate and

a really good friend."

It's funny how things turn out.

Stempniak still embraces the youthful innocence he had while playing for St. Francis and

the Buffalo Lightning before blossoming at Dartmouth. He also learned over his five NHL

seasons that hockey is very much a business.

The right winger has been traded twice and is an unrestricted free agent in what has

evolved into a slow summer for forwards. Stempniak included the Sabres on a list of several

teams for which he would be interested in playing. He lives in Boston during the offseason,

but his heart remains in Buffalo.

Hometown connection aside, this is no time for childhood sentiment.

In truth, the Sabres need help on the right side, particularly on the power play. Drew

Stafford hasn't played to his potential the past two seasons. Adding another veteran winger

would give them more depth and could help Stafford.

The 6-foot, 195-pound Stempniak wouldn't bring the muscle the Sabres lack, but his skill

would give them another dimension. His agent, Bob Murray, said Thursday that several teams

were interested without giving specifics. Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier refused to

discuss unsigned free agents.

"I would certainly be interested," Stempniak said. "You grow up in Buffalo, you grow up a

Sabres fan. It's definitely intriguing and certainly interesting to me, but at this point I'm

just sort of waiting. I'm sitting back, trying to be patient, exploring all the options and

trying to make the right decision."

Stempniak, 27, sounded like he's looking more for security than every last nickel. He

married his college sweetheart June 26. He and his wife, Lindsay, wouldn't mind some stability

on and off the ice after living through two trades. At the same time, he has a rare

opportunity and isn't working for food stamps.

OK, so what's a fair wage?

Tough question.

He had a career-high 28 goals, which would have tied Thomas Vanek for the Sabres' team

lead, and made $3.5 million last year. He had 14 goals and 18 points and was plus-10 in 18

games with Phoenix after struggling in a different role with Toronto. He has scored 27 goals

or more in two seasons but only 14 or fewer in the other three.

Teams are bracing for star Ilya Kovalchuk to sign and help set the market for wingers.

Another variable was Nikolai Zherdev signing last week with Philadelphia, a move likely to

lead the Flyers to dump Simon Gagne and his $5.25 million contract. The fallout of both could

eventually lead to Stempniak.

The trick is finding the right team for the right price. Stempniak had more goals last

season than any other right winger still available on the free-agent market. The Sabres are

thin at right wing and have plenty of room for him under the salary cap. And for him, the town

isn't exactly a tough sell.

It seems like a natural fit.