Wide-open market in place
Sabres anticipate more tranquility this summer
Darcy Regier has been strolling around lately looking like a man without a care in the world. And, really, why shouldn’t he be relaxed? Free agency is about to begin, and one year after Buffalo was the hectic center of the NHL’s money-spending universe, it’s now just a calm outpost.
“It’s a little quieter,” the Sabres general manager said with a smile.
Buffalo, as fans no doubt recall, was abuzz last July 1 when unrestricted free agency opened. Cocaptains Daniel Briere and Chris Drury commanded $87 million in the first few hours of business. This year, it would be a surprise if the Sabres’ unrestricted players topped $8.7 million.
Buffalo has five players entering the market — Dmitri Kalinin, Teppo Numminen, Nolan Pratt, Michael Ryan and Jocelyn Thibault — and Kalinin is probably the only one who will get a contract offer Tuesday on the first day of bidding. The others are on the second tier (or lower), so there shouldn’t be a big outcry inside or outside the organization if any or all leave town.
This year, the tears will come elsewhere. Pittsburgh fans better have their Terrible Towels within reach, as they’ll need them to wipe their eyes when the Stanley Cup finalists lose player after player. The exodus has already started. The Penguins dealt two of their 12 unrestricted guys to Tampa Bay on Saturday, giving the Lightning the rights to forwards Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts. Marian Hossa and Brooks Orpik are all but gone, too, after rejecting contract offers.
While most of the comings and goings will be elsewhere, the Sabres won’t be silent. They want at least one defenseman, preferably a tough one, and they need a backup goaltender.
Which leads to the other big difference for the Sabres. Last summer, they claimed their hands were tied because they couldn’t afford to keep all their players. This year, they have money available — and plenty of it.
The NHL salary cap has risen for the third straight year, and the ceiling for the 2008-09 season will be $56.7 million. The Sabres have 18 NHL players under contract, and their salary cap number is about $39.4 million. That puts the Sabres more than $17 million under the cap.
Just don’t expect them to fill that entire gap.
“We’ll be above the midpoint,” Regier said. “How far above, we’ll wait and see. We have some room, not a lot of room.”
The midpoint is $48.7 million, so expect the Sabres to spend about $50 million. That gives them more than $10 million to play with. Some will go toward their five restricted free agents: Paul Gaustad, Daniel Paille, Steve Bernier, Clarke MacArthur and Mark Mancari. The Sabres also are interested in extending the contracts of goaltender Ryan Miller and captain Jason Pominville.
But if there’s an unrestricted free agent the Sabres want, they have the ability to pay for him.
Orpik a wanted man
So, who’s out there that fits the Sabres’ needs on the blue line and in goal? Orpik might top the list. The 6- foot-2, 219-pounder is the physical presence the Sabres lack. It helps that he grew up in East Amherst, where his family still lives.
“Buffalo is a place he’d definitely want to come,” said Andrew Orpik, Brooks’ brother and a Sabres prospect. “He grew up here, and he’s got a special bond with the place.”
Orpik is expected to receive several calls when the phones open at noon. If the Sabres can’t reach him, they have options. Other top-four defensemen include Colorado’s Adam Foote and John-Michael Liles, Columbus’ Ron Hainsey, Los Angeles’ Rob Blake, the Rangers’ Paul Mara, Philadelphia’s Jason Smith, and Ottawa’s Wade Redden and Andrej Meszaros (a restricted free agent). Vancouver’s Aaron Miller, from West Seneca, is also available.
The blue-liner expected to get the biggest bucks is Brian Campbell, the former Sabres captain who was dealt to San Jose in February. He is interested in playing close to his home in Ontario and is eager to sign.
“This hasn’t been the most enjoyable experience,” he told the San Jose Mercury News on Friday. “There’s been a lot of tossing and turning, and I’m looking forward to getting it done.”
The backup goaltender market includes Boston’s Alex Auld, Calgary’s Curtis Joseph, Chicago’s Patrick Lalime, Ottawa’s Ray Emery, Phoenix’s David Aebischer, Toronto’s Andrew Raycroft, Washington’s Olaf Kolzig and Pittsburgh’s Ty Conklin, who backed up Miller two seasons ago.
The Sabres don’t need a forward, but that’s where the biggest names are with Jaromir Jagr, Hossa and Mats Sundin leading the way.
Trades may be in
The free-agent class as a whole isn’t as robust as recent seasons.
“It’s not enormous numbers, so it probably means that the few will get lots,” Regier said.
Last year’s new trend was offering contracts to restricted free agents. Some of that will continue, but Regier figures trades could be the hot fad this summer. It’s something to watch if the Sabres can’t find what they want in free agency.
“Teams have changed their minds on some players,” Regier said. “They got them for long term, and they’ve changed their mind. They don’t think it works, so they’re trying to move them. Long-term contracts for five and six years, and they haven’t started Year One, and you can get them if you wanted.”
