PAYING TO PLAY

[SabreEleven]

Sabres don't want to mess with success, but financial realities portend changes and tough decisions

The Buffalo Sabres are about to experience a most delicate offseason.

They fancy their roster pretty much as it was at the start of the postseason and would love for everybody to return happily for 2006-07. Yet doing so would cost the club a bundle, never mind any improvements they might want to make.

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060611/1064807.asp

[ddaryl]

We need to sign the majority of our FA's and add a D-Man to the roster as well as a bonafide O threat.

Financially we'll be lucky to sign 3/4 of our FA. I have the sinking feeling that even in the new NHL we're still incapable of building and maintaining a winner.

Our financial situation has me majorily depressed, and I have a feeling Sabre fans are about to be let down once again in the offseason.

[SABURZFAN]

i think regier has most of the pieces to be successful in the NHL.we don't need to overpay for the big names.drafting seems to be one of darcy's strong points too.who knows when we get another vanek or pominville.we got a couple of defensemen,in this last draft,but it wouldn't hurt to look at free agency until these guys get some experience.

[don137]

One good thing is that after the success they had players may be more willing to come to Buffalo for a little less salary for a better chance to win the cup since they are as close as any team. Most knowledgable fans realize the healthier team represented the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup and not the better team.

[PUCKER]

We got the chemistry so I hope they can get most of them signed. I dont expect them to dive into FA,unless they go for a defenseman or 2.

[gannd]

This is the pain of success. You guys have a ton of underpaid players and realistically you can't sign them all. But I'm sure there's one or two that the mgmt can let go without a major hit.

In this 2nd year GM's are going to have to decide who can play in the new NHL and who is having slight problems. You have to leave room for late season pickups as there were several teams that spent to the cap and couldnt grab anyone.

You guys should have been to the dance if it was not for injuries but if you look at Carolina and Edmonton several key pickups were made at or near the trade deadline.

You don't need to finish first or 2nd to get the the finals, You just need to make the playoffs. Or you could be like the leafs and overpay most and fill the rest with bums. That Lindros and Allison thing pretty much turned out as everyone else in the league besides fergy thought.