BillsSabresB.C.T. Fan
07-30-2008, 10:52 PM
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/nhl.fanhouse.com/media/2008/07/mike-weber-andrej-sekera-425tl.jpg
... the financially responsible Regier would be wise to wait until training camp to further evaluate his defensive corps and really find out if Teppo is needed.
The "wait" isn't all about the dollars. It's about icing your best team. If Andrej Sekera has advanced himself into Buffalo's top-6 ahead of current #7 Nathan Paetsch, it would seem that a Numminen signing would automatically send 21-year old rearguard Mike Weber to Portland (AHL) to start.
Weber and Sekera really grew up a lot after the trade deadline last season, logging very solid minutes (16+) and posting almost gaudy plus/minuses given the Sabres inability to keep the puck out of their own net (242GA --22nd overall). He's exactly the kind of defenseman we Sabres fans have been salivating for since Jay McKee left. But, with Craig Rivet in the fold that need has lessened, if only marginally. The obvious choice if Teppo is signed is to send Weber to Portland until he's needed.
But, as Bakes suggests, is this the right move? With delvelopment-coach extraordinaire, Randy Cunneyworth moving up to the NHL (Signed as asst. coach in Hotlanta this weekend), would Weber be best served germinating further in the AHL as opposed to learning by Rivet and Numinnen's example and experience, not to mention Asst. Coach James Patrick? I'm honestly not sure. It almost seems to me that Regier should bring Teppo back as much to be a tutor for his 3 up and comers as he would as a player.
http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/30/potential-logjam-on-sabres-blueline/#cont
... the financially responsible Regier would be wise to wait until training camp to further evaluate his defensive corps and really find out if Teppo is needed.
The "wait" isn't all about the dollars. It's about icing your best team. If Andrej Sekera has advanced himself into Buffalo's top-6 ahead of current #7 Nathan Paetsch, it would seem that a Numminen signing would automatically send 21-year old rearguard Mike Weber to Portland (AHL) to start.
Weber and Sekera really grew up a lot after the trade deadline last season, logging very solid minutes (16+) and posting almost gaudy plus/minuses given the Sabres inability to keep the puck out of their own net (242GA --22nd overall). He's exactly the kind of defenseman we Sabres fans have been salivating for since Jay McKee left. But, with Craig Rivet in the fold that need has lessened, if only marginally. The obvious choice if Teppo is signed is to send Weber to Portland until he's needed.
But, as Bakes suggests, is this the right move? With delvelopment-coach extraordinaire, Randy Cunneyworth moving up to the NHL (Signed as asst. coach in Hotlanta this weekend), would Weber be best served germinating further in the AHL as opposed to learning by Rivet and Numinnen's example and experience, not to mention Asst. Coach James Patrick? I'm honestly not sure. It almost seems to me that Regier should bring Teppo back as much to be a tutor for his 3 up and comers as he would as a player.
http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/30/potential-logjam-on-sabres-blueline/#cont