Archives for May 22, 2007

'A free agent this summer, Zubrus is completely open to the prospect of signing with Buffalo next season. As time wears on, Buffalo has grown on Zubrus. "Why not? Right now I'm a Sabre," said Zubrus. "I'm a Sabre till July 1st. Honestly, I enjoyed it here. I honestly didn't know what to expect when I was coming here. But from day one the … [Read more...] about Zubrus disappointed at lost chance

'"I wish something would've been done earlier in the year with either me or Chris," Briere said. "The tough part is nobody knows what's going to happen."' … [Read more...] about Can Sabres keep Briere, Drury?

'Says another: “I am so proud of the city of Buffalo and ‘our’ fans. Where else would 10,000 people show up to watch an away game on a Jumbotron? Where else would 10,000 people stand outside to watch a home game on a big screen TV (God love ’em)? . . . That’s Buffalo . . . a great city with great sports fans who always get their collective … [Read more...] about One heck of a ride

'“To be honest with you, I have no clue what’s going to happen. There hasn’t been any discussions as far as contracts go with the Sabres, and I didn’t even have any talks with my agent yet about the game plan.”' … [Read more...] about Briere leaves wiggle room

'For the record, I suspect the Sabres will make a strong play in the next five weeks to keep Drury and hope they still have enough left over for Briere. Then again, as both players know, you should never assume anything.' … [Read more...] about Big contracts could&#8217ve been done sooner

'“I enjoy it here,” Zubrus said while taking a break from cleaning out his locker in HSBC Arena. “I didn’t know what to expect when I was coming here, but from Day One the guys in the locker room, the coaches and everybody made me comfortable. The fans have been good to me. So there’s no reason why not.”' … [Read more...] about Short-timer Zubrus wants to stick around

'This just shouldn’t happen to a major sport during its playoffs.' … [Read more...] about Network Shuffle Leaves N.H.L. Out in the Cold

'With the Sabres unlikely to sign all unrestricted free-agent forwards Daniel Briere, Chris Drury, Adam Mair and Dainius Zubrus, the gritty Milwaukee native is just about guaranteed a roster spot for the 2007-08 season. Stafford is the latest of the Sabres seemingly endless supply of very good forward prospects.' … [Read more...] about Sabres 2006-07 rookie review

'How can a team that looked so good in the regular season look so bad in the playoffs?' … [Read more...] about There's always next year for Sabres

'The players know there will be changes. Because of the salary cap, that's the nature of the NHL today. "But hopefully a miracle can be done," defenseman Brian Campbell said.' … [Read more...] about Sabres have hard choices to make on Drury, Briere

'The bigger issue is whether Zubrus will return to the Sabres next season. Obtained in a deadline-day trade from the Washington Capitals, he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1. "Right now I'm a Sabre, and honestly I enjoy it here," he said.' … [Read more...] about Zubrus weighs injury, return

'Also, as these playoffs so clearly demonstrated, the Sabres need more toughness. They require a smacker on the blueline and a power forward who uses his size effectively and regularly, not just at intervals as so many of the bigger Buffalo wingers did during the playoffs. Mike Grier and JP Dumont were noticeable in their absences this spring, and so was Jay McKee.' … [Read more...] about A few Sabres will be shuffling out of Buffalo

'One way Regier could retain Drury and Briere would be via salary-dumping trades, a possibility that shouldn't be ruled out. Potential trade bait could be forward Ales Kotalik and defenseman Dmitri Kalinin; both had sub-par seasons and their respective performances didn't improve during the 2007 playoffs. Kotalik earns $2.33 million per season, Kalinin $2 million, and cutting … [Read more...] about Sabres may face tough choice

'Both players spoke about their situations with the media today and said they'd like to remain in Buffalo. Drury said he hasn't talked to his agent about his plans for the offseason yet, but added that he'd love to remain a Sabre and that the team can get better heading into next season. "It's been a great three years for me and my family, we've won a lot of hockey games and I … [Read more...] about Sabres Clean Out Lockers; Look Ahead To Offseason

'The top priority, without question in my mind, is to make sure gm Darcy Regier and head coach Lindy Ruff are retained. Both are at the end of contracts, but presumably they're happy here and will be taken care of.' … [Read more...] about Sabres Future Cup Chances Aren’t Over