Sabre Rattling

Halloween Weekend : A Mixed Bag of Treats

Link: Buffalo News - Biron earns victory in return.

Link: Buffalo News - Buffalo News - Sabres Bedeviled in New Jersey.

First off, I'm skipping the game in Rochester against the Caps on Wednesday.  I mean, why not?  The Sabres did.

Buffalo vs. New Jersey, Friday 10/28

Speaking of skipping games, they almost took the entire night off against the Devils on Friday.  It was only a solid 3rd period that got them close to getting a point they didn't deserve.  For 2 periods I couldn't tell that Marty Brodeur wasn't in net.  The Sabres had only 12 shots on goal and Scott Clemmensen barely broke a sweat.  The kid finally had to earn his paycheck in the 3rd.  Unfortunately, Ryan Miller didn't and the boys couldn't get one more agains the New Jersey 1-2-2... because there's no way they were playing the trap in the swamp.

High points for this game include the Official Return of Jochen Hecht.  For the first 8 games this season there was someone else inhabiting #55's sweater, because the disinterested guy on the ice certainly couldn't have been the Hecht I know.  Since being moved to the top line with Briere and Dumont he's re-kindled the chemistry they had in 2003-04 before Mike Grier was acquired.  Tough along the boards, taking smart shots to create rebounds and making up for Briere's lack of defensive awareness.  Having Hecht out there allows Danny to gamble a bit more.  The camera guy for FSN caught him skating around after a whistle and there was an intensity in his eyes that wasn't there 2 weeks ago.  More determined, more focused. 

Our $3 million/year facoff specialist/Co-Captain (Chris Drury) scored a huge goal to tie the game.  Glad to see him get off the schnide.  He was 10-7 in the Faceoff Cirlce against the tough NJ centermen.  Though he did lose a crucial draw on the 5 on 3 the Devils had early on, but the PK was outstanding nonetheless. 

Low points include the the complete vanishment of Thomas Vanek.  This game marked his arrival in Chateau Bow-Wow where he took a regular shift on the 4th line with Goose and Adam Mair, none of whom have looked particularly good recently.  I'm sure the kid's frustrated, but he's got to work when he's on the ice and he hasn't been doing it.  Hopefully, he'll respond to this by putting his head down and getting to work, but right now he looks a little lost out there.

Tri is still struggling past his own blue line.  He's having a hard time getting pucks through the neutral zone and getting his shot through from the point.  His defensive zone play has been much improved since the beginning of the season.  He's using his stick and his body very effectively, taking good angles to cut guys off and smoothly moving the puck out of harm's way. 

Lastly, I have to say that the cameraman for FSN was horrible.  Not once did this guy actually put the camera on the puck itself.  He was zoomed in too far and couldn't get the camera to the corners.  To me it looked like he'd never watched a hockey game before.  Unbelievably amatuerish.  He was moving at one speed and the game was moving twice as fast as he was.  This only accentuated how unutterably annoying and homerish Chico Resch is.  He keeps stepping on Mike Emrick trying to call the game, and Emrick has spent too much time calling national games recently (where he's supposed to talk about everything except the game being shown) and his normally solid Play-by-Play was sporadic and uninspired. 

Buffalo vs. New York Isles, Saturday 10/29

 

Moving Brodeur Follow-Up

Link: INSIDE HOCKEY: "Time To Trade Brodeur?" by Kevin Greenstein.

Over at Inside Hockey Kevin Greenstein further explores something that I talked about here last week,  the possibility of the Devils cutting ties with Martin Brodeur.  Now as much as I'd like to think of myself as a progressive thinker, or, to use the newly-minted cliche, "Out of the Box Thinker," it's simply not the case.  My argument was simply that the Devils could train Brodeur's replacement behind that very expensive defense corps with little trauma to the kid's psyche and set themselves up better for the future.  Greenstein's is more detailed, working through the reasons why a three-way deal that sent Brodeur to Vancouver and being replaced by Roberto Luongo, with Eddie Jo and dan Cloutier going to Florida.

This only nets the Devils $2.2 million in salary and does not set them up for either the return of Patrick Elias or adding depth at the deadline.  Moreover, they still have to add a backup goalie.  My idea of solving the Sabres Three-Headed Monster in goal still seems like a stronger fit for both teams.  Ship Miller, Biron and a cheap forward (Kotalik or Bartovic) to NJ for Brodeur and Colin White.  Add picks to balance and any of our extra defensemen you like.

The Sabres get the Marquee player that they can sell to the public and toughness on defense, while New Jersey gets two potential replacements for Marty and forward depth that they desperately need.

I know I must be smoking something good to think that there's even a hope in hell of something like this happening, but then again, Kevin Greenstein's proposal is no better.  The Canucks cannot afford to remove Jovanovski from their blueline and still be considered cup contenders.  No way.  And, in no way, with the Devils in the kind of cap trouble that they're in, does anyone trade Luongo and Bouwmeester for Cloutier and Jovanovski.  I just don't see anyone doind Lou Lamarillo that big a favor.

I may think Mike Keenan's a prick, but I don't think he's a stone-cold idiot either.

Ta,

Something's Gotta Give in the Swamp

Link: TSN.ca - NHL - Canada's Sports Leader.

New Jersey Devils

Player                     Contract Notes                      2005-2006 Salary (US)
Martin Brodeur                                                               $5,237,238
Brian Rafalski             Re-signed UFA (New Jersey)          $4.2 million
Patrik Elias                 Re-signed RFA (New Jersey)          $4.18 million
John Madden                                                                 $3,861,561
Vladimir Malakhov        UFA (Philadelphia)                       $3.6 million
Alexander Mogilny        UFA (Toronto)                             $3.5 million
Jeff Friesen                 Re-signed RFA (NJersey)              $2.28 million
Scott Gomez                Re-signed RFA (NJersey)              $2.2 million
Dan McGillis                 UFA (Boston)                               $2.2 million
Viktor Kozlov                Re-signed RFA (NJersey)              $1.746 million
Colin White                  Re-signed RFA (NJersey)              $1.71 million
Jamie Langenbrunner   Re-signed RFA (NJersey)               $1,655,130
Sergei Brylin                                                                   $1.52 million
Richard Matvichuk                                                          $1.368 million
Jay Pandolfo                                                                   $836,000
Krzysztof Oliwa                                                               $836,000
Grant Marshall                                                                $760,000
Brian Gionta                 Re-signed RFA (New Jersey)         $627,000
Erik Rasmussen                                                              $532,000
Darren Langdon                                                              $450,000
Sean Brown                   Re-signed RFA (NJersey)             $450,000

21 Players                                                     $43,748,929

I have to wonder if Marty Brodeur is the odd-man out in New Jersey?   Crazy?  Maybe, but with the money Lou has thrown at the three UFA's listed above, someone's obviously gotta go... and Marty can't score goals for this team.  If he's not gone then Elias/Madden along with someone else certainly is. 

But, to make matters worse the Devils have the following at LW currently under contract:
Elias, Rassmussen, Oliwa and Pandolfo.... On RW you have Mogilny, Langenbrunner, Friesen, Gionta and Marshall.  Gionta's not going anywhere, he's one of the few real bargains on this team.  Friesen or Langenbrunner are making real money, and neither should be getting 3rd lines minutes.  Probably Friesen goes in this case, but that's only $2.2 mill and you still have Jay Pandolfo penciled in as your #2 LW?  BTW, do note the lack of Backup-goalie at this point... so add a minimum of $450k to the above salary picture.

Maybe someone who knows the Devils organization better can enlighten me as to how they get out of cap hell without turning Elias or John Madden (this team is deep at center as well) and Friesen into two Top-6 quality forwards for around $1.5 million total?

You move Brodeur for a cheap young goalie to learn behind that stellar defense and a great many problems are solved.  Paging Darth Regier... Ryan Miller, a pick and 2 forwards for Brodeur and either Colin White or David Hale. Or something like that.

Ta,