Sabre Rattling

Anything but Killer B's

Well,  this is becoming a habit around here.  The Sabres are now 5-0 against Boston this season and if the Bruins miss the playoffs they can look back on the two leads they blew in the past two games as the final nails in the coffin of a misguided, mispent season. 

These were two teams that took radically diffrerent approaches in preparing for the lockout.  The Sabres chose to have as many of their guys under contract or own their rights as possible.  Showing faith in the rebuilding plan that was started with the forced trade of Dominik Hasek.  The B's, on the other hand, chose to leave the 03-04 season with only 4 guys under contract and only a handful of free agents.  GM Mike O'Connell then had to assemble a team in a similar manner to your average fantasy hockey pool during the free agent shark tank period of last summer. 

Going into the season Bostons' free agents signings like Brian Leetch, Dave Scatchard and Alexei Zhamnov were met with praise and huzzahs, while the Sabres' signing of Teppo Numminen was met with indifference bordering on sonambulation.  All the attention was spent on the loss of Zhitnik and Satan, even within Buffalo. 

Hmph. 

The difference between these two teams was in evidence tonight.  The Sabres were clearly the better team in nearly all areas of the ice and all phases of the game.  The Bruins squad that was iced tonight was far more engaged in interested than the ones who took the ice back in October and November.  The 3 guys acquired from San Jose for Joe Thornton practically guarantee that.   But, that said, if not for some unbelievable goaltending by Tim Thomas my flippant pre-game prediction over on HF (5-2 Sabres) would have been virtually prescient. 

Briere/Hecht/Dumont were outstanding again tonight.  Thought there was a little bit of a stink put up by Jack Edwards and the other guy in the Boston TV Booth over Danny's repeated running of the goalie.  And, I hate to say it, but, I agree with them.  This is something that has really gotten me angry during games this year.. the lack of protection of the goalies by the officials, and the classic over-reaction by them in penalizing the retaliation by the defending team.  While all of the incidents tonight involving Briere were definitely interference, there's little doubt in my mind that he intended any injury or malice, unlike many of the ones that have gotten me out of my chair screaming at the TV over the course of the season.  I'm all for limiting the goalies wandering around acting like defensemen, but, that said, then their crease should be close to inviolate and any attempts to run them gratuitously should be dealt with severly, both by the league and the team on the ice.   For all of the NHL's talk about enforcing the rulebook with respect to obstruction and hooking why can't they enforce their own rules on crashing the crease? 

Rory Fitzpatrick continues to make me worried about him being our #6 guy going into the playoffs.  With Dmitri Kalinin having a terrible season and rapidly running out of time to turn it around it truly is incumbent upon Darth Regier to make some kind of move to acquire some depth for the blueline.  That help needs to be a right-hand shot as well.  Having another guy to pair up with Kalinin on the 3rd pair would be huge for us. 

While I'm sure that Regier is trying to get a maximal deal for Marty Biron, tyring to land someone like Matt Greene or Derek Morris.  It is more likely that he's going to get a guy who we over at HF have been talking about for a long time now, namely Willie Mitchell from Minnesota.  While not a right-hander, he does play the right side, is big, mobile and responsible in his own zone.  With Kalinin's game a basket-case right now, getting a guy like Mitchell might just be thing to get Tri back into a comfort zone.  And allow us to keep Numminen's minutes under 15 a night going into the playoffs.

My predictions for the trade deadline are now as follows:

1. Noronen will be moved to a team out of the playoffs (after they move their high-profile guy... i.e. CuJo or Luongo)for a pick 2nd or 3rd rounder, possibly being packaged with a surplus forward for a higher pick or swap thereof.   
2. A lesser light defenseman, like Mitchell, will come our way for either a pick or a prospect not named Zagrapan, Paille or Stafford.  Yes, Jiri Novotny is probably not long for this organization.

Ta,

Down the Back Stretch They Come...

Link: ESPN.com - NHL - NHL Standings.

The Olympic Break started today (dammit), and while it's obvious to everyone that the Sabres more than most teams really need this break in the season to get some people healthy and rested I can't help but think that this might not work to our advantage.   When a team has been playing as consistently as the Sabres have, you hate to break that up with an extended layoff, regardless of how many injuries you're nursing.  That said, though, at least the schedule affords us some hidden breaks.

Looking at the standings linked to above, the boys in the soon-to-be-replaced-if-the-rumors-are-true AGH sweaters have a couple of advantages over the two teams that they will be jostling for playoff position with, namely the Sens and the Flyers.

While the Sabres will play a balanced schedule of 13 games home and away the Sens have to play 14 games on the road, including a brutal stretch right after the break where they'll play 13 games in 21 days.  Within that time they'll have a 6 games in 8 nights on the road.  THe only good news about that trip is that it includes 2 games against Florida and 1 against Washington.  Oif!  Ottawa doesn't get 2 days off in a row until the 22nd and 23rd of March.  If there was ever a time where the Sabres were going to be serious about a run for the Division Lead, it should be then.

The Flyers, on the other hand, have played 2 more games than Buffalo and trail them by two points in the standings comeing into the break.  What's more, they still have 13 games on the road.  The only road trip of note is a swing through the Southeast and Pittsburgh.  Also of note is the 5 (yes, 5) games left against the Devils. 

For the Sabres the schedule has nothing that stands out as being particularly brutal, just 26 games in 49 days like the Sens.  The longest road trip is 3 games while the longest homestand is just 2 games.  There are 5 more meetings between them and the Maple Queefs and 4 more matchups with the Sens. 

Looking over the schedule I would say that every game is a must-win (no shock there) and that once the trade deadline passes I would hope that Lindy uses the expanded roster as a way to rotate people in and out to keep the team as fresh as possible.  One of the other happy outcomes of finding out about all of this depth in the organization is that we have options as to who to dress and who to sit/spell. 

Lasly, I've got to think that there is a significant trade coming.  It won't be a headline grabber, like the Joe Thornton trade, but something vital like the Briere for Gratton deal.  There's been some speculation amongst the HF faithful that the recent play of former 1st rounder Jri Novotny might make him an attractive bundle with either another forward or a goalie to pry loose a top-4 d-man from someone looking to get younger and cheaper...

I'll throw up some trade speculation in another post this week after I've given it a little more thought.  But, now it's time to gear up for the Olympic Tournament. 

Ta,

Replacements, Reinforcements or Regulars?

Link: Buffalo News - Dumont hopes to return Tuesday in New York.

That's the question I have to ask when considering the imminent return of both J.P. Dumont and Taylor Pyatt from long-term injures.  It's been so long and this team has played so well that guys like Jason Pominville, Derek Roy and Danny Paille feel like the regulars while Dumont and Pyatt are the outsiders. 

In case you're wondering, I won't feel that way when Danny Briere returns.  With Goose returning from his head bump and Scud grounded because of his adding Pyatt back into the mix is an easy substitution. 

Dumont, on the other hand, is more of a problem (aside from my ambivalence towards him).  When healthy and motivated he brings a mix of skills to the top lines that no one else on this roster does: sand, hands and a nose for the net.  Pominville has taken his role and mutated it.  In 24 games JPom has 9 goals and 6 assists and, by a wide margin, the best Shooting % on the team.  He's a sniper like Big Al Kotalik, with a heavy shot that really helps drive the power play when he's manning the point.  He too has a good nose for the net, skulking around looking for garbage.  But he doesn't bring the edge that Dumont does.  But, all in all, he's become a very valuable asset to this hockey club.

The obvious thing to do is send Danny Paille back to Rochester allowing him to build on this experience for next season.  That's the most likely course of action when both Pyatt and Dumont are inserted into the lineup.  Of course, Regier could (perish the though) trade a goalie, or waive Andrew Peters to free up a roster spot, but that doesn't seem likely right now, regardless of the rumors in western Canada.  But, when the time comes for Scud or Briere to play one has to think that Pominville is the odd-man out. 

... and that would be a shame.

Before the season began this team was deep at Center, RW and Goalie and short on Defensemen and LW'ers.  Now, the logjam is even worse because unknown/questionable quantities like JPom, Connolly, Kotalik and Afinogenov have proved invaluable to this team's success.  Ugh. The logjam is now a full-fledged beaver dam.

Ruff and Regier are very conservative vis a vis asset management.  Ruff is looking forward to the playoffs where he can see the parade to the trainer's room continuing unabated and wants the insurance of having extra bodies to plug holes.  Regier won't make a move without someone overpaying in return.   I know they both are thinking about how best to navigate the playoffs in such a way as to give us the best chance possible to win it all.  Make no mistake, Lindy Ruff is thinking Stanley Cup and anyone who thinks otherwise doesn't understand the situation.

My gut feeling is that no one will be moved (except maybe a goalie + a prospect like Janik or Novotny) and we'll try and manage around the roster limit with creative use of IR until the roster limit is lifted, almost hoping for a series of small injuries that will allow everyone to rotate into the lineup and stay sharp for the stretch run.

If Biron is traded (perish the thought at this point, dammit, Marty is too important in that room) it will be to a Western Conference team.  No way does Regier give anyone in the East a chance to burn him that way.  We all know the logical partners, the question is how much are those teams willing to pay from their rosters to acquire Smilin' Marty's services.  Honestly, I don't think either Vancouver or Edmonton have the depth to give up anyone of significance to tempt Darth Shrewdness.

If Mair is done for the season (NOOOO!!!) then things are a little easier in terms of roster manipulation, but not in terms of the playoffs.  The 4th line that started the season, Pyatt/Gaustad/Mair could possibly be the difference maker in a series with Toronto or Philly.  Size, speed, sand, the ability to check players making an order of magnitude more money than them and the odd goal... no one else on this roster is capable of all those things. 

*sigh*

Ta,

13 in a Row? .... BYE-RON, YOU SUCK!

Link: Buffalo News - Regier in no hurry to move a goaltender.

Between this article and Bucky Gleason's plea to trade Biron, it looks like my desire to see the Sabres investigate just how much they could get for Ryan Miller on the open market is going to remain unfulfilled.

To me the calculus is very simple.  Keep the goalie the team plays the best for.  A point I made in the Game Recap of Saturday's game is a paraphrasing of my wife's observation about intangibles.:'

We gave Chris Drury a pass early in the season for his lack of production and horrendous +/- because of all of the intangibles he supposedly brought to the table.  Well, let's see, what kind of intangible quality does Biron bring to a team that has won 13 times in a row when he begins the game between the pipes?  Many of those wins were gritty, come-from-behind nail-biters.

While I hate to quote myself on this subject it's hard to argue with my wife here.  This team has grown up with Biron in between the pipes.  With the rash of injuries we've sustained and the amount of time guys like Miller, Dumont and Pyatt have spent on IR there is little worry about us going over our self-imposed, mid-point, Ensure-all-3-Phases-of-Revenue-Sharing-Salary Cap.  Therefore, Marty's salary is not the same kind of issue it was at the beginning of the season.

I know Miller is the 'goalie of the future' but, honestly, the future may be right now.  I'm not trying to get ahead of myself or anything.  This team is in need of a couple of things (a studly #1 d-man at a minimum), but chemistry and camaraderie are not one of them.  Miller is the most valuable of the three goalies.  A true blue-chipper ready to lead a team to a playoff berth or more.  Biron has paid his dues, stuck by this organization and his teammates during the worst of working conditions and for the most part has given them competent to near god-like performance.  Repaying that with a trade after he's been instrumental in the emergence of this team as a potential NHL powerhouse is the height of arrogance.  Not only arrogant, but stupid as well.  This situation is reminding me of why I no longer watch the NFL, a league who's decisions are based more on what a player projects to be and not on what he is.  So many 'superstars' who have the better 'tools' get chance (*cough* Jeff George *cough*) after chance while real, talented, hard-working winners fall through the cracks or are never allowed to get comfortable as 'The Man." 

Do not get me wrong.  I watched, first-hand, Ryan Miller steal 2 points from us on a Thursday night in Tampa early in the season.  He was enormous in the shootout and had me screaming at the top of my lungs in appreciation.  I'm a big fan of the kid and am confident that he is and will be a top goalie in this league for a few years to come.   I just have to wonder if the timing means that he goes to make his fortune and win his Cups with someone else.

But, I'm also a big fan of results.  Concrete examples of that which a person or group has accomplished.  The Sabres current streak is no fluke.  As one of the guys on HF pointed out last night (a notorious Biron-hater ironically enough), the Sabres are 15-2-1 in their past 18 games.  In the end I've come right back around to where I was at the beginning of the season, trading Miller for the best return package maximizes the ability of this team to win right here, right now.  Again, it's not that I don't have confidence that Miller can't produce those results... just that he hasn't. 

Every day this organization gets a little bit closer to 'having arrived' as opposed to 'is arriving.'  They are 2nd in the conference in points, 3rd in the league and have proven that they can beat everyone except Ottawa.  What more needs to be proven before some confidence is shown those who've put in the effort, made the highlight-reel plays or the win-preserving saves (or near saves) ?  There is a time when you have to look and see that not only has someone arrived, but maybe, just maybe, he's been there all along and now the team is worthy of him.

Year after year we bitch that Martin Biron is, at best, an average to above-average goalie, and yet, every year he does something truly amazing, in the process putting his name in the team, if not NHL, record books with jaw-dropping strings of performances (3 straight shutouts, 13 consecutive victories).  In the end, all I can figure is that his biggest fault is he wasn't Dominik Hasek.  I keep hearing that he's not the goalie to lead us to a cup.  Well, if he isn't, why would a Stanley Cup contender trade for him?  And if he is, then why trade him?  He's proven he can handle a full season's work, even getting stronger as the season gets longer.  He's played for bad teams and worse.  What more does he need to do?  And, more importantly, why does anyone have any more confidence in Miller being able to do those things when he hasn't done so either?  As has been pointed out in our myriad discussions on HF about this, if he'd had competent backups in the past 2 seasons we would have made the playoffs at least once.  Asking a goalie to have a 75% winning percentage is a little too much to ask.

It's easy to blame the goalie when the team sucks.  It's easy to get spoiled when your team sucked but you had the best goalie who ever played the game in his prime bailing them out most nights fresh in your memory.  It's easy to look away from the uncomfortable and disheartening present and see salvation in the future.  It's easy to fall back on the 'wisdom of the scouts and GM's.'  What is hard is to appreciate what you've have currently, and what it can give you in the future.

The grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence and memories are always better than the experience itself.  Biron's legacy, if he is traded before the March 9th deadline, will be to bear the burden of the sins of the Buffalo Sabres rebuilding, the cheerful Scapegoat of the Angry Goat Heads.  We rarely like to be reminded of our sins and our mistakes and so, for that and Miller's 2 more years of Restricted FA status Biron's days as a Sabre are limited.  I'll cheer for Ryan Miller in the future as hard as I cheered for him back in October, but I'll do so knowing that the crease he occupies will have been paved with all of the pain and sweat of someone who deserved better from all of us.

Ta,

 

A Tale of Two Shots

Link: Buffalo News - Biron's glove is golden.

It was the worst of saves.  It was the best of saves.  Two different 3rd periods, same team losing to the same team by one goal.  The same goaltender caught a puck he should have had no business catching.  The only things different were the name of the shooters,  the times on the clock... and, of course, the outcome. 

On Friday, after video review, Ziggy Palffy scored the tying goal to send the game to OT.  On Saturday, Martin Biron caught the puck on the other side of the goal line with less than a minute to play to preserve the Buffalo Sabres sweep of a home and home series with the Pittsburgh Penguins.   

All I want to say about whether Palffy should have been awarded that goal on Friday is that plays like that should be called consistently.  It's been my experience that the Video Review guys are made of different stuff and don't have the stones to regularly make the right call each time.  And the last thing I want to think is that if the teams had been reversed would the same shot have been called a goal.  For what it's worth, I think it was a goal, if only by a half an inch or so.

I did get out to watch both games this weekend.  The wife and I ate some bad food, couldn't hear the game at all (though I always have a version of Rick Jeanneret's call going through my head) and had a complete blast.  Onto the game recaps:

Buffalo vs. Pittsburgh, Friday December 16th

Marc-Andre Fleury kept this game close, especially in the first, with the Pens taking 5 penalties.  In the end, though,  the Sabres power play would prevail, going 3 for 8 on the night, and win them the game in OT.   It was good to see Daniel Briere get a goal after missing 7 games with an abdominal injury (though that's not completely a thing of the past).  But, in the end, this was Chris Drury's best game this season.  3 points including the Game Winning Goal, 7 SOG, nearly 19 minutes TOI and winninng 14 of 21 faceoffs.  Big Al gets a nod as well for his 3 point evening. 

The fourth line of Goose, Scud and JPom  were a blast all night long, embodying Tom Benjamin's idea that hockey is a game of Puck Position (not possession) constantly hemming the Pens in their own zone.  Scud (Adam Mair) recaptured the Sabres grip on this game after the long review of Palffy's tying goal with a devastating lay-out of Sergei Gonchar the shift after the game resumed. 

Points of Interest:

• All four lines have solidified for 90% of the game.  Briere-Connolly-Kotalik, Hecht-Drury-Grier, Vanek-Roy-Afinogenov, Mair-Gaustad-Pominville
• The Road Penalty killing continues to struggle giving up 2 goals.  Hard to find nits to pick with 8 straight road wins... but, there you go.
• Sidney Crosby needs to shut up and play hockey.  He's too talented to resort to trying to play gamesmanship with the refs.  I know it's tough, Sidney... I know you want to win, but not at any cost.  You're not losing because the refs aren't calling the game right... you're losing b/c your teammates suck.

Buffalo vs. Pittsburgh, Saturday December 17th

Unfortunately I walked into this game just as Sidney Crosby put a relative softie past surprise starter Martin Biron.  I missed Scud and Max's goal (hell, I still haven't seen a replay of Scud's goal).  The Sabres were solid at home against a Pens team that was basically beaten before they took the ice.  The Sabres opened up a 4-1 lead after 2 periods.  The only thing I was worried about was taht they were starting to take this game fro granted in the last few minutes of the 2nd period and was happy that they didn't give the Pens life for the 3rd period. 

That happiness lasted all of 24 seconds after the start of the 3rd.  It was obvious that the Sabres were tired and hoping that they could sleepwalk through the period.  It took until about halfway through the period for them to put together a couple of good, positionally dominant shifts.  By then this was a  one-goal game.  One can argue that maybe Biron should have stopped one of the other shots before having to make that big save with his glove, but the truth is that maybe the Drury line could have actually covered someone on the Pens 3rd goal as well.  Holy Bad Rotation, Batman! 

In the end that save by Biron was a statement about his desire to be the #1 guy in Buffalo.  And, frankly, who can argue with him at this point.  We gave Chris Drury a pass early in the season for his lack of production and horrendous +/- because of all of the 'intangibles' he supposedly brought to the table.  Well, let's see, what kind of intangible quality does Biron bring to a team that has won 13 times in a row when he begins the game between the pipes?  Many of those wins were gritty, come-from-behind nail-biters. 

Personal biases towards or against particular players should not enter into our analysis of the situation.  Results are all that matters.  In economics intentions cannot be measured.  That you intended to spend your last $100 on a teeth-cleaning doesn't mean anything when you actually spent that money on a dinner at a fine restaurant.  The results here are clear, this team, for whatever reason is peaking now with and because of Martin Biron.  Changing that for any reason is stupid.  He definately needs a rest sometime this week.  The depleted Flyers look like a good opportunity to get either Miller or Noronen some work.

Ta,

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,

Duck Hunting?

With the news that Stanislav Chistov is going to spend this year playing in Russia, and the Ducks current payroll of at least $34.8 million for just 17 players it would seem that there is an even better fit between the Sabres and the Ducks as trading partners.

We need defensemen and Brian Burke still hasn't signed Ruslan Salei. We have a plethora of potential replacements for Chistov in Kotalik, Pyatt, Pominville or Connolly. It would make sense to me that a 2 (Kotalik and Campbell, for example) for 1 (Salei) deal with a pick thrown in to balance things would be a beneficial deal for both clubs. I can't see the Ducks moving the heart of their defense Keith Carney especially if they're considering going deep in the playoffs and with the acquisition of the Neidermeyer brothers I can't see how they wouldn't be. Vitaly Vishnevski is reasonably priced with potential still untapped, so it looks to me that the odd man out in So. Cal. is Salei. This is more than likely wishful thinking on my part, and with Darryl Sutter saying that he's not shopping any of his defensemen at this time even though he picked up Roman Hamrlik last week this looks like or most likely avenue for a trade. Ta,