I know free agency is off in the distance. but i was curious as to the feeling about possibly going after a guy like Hamhuis to patrol the blue line. he currently makes 2.5mill a year.

http://predators.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469465

i figured i'd post the idea while the thought was in my head

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"Tis The Season, Fa la la la la LaFontaine" - Rick Jeanneret

Hamhuis is a guy that will likely be too expensive for the Sabres tastes.

Look at their UFA pick ups last off season: Montador & Grier

Neither one was a big money guy and I could see Hamhuis getting $4+ million per year on the open market.

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Sabres Hockey: Commitment to Mediocrity

Yeah but if both Tallinder and Lydman leave that saves us roughly 6 mill.
Also Hamhuis has been in Trotz' doghouse all year. I wonder which GM is dumb enough to give 4 mill to a player coming off a bad year.

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Driver of the Tyler Ennis Bandwagon, Ridin' shotgun on the Tyler Myers Bandwagon, chillin' on the Luke Adam Bandwagon


Eh

Kevin Allen of USA Today just wrote not too long ago about free agents, and said Hamhuis will be asking for around $4.5 million per season. Not sure if Regier would be willing to take that gamble?

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Impossible Is Nothing.

4.5 million? Yikes.

At 4.5 no thanks.

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Driver of the Tyler Ennis Bandwagon, Ridin' shotgun on the Tyler Myers Bandwagon, chillin' on the Luke Adam Bandwagon


Eh

a GM dumb enough to give money to a player coming off a bad season. the connolly deal coming off not playing many games but he gets a pay raise in the extension. Connolly came out and had a decent season this year but still a raise that doesn't make a lot of logical sense.

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"Tis The Season, Fa la la la la LaFontaine" - Rick Jeanneret

In the games Connolly was playing in he was almost a ppg and he made us a better team when he was in the line-up, it was evident. He was already making 3+ so the raise wasn't huge. If he went to the market he could have fetched 5 or above. It was a bit of a risk no doubt but he's definitely proved his worth this year.

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Driver of the Tyler Ennis Bandwagon, Ridin' shotgun on the Tyler Myers Bandwagon, chillin' on the Luke Adam Bandwagon


Eh

Hey, Jeff Finger got $4M per year from Toronto.......

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Sabres Hockey: Commitment to Mediocrity

True, but coming off a good season in Colorrado. Not a season where he was in the coaches doghouse. But he's playing well right now when it matters so he'll prob get the money his agent thinks he deserves.

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Driver of the Tyler Ennis Bandwagon, Ridin' shotgun on the Tyler Myers Bandwagon, chillin' on the Luke Adam Bandwagon


Eh

I think Regier will have no choice but to make a significant upgrade on defense via free agancy. Lydman and Tallinder haven't been bad this season, but they don't bring enough to justify 6 mill in cap space. Weber is almost a lock to be paired with Myers, and I really like the idea of a couple young talented and tough d-men hogging 25 mins of ice time.

There still needs to be a skilled veteran that can be a PP QB. With 6 mil in cap space Darcy could blow it all on one sure fire guy like Paul Martin, or try for two players like Seidenberg and Kurt Foster. Both of those players can play the PP, and Foster especially has been productive on the PP with a great point shot. He's also big at 6-5 220, and cheap making only 600k this season after returning from a broken femur.

How Darcy spends money on defense depends on his plans with the forwards. If he wants a big time winger then there will only be room for one semi-cheap d-man. I doubt Darcy plans on anything big up front, so I would hope to see two new d-men, trade Butler or send him down through waivers, and wind up with something like this on the blueline...

Weber-Myers
Seidenberg-Foster
Montador-Rivet
Sekera

what about Garnet Exelby. the guy would add more grit. and he doesn't take shit when his Qb is roughed up. you can tell i was watching football. i meant Goalie.

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"Tis The Season, Fa la la la la LaFontaine" - Rick Jeanneret

No offensive production, and Weber is going to be that guy anyway.

Ya know I kind of want Patrick Sharp... I know it's almost impossible to get him on the Sabres but I love the guy. He's a real sniper and with a bunch of passers on the team he would do good with Ennis and Gaustad (Grinder, skilled passer, and a scorer).

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"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

Exelby is bad, no thanks

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just call me Brad

Twitter @BUrbanowicz13

If we are going to spend 4.5M on Hamhuis I'd much rather throw 5M and get Paul Martin, proven PP QB, and solid puck moving defensiveman that can play along side Rivet, Montador, Sekera, Butler, or Weber. He and Myers are nearly the same player, minus size.

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"She's like plan C after an 18 pack"

Squanto 7/27/2010

+1

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Driver of the Tyler Ennis Bandwagon, Ridin' shotgun on the Tyler Myers Bandwagon, chillin' on the Luke Adam Bandwagon


Eh

I would be stunned if the Devils don't get Martin signed to an extension prior to 7/1.

I also think he'll get more than $5M per year.

I wouldn't be surprised if some team offers him a Campbell-esque UFA contract.

The UFA market will not be deep again, especially if Kovy signs in the KHL. So, there will be GMs giving up CRAZY contracts to the handful of top end guys.

And Regier won't be one of them. Regier only overpays guys he drafts or trades for.

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Sabres Hockey: Commitment to Mediocrity

NJ might see a fire sale with the pending fall of Broduer and Lemaire retiring. Kovy is a toss up to re-sign at best, so Martin might be more than available. Of course I know he'll get offered more than anything Regier puts out, if he even makes an offer.

We WILL need to sign somebody on defense, and just maybe Miller and Myers could be enough of a draw to put Buffalo nearly even in the FA market. These players would be my choices...

Paul Martin - a lefty PP QB that would be worth every penny, but would use all the cap space
Dennis Seidenberg - poor man's version of Martin, but would allow room for another UFA
Kurt Foster - a righty with a great PP shot, not such a puck mover but big, strong and cheap

I don't like Hamhuis because he's less productive than Seidenberg, Bergeron is not physical and a defensive liability, Leopold isn't bad but not very physical, Volchenkov is a monster but will be priced out of range and doesn't solve Buffalo's PP issue. Gonchar and Kubina will also be out of price range, and a handful of others are just too old.

Jordan Leopold makes about 1.7 this season, he would be a great fit in the Sabres system! probably cost them 3m/year, maybe more

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"I love that you know how to do that." Cheryl/Carol/Crystal

"And I love that I have an erection that doesn't involve homeless people." Kreiger