The Sabres will be backing up the truck to unload their UFA guys — Mike Grier, Tim Connolly and defenceman Steve Montador. Connolly has squandered his talent in Buffalo but he might be a good second-line pickup. Montador, who is tough, might be the most attractive to many teams, however. He’s a solid third-pairing D-man.

Regier, who signed a two-year contract extension at the start of the season, most likely will be jettisoned, well ahead of the league’s July 1 free agency period. No one is more vulnerable than the GM when a change of culture is mandated. This is a franchise looking for a new day, new lead voice, and a new image. The Sabres have been a club in need of something since Dominik Hasek left, and the Dominator, now 46, departed in the spring of 2001.

hasek departed july 1st, 2001. which is summer. what a jabroni.

hasek departed july 1st, 2001. which is summer. what a jabroni.

i don't think montador is going to fetch us a scoring centreman, good as he's been.

This is the most anticipation I've had for a trade deadline since I became a Sabres fan.

But he last played with the Sabres in the spring of 2001, so he is technically correct.

I'd love to see them do something crazy, and out of the box, like actually keep a talented player once they get them.

On the other hand, I see the logic in trading when value is high, and Monty's value has never been higher.

I'd be ok with whatever they do, as long as it's not Monty walking at the end of the year.

yes, but he was signed on july 1st, and was subsequently traded the same morning. so clearly a sign and trade.

Under Pegula, Sabres could be a cut above
By Kevin Paul Dupont
Globe Staff / February 6, 2011

Terry Pegula didn’t officially get the keys to the Sabres last week, but outgoing owner Tom Golisano finally made it official that he’s selling to Pegula, allowing Golisano to walk away with some $110 million in profit for his time in the owner’s office.
There aren’t a lot of those rosy bottom-line experiences in today’s NHL. Roger Marino (the “M’’ in EMC) only wishes he could have bolted Pittsburgh with that kind of financial upside for his brief, tempestuous, and pocket-draining reign as Penguins owner.

Look for Pegula to take control soon, possibly by the NHL’s Feb. 28 trade deadline, which means he has at least these next few weeks to scrutinize the work of the front office and the bench. Keep in mind, those close to Pegula say he views his acquisition as a rebranding of the franchise, which will make it difficult for general manager Darcy Regier and coach Lindy Ruff to keep their jobs.
The Bruins, though they weren’t sold, underwent a similar upheaval/overhaul just five years ago when owner Jeremy Jacobs decided it was well past time to change the club’s culture. GM Mike O’Connell was fired, team president Harry Sinden fitted for a golden parachute, and new GM Peter Chiarelli brought in to change just about everything but the resurfacing blade on the Zamboni and the brand of pepperoni on Garden pizza.

The view from here:

■Regier, who signed a two-year contract extension at the start of the season, most likely will be jettisoned, well ahead of the league’s July 1 free agency period. No one is more vulnerable than the GM when a change of culture is mandated. This is a franchise looking for a new day, new lead voice, and a new image. The Sabres have been a club in need of something since Dominik Hasek left, and the Dominator, now 46, departed in the spring of 2001.

■Ruff, who opted not to sign a contract extension at the same time as Regier, might be sent packing, too. He certainly has more cachet in the coaching world than Regier does on the GM side, but he has been running that bench at the side of Lake Erie since October 1997. No Stanley Cup. Only one trip to the Cup finals. Three defeats in the Eastern Conference championship. Again, a very strong coach, but not necessarily a résumé that will protect him against a franchise rebranding.

Pegula’s ownership points to a great day for Sabres fans. They’ll finally have a rich owner who loves hockey, is willing to spend, and views ownership not only as a business but an act of civic pride.

His wife is originally from Fairport, N.Y., about an hour east of HSBC Arena, and they’ve lived in nearby Olean and Orchard Park (home of the NFL’s Bills). All in all, much like the Kraft family getting the keys in Foxborough. Now the Sabres just need to find a Bill Belichick to run the show.

We continued to talk for about ten minutes, during which he mentioned how he “loves” Lindy Ruff as coach,