Well, well, well... at last we meet again

by Anne

Why hello, people who have not removed this blog from their blogroll.

It has been 2 1/2 months since I last posted in this, what once used to be a daily+ blog.

I'm sure you've all missed my witty banter with myself.

Anywhoozle.

When the All-Star weekend arrived, it occurred to me that I had missed out what has truly been the greatest part of the hockey season for me for the last few years: choosing the All-Star hotties team. Spending what usually totals HOURS pouring over Google Image results pages and NHL "Let's send the players into the real world and take photos of them with babies" galleries, I compiled a list of hot, hotter, and hottest players from each conference.

Reflecting further, given the free-for-all style of team selection this year, I have no clue how I would have selected my nominating pool. It used to be East v. West. What this year? Blondes v. Brunettes? 5'11" and under v. 6'0" and taller? The hockey players of Twitter? Perhaps I dodged a bullet this year.

YET I HAVE RETURNED IN TIME FOR THE MOST SACRED OF ALL HOCKEY DAYS:

Trade.

Deadline.

Day.

My lingering bout of the affliction known as "unemployment" means that I will be 100% available to sit on my duff at my computer, checking the tweets, and hitting "refresh" on various trade tracking websites, tuned in to NHL Live to hear the dulcet tones of EJ Hradek waxing poetic about the careers each player is leaving behind at their former teams, and the "give it to me straight, I can take it" trade reporting style of TSN's James Duthie. Makes you feel alive.

Ah yes, like Christmas morn, my birthday, and the day your tax refund appears in your bank account all rolled into one, trade deadline day is truly a time to appreciate the things you have.

Remember, 'tis far better to give Tim Connolly than to receive him. 

In and Out

by Anne

The Sabres shipped Paetsch to Columbus for Torres and Grizz to Atlanta. There are picks involved but who the eff cares about picks unless it's the Toronto/ Boston Kessel trade. I'm not losing sleep over a 2nd round pick, no one should. We don't know who those picks will turn into or if we will even keep those picks.

The Kings shipped out Teddy Purcell (WOO!) and brought in Jeff Halpern and Fredrik Modin(errr...) well, regardless, Halpern will definitely improve the bottom six for the Kings and Modin can sit in the press box chair Teddy had previously been keeping warm.

For Sabres fans, here's everything you will need to know about Raffi Torres:

I figured out why embedding won't work and fixed it. Sweet.

For the record, this was the first video I watched featuring Greener and it cracked me up, thus leading to my deep running love for that maniac.

I didn't watch the subsequent Washington game because I was in class but I can see I missed out on quite a defensive outpouring being outshot almost 2-1.

In other news, Torres skated today with Pommer and Royzie and will wear #17. The "Should" line skated together today as well. If Torres wants to win over Buffalonians (which we might not, who cares really, he's likely a rental) he will do well to score tomorrow night against the Flyers.

Paeatscheshch on Waivers

by Anne

Nathan Paetsch was placed on waivers today.

I mostly don't really care. He's played like three games this season and has had flashes of relevance but mostly not.

I wasn't expecting this move but Patches is definitely a spare part that the Sabres don't need around. I mean, it's always nice to have that extra back-up player lying around but we have a lot of those. Andrej Sekera for example. We discovered recently that he, like Paetsch is a magical wizard and can play winger in addition to center. Magic I tells ya.

Not sure why he's being moved now but I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.  I get the feeling that Darcy is trying to free up a little salary cap space to make a trade or something because no one that's a UFA or an RFA next summer appears to be ready for any kind of huge salary increase. I'm no good at speculating about what I think will happen, but I know what I'd like to see happen.

I'm always on board any time any one suggests a good trade that involves Derek Roy. Get him outta here. He's not a bad player but he's a pain in the ass and we could probably get someone better if we packaged it right. I'd be down with trading pretty much any of our top six right now, provided we got a better caliber top 6 player in return. Are we going to get Ilya Kovalchuk? No, of course not. But there are several teams that will be sellers at the deadline, and if the Sabres stay where they are or even if they slip a few spots (which they won't because the rest of our division is weak) they'll be buyers.

It's too early to declare which teams are going to be sellers right now, with three months until the deadline, well except Carolina, they're clearly out of the race. Muahahaha Butter Snaps.

Whatevs, I LOVE the trade deadline and I CAN'T WAIT.

Kings play San Jose tonight at 10:30! Woo!

IT'S FINALLY HERE!

by Anne

Get out your abacuses and spread sheets and try to follow the fun as it unfolds until 3:00pm EST today!!

Glowing, flashing, pink sparkly text was the most appropriate choice for today, right?

Here's what's a-happenin':

First trade text: 10:00 am Senators acquire Goaltender Pascal Leclaire and 2nd round pick from Columbus for Center Antoine Vermette. Maybe with this acquisition of a center that means they won't be getting Timmy and we won't have to get Rositslav Klesla? And the turnstile in net continues for the Ottawa Senators.

*~*More than $4 million a season for two years of Timmy? I don't know about that. But this "Connolly to Chicago" rumor is magical. Brian Campbell and Tim Connolly back together again to troll the bars of ChiTown? I'd be so jealous. It brings a tear to the eye.*~*

10:45: He stays a Sabre! Timmy signed a two year extension for $9 million. Aw, ok I am happy to keep you Timmy!

11:40 Colorado sends Defenseman Jordan Leopold to Calgary for Lawrence "three teams in three days" Nycholat, prospect Ryan Wilson and a 2nd round pick

11:45: In a deal ROCKING the league the Blues send Andy Wozniewski to Pens for DANNY RICHMOND. I need to sit down, these trades are making my head spin.

12:00: Darcy press conference. I can't hear anything but I can see Timmy:

Does his hat angle fall into douchebag range? Its slightly off to the side but most straight back...

Also: Toronto claims Martin Gerber and Dallas claims Brendan Morrison off waivers

As soon as I hit "publish" of course we make a trade.

12:08: Buffalo Sabres trade for Michael excuse me, Mikael Tellqvist from the Phoenix Coyotes for a fourth round pick. Portland will be happy to get Enroth back?

12:13: More waiver claimings: Toronto also claims Eric Reitz from NYR and Pittsburgh claims Craig Adams from Chicago

I love that Bucky's reaction to Timmy's deal is to completely rip it apart because he was wrong about being COMPLETLEY CERTAIN that the Sabres were DEFINITELY going to deal Timmy today. He's right that its a lot of money but his whole post has a very pouting tone to it.

12:40: Olli Jokinen traded from Phoenix to Calgary for Matthew Lombardi, Prust and a first round pick. This will be Jokinen's first post-season appearance in his 10 years in the NHL. Yeesh, Calgary gave up a lot for this guy.

Also: Boston acquires Defenseman Steve Montador from Anaheim for Forward Petteri Nokelainen.

1:40 Ok so my test was easy. More trades:

Mark Recchi to Boston for two dudes I've never heard of

Lots of goings on for the 'Hawks but last I checked, nothing official yet? Dominic Moore is apparently headed to Chicago?

Also toss in Phoenix sending a 3rd round pick to Calgary with Jokinen for Lombardi, Prust and a first round pick. Still, I think Calgary is overpaying.

*~*Please tell me the Sabres aren't done dealing for the day. That would be sad times.*~*

Where are the "all but guaranteed" deals for Guerin, Morris and Antropov? Just over an hour left til the deadline, kids.

2:00 Final hour of trades.

Bill Guerin apparently headed to Pittsburgh.

Dominic Moore NOT going to Chicago apparently.

Bouwmeester may be headed to Vancouver.

Still waiting, Darcy.

2:08 Its official: Bill Guerin to Pittsburgh for a conditional pick. Wow. I'm sure that's REALLY what the Islanders were hoping to get for their captain.

2:40: Chris Neil to the Panthers. This would be even better if we didn't have to play the Panthers a few more times this season. (This isn't official yet I guess)

Also: Daniel Carcillo from Phoenix to Philly for Scottie Upshall and a 2nd round pick. Awww, Scottie the Hottie. One of our All-Stars is headed to the West. This is a crushing blow.

I'm going to be sick if the Sabres do nothing else in these last few minutes.

2:49 Rangers acquire Antropov from Leafs, no details on what the Leafs are getting in return yet. (Its a 2nd round and a conditional pick for the Leafs)

2:57 Ponikarovski from Toronto to Nashville for two picks. I'm reeling at the "new look" Eastern Conference. YAWN.

3:00 Derek Morris to the Rangers. And that's all she wrote, folks. There may be a few more deals trickling in but that's basically it.

What a waste of time for Sabres fans. A temporary back up goalie and an overpaid Timmy. Great. We still have Max and a lot of other pieces that probably could've brought a great return.

Wow. I can't wait to get to the game tonight.

Late announcement:

3:09 Dominic Moore from Toronto to Chicago for 2nd round pick.

CORRECTION Dominic Moore to Buffalo?!?! Is this the top 6 center I whined about earlier in the season?!

3:17 Sammy Pahlsson from Anaheim to Chicago

Erc Christensen to Ducks for Eric O'Dell

Maybe Moore isn't coming to Buffalo??

3:23 Nevermind, Moore is still coming to Buffalo. Wow, Darcy trading within the division. He rarely does that.

4:07 Ok like 90 trades happened on my drive home:

Sammy Pahlsson to Chicago for James Wisniewski (awwwww :( )

Lightning trade Steve Eminger to Florida for Noah Welch (both D)

Kyle McLaren traded from San Jose to Philly (and the girls at Slightly Saucy rejoice)

Ducks trade Travis Moen (F) and Kent Huskins (D) to San Jose for some random prospect type players

Some complicated trade is going down involving like 4 teams but all I've heard is Patrick O'Sullivan from LA to Edmonton :( Ask Greener for advice! :(

ALSO in that trade: Kotalik to Edmonton?! Are we getting anything in return? So help me if its Dustin Penner...

ALSO Justin Williams to LA, Eric Cole to Carolina

ALSO we get a 2nd round pick? We lose our top shoot out guy for a 2nd round pick?!?!

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Its So Much Better This Way

by Anne

The Buffalo Sabres current pathetic downward spiral could not have come at a better time.

The team is floundering, desperately searching for answers as to why they have suddenly forgotten how to play hockey. Fans are looking for tangible change; a sign of better or at least new and different things to come.

How fortuitous that this coming Wednesday, March 4 at 3:00 PM EST just so happens to be the end of the Best Day Ever aka the NHL Trade Deadline.

If the team was holding things down, squeaking by on their charm and good looks, we might not have noticed the impending post-season epic collapse we were headed for. We'd be trotting along, gingerly clinging onto 7th place or so with not too much worry and we might even have been a little bit sad to watch Darcy trade away some of the boys come March 4th.

However, because the team chose the week before the trade deadline to start nosediving (we're in 9th place as of this writing) we are all scrambling for trades and changes and something to be done to salvage our chance at playing past April 11th.

After all this nonsense going on with Bill Guerin being pulled from the line-up only to sit around and not be traded has gotten us all a-flutter. Coyotes defenseman Derek Morris has given a list of teams for which he will waive his no trade clause and now will not play again until he is with that new team so as to avoid injury. Can you feel the excitement a-brewin'?

I'm hoping for movement that walks the delicate balance between "Instant Gratification" and "Burn it To the Ground."

Here is my list of players that I don't want to see traded and most of them I know won't be so its not really a concern.

Ryan Miller
Patrick Lalime
Thomas Vanek
Derek Roy
Paul Gaustad
Jason Pominville
Drew Stafford
Adam Mair
Jaroslav Spacek
Craig Rivet
Chris Butler

Also to the extent that he scores a lot in the shootout, Ales Kotalik, but I could easily be swayed to give him up.

The rest? You can take them. As long as we get some good stuff in return. Except Max, you can just take him, I don't really care what we get.

That's my list, what's yours?

Btw, now we need to go 11-7-1 to make the 92 point mark. Yeesh.

Oy.

I'M SO EXCITED

by Anne

My feelings are apt to change frequently over certain things about hockey and the NHL.

To fight or not to fight? No-touch icing? Moving the Phoenix Coyotes? Should Pierre McGuire and Mike Millbury be shot into the sun from a cannon or flung with a large sling-shot?

But there is one thing over which I never change my mind:

My favorite day of the hockey related year without competition, HANDS DOWN is the trade deadline.

Its so DRAMATIC. GMs lose their minds and deal elite wingers for bench warmers and top goalies for meaningless draft picks. ITS SO. MUCH. FUN.

Who doesn't love the quickly photoshopped roster photos in which the colors of one team are covered over by those of the new team.

Which player has to travel the farthest to turn around and play in the game for his new team that night? Do any of the players have to turn around and play their former team that same day? Do you boo these players or not?

The speculation begins in the summertime and doesn't stop until late February (this year, early March). Who will buy, who will sell? How much will a team that needs a top defenseman pay to get one who may or may not sign elsewhere on July 1?

Unlike last year, the Sabres appear to be buyers this year. What shall we buy? I can't freakin' wait.

Unfortunately the trade deadline is on a Wednesday this year which means I will have to keep up to date on my cell phone during classes and I expect grevious amounts of Twitter updates about the goings on around the NHL.

Will we get the defenseman we so desperately need? Who will we ship out to get him? Will Darcy construct yet another three team deal that doesn't fully play itself out until the summer?

Where will Jay Bouwmeester be? What about Alexei Kovalev? Will he be moved? What will happen with Sean Avery? Tampa will probably take him. They'll take anyone.

What will the biggest shockers be? Who will be traded that didn't know they were on the trading block? How many phones will Brian Burke be talking on at a time? How many players will cry? Which players will be royally pissed off?

Can my heart take another day of watching James Duthie list out these trades on TSN? Ok, the answer to that one is absofreakinlutely.

Which teams will make the biggest mistakes? Which team will make the smartest moves?

My second favorite day of the year is Free Agency Day. This day comes in #2 because of the nausea I usually feel over the size of the contracts being doled out. ::cough Brian Campbell $50+ million cough::

One week away!