Comparative Market Analysis of Ilya Kovalchuk

by Anne

I'm a Realtor by trade, and as part of the job of a Realtor, we do comparative market anaylses for homes we list. This determines what dollar amount a house is likely to sell for in today's market. In different market conditions that dollar amount would be different but we're only looking at the here and now.

I saw a headline debating the market value of Ilya Kovalchuk and it got the wheels turning. Here now is my CMA for Ilya Kovalchuk's annual cap hit.

When doing a CMA, you must find comparable houses (or players in this case). Therefore my criteria shall be this:

Objective Criteria:
Born between 1977 - 1985
Top-six forward
Signed a multi-year UFA contract or contract extension within the last 2 seasons (July 1, 2009 - day of writing September 1, 2010)

Here are our comparables:
Marian Hossa
Rick Nash
Marc Savard
Ryan Kesler
Mikko Koivu

We're basing these stats on the 60+GP seasons they played BEFORE they signed these contracts/extensions.

We're using cost per goal and cost per point to determine where Kovalchuk fits.

Now here's how Kovalchuk fits into this chart:

Based on the cost per goal, Kovalchuk's cap hit should be $10,587,153.00

Based on the cost per point, Kovalchuk's cap hit should be $7,809,064.90

So, based on the CMA, my recommended cap hit for Ilya Kovalchuk should fall between those two numbers. There is subjective criteria such as Nash and Koivu being the Captains of their teams and lifelong membership with their young organizations, Kesler's potential to captain the Canucks and whether or not he's always been a true top-six player, Savard's injury history, and Hossa's potential circumvention of the salary cap rules. Therefore I leave it to your discretion as the GM to choose the potential cap hit you feel the subject player should have. The length of the listing period contract is your decision to make. I recommend several years as this player has shown great consistency and is highly desirable to many.

These are my recommendations as a professional Realtor, the final decision is ultimately yours. Should we disagree strongly in the value of the subject player, we will have the opportunity to walk away from the deal. This must be a mutual decision moving forward.

Thank you and have a nice day.

Getcha Popcorn Ready

by Anne

Watching Kovygate from a distance is awesome. As long as the Kings don't get back into it, I'm enjoying this thoroughly from the comfort of my own home.

Watching people do a happy dance and then suddenly being punched in the face by news of the contract's rejection has been hilaaaaarious. I loved re-reading Dmitri Chesnokov's tweets about Kovalchuk's party and how happy he is AFTER reading about his contract being rejected.

Why Lou Lamoriello would accept such ridiculous terms is beyond me. Why the NHL chose THIS particular ridiculous contract to reject is beyond me as well. However, I'm glad it was rejected because of it's completely blatant circumvention of the rules.

I read a tweet yesterday in which someone said the NBA's collective bargaining agreement has a clause that allows for the rejection of contracts that circumvent the spirit of the cap rules, why doesn't the NHL have this? If it did, Pronger and Hossa's contracts would've been rejected immediately as it takes them both to 42 with a SERIOUS drop off in salary in the last few years of the contract. Lame.

Darcy Regier might be maddeningly cautious but at least he never gets the team into situations like this one. It's not Kovalchuk's fault the team agreed to this ridiculous contract, it's LL's fault for signing off on it.

Welcome Back, Patrick Lalime!

by Anne

Today, not long after announcing the signing of Rob Niedermayer, Darcy announced that the team has re-signed Patrick Lalime to a one-year deal. I'm okay with this. I would've liked Hedberg, Ellis, or Biron but none of those happened so I think Lalime is a better choice than Enroth this coming season. 

Welcome back, Patty! I'm glad I don't have to move your tag down to the next list in the left sidebar of this blog.

               

He Likes Us! Hey Mikey!

by Anne

Mike Grier and the Sabres have reached an agreement for him to stick around next year.

Yay! Yay! Yay!

Hooray!

Good news!

Ok, I never doubted that they'd re-sign him, but it's good to see it made official. He gets a slight raise from $1.2 million to $1.4 million. $200K well spent, Darcy.

Schenner in a Kings uniform

by Anne

While I attempt to digest dinner, I just need to toss out this exciting bit of information:

Tonight, 2009 1st round draft pick Brayden Schenn will be making his debut for the Los Angeles Kings.

He signed a one-day amateur contract but can sign an entry level deal and stick around for a few more games if need be.

I was contemplating falling asleep before tonight's game but now that Greener is on a goal-scoring streak... ok, maybe the start of one.... ok I know... and Baby Schenner is going to play in his first game, I'll try to stay awake.

Sidenote: I didn't know that teams could do that with the one day contract thingy.

Yay!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I know you're Canadian, but wooo!

I'm sure Luke is pumped as well.

I Can't Talk About it

by Anne

The Sabres have made an offer to Sissy, yet Darcy feels that normally when a deal is not struck by now, the player is going to try their luck on July 1.

Here is what I have to say about that:

Do. Not. Want.
:'(
I wants mah Sissy tah stay.



Please?

A Plea.

by Anne

All this talk of contract extension, etc. being offered to many players makes me sad. Why, you ask? Because my team has not yet done anything about re-signing the only two UFAs I'm terribly fond of:

Jaroslav "Sissy" Spacek

Matt "I'm totally sweet" Ellis
I'm not sure if my addition of the mustache will help but I figure it can't hurt

I can haz both of them back next season? :)

Friday Shenanigans

by Anne

Yesterday it was announced that Steve Bernier was offered a contract extension with the Vancouver Canucks! The deal is reportedly for 2 years at about $2 million per season, which is actually a pay cut for Big Bear. He made $2.5 million this season because of an offer sheet from St. Louis. Yay! Hoooray for job security! Hooray for Vancouver! Hooray for Big Bear!

Big Bear's Big Hair: Playoff Edition
whoa.

I can't believe that the Conference Finals are just now starting. The friggin' semifinals were so intense, it was exhausting. It seems like someone should be hoisting something over their head any day now.

I will, of course, be cheering for the Pens and Blackhawks in their respective Conference finals. Also, for the record, I have been informed/decided that Niklas Hjalmarsson is apparently my Blackhawks man even though I really wanted it to be Seabs; I was told he has already been claimed by a Buffalo blogger. Alas. The Hammer will quickly become my new favorite Blackhawk once I get around to learning anything about him. I don't generally go for the Europeans so this is a whole new world for me. A brief overview seems to indicate he might be one of those big shut-down defensemen I'm so fond of. This could go well for Hammer.

I'm attempting to re-vamp "Anne's Westcern Conference Boyfriends" for 2009-2010. I made some very misguided choices last year. Brett Lebda?! What was I thinking? I was so young and foolish back then. It will be difficult to nail down this list prior to July 1 but I, of course, am getting started on it anyway.

Also, I'm figuring out all the things that must happen for James Wisniewski to become a Sabre next season. What does Anaheim need that we have...? Perchance a three team deal? I'll call Darcy and see what he says.

Enjoy Friday everyone!

POMMER! POMMER! POMMER!

By Anne

I just got my Sabres text message.

FIVE YEARS! FIVE YEARS! POMMMMERRRRRRRRRR!!!!!

NOW I GET TO GO TO THE ARENA!!! YAY YAY YAY AYAY YAYYAY!!!

JP + PG 4eva

OK NOW I'M STARTING TO GET A LITTLE WORRIED

by Anne

Ok, so I've been trying to be all "la la la they'll sign Pommer and Teppo soon, la la la, all is well, la la la doot doot doo" since Miller's extension was announced. HOWEVER. It's been like 3 weeks or maybe its been 10 years, (it feels like the latter) since then, and I'm starting to get a little worried about MY "top priority this off season" signing one Mr. Jason John Pominville.

O Captain, My Captain will be signed, I'm sure of it, it'd just be nice if it was sooner rather than later, the same is probably true for Teppo. I just don't have the energy today to get really worked up about it. However, if by the time classes start (August 25, FYI) we still haven't heard anything, I will begin to grow nervous.

The last hockey thing to give me true hockeyjoy was Miller's extension. My efforts to love the Bills are slow going, my manicure is chipping like crazy, much to my dismay, my student loan is taking FOREVER to be approved, I didn't get much sleep last night and its kind of gloomy out this morning. Oh, and I'm hungry and this new Crystal Light flavor I just bought is basically tasteless. Unlike its brethren which are still to sweet when diluted in twice the recommended amount of water, the Iced Tea really should be drank in 16 ounces, instead of my usual 32. Alack and fie.

I kinda feel like doing this 100 things thing but I don't know how interesting I am, so lets give it a shot-er-oo:

100. I hate 90% of female comedians with a few exceptions (Ellen Degeneres being one)

99. I'm left eye dominant but right hand dominant

98. My first real date was when I was 16 with a guy named Matt, I broke up with him because he was kind of lame. The bad news: He's going to be some sort of doctor. The good news: It appears he's still lame

97. I failed my road test twice before I passed it yet the only violation I've ever committed (or at least been caught doing) is parking tickets

96. Ever since I can remember, when something upsets me, I want to be alone. I've never been the type to want someone to comfort me or take care of me. Unless I'm sick and my mommy is there, then there is much whining and carrying on until she makes me soup or reads me a story or something mommy-like, but for the most part, I like to handle those things on my own

95. I'm allergic to skim milk, just skim milk, I can eat all other dairy products

94. I can't stand almost all holiday related foods, including: Peeps, candy corn, peppermint candy canes, egg nog, pumpkin pie, Jingles, etc. The notable exceptions being Cadbury Eggs and all Halloween candy

93. My left foot is slightly smaller than my right foot and my left boob is slightly smaller than my right. I'm a FREAK

92. As it says in my profile, I once saw Derek Roy at a bar and for some reason completely unbeknownst to me I squealed like a little girl. I don't even really like Derek Roy, it might've been the gin squealing

91. Speaking of gin, my drink of choice is a gin and tonic and the other night, as happens frequently, guys give me looks like I'm crazy because I drink that. BACK OFF BUDDY BOY, THE SUGAR IN COSMOS AND FRUIT JUICES MIXED WITH ALCOHOL MAKES MY TUMMY HURT

90. My sister is 2 years older than I am but for YEARS people have thought I was older probably because I'm taller and heavier

89. I have a tattoo of 4 paw prints on my right foot. On August 11th I'm going to get another added for my cat, Oscar. August 11th is the 1 year anniversary of the day I adopted him

88. There are some songs and bands I can listen to forever, but I have a habit of listening to current pop songs a million times in a row and then discarding them forever

87. Every time I see the number 87 I think of Sidney Crosby, isn't that totally lame?

86. I hate Keira Knightley as much as you can hate someone you've never met or interacted with in anyway

85. My handwriting is awful and I hate writing notes of any kind by hand, like I can't even read them, they're so bad. Typing is much faster and neater, and then I can goof off and go on Facebook

84. As of July 18th I don't eat meat, cheese or drink regular soda. I don't think I've lost much weight yet, but I feel better

83. We've had 4 dogs in my lifetime: Liberty (my parents named her, something about Pennsylvania, I don't get it), Lady, Lucky and Nicholas. Lucky got her name because we used to call our first dog Beah, so they were "Beah and Lady" pronounced like the song "Luck Be a Lady". Therefore we named our 3rd dog Lucky, to fill in the song title. THAT WAS ALL MY IDEA WHEN I WAS 10. Lucky and Nicholas are the only 2 still kickin'

82. When I was a freshman in college I HATED EVERYTHING ABOUT MY LIFE. So I changed everything: majors, friends, schools, and things turned out much better

81. Ironically, I'm going back to school to basically complete the degree I started at Fredonia before I transferred

80. The first hockey game I ever went to was in like 2000 and it ended in a scoreless tie, I don't even remember who we played, but it was cool

79. If Jarome Iginla showed up at my door right now and proposed to me, I'd say yes without hesitation. His wife might object, but that's her problem, not mine

78. I feel the need to re design this blog frequently, but I've decided to hold off for now. However, I may revamp before the season starts. Re-organizing things like this is something I do when I need to clear my head

77. When I was about 5 I poured water in one of my ears just to see if it would come out the other... it didn't

76. I get sick (like to the doctor sick) so infrequently that when I do its like a swift kick in the face, it takes me forever to recover and I'm a huge baby about it. My definition of infrequent: the last time I was sick was November 2007, I had sinusitis and tonsillitis, before that, the last time I was sick was December 2003.

75. My mother frequently needs me to help her copy and paste things, yet she texts me all the time and just joined Facebook, Oh Mama Peg. Dad Jim is now on Facebook too.

That was 1 too many but I don't think I'll be able to come up with any more, we may need to leave it at that, lol.

Woo, that took a while. Is Pommer signed yet?!?!!!!! NO?! WHAT THE HECK?! BRETT FAVRE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? MATS SUNDIN, MAKE UP YOUR MIND! JOE SAKIC, YOU TOO! COME ON PEOPLE THIS IS GETTING RI-GOD-DAMN-DICULOUS! I DON'T CARE ABOUT MANNY RAMIREZ PLAYING FOR THE ANGELS! Wait, lots of people do? Ok: WHAT'S WITH MANNY RAMIREZ GOING TO THE ANGELS?!

THAT'S IT! LET'S PROTEST! MARCH ON HSBC ARENA! BRING THE TORCHES AND PITCHFORKS! YAAAAAAAAAA!!!

Ryan Miller Likes Having Fun

by Anne

I watched Miller's press conference and interview today. I don't really know why, he only said things that we were all already expecting him to say, but whatev, as my secret favorite Sabre (I think it becomes less a secret every time I say it) I must listen as he drops pearls of wisdom at our collective feet.

Every other phrase out of his mouth was "great group of guys" or "I'm having a lot of fun" and "winning a championship".

Um, excuse me? Is this the same team we're talking about here? Bucky told me that Buffalo is a desolate wasteland where happiness comes to die and the Sabres are a team of money launderers, thieves and masters of deceit whose ultimate goal is to destroy the earth from the NHL out, not to win this "Cup" I've heard so many people ramble on about. Whose kool-aid is Ryan Miller drinking?

I do appreciate that he, as he always does, addresses rumors and such head on. A lot of players do that, Pominville and Vanek being others that come to mind. They know what's said, they know the rumors and the issues and are perfectly willing to specifically address them and end them before people go crazy.

Miller flat out said that, while he cheered for Detroit when his cousin played for the Red Wings, he's first and foremost about a team and a community that embraces him and wants him here and is building a team that everyone feels good about. That would be Buffalo in a nut shell. It really threw me for a loop when he basically said in another interview, "Yeah, I could probably go win a championship with another team, but I don't want to do that, I want to do that here, with this group of players." Wow. Really? Wow. Just love. That's amazing. And unlike when Drury said crap like that, I know he really means it.

He looks really good, btw. Ok, not in an OMG MILLSEY'S SO HAWT!!! kind of way, although, that tends to go along with it, but he's looking fit, rested and relaxed. Growing up looks good on him. Its so cool to watch these formerly "Wow these guys are really young and really green" players transform into a smattering of leadership, poise and skill. I love thinking about the Derek Roy and Jason Pominville of days gone by. It's amazing how much difference a couple of years, a lot of success and a lot of struggles can make on a team and on a group of players.

How SAD is my existence as a life long Buffalo sports fan that it actually surprises me and makes me have a strangely out of body experience to hear Miller and Regier openly discussing our chances at winning a championship in the near future? It really always strikes me as a fantasy, something that could never actually happen, winning this "Cup" thing.

These past 3 years have really one of the best run of years in Buffalo Sabres hockey. Look at the past, the Sabres were laughable for years. I'm sure most Sabres fans would like to forget from about 1977-1995. The Sabres were just not good. Then there was a slide back in the early 2000s with the bankruptcy, but even when we finished 10th last season, we never lost hope. Well, I lost hope for the playoffs, but I never lost hope that there was more to come next season for this team.

I'm really going to try to enjoy this happy little love-cloud I find myself on these days because when I'm slamming my head onto my desk when we lose a critical game in February, I'll long for this blissful fantasy world I'm in right now.

Woo! LET'S GO BUFF-A-LO!! THERE'S GOINGS ON WITH TEPPO TOO!!! HE'S LIKELY TO BE COMING BACK! YAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Ahem. I mean, Teppo Numminen's veteran leadership and experience would be most helpful to the youngsters in our defensive corps come next season. Yes. I am reserving my excitement. Woo.

How does our defense shake out then?

Rivet - Spacek
Lydman - Tallinder
Teppo - Sekera
Weber - Paestch - Pratt(?) what's going on with him? Are we re-signing him?

Oh well, Pommer and defense are next on the plate.

Until next time, folks.

OH HAPPY DAY

by Anne

Ok so I'm going to gush and be a huge loser.

All day today after I was awakened by a text telling me that my secret favorite Sabre has been signed until just shy of my 29th birthday, I would just randomly start smiling.

Why? Because for once the Sabres management is doing right by the team and by the fans.

There's no way this off-season could've been worse than last season, both literally and emotionally. We didn't have any big name UFAs leaving the team and we weren't coming off of a messy Eastern Conference Final break-up again. However there were so many ways this off-season could've been very very bad.
Yet, what's that coming out of 1 Seymour Knox III Drive? CONTRACTS?!?! EXTENSIONS?!? LARRY QUINN IN A SEX-TAPE SCANDAL?!?! Ok, 2 out of those 3 things are true, I'll let you figure out which.

Goose is signed for 4 more years and is just happy to have a contract for that long, money aside. (swoon) Even though Gaustad isn't going to be winning any scoring titles any time soon (unless by "scoring" you mean "tail", then he could be the champ 4ever), he's an incredibly important player to the team and to the fans. I cannot speak from experience (duh), but I'm sure that he offers a great locker room presence and its well known that he's usually one of the last players to leave the ice after practice. More than that, he's like the team's goodwill ambassador to the Buffalo community. Whether or not he intended to have the iron grip on the hearts of all Sabres fans that he has, he does. I and many many other fans would've been incredibly upset if we had signed him for only 1 year or (horror of horrors) not at all. I can totally see throwing a letter on that left shoulder next season, Lindy.... So, HOOOOOOOOOOONK!

This season Danny Paille has made me all happy and squealful. I could pull up old entries for proof, but I jumped on the Danny Paille bandwagon back in like late December when Staffy was slipping and concussed, and I ain't gettin' off any time soon. It really all started when I noticed how much ice time he was getting during the Ice Bowl and it made me pay closer attention to dear, sweet, little (giant, hard-hitting) Danny. He's awesome and my 2nd favorite Sabre and I couldn't be happier that he'll be here for a few more years. He's also Oscar's favorite Sabre and he couldn't be happier to purr over his goals for many more years. I assume, as I'm sure most of the Sabres management and coaching staff assumes, that Danny will continue to build on that consistency he developed towards the end of the season and continue with his solid play. He's also probably not going to be winning any scoring titles, but if he can stay consistent as he was, I think its safe to assume he'll be racking up 20-25 goals next season. (I hope).

I was secretly terrified that we wouldn't sign Miller. Like, in my heart of hearts I feared the worst. We've all been so burned by management's mismanagement in the past that part of me was pretty convinced that he'd go the way of Briere and Drury next season and I'd cry. Literally. I know I've threatened it before, but if we had lost Miller next offseason there probably would've been tears. I can guarantee you that if we lose Pommer there will be open sobbing and tearing at my hair in the middle of the Plaza. Guaranteed. I'll sign a legally binding document, that's how fo' serious I am about my devastation over possibility of losing Sabre #1.

Anyway, I couldn't be happier that we signed Miller. It makes me all smiley and happy. He, like Goose, likes Buffalo and does a lot for the community. Miller and Gaustad are proof that if you love Buffalo, Buffalo will love you back ten fold. And, as Miller said, we'll leave you alone in the grocery store.

I don't really know how well we'll do next season (probably better than last) but at least we have the tools in place for success for years to come.

WOOOOO!!!! THIS IS THE BEST JULY EVER!!! NOW I'M GOING TO SEE THE DARK KNIGHT!

P.S. I've been in love with Christian Bale since Newsies, and can I say, he's never been more yummy? mmmmmmmm.

Just a Follow-Up

by Anne

Just to piggy-back on what S(h)ara's already said:



WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!



WHAT A HAPPY HAPPY OFFSEASON ITS BEEN!!! (except for that blip on the radar that was Big Bear)

But

YAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY DANCES FOR EVERYONE!!!

POMMER?!

YAY! PIE! PIE-YAY!

by Anne

Sabres.com just texted me to let me know that PIE-YAY! has signed a multi-year contract with the Sabres!

YAY! TODAY IS A HAPPY HAPPY DAY!!!!!

We drafted him in 2002 and he's still ours! Yay!

ETA: Grizz and Mancari have signed too! Yay! What a good day! Yay! Yay! All the rest of my boys are secured. Woooooooo!!!!!!!

There have been like 3 totally relevant updates to Sabres.com today. My head is spinning. It's like the regular season, there's so much information flying out of HSBC Arena

You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me

by Anne

Vinny Lecavalier signed a freakin' joke of an extension today. It was so ridiculous that when I woke up from my nap just now, I honestly thought I was still sleeping.

The owners of the Bolts have got to be out of their ever-loving minds. I understand that Vinny is an excellent player, there's no question about his deserving of a contract to reflect those talents. However, I'm sure that this is not the right move. ELEVEN YEARS? Not that many players make it to 39 in the NHL. To assume that he will is foolish. They say that its ok because it tapers off toward the end, should he decide to retire. Well, ain't that grand? Contracts like this are what's going to send us into another lockout.

These owners will either go down in history as the men who made the Bolts dynasty or go down in history as the biggest disaster in major professional sports. How can they possibly be under the cap at this point? If they are, they are financial geniuses.

I get the feeling Jay Feaster is a reasonable man and couldn't endorse this deal, among others, so he left the organization.

Why yes, I am crabby after my nap, why do you ask?

Radulov Peaces Out? No? Yes? No?

by Anne

This Radulov situation is confusing.

So he's under contract for one more season in Nashville. This is true. This is a fact.

Also, he's been offered a contract to play in the Continental Hockey League (KHL) this upcoming season. This upcoming season when he is contractually obligated to play in Nashville. This is a fact. There are sources that declare that he has signed said contract with the KHL and will be vacating his contract with the Predators.

The Predators have a statement up about it that also references an IIHF decree regarding the situation. The IIHF is where the buck stops between the NHL and the KHL. The NHL and the KHL are like a 6 year old and a 4 yead old brother fighting over their G.I. Joe (Radulov), I guess that makes the IIHF their Mom. The IIHF intervenes before things get ugly, it's like the UN of hockey. Basically, it declares that Radulov will be in Nashville next season, and that he cannot be lured away to Russia.

However as of this writing, TSN still had an article up about Radulov heading back to the USSR as though it were an impending truth.

This will lead to some problems. A young player with promise who doesn't want to be playing where he's playing (clearly or he wouldn't have signed the contract) and has opportunities elsewhere (his home country). Combine that with a team that isn't in a strong hockey market (although during the SCF, at times they were #4 in ratings in the US), and you can easily forsee the issues that can arise, especially if he doesn't perform up to snuff. He played in all 82 games last year, scoring 58 points (22+36). He also gave Jason Arnott a concussion after celebrating a goal Arnott scored in the playoffs. He might be a liability too. If he doesn't produce similar numbers, there will be a general crying out for his head, well, if people in Nashville get that worked up about it, I honestly don't know if they would. You better BELIEVE Buffalonians would. We'd have run Radulov out of town by now if he was a Sabre.

Anyway, the KHL and the NHL have supposedly reached an understanding to stop the NHL from hemorrhaging current European players under contract. And, I suppose, non-European players too. There is no official agreement in place, but there is an "understanding". I just hope this doesn't get messy. This could lead to some serious tension around the world.

There's also hope to increase international play. I'm just not 100% sure when all this international play would happen, considering the NHL schedule lasts the majority of the year, much to NHL fans' delight. I do enjoy international play, so I wouldn't be upset if this were to happen.

Ahhhh the tangled webs we weave.

MAX! DO NOT CREATE THIS KIND OF DRAMA FOR US!! PLEASE?!

SEE?!? It's not just ME!!

by Anne

Everyone wants Big Bear. Everyone but the Buffalo Sabres, it appears:

CHECK IT OUT

Ummm, $2.5 million? Really. I love you lots, Big Bear, and you provide a lovely physical presence, but that's more than I anticipated you'd rake in next season, and probably too steep for what the Sabres could really justify paying you, but YAY for Big Bear!!!!!

I loves me some Steve Bernier.

And:

CRAP

But MO-OM!! I wanted Jason Smith!!!

OTTAWA IS STINKY. I guess they needed to replace Redden somehow. I don't like it when things go well for the Ottawa Senators. It makes my stomach turn. Ugh. Fine, whatever. We're still not where we should be on defense, but its a better situation than last year.

Looks like that exciting prospect is GONE. Oh no. Two of the three things on my birthday wishlist have gone horribly horribly the other way. We lost BIG BEAR and now we don't get Jason Smith.

GASP!

Let me change my request.

PLEASE DON'T SIGN DANIEL PAILLE. I HATE HIM AND HIS TOTALLY NON-ADORABLY VACANT FACIAL EXPRESSIONS. I DID NOT FIND IT AT ALL INSPIRING THAT WHENVER HE WAS BENCHED LAST SEASON HE CAME BACK WITH A VENGEANCE AND BLEW US ALL AWAY. DON'T SIGN HIM. SHIP HIM TO OUTER MONGOLIA FOREVER. I DIDN'T LOVE WATCHING HIM SCORE 2 GOALS IN ONE GAME IN THE VERY LAST ROW OF HSBC ARENA WHERE I WAS DRUNK AND YELLED AT KOTALIK A FEW MONTHS BACK. THAT WASN'T TOTALLY AWESOME AT ALL. HE IS NOT MY 2ND FAVORITE SABRE. GET HIM AWAY FROM HERE!

Was that thorough enough, Hockey Gods?

Do you think anyone will review this off-season's moves and decide that losing Steve Bernier really affected the Buffalo Sabres? God I hope not.

Whats the BFD?

by Anne


Ok, so I know that Patrick Lalime isn't exactly Martin Brodeur or Marty Biron, but does he really warrant the overall cry of discontentment I'm seeing from many Sabres bloggers?

I'm not leaping out of my seat over the signing, but when the alternative is THIBAULT (no offense, Teebs) I'd take almost anyone else.

Lalime just needs to prove himself early on and we'll all be fine. It's FINE. Chill out peeps.

Marty likes him, that's a good sign, right?

WHERE'S MY DEFENSEMAN, DARCY? We already know we're not getting Orpik, I just want someone to rely on, DARCE. WHERE IS HE?

HAPPY FREE AGENT DAY!!!!

by Anne

I consider the trade deadline the hockey fan's Christmas. Mostly because it's all day long and you could hear about a trade at like 8:00 a.m. in Anaheim. Since free agent day coincides almost directly with my birthday, I consider free agency day to be the hockey fan's birthday.

Last year, I avoided the whole Briere/Drury debacle by being in Italy on July 1 and Spain on my actual birthday (July 4). So, as I am on American soil this free agency day, I consider it to be quite fortuitous for our boys in blue and gold.

We've locked down Goose who's totally excited to still be here, almost as excited as I was when I read the news on TSN. There was jumping up and down and squealing. Ahhhh female sports fans, we have our own unique way of celebrating. It's roughly the same way I celebrated when I found out a friend of mine was pregnant, actually. WOOO! MORE RANDOM BAR AND GROCERY STORE ENCOUNTERS FOR ME AND THE GOOSE. Cuz, honestly, where else do people aged 23-26 gather other than bars, grocery stores and work? Ok, creepily enough I might soon start working at the Arena. Maybe I should start shopping at Tops...

Anyhoot, I love delving into "anayltics" sometimes:

To the person who found this blog by searching for "man buds" umm, welcome? I'm not sure what "man buds" are, but I hope we were able to aid you in your quest.

What's up creepers who searched for "Drew Stafford is mine" and found this blog? Does that then make him MINE if it's on this blog somewhere? I don't recall ever typing these words except in perhaps: "Brian Campbell is S(h)ara's favorite Sabre, Drew Stafford is mine" Well I mean, hey, I think Staffy's pretty B-A but that doesn't make him MINE. Besides S(h)ara and I were young and foolish and have new favorite Sabres now. Although the race is back on next season, boys.

"Andrew Peters girlfriend 2008" is that like NHL 2k8? Do you go on virtual dates with Petey and have to pass hockey-player-girlfriend related tasks?

Why is "Thomas Vanek" our top player name hit? Mad love for ya, SabreBritney, but I don't think I talk about you all that often. Although, for a hot minute his play in the World Championships was the only hockey related/ Sabres related thing I had to talk about, maybe that's why.

"'what a guy' orphans blind" I'd love to know what this person's ultimate goal was in using these search terms.

Anyway, I have class from 1:30-4:30 today and then I have to take the bus home so I will miss the most exciting hours of free agency. I don't want to talk about it. BOOOOOOOO. I'll have to wait til I get home to find out the good stuff. I'll be able to pay attention to the first hour, and hopefully that's when the most exciting Sabres-related or most exciting non-Sabres-related deals go down. WOOOO!

DFKJNGSDLJHNSEGILU GOOOOOOOOSE!

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by Anne


YAY!!!!


YAY!!!


YAY!!!


YAY!!!

YAY!!!

JUMP AND SQUEAL AND DO A HAPPY DANCE LIKE I DID!!

I DID THIS BUT MORE GIRLY AND WITH MORE CLAPPING AND HONKING

I'm really HUGE fan of this headline on SportsNet:



Such happy times right now. Let's all revel in them. It's soooooo much better than last season... there are few ways in which last free agent day could've been worse, really.