NHL: Another Season Teeters in Buffalo

The Buffalo Sabres: on the brink of...? 

What actually surprises me is that anyone would, in fact, be surprised. 

Due to a lack of consistent leadership, offense, defense, goal tending, (did we mention leadership?) and hockey fundamentals, the Sabres are looking and hoping for someone to fall. 

A far cry from last season's President's Trophy. 

The whole hockey season seems to be summed up in the subtotal of all Buffalo sport franchises, "Wait until next season...then it'll happen." 

The Sabres don't deserve the playoffs; they haven't played the majority of the season like they wanted to be in them. 

It is with a certain amount chagrin that I must admit, the Sabres may never find Cup dreams, until Regier and Larry Quinn are ruling in a different city. I don't think they bear all responsibility, but it is evident that the smoking guns bear their fingerprints. 

The loss of major stars and leadership, over their tenure, is really quite astounding. Peca, Barnes, Hasek, Briere, Drury, and Campbell really are the tip of the iceberg. 

I can only imagine Regier sitting in the back room waiting for the okay from Quinn, to deal with a player from a weak position. 

They can cry economics, but they are full of themselves. 

A player who feels as if this is the place to be, feels safe and secure, but neither of these boardroom advisors have made anyone feel safe, other than upper management staff. 

To consistently deal from weakness, has more to do with management style than anything. Some may say that when they dealt with the Vanek deal, over the summer, it was showing that they finally saw the light. 

Brian Campbell and San Jose are the hottest Western team, now do they see? Now will they actually pursue a player before the player is ready?

Obviously, there is more than this, going on behind the scenes. However the Sabres, although exciting to watch over the last two years, are now exactly where they were before the strike—outside, looking in—hoping that someone throws them a bone. 

Golisano, the owner, has gotten the Sabres into a position that they've never been in before—financially secure. He deserves credit for this monster of financial irresponsibility that is in the black and still in Buffalo. However, he cannot be giving a free ride to his managing partners. 

It is a long, off season, when it starts this early, time to start fixing what needs to be fixed...stop the hemorrhaging now.