The Buffalo Sabres: Darcy Regier’s Next Steps

At the end of next season, losing Connolly, Kotalik, Afinogenov, Peters and Spacek, equates to opening up $13.5 million in cap space, with five restricted free agents to sign.  Pominville should cost anywhere from $3.5 to $5 mil depending on contract length and negotiating skills. 

Sekera, Stafford and Funk combined should all come in under $3 million combined unless they decide to invest long term in both Sekera and Stafford, which is unlikely, as it seems to me they really don’t like Stafford. 

Of the potential Unrestricted Free Agents (UFA), Lindy Ruff seems to have an affection for Ales Kotalik and the Sabres would be wise to bring him back if he is willing to accept his current $2.5 mil salary. 

Kotalik has a booming right handed slap shot, can play the point on the power play, and despite his streaky play, he shows up in the playoffs. 

If the Sabres can get Pominville, Kotalik, Sekera, Stafford and Funk back for between $9 to $10 mil, that should be considered a success. It would also leave the team, if they consistently run between $50 and $52 mil in salary cap space, with $8 to $10 million in free agency money left to operate next off-season.

There are potentially three to five forward positions to fill, depending on whether players such as Marc-Andre Gargnani (who is currently toiling between defense and forward, but should end up a forward considering the team’s defensive depth and more immediate forward need), Nathan Gerbe and Tim Kennedy show they are ready for promotions. 

Also factoring in is the promotability of defense man Chris Butler and whether that will make Tallinder or Lydman expendable, as well as whether the team is able to retain Clarke MacArthur.

All in all, next off season is looking promising, financially stable and like for the first time since the lockout, the Sabres have many options:

—They could take the most conservative route and focus on locking up players who brought them this far, such as Kotalik, Tallinder, Spacek, Mair  and Lydman for a few more years and see where it can take them. 

—Take a somewhat more familiar route and make some trades, but take on salary with them due to the cap space, which would finalize the shift of leadership towards Miller, Roy, Vanek, Gaustad, Weber and Pominville, while bringing up the rest of the next generation over the next few years.

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