Buffalo Sabres To Concentrate on Future at Trade Deadline

March 4 is an important date for Sabres fans praying GM Darcy Rieger will make the right moves this time around. 

Look for Rieger to place an emphasis on the future by possibly unloading unrestricted free-agents-to-be Maxim Afinogenov, Ales Kotalik, and Tim Connolly. 

Kotalik and Afinogenov have underachieved since signing their big contracts a few years ago. 

The Sabres will also have to sign restricted free agents Drew Stafford, Clarke Macarthur, Patrick Kaleta, and Andrej Sekera before the free agency period begins.

Rieger will be looking for prospects to play in Portland next season, as the Sabres will bring up future stars Tim Kennedy, Marek Zagrapan, Chris Butler, and Nathan Gerbe along with others. 

This year's Sabres team lacks the depth to go past the first round of the playoffs, but the prospects and draft choices Reiger could end up with by trading the UFAs in question will help the Sabres build from within for years to come.

Thomas Vanek, Derek Roy, Jochen Hecht, and Jason Pominville will be around for several years for two reasons: their importance to the team and the overpriced contracts they have signed. 

Vanek has finally come into his own, but Roy, Hecht, and Pominville will account for $12.83 million per year, for the next four years. 

We should also remember that once the Sabres commit to a player, it is rare that they will part ways with him.

Look for teams like Montreal, Boston, and New Jersey to add depth by trading away some of their UFAs. 

With new coaching in New York, look for the Rangers to make some minor moves.

Conversely, there will be a fire sale headed by New York Islanders owner Charles Wang, who is desperately trying to lower salaries in an attempt to replenish the roster by making big free agency moves, again.

Additional sellers will be the Thrashers and Lightning.  However, Kovalchuk and Lecavalier will stay put—for now. 

Martin St. Louis will most likely end up in the Western Conference, and Atlanta will seek to move Lehtonen.

Guerin, Weight, and Sillinger could all be moved by Garth Snow at the deadline.  Owner Charles Wang has little patience when the team is not winning. 

Rumors have Brian Burke involved in all kinds of deals, but I do not see Toronto making any major moves until the offseason.