Sep

8

In a Buffalo News article, it was reported that the Sabres will be working on re-signing three players in the last year of their contracts. This is a much different strategy, compared with the policies of the past. Arguably, working with Drury from the start of the season could have resulted in his retainment. However, the past can not be changed. What stands to be decided, though, is the future of Brian Campbell, Jochen Hecht, and Dmitri Kalinin. Their contracts with the Buffalo Sabres will end at the end of the 2007-2008 season, but starting to work with them now seems to be a very worthwhile move. It does seem like the lessons of the off-season have been learned, and not necessarily at a high cost. The main team is still intact. The three players that will potentially leave at the end of the season each have their advantages and disadvantages, like the draft animals from Oregon Trail II.

Brian Campbell is one of the most valuable defensemen on the Sabres, and has proven his worth time and time again. His reliability is also a serious factor to take into consideration, along with his uncanny ability to score goals. His mistakes over the past few seasons have not been extremely noticeable, simply due to the fact that he does not usually make them. Campbell is a vital member of the Sabres who makes up a part of a defense that struggles at times. With the expectation of Numminen’s retirement at the end of this season, keeping Campbell around for a few more years seems like a smart decision. Besides, who else can do a commercial for the Center of Excessive Sweating?!

The offensive side of the Sabres is clearly in-depth and filled with hockey’s best, but Jochen Hecht is one important piece of the puzzle. He has the ability to score goals, while also finding a way to be in the right place at the right time. We witnessed him struggle at various points throughout the last two seasons, but he has a relatively consistent style of play. The Sabres may be a hockey team built up around young players, yet having a few veterans on the front lines is another way to diversify. Hecht also has the skills to work with different teammates on different lines, further pointing to his importance on the team.Lastly, Dmitri Kalinin enters the discussion. Popular opinion has slated him for trading, especially after some of his performances last season. He has been with the Sabres since the 1999-2000 season, and is a veteran to the NHL. Somehow, however, he finds his way into making mistake after mistake. It almost comes as a surprise when he manages to make a strong defensive move. Judging a player by their past performance is one of the only ways to predict how he will continue to play in the future, but Kalinin may have made some improvements during the off-season. We all may remember when Afinogenov was listed as a healthy scratch in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, only to storm back and score the game winning goal in Game 5. Although it may not be plausible, there still is a chance that Kalinin will be able to act more consistently and reliably. If not, keeping him with the team after the season unfolds will be more of a liability than an asset.


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