In The Crease

It was all about bringing Timmy back

Funny how today ended up being about yesterday. About 10 months ago, to be exact.

Buffalo had just won one of the most thrilling games in NHL history when Chris Drury's OT winner clinched a 7-6 decision over the Ottawa Senators in Game One, Round Two.

And while the Sabres would end the series in five games, one of the most lasting effects of the playoffs happened in the first minute of Game Two. Ottawa's Peter Schaefer demolished Tim Connolly, who made the mistake of cutting through the ice with his head down. Connolly hasn't played since, suffering the second concussion of his Sabres career.

It seemed Connolly would make a miracle comeback in the new year, but a stress fracture has kept him off the ice. That was Feb. 13. He was projected to return to practice 7-10 days later. But Darcy Regier and company still believe. So much so that everything swirling around today's Trade Deadline rested on the fact that their rising star would return before the end of the season, and this meant that regardless of future injuries or acquisitions, Regier had to free up cap room. In comes second round draft pick, out goes Marty Biron. Simple as that.

This all started with Gary Bettman telling Darcy Regier that Connolly had to come back by the end of the regular season or he was ineligible for the first round of the playoffs. And with Daniel Paille eating up cap money while on injured reserve and not being able to send back to Rochester, Paille's money was greater than the money freed by putting Paul Gaustad on LTIR.

' "Based on all the medical [reports] we have, all the other players will return by the end of the season," Regier said. "If you went and bought different players, even though you could fill with their money, the [injured] players would be ineligible to come back. ...

"The league is suggesting that they're going to have some remedy to that whole process, but nobody knows what that is yet," Regier said. "It did come up last year, but it didn't become a factor because a lot more teams are at the cap this year. While it came up, it was a minor issue compared to where it is now, and it certainly didn't come up with us." ...

"The league's position is they're going to be very vigilant in respect to anyone being injured," Regier said." (TBN)

I just hope Regier and Co. are right. A healthy, or even semi-healthy, Connolly is worth more than any of the players that were acquired today. He's a difference maker, a magical center who fits Buffalo's style like a glove.

Regier was on WGR 550 post-trades, and the most important thing that I heard was that management didn't only look at the numbers on the statsheets when making trades. He said that while they set out to get results on the ice, a lot of that comes from inside the room. With a chemistry so strong in Buffalo, you can only hope that the new guys don't rock the sailing ship.

Regier also addressed what he believed was a "hole" that existed between the seventh and eighth defenseman on the Sabres' depth chart by grabbing Washington's Timo Helbling and Nashville's Mikko Lehtonen. While this might not have been the toughness I had been looking for, it does go to address the defensive parade to the IR that Buffalo incurred last spring.

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SICK? SICK!: So word on WGR 550 is that Danny Briere is sick. I'll say it Mike, "REALLY?" Are you kidding me? Good time to get the flu, buddy. With no time to call up another American, and Danius Zubrus not around yet, it looks like Derek Roy will be centering our number one line. Followed by Clarke MacArthur's banging second line. And I'm going to stop there. Maybe Darcy should have sought out some depth at forward...

JEALOUS: Ryan Smyth on the Island? So jealous! Every time I hear his name I see him limping off to the dressing room with his teeth scattered on the ice. If this guy's picture isn't next to heart or soul in the dictionary, I'm not sure who's is. He's a kingpin to any playoff run, and he automatically makes the Islanders dangerous in the first round.

Biron to Philly, Sabres pick up Conklin

Per WGR 550 and TSN.ca, Marty Biron was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for a second or first round draft pick (conflicting information), and then grabbed Ty Conklin from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a draft pick.

What does this mean? Money. The move is obviously all about cap space; Sabres lose $2.1 million+ from Biron and gain only $525,000 from Conklin. And it means that there's more to come; you have to believe Darcy Regier would make this move only if had something else cooking to take up that freed cap space.

One aside -- it seems quite humorous to me how times change. Before the big argument always was that you could never just "give" Biron away for peanuts. He was too valuable. And now, after Buffalo was forced to push all the way to cap due to arbitration and the market this summer, that's exactly what the Sabres did. Just funny when you think about the bankruptcy year...

A few things to consider on Deadline Day

I'm not normally nervous on Deadline Day. Darcy Regier has never been the type of general manager to make a "splash" on the Deadline. He's more the let-me-find-a-great-player-when-we're-not-making-the-playoffs (see Daniel Briere) or please-forget-this-trade-as-soon-as-possible (see Bob Corkum).

But today's a little different. Call it contender syndrome. Call it the cap conundrum. Maybe I'm still in a little shock after seeing Chris Drury's blood splattered on the ice last Thursday. Whatever it is, while many Sabres fans are concerned about dollar signs, I'm boggled down by a few other thoughts today too:

1) Not biology or physics... it's the chemistry, baby!
The mayhem against Ottawa proved once again that the chemistry inside the Buffalo dressing room is second to none. Drew Stafford, a Rochester call-up and not seen as a rough-and-tumbler, leapt into action after Chris Neil nailed Drury. He didn't hesitate; he just started throwing punches. And while Stafford's only played a handful of games, he, like the other call-ups, plays right into the system that is Sabres hockey. The bind is stronger than defensive pairings or Buffalo-Rochester; it's engraved deeply into the organization that begins with Lindy Ruff and ends... who knows where. It continued on the next shift, when all five guys plus Marty Biron defended their captain. You can't teach that in the last couple of weeks of the season. If a guy is brought in, he must be of the personality that isn't going to detract from the chemistry established in Buffalo already. And the guy you take out -- well, that's another issue.

2) This year may be destiny -- or not
TBN columnist Jerry Sullivan was on WGR 550 today, spouting out how Regier must think differently because Buffalo has never won a championship in football or hockey. Thus, since the Sabres are so close, it has to be all about this year. I understand that Drury and Daniel Briere might be out of town after this season due to the economics of the game, but I disagree with anyone who thinks this year they win or that's it. Regier has built a system of young guys not only in the NHL, but also at the minor league level, understanding that in the new NHL there will be turnover. With the cap situation as such, Regier must be careful with the rent-a-player scenarios. He's worked hard to get this group under contract and locked up for the next few years; it may not be worth it to sacrifice one or two young forwards for a veteran for just this playoffs.

3) What the holes were last year at this time
Why did Buffalo eventually lose out last year? The easy answer is that injuries, mostly on defense, cost them a shot at Lord Stanley. But the reality is that rash of injuries, along with this current one, isn't just bad luck (as much as fans try to convince themselves that's the case). This team still lacks toughness and size. While Drury is no doubt gritty in the trenches, and there maybe be few forwards peskier than Derek Roy, no one in the lineup strikes fear in an opposing team. And there is the perception that a team can push Buffalo around and get players off their game. Philadelphia tried last year, and ultimately failed. But injuries continued to pile up. I don't think a fourth-line banger would hurt the cause. And you have to remember that this year's squad is without Mike Grier and Jay McKee, two from last year's crew that took care of a lot of the hitting required to "send a message."

4) The case for Marty Biron
I firmly agreed with Mike Robitaille and Co. that keeping goaltender Biron around this season was the right choice. Goaltending is by far the most important position; why not have depth where it counts most? And Biron's personality seems to perfectly complement Ryan Miller's intense, complex style. But with most of the season behind us, and Buffalo sitting comfortably at the top of the division, Biron's $2 million+ salary weighs heavy. With the recent injuries and the real possibility that Tim Connolly may not return this season, Biron is the obvious choice to help clear cap space. Besides, does any Sabre fan truly believe that Buffalo can win if Miller went down with an injury? Few, I suppose. Regier's difficulty here is the problem that he's faced since last season -- the market just doesn't seem ripe.

I firmly believe the Sabres can win as presently constituted. But no Connolly (or a half-strength Connolly)? A late return from Max? A no-show from Thomas Vanek again? The playoffs aren't fun and games like the regular season has been this season for the Sabres. The pressure's on Regier to make sure that the playoffs this year maybe could be.