Well, between the start of Bills training camp and the recent signings of the Sabres players, there is plenty to discuss. But first, we can finally put to rest all of the talk about the new logo for the Buffalo Sabres. As Larry Quinn stated yesterday, the Sabres will be donning the original blue throwbacks for 15 home games this season. I think that the public pressure and criticism of the new logo forced the Sabres to show their hand a little earlier than expected. It was a good move by management and should ease the minds of even the most die hard of Sabres fans. Personally, I don’t think there is a classier logo in the history of sports than the Sabres original. Ahhh, don’t get me started. There will plenty of gear for fans on both sides of the fence to buy.
Aside from the huge logo uproar, Darcy Regier has been doing a great job in signing some of the key components of the Sabres future. So far, Regier has Pominville, Lydman, Tallinder, Kotalik, Roy, Paetsch and don’t forget the valuable addition of blueliner Spacek locked and loaded. With the exception of Afinogenov, I am confident that Darcy will get the rest of the players signed who are scheduled for arbitration next week. I just can’t see the Sabres shelling out money for Maxim AND Briere. Briere was awarded 5 million for one year and it is now up to the Sabres to decide whether they want to sign and trade or sign and hope that an extension is reached at some point in January of 2007.
I would think that the Sabres management will try everything possible to retain Briere and really pour it on for another Stanley Cup run. It would be nice to retain Max as well but at some point, we have to realize that Buffalo is a small market team that does have to worry about profits at some point. You cannot just assume Tom Golisano can afford to lose Millions of dollars just because he is a billionaire; he is a business man first. All in all, I think that Sabres fans should feel comfortable about what is going on behind closed doors. The core will be back and it is loaded with talent.
The feel good journey of the Buffalo Sabres 2006 season has carried a lot of weight in this city but now it is time to turn our respective heads to the direction of the boys down on One Bills Drive. Training camp starts today in Rochester and all but the top two draft picks (Whitner and McCargo) have been signed.
This team has got more question marks than the city’s financial plan and it all starts with who the starting QB is going to be in September. It seems that most people are routing for Losman as he looks to have the most upside. Craig Nall has a lot of people talking as well but nobody really knows much about him. Holcomb comes in as a guy who could plug some leaks on offense but really does not have the talent to take this team to the next level. He has done everything asked of him thus far and very well could be the starter contrary to popular belief. It is up to the younger guys to step up to the plate and grab this team by the proverbial horns.
For the next few weeks, I am going to break down the team by position and request feedback from you as to who has the edge in the key position battles. I would also like to get your thoughts on the Bills team as a whole. Did last year leave a bad taste in your mouth? Do you think Marv can handle his duties as GM? Does Jauron have the brains AND the fire that fans have been seeking in a coach for what now seems like forever? Will this team that is so far below the radar to the experts actually have a shot at something special if the professor’s grand scheme comes together? These are just a few of the topics I would like to discuss in the coming weeks. Tatonka is back bigger and stronger and plans to give TKO a run for his money!