Looking Ahead to Sabres 2010 Free Agents

by David Oleksy on Jul 28, 2009 9:00 AM EDT Comment 7 comments

The job of being a General Manager in the NHL is not an easy one despite how easy way make it look when he say "sign this guy" or "trade that guy". When trying to build a team a GM has to look at the big picture and not just this season. There is no doubt that Darcy Regier is looking at next season when he is negotiating with Drew Stafford and Mark Mancari. I'm sure he is looking beyond this season when he is dealing with the trade market as well.

This has been a relatively quiet off-season for the Sabres but next season may not be as quiet. The Sabres currently have six forwards, four defensemen and one goalie signed for the 2010-2011 season. That is a total of 11 players that are set to make aroun $39.5 million in 2010-2011.

Based on natural progression and the need to add some cheap players into the lineup, we can assume that Tyler Myers, Nathan Gerbe and possibly Jhonas Enroth will be regulars in the Sabres lineup by 2010. When adding those three players to the roster the Sabres would have 14 players signed for around $42 million. We could also be adding Drew Stafford and Mark Mancari to the list above depending if they sign and for how many years.

We have plenty of time to speculate on who will or won't be here next season but for arguments sake we'll just show you who will looking for a new contract next off-season. Follow the jump to see the list of players.

Unrestricted Free Agents

Adam Mair - 2009 Salary: $775,000

Mair is gritty player that has become a fan favorite because of his style of play. Before signing is last contract he professed his love for Buffalo and said "he wouldn't play anywhere else". His feelings may have changed because the team has not enjoyed the same success that they had before he signed his last contract. His role is that of a fourth liner and can probably be signed for a relatively cheap price.

Matt Ellis - 2009 salary: $500,000

Ellis is another gritty player that gives 100% on every shift. He is another role player that can be replaced easily by someone else but will likely be a candidate to be re-signed by the Sabres once again. The luxury of him signing a one year contract is that the Sabres have options with him.

Toni Lydman - 2009 Salary: $3,150,000

Lydman is a solid defensemen that is the but of criticism from many Sabres fans. Some of the criticism is warranted but he is possibly the Sabres best defenseman in his own zone. There is a possibility that the Sabres would try to bring him back next season but he would have to take a hefty pay cut from his current salary.

Henrik Tallinder - 2009 Salary: $3,250,000

I really don't need to say much about Hank. He is nowhere near the player that he was a couple of seasons ago and he is likely to leave the team unceremoniously, much like Dmitri Kalinin did.

Nathan Paetsch - 2009 salary: $1,050,000

Paetsch is a versatile player that has played both defense and forward for the Sabres. Every team loves to have a player that is as versatile as Paetsch but he will likely leave the team for an opportunity to play everyday with another team.

Joe Dipenta - 2009 Salary: $550,000

Dipenta was signed to add a veteran presence in Portland for this season. Nobody knows what the future will hold for Dipenta and would be unfair to speculate before he plays this season.

Patrick Lalime - 2009 Salary: $1,000,000

He makes too much money for a marginal backup goalie. He wasn't as good as needed to be when the Sabres needed him the most but his hip injury could have played a role in his play last season. With Jhonas Enroth pushing for a roster spot he will likely not be a member of this team beyond next season.

Restricted Free Agents

Clarke MacArthur - 2009 Salary: $1,400,000

MacArthur signed a one-year contract last week just one season after netting 17 goals last season. This will be a big season for MacArthur and will probably determine how hard the Sabres will try to re-sign him next year. There has been plenty of debate on this site about just how good C-Mac is and whether he was worth the money he signed for this season.

Daniel Paille - 2009 Salary: $1,350,000

Paille had a career high 19 goals two seasons ago but scored only 12 last season. He has been criticized for his lack of consistency but will be playing for a contract this season. He has shown at times that he can be a dominate player and a true power forward despite his size.

Patrick Kaleta - 2009 Salary: $522,500

Kaleta plays every shift like he is a bull in a china shop. He will be back after last season and will still come at a cheap price tag for the Sabres. He is possibly the most fearless player I have ever seen but he has suffered some head injuries that make him a concern for the team to sign.

Tim Kennedy - 2009 Salary: $635,000

Kennedy has some potential but has played in only one NHL game. He is likely to get an opportunity to prove what he can do at the NHL level this season. The Sabres like to keep the players they have developed and they will try to re-sign him after next season.

Other RFA's Next Season

In addition to the players listed above the Sabres have other minor league players that will be restricted free agents next season. The list includes Phillip Gogulla, Marc-Andre Gragnani, Mike Weber, Matt Generous, Derek Whitmore and Mike Kostka.

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Comments

Good point about Lydman sometimes being unfairly criticized. Didn’t he lead the team in hits and blocked shots last year? However I would like to see the number of giveaways he had last year from a bad breakout pass in the defensive zone. The only issues I have with Lydman are that he seems to give away the puck at critical moments in the game, and it seems like he has the skill set to contribute more offensively. Being 31 and having an injury or two in an average season, he probably won’t have a chance to live up to his potential for very long, if he does. Maybe it’s not such a bad idea for the Sabres to let him go. Tyler Myers should be decent enough to be third pair by next year and shouldn’t have too much trouble filling in the hitting and shot blocking departments. Montador also seems like the type of player who could fill those gaps in the top two pairs. Maybe the Sabres should consider signing a UFA dman again next year. Who will be the UFA defenseman around the league after next season?

by sween on Jul 28, 2009 1:20 PM EDT reply actions

Valid point about Lydman. My beef with him is the giveaways. You just can’t make passes up the middle or soft chips off the boards that don’t clear. It’s like a ticking time-bomb every time he fails to clear the puck when he should. I can remember so many times seeing that happen and just pretty much count the seconds til the puck ends up behind Miller. As solid as he is at times, those kind of mistakes flat out lose hockey games and that is unacceptable to happen over and over for a guy that is making the kind of money to be a top 2-3 defenseman on our team.
On Paille, I feel that he plays best with the best players. When he gets icetime with a scoring line, he scores. When he’s designated to the 3rd or 4th line, he loses time and therefore opportunities to score. He scored on 15% of the shots he took last season, good for 3rd on our team. I think he’s a player that deserved more icetime and more opportunities. It’s obvious to me that he can handle that role and he’s a player, unlike stafford and macarthur, that can be relied on in his own zone also.

"Potential just means you haven’t done sh## yet"

by willgarr15 on Jul 28, 2009 3:05 PM EDT reply actions

that paestch contract is a travesty

how many nhl games has the guy played…and he’s only serviceable at best when in the line up…

anyone griping about mccarthur, who despite what you feel, at least has the chance to be a difference maker here should look at paetsch’s contract…a million dollars…for what?

by tiimbitz4786 on Jul 28, 2009 5:01 PM EDT reply actions

hmm...

Come on D.O. give us more insight than that…anyone could go to nhlnumbers.com and make those generalizations! It’s hard to predict what should be done in ‘10 when ’09 will determine what will be done with those players…but here’s my guestimation:

1.) Mair v. Ellis: Fight To The Death
—Same position, neither are going to be promoted past the 4th line…time to decide which one you’d rather keep. My vote: Matt Eliis. He’s building a house down the road from me. It’s personal.

2.) Lydman, Tallinder or Paetch??
—Sign Lydman. He was a disaster our first year after our tragic losses of Drury and Briere but last year he seemed to be the one defenseman who was always in the right spot at the right time. Sure, we’ll have to deal with a heart attack once a game when he turns the puck over in front of the net but look at his competition? Nathan Paetch? Naethan Paetch will best be remembered as trying and failing at his attempts of the Brian Campell Spin Move. Tallinder is a mystery. Once our lockdown defender now one of our liabilities….what will he do in a contract year?? My vote: hope he does well and trade his ass.

3.) Say Goodbye to Paille, Dipenta, and Lalime
—if Kassian develops…you could say goodbye to McArthur or even buying out Hecht’s contract also

Gerbe, Kennedy, and Myers will all see time this year…and if at least two of them produce….we’re making the playoffs

by SPACE K on Jul 29, 2009 10:13 AM EDT reply actions

You're Right

It’s a long summer and I need to save some material. I plan on doing some more on these players as the summer progresses.

D.O.
www.diebytheblade.com - An SB nation destination for Sabres fans everywhere

by David Oleksy on Jul 30, 2009 10:43 AM EDT up reply actions

Any comparison of Tallinder to Kalinin just boggles my mind.

Besides that, i just agree with everything willgarr15 posted. It amazes me at how we used Paille last year. Hehct had a year full of disappointment and MacArthur was as streaky as they come. You’re telling me a guy like Dan Paille didn’t deserve some of those minutes from that disappearing pair?

by goobermaphone on Aug 1, 2009 2:40 AM EDT reply actions