The first reaction to hearing the news of Adam Mair being placed on waivers was a simple wow. It came as a bit of a surprise to me. Mair is a well liked player from what we know and he is a fan favorite. He plays the role of a fourth line grinder who always plays with energy which helps him be a favorite of the fans and his teammates.
After the initial shock wore off, it is not really a surprising move. Mair has played in only 3 games this season and was not going to crack the top four lines anytime soon. I have said it on a couple of occasions "the Sabres have the best fourth line in hockey" unfortunately that line didn't include Mair.
Mair is a veteran of the Buffalo Sabres and the National Hockey League. The Sabres are trying to give him an opportunity to play with another team because he was not getting the playing time in Buffalo. The move would also effectively eliminate some payroll, although Mair was not making a large amount of money.
"We’ve just got extra forwards. He’s not playing, he’s in a contract year and it’s an opportunity to hopefully get a chance elsewhere."
Follow the jump for video of the Darcy Regier press conference.
The move is easy to make because the Sabres have some players that can step into his role if there is injury. The Sabres signed Cody McCormick and Jeff Cowan in the off-season and either player would be capable of adding the grit and energy that Mair brings to the ice. McCormick would obviously be the most likely choice because he is younger and could develop into the role with the squad while Cowan is more of a veteran player.