During the Buffalo Sabres locker cleanout there were a great many juicy quotes and interesting tidbits that came to light. Rather than put up a mess of tiny posts, we’ll just collect the most interesting ones here, and couple them with the first questions that pop to mind.
- Tyler Myers admitted that he had a broken foot (hairline fracture) while Christian Ehrhoff said he had “a sprain,” and would have missed the first round. Thomas Vanek wouldn’t admit he was injured, but later blogged about having chest, ankle, and shoulder injuries.
- Jochen Hecht was very upset, on the verge of tears, that he might not be returning to Buffalo. He wants to return next season, but with his contract expiring, should the Sabres take a chance on such a concussion-prone player?
- Derek Roy missed a month of summer training last offseason due to a leg injury, and said his hamstring might still be a year away for being 100% healed. A healthy Roy in a contract year will undoubtedly perform better than he did this year, but will he still be on the team?
- Ryan Miller was “sick to his stomach” about the way the season went and the fact that he let the team fall so far before picking them up. He also restated that he wants to be in Buffalo, and made a commitment to the organization that he intends to see through. Can we stop asking now?
- Drew Stafford admitted that he took a step back this year, and that the season was mentally draining. He added that if he plays the way he knows he can, the team would have won more games. So which Stafford will show up next year, 20 goal Stafford or 30 goal Stafford?
- Finally, the common theme from the players was “we weren’t good enough,” which was oddly refreshing to hear. Pominville, Miller, Ehrhoff and others all touched on the fact that they have to be better next year and not get into such a big hole. It’s nice to hear honesty, but will that sentiment carry over into offseason training?