Welcome Aboard, Joe DiPenta...?

by Anne

If one peruses the Sabres roster, one will find that defenseman Joe DiPenta is listed as a Defenseman. I only discovered this when I looked to see this afternoon if The Full Monty had been assigned a number yet. (He hasn't, according to the website).

Anyway, apparently Joey DP has been signed, despite no reports confirming this. I'm not sure what this is supposed to accomplish? Is he an NHL player? He's played a whopping 174 games in the NHL and last season he played in Sweden. Before that, he spent a season largely has a healthy scratch. In spite of that, he was a part of the 2007 Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks team.

He has only 23 points in those 174 games (6+17).

I'm going to assume Joe has signed a two way contract and will be spending some time in Portland, considering his less-than-impressive NHL stats. Honestly, this guy had better not be an alternative for Hank or Teppo. Based on his record, I think I'd still rather have Hank.

That's not to say Joe DiPenta isn't a solid defenseman, but it would seem he's not exactly the answer to any of the Sabres woes.

We let a lot of our minor league defensemen go this off season, including Mikes Funk and Card, along with veteran forward Mathieu Darche and Pirates' captain Tyler Bouck. I'm pretty sure Joe will be expected to be playing in Portland this coming season and provide some defense and some experience.

Nevertheless, Welcome Aboard, Joe. I'd make a "welcome" post, but he has his own website, which you can peruse.

Happy Day!

by Anne

Thoughts on development camp later.

There are more pressing and exciting things to discuss!!

The Sabres have signed my beloved Matt Ellis to a one-year contract!!!

Hoooray!!

I really love Matty's work ethic, his nose to the grindstone style and his often timely and unexpected goal production. Happy things!! One out of two requests for our UFAs isn't so bad.

:)

Hey, now we have twelve forwards on the roster!

Also in other happy funtimes news:

The Penguins have signed Jay McKee to a one year contract! *confetti!*

ETA: Apparently its not officially a signing. Its just an offer. Sigh.

ETAA: Now its official!!

If we can't have Keezer back in Buffalo, I'm happy he's back on one of my favorite teams.

Ohh...
Ummmm...



That's a little better.

Although, in not such happy news, Big Czech Al signed with the Rangers . :/

Boo.

Meh.

So far its been a pretty grand day. Development camp was fun. One more day, then I'm sure I'll offer some completely BRILLIANT insights on the week's events.

Woo!

And the Winner Is...

by Anne

Our most recent poll asked the following question:

Of the following defensemen scheduled to be UFAs (not counting Wiz) whom would you most like to see the Sabres go after?

The winner is (drumroll please):

Current Montreal Canadien and NHL All-Star
Mike Komisarek

Wooooo!

Michael is a shut-down defenseman that will likely command a pretty penny on July 1. The numbers I've heard rumored are in the $5 - $6 million a season for 4+ seasons. That's kind of a lot. Therefore, ain't no way he'll be a Buffalo Sabres on July 1st or any time after that. Mattias Ohlund came in 2nd by only one vote, but Mike Komisarek grabbed the early lead and never relinquished control. Only Bouwmeester, Ohlund and Komisarek received more than one vote. Ha.

Le sigh

Damn it Feels Good to be a Gangsta

by Anne

Ok, by no one's definition am I a gangsta. Not even a gangsta's friend, I'm not even someone a gangsta would put a hit out on. I'm just not righteous enough.

Moms and I saw Mamma Mia last night and I actually enjoyed it. It was surprisingly more emotional than I anticipated. I was expecting ridiculous fluff, but Meryl was in it, so how could it be anything but sweet? There was a stretch in the middle where they could've done without one of the 8 songs they had in a row, but it was fine.

I keep forgetting to mention that I've seen that dude that hosts "Power Play" like 3 times in the last couple of weeks. Well it's either him or his doppelganger. Just FYI he's more attractive in person, like he's got like a really great body which you can't really tell on the show. However, he has this perma-expression of disgust on his face, like something around him smells bad. If that's just the way his face is then, whoops! Sorry dude whose name I don't feel like looking up!

I feel as per usual, I should acknowledge that we've signed a new player, yet there's been so little fanfare and he's signed a 2way contract, so I don't feel as jazzed. However, seeing as how I have no new "Tim Connolly: The Guy You Can't Take Home to Mom, But Mom Might Take Him Home To You" stories, I suppose this will have to do.

Welcome Aboard, Mathieu Darche!

• Born November 26, 1976 in St. Laurent, QC
• He was not drafted
• He plays LW
• He's 6'1", 210 lbs
• He signed with the Blue Jackets in 2000
• Has played for Columbus, San Jose and Nashville, most of the time with their AHL affiliates
• He's spent most of his career in the AHL, last season he appeared in a career high 73 NHL games - before that the most he had played in one season was 14
• In 2005-2006 he played in Germany
  
• Last season he had a career high 22 points (7+15) while playing for Tampa, which made him like their 5th highest scorer, ha. No, but he was 9th, in all seriousness. Our 9th was Pie-YAY and he had 35
• We signed him to a 1 year 2-way deal which means he'll probably spend most of his time in Portland, but they do need a big brother there, so Gerbe can have someone to hide behind when he's hurling insults at those pesky Hershey Bears, we really don't have much grit down in Portland at the moment, especially if Kaleta and Weber make the move to the big time
  
• His brother plays for the Kansas City Chiefs, he's a long snapper
  
• He's not even slutty so I can be pacified if we lose Timmy. His GF forum says that 1. He's a good guy 2. He's married and 3. He's "amazing" That is NOT what I was hoping for
• HE PICKED US OVER SIGNING WITH OTTAWA. I SUDDENLY LOVE HIM. GOOD BOY, MATHIEU!
• He has a degree in Commerce... what exactly does that mean?
• He was only the 154th player out of the Candian University Hockey system to be signed to the pros
• He had 125 hits last year, around 15 minutes of ice time per game and played on Tampa's PK, which was ranked 18th (ours was 11th, FYI)
  
• He was -14, but for Tampa, that's good. Dan Boyle was -29, Vinny was -17
  
• After the deadline he played the enforcer role sometimes on a line with Vinny Lecavalier
• Umm, that's about all I can find out about him.
• He's a Sabre now so he's way cooler than every other player on any team... except Iggy
• He would've been able to shower with Ryan Malone this season had TB re-signed him. Ouch. That one's gotta sting. I hope he'll be able to come to terms with that.
  

BTW, we need some players who are better at winning face-offs because we ranked 25th in the league in Face Off Win % with only 48.6%. That's BAD..... although Pittsburgh came in dead last, and Detroit came in #1. Interesting.

Mathieu is ready for training camp to start


From when he played in Germany
Maybe he and Yo-yo can swap stories about romps through the German countryside?

Have a good Saturday everyone!

It Needs to Stop Raining Now

By S(h)ara


I'm supposed to go see The Gin Blossoms tonight, people. The rain needs to not be happening anymore.


A friend of mine that works at the Arena told me Patty goes to the Square a lot. (Or he did last year. They used to hang out together.) I'll keep my eyes peeled for him, and try to secretly take pictures with my camera phone. (No, I don't have a digital camera. Yes, I know it's 2008.)


As someone who lost one of their great hockey loves to a trade and an incurable case of Dbag Syndrome, I feel I am honor bound to assist MJ in her quest to have her Beloved Future Ex-Husband signed by an NHL team, preferably the Sabres. Ok, so he's not the best player on the team and we have left wingers coming out of our ears, but MJ loves him. And I'm sure there are at least one or two other people in Buffalo that love him as much as she does. He brings a lot to our team. Does anyone else have an adorable Boston accent? What about fabulous eyebrows? I say, nay sir. NAY! He's SabreBritney's go to guy for bubble hockey! We can't trade him/let him lapse into a UFA black hole!

How can you say "no" to that face, I ask you? P.S., I totally yoinked this from MJ's page

Interesting fact: if you do a google image search for Mike Ryan NHL, most of the pictures that come up are from MJ's blog. Well done, madam!

Please don't keep us in suspense any longer, Darcy! We need to know the fate of he who possesses the NHL's best eyebrows!

SEE?!? It's not just ME!!

by Anne

Everyone wants Big Bear. Everyone but the Buffalo Sabres, it appears:

CHECK IT OUT

Ummm, $2.5 million? Really. I love you lots, Big Bear, and you provide a lovely physical presence, but that's more than I anticipated you'd rake in next season, and probably too steep for what the Sabres could really justify paying you, but YAY for Big Bear!!!!!

I loves me some Steve Bernier.

And:

CRAP

But MO-OM!! I wanted Jason Smith!!!

OTTAWA IS STINKY. I guess they needed to replace Redden somehow. I don't like it when things go well for the Ottawa Senators. It makes my stomach turn. Ugh. Fine, whatever. We're still not where we should be on defense, but its a better situation than last year.

Looks like that exciting prospect is GONE. Oh no. Two of the three things on my birthday wishlist have gone horribly horribly the other way. We lost BIG BEAR and now we don't get Jason Smith.

GASP!

Let me change my request.

PLEASE DON'T SIGN DANIEL PAILLE. I HATE HIM AND HIS TOTALLY NON-ADORABLY VACANT FACIAL EXPRESSIONS. I DID NOT FIND IT AT ALL INSPIRING THAT WHENVER HE WAS BENCHED LAST SEASON HE CAME BACK WITH A VENGEANCE AND BLEW US ALL AWAY. DON'T SIGN HIM. SHIP HIM TO OUTER MONGOLIA FOREVER. I DIDN'T LOVE WATCHING HIM SCORE 2 GOALS IN ONE GAME IN THE VERY LAST ROW OF HSBC ARENA WHERE I WAS DRUNK AND YELLED AT KOTALIK A FEW MONTHS BACK. THAT WASN'T TOTALLY AWESOME AT ALL. HE IS NOT MY 2ND FAVORITE SABRE. GET HIM AWAY FROM HERE!

Was that thorough enough, Hockey Gods?

Do you think anyone will review this off-season's moves and decide that losing Steve Bernier really affected the Buffalo Sabres? God I hope not.

Whats the BFD?

by Anne


Ok, so I know that Patrick Lalime isn't exactly Martin Brodeur or Marty Biron, but does he really warrant the overall cry of discontentment I'm seeing from many Sabres bloggers?

I'm not leaping out of my seat over the signing, but when the alternative is THIBAULT (no offense, Teebs) I'd take almost anyone else.

Lalime just needs to prove himself early on and we'll all be fine. It's FINE. Chill out peeps.

Marty likes him, that's a good sign, right?

WHERE'S MY DEFENSEMAN, DARCY? We already know we're not getting Orpik, I just want someone to rely on, DARCE. WHERE IS HE?