Question marks surround Sabres' future
by MATT KRUEGER Reporter

Will co-captains Chris Drury and Daniel Briere bolt Buffalo for the deep pockets of New York or Philadelphia? Will the Sabres be able to re-sign breakout winger Thomas Vanek? Will Dainius Zubrus play a full season in Buffalo in 2007? Is Teppo Numminen done in hockey? How will General Manager Darcy Regier handle the contract negotiations and staffing concerns?

That's the myriad of concerns facing the Buffalo Sabres this summer. We know, by the sheer dynamics of the NHL, that some of this year's players will leave for other cities. New players will replace them. But guessing which familiar faces will remain and which new faces will grace the locker room next year is as difficult as redirecting a 90-mph slap shot.

"Our goal is to have a great group of guys again," coach Lindy Ruff said after the Sabres' 4-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators in Saturday's Game Five of the Eastern Conference Finals. "We worked hard to come a long way in this league from where we were a couple years ago. And we've done it with a fairly young team. You miss some of the faces from year to year. We miss the guys who were here last year that weren't here this year. I think the product of this league now is that you are going to see changes, and you won't be able to share future experiences with some guys."

Eleven Sabres will enter free agency this summer, including Drury and Briere. Both are coming off career seasons. Drury set career marks for goals (37) and points (69) and led the team with eight goals in the playoffs. Briere had career highs in goals (32), assists (63) and points (95) and was named the MVP of the All-Star Game.

So, can they both stay in small-market Buffalo even though larger teams like the Rangers and Flyers will throw crates of money at both players?

"Yeah, that would be ideal," Drury said. "Obviously, it's a thrilling place to be playing hockey right now. The fans have embraced this team so much. I certainly hope to be wearing a Sabres jersey next year."

Briere also said he wants to come back.

"I would love to," he said. "I didn't hide my feelings all year. I'm hoping I'm still going to be here next year. I have no clue what's going to happen. There hasn't been any discussions, as far as a contract goes, and I didn't have any talks with my agent yet about the game plan. But it's a different situation. I think everybody understands that. But my biggest wish right now would be to be part of this team with Chris next year."

Drury earned $3.1 million this year, while Briere topped the payroll with $5 million. Both could cash in on the free agent market for contracts worth $7 million or $8 million.

The Sabres' front office holds a policy of no contract negotiations during the season, so both players have had to wait until now before anything could be addressed. That's a sticking point for Briere, who went to arbitration with the team last summer before signing his one-year contract.

"I wish something would have been done earlier in the year for either me or Chris," Briere said. "The tough part is now nobody knows what's going to happen. I still think it's possible, but I don't know what the team's plans are. And I'm sure they're going to talk about it in the next few days and decide what's best for the team."

Buffalo will also have to decide on the futures of unrestricted free agents Numminen, Zubrus, Adam Mair and Ty Conklin and restricted free agents Vanek, Derek Roy, Daniel Paille, Nathan Paetsch and Andrew Peters.

Numminen was one of Buffalo's most reliable defensemen in the playoffs, logging 24 minutes of ice time in Game Five against Ottawa. Zubrus, a trade-deadline acquisition from Washington, brought some size and physicality to the Sabres, but could end up as a rent-a-player. Vanek had a breakout season with 43 goals, 41 assists and a league-leading plus-47 rating. Roy centered one of the NHL's most dangerous lines with Vanek and Maxim Afinogenov and set career highs in goals (21), assists (42) and points (63). Paille and Paetsch were crucial stopgaps during the regular season, filling in for injured players. Peters is the team's enforcer.

"There's a great chance that we're not going to be a group anymore," Drury said. "After nine months, that's hard to take. We know there are going to be changes here, which is hard, because you build friendships. You battle with guys. But, ultimately, I guess that's just the job we do."

e-mail: mkrueger@beenews.com