The not so crazy thought of the day

People are blasting me left and right for the Crazy Thought with regards to signing the Sedins and trading Vanek and Roy for the 1st overall pick.

That's fine. It was a CRAZY THOUGHT!

Now for my not so crazy thought:

Don't sign a single UFA and instead focus on making two to four solid trades to mix things up.

Regier has made some really solid trades over the years and I think that is the way the team needs to go this off season.

Trades like Rhett Warrener and Keith Ballard (to Colorado for Reinprecht and then Steven got flipped to the Flames) for Chris Drury, Chris Gratton for Daniel Briere, Mike Wilson for Rhett Warrener, and Matt Barnaby for Stu Barnes all added the type of leadership that this team needs.

I don't believe it should be beyond Darcy Regier to pull off a few trades that change the make up of this team enough that the attitude change this roster needs is made a reality.

In Regier's interview with WGR 550, he talked about how the team needs to development leadership from within the room. That scared me as I don't have a lot of confidence that guys like Roy, Connolly, Vanek, and Pominville have the inate ability to lead. And don't even get me started about guys like Hecht, Tallinder, and Lydman.

Adding Craig Rivet last year helped the leadership issues on the roster. I would like to see the team make some moves to add one or two more guys like that to the roster. Removing guys like Hecht and Tallinder that are dying for a change of scenery should help as well.

We shall see what Regier has up his sleeve over the next 2 weeks with the draft this weekend and UFA opening up next week.

I won't yell and scream when Jay Bouwmeester signs elsewhere for sick money and a long term.

I will yell and scream if on opening night the only new faces in the Sabres lineup are Tyler Myers and kids from Portland like Tim Kennedy and Mike Weber.

At a minimum, I want one player added who owns a Stanley Cup ring. Is that too much to ask?