Sulzer re-signs, Chewy goes to Europe, Regier waits on the trade market to open, and is Parise worth it

The Sabres have re-signed Alex Sulzer to a one year $725,000 contract. I like getting him back given how nicely he meshed with fellow German Christian Ehrhoff following his deadline acquisition from Vancouver.

The interesting piece to this is that it would appear to create a logjam of NHL defensemen with seven defensemen not named Brayden McNabb or TJ Brennan signed to contracts for next season.

It will be interesting to see if guys like Jordan Leopold, Andrej Sekera, or Mike Weber gets moved this summer to create a roster spot for McNabb.

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Paul "Chewy" Szczechura has signed to play with Prague's KHL team for the 2012-13 season per Kevin Oklonzija of the Rochester D&C.

While this news won't hugely impact the Sabres' ability to make the playoffs in 12-13, this isn't good news for the Amerks who need a talent infusion. Plus, it further dents the Sabres center depth that was less than stellar to begin with.

Although, the Sabres/Amerks do have Kevin Sundher turning pro next season and that should help a bit.

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Darcy Regier wants to upgrade the Sabres center position. He also knows that the trade market is the most likely route to get the player that would fill that need.

So, he has to sit back and wait for the trade market to open up once the playoffs end and the NHL Entry Draft rolls around on June 22/23.

While the trade deadline and the opening of Free Agency on July 1st get all the attention, the week before the draft starts the time of year where NHL teams really are built.

Remember, the Flyers shocked the hockey world on June 23rd last year when they dealt both Jeff Carter and Mike Richards ahead of Free Agency.

I can't wait to see if Regier does his heavy off season lifting before Free Agency as opposed to last season.

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Justin Bourne puts out the case why Zach Parise will defy the odds and be a 28yo Free Agent that is worth $6 to $7 million per year.

Will he be Daniel Briere or will he be Chris Drury?

I love Parise and I wouldn't mind if he replaced Thomas Vanek as the highest paid forward on the Sabres this off season.

But, I doubt that Regier goes that route this summer. I just hope that Parise doesn't go the Scott Gomez route and leaves NJ for the NY Rangers in Free Agency.

If he doesn't re-sign with the Devils, I'd like to see him return home and sign with the Minnesota Wild.

Risk Management

I'm a hockey fan. But, it has been hard to stay really focused on the NHL with the Sabres missing the playoffs.

But, today I feel like talking about risk management and some risks the Sabres will be looking at this off season.

Risk #1 is South Buffalo native Patrick Kane. In case you missed it, Patrick Kane has been partying this off season. And that has created a lot of media chatter that the Chicago Blackhawks need to rid themselves of the talented, but immature Kane. 

If the cost of acquiring Kane is greatly reduced due to the immaturity issues, I wouldn't mind the Sabres rolling the dice on acquiring Kane. I would give up Derek Roy and a 2nd round pick and hope that a move back home will get Kane to mature. There is plenty of risk given how one of Kane's most infamous partying episodes that led to a brush with the law took place in Buffalo. But, if the Sabres can buy low on a player that has the talent to be a difference maker, I think they need to consider it.

But, it all comes down to risk management and whether the Sabres have a belief that they can put the right support system around Kane to get him to mature quickly.

Another potential risk assessment the Sabres will need to do this off season is at the draft with top 5 talent Mikhail Grigorenko could fall on draft day due to concerns about whether he plays hard all the time and more importantly, whether he'll go back to Russia to play for CSKA of the KHL since they can offer way more than he will get from an NHL rookie max contract.

Some people see the Montreal Canadiens taking Grigorenko, especially given that Patrick Roy was Grigorenko's coach with the Quebec Remparts. Although, plenty of people have downgraded Grigorenko given how quietly the Remparts went out in the QMJHL playoffs.

One reason I can see the Sabres passing on Grigorenko is previous comments by Sabres GM Darcy Regier where he said that you need a few Russians in the locker room if they are to work out. The Sabres currently have no Russians on the team or in the development pipeline. And I don't see Grigorenko being a guy that the Sabres make major changes to the players on the roster and/or in the pipeline to fit into the team.

But, the guy has a ton of talent and he fills a position of need at center...........

Another question is what do the Sabres view as the "Prototypical Sabre"?

I wouldn't mind it if the answer was similar to what the NFL's Baltimore Ravens have. The Sabres could use more tough guys that play hard and fast and would play the game for free.

Getting over Briere and Untouchables

Since it's playoff time, it must be the season for Sabres fans to kvetch about how Daniel Briere got away. Personally, I think that a pre-requisite for whining about how Briere left is that you had to be in the Pro-Briere camp. If you were a Pro-Drury person in that edition of "Pick a Player" fan talk battles, then you have no right complaining that the Sabres got it wrong.

And even if you were a Pro-Briere guy, you really need to move on. No amount of looking back longingly at what was will change the fact that Daniel Briere is not walking through that door.

The bigger question is do the Sabres have a guy that can turn into a Briere-esque impact player and clutch guy that turns things up a notch or three in the playoffs.

That gets us to players that I believe should be untouchable this off season when Sabres fans dream of guys like Jordan Staal coming to Buffalo.

Cody Hodgson is a guy that has Briere & Drury type qualities. And while he wants to take the high road with the comments coming out of Vancouver, Gary Roberts couldn't hold his tongue. If Hodgson has been held back by injuries and he's full go this summer with Roberts, I can't wait to see what he brings to the Sabres next season.

Marcus Foligno is another member of the new Sabres core that has people excited. And one of the things that excites me is that he talked about taking out his frustration with the way his season ended in the weight room this off season.

Hodgson and Foligno are two guys along with Tyler Ennis and Tyler Myers that I would place the untouchable tag on this off season.

If it means missing out on a guy like Jordan Staal to keep these guys, it would hurt. But, I'd make that call.