In some bright news for all Sabers fans, the front office did not let Thomas Vanek slip off to Edmonton, they matched Edmonton's offer to Vanek making young Thomas a very rich man. Vanek will only make about 10 times his salary from the 2006-2007 season. Not a bad raise, huh? But Buffalo needed to keep him to ensure they could put some sort of team on the ice next season.

In other news Buffalo signed ex-Penguin goalie Jocelyn Thibault as Ryan Miller's back up next season. This is an up grade from Ty Conklin as Conklin was a free agent this off season any way.

The NY Rangers are in the Picture

This picture has to be a welcome site to all NY Ranger fans. Add these two guys to the team that barely lost to the Buffalo Sabers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals and now the Rangers may be the team to beat.

I am guessing that someone in the front office in NY told them to go out and buy the best players they could.

Another Battle for the city of Buffalo

Well, I almost had to know it, but the Buffalo Sabers, after having the best record in the NHL this past season and making it to the Eastern Conference finals, have suffered two sever blows to their team.

As this article points out, co-captains Chris Drury and Daniel Briere left Buffalo on the first day of free agencies for the NY Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers respectively.

Now anyone who follows sports knows that Buffalo is by no means a large market city, thus they do not have the money that the team from Philadelphia and New York have to spend on players.

Buffalo has always built a great farm system and developed players to play with a team mentality. Which by the way hockey is, a team sport.

I hope that the Sabers management have a way of trying to make up for these losses, if not I don't see the Sabers back in the playoff contending for the Eastern Conference Crown.

Good Call for a Local Arkansan

Today there is so much hype from the world of sports, mainly about the money the players make and the trouble they get themselves into.

I, for one, would like to see more positive stories about the players, but I guess the negative stories are the ones that sell.

Here is a great story about Derek Fisher formally of the Utah Jazz on his decision not to come back to basketball, but rather stay with his sick daughter.

Derek played at a small college here in central Arkansas, University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers and helped them win championships. He is a team player and great person. I wish there was more players in ALL sports out there like him.