I'm Studying You

My Xmas Eve

Today's the day.

The NHL trade deadline has come and gone. When the Sabres are doing well, I'm excited...are they buyers or sellers? It's almost like Christmas Eve all over again..."What's in that box?" "I wonder what my love got me?"

Only the hockey gods left a bunch of coal in my stocking this year. It appears as if the Sabres have given up on the season, trading their best defenseman and a low round draft pick to San Jose (they still have a team?) for an underachieving forward I've never heard of and a first round pick in the draft.

I hate to say this, but I understand it. But that doesn't mean I have to accept it. I guess it's cool to get something in return for a player you weren't going to resign anyway at the end of the year, and given Buffalo's reputation for bungling free agent negotiations, a trade sort of makes sense. Do I think we could've gotten more? Yes. Absolutely. But my primary train of thought was this: with plenty of room under the salary cap and on the fringes of making the playoffs, I honestly thought we were one or two players away from making a greater push in the standings. Instead, GM Darcy Regier has basically dismantled the NHL's arguably best team in 2006-2007. I fully believe he could've done a hell of a lot more to lock Brian Campbell up long term at a reasonable, satisfactory price. This team just does not know how to handle its money players. I'm already fearful of what's gonna happen next summer When Ryan Miller hits the market.

And why did we add a first round bust to a team already full of players who aren't playing to their potential? Yeah I'm lookin' right at you, Maxim Afinogenov. I'm sure there're still a few teams that covet your speed, and remember that you once led the the Sabres in scoring. And sure, you're injured right now, but you were nowhere to be found earlier in the season. The only place you could be seen was on the back of milk cartons ("Have you seen this Forward?"). And I don't even care that I met you and your hot girlfriend once, or that you seemed like a really nice guy. The Sabres pay you to score goals, not blondes!

So it is with a heavy heart I type this today. I feel like I was promised a pony and got bad sweater instead. Or when my mom said I'd be getting a car when I turned 16, and I did...complete with Matchbox packaging. I guess I can hang my blue and gold Sabres jersey back up in the closet and replace it with my blue and gold St. Louis Blues jersey, because it just doesn't matter anymore this year. At least I had no expectations for St. Louis.