One way or another, Sabres GM Darcy Regier wants to address the center position on his team.
“The right center ice is a priority,” Regier told reporters today after announcing the re-signing of defenseman Alexander Sulzer. “The real unknown here is what the trade market will hold. Nothing has started. It doesn’t get started until after the playoffs. Teams begin to talk, and then it really builds as you go into the draft.
“It’s tough to know what will be available, but if we can find the right centerman it would help.”
The Sabres already have three centers in Derek Roy, Cody Hodgson and Tyler Ennis; however, Roy was the target of trade speculation for much of the past season, and that speculation hasn’t gone away.
“We expect [Roy] back at this point, and we expect him to have a good season at this point,” said Regier, as per John Vogl of the Buffalo News.
Key phrase: “at this point.” (So key Regier used it twice.)
Roy is tradable – he’s only signed for one more season ($4 million cap hit) before he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Buffalo also has two first-round picks (and two seconds) that could be used to help land the “right centerman.”