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April 12, 2013, 11:37 PM ET [224 Comments]
GARTH'S CORNER
NHL news by Garth • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Former Sabres captain Danny Briere, who has missed the Flyers’ last 10 games with a concussion, will make his return to the Flyers lineup today in Buffalo.

It’s been a nightmarish season for Briere. He suffered a chip fracture to his wrist while playing in Germany during the NHL lockout. Then, he was concussed.

Briere has only played in 26 games this season. He has only scored 5 goals and added 8 assists. He's an uncharacteristic -13.

A return to Buffalo will be good for Briere. He played some of his most inspired hockey during his four seasons with the Sabres from 2003-07. Two trips to the Eastern Conference Finals... the were the days my friends. Briere played 225 games in Buffalo, scoring 92 goals and setting up 138 others. He signed with the Flyers as a UFA on 7/1/07. His eight-year, $52 million contract was hard to refuse. The Sabres opted not let Briere and Drury test the UFA market and both packet up their hockey bags and headed out of Buffalo. The Sabres haven't been the same franchise since Briere left town six seasons ago. Talk about a killer hangover. Buffalo just can't seem to live without Briere.

There may be a chance that Briere could end up a Sabre at the end of this season.


Earlier this week, my friend Tim Panaccio spoke with Briere about the likelihood of the Flyers invoking an amnesty buyout on the final two years that are remaining on Briere's eight year contract.

Panotch wrote:

Briere is likely down to his final eight games as a Flyer. He’s an obvious option for an amnesty buyout this summer with two years left on his deal at a team-high $6.5 million cap hit.

The buyout would cost the Flyers $3.3 million, or two-thirds of what he is owed, which is $5 million after this season.

Briere’s deal, signed in 2007 as a free agent, was eight years, $52 million.

He admitted on Thursday he’s playing to remain a Flyer, and that he understands amnesty is a legitimate obstacle right now. He almost concedes it’s going to happen this summer, regardless.

“Definitely,” he said. “It’s reality. There’s no doubt about it. But at the same time, those are things I can’t control at this moment. All I can control is for me to come back into the lineup and play as good as I can, to show them. Other than that, I can’t worry about injuries or what they are going to decide to do. That’s out of my control at this point.

“It was agreed by both the players and owners. So no, I can’t complain about that. I end up being the one to pay the price. But you know what, there have been so many good things that turned in my favor over the years that I won’t complain about that.”

The salary cap of $70.2 million goes down to $64.3 million next season. The amnesty clauses, which expire one year from this summer, were enacted to allow teams to gradually get under the cap coming out of the lockout.


The Flyers, like the Sabres, have traded away several key members of their veteran core in the past two season, thus leaving the organization in the challenging position re-tooling its squad while on the fly. The Flyers have turned over a majority of their roster and have parted ways with several older players. Its a youth movement is in full effect in Philly. Claude Giroux is the focal point of the core, with youngsters like the Schenns, Couturier, Read, and Simmonds playing supporting roles.

In many ways, the Sabres and Flyers are mirror images of one another. Both teams have endured miserable seasons. Their rosters have lacked consistency and continuity. Goal scoring droughts have killed their chances to win games, while poor defensive zone play has resulted in an inordinate increase in goals against. Each team is in arrears in terms of goal differential--- they both give up more goals than they score. Each team has to now live with the fact that the playoffs are a pipe dream. The Sabres enter today's game in 11th place in the East with 38 points, one point ahead of 12th place Philly. Each team has traded away older, more experienced players and have handed their car keys to to their organizational prospects and young kids.

Briere may the next vet to leave Philly.


Thanks, csnphilly.com

I don't know about you, but I'm a believer in Briere.

I think that he'd add immediate value and leadership to the Sabres room in the next couple of seasons. I'm here to say that I think that the Sabres should pursue Briere if.when he is bought out by the Flyers.

Money is not a concern with Pegula at the helm. Briere has a lot of quality hockey left in him. When healthy and motivated, he's one of the most consistent scorers in the game. Whats more, the Sabres ownership and management will have some explaining to do to its season ticket holders and fans if they miss the playoffs for the season straight season. Bringing back Danny would be a nice olive branch to offer the fan base. Good PR goes a long way to healing hurt feelings and open wounds. I firmly believe that Pegula can turn the boos to cheers with the simple acquisition of Briere. The "Hockey Heaven" brand has some tarnish on it right now. Bringing back Briere may be the perfect solution to inject equity back into the Buffalo Sabres brand. Another aspect to consider is that Briere would be the perfect mentor for the young guns who will be coming to Buffalo next season. Grigorenko and Girgensons are centers. Who better than Briere to teach them the nuances of teh NHL game? Armia is a pure goal scorer and he certainly could benefit from riding shotgun with a smart, gifted NHL play maker. For a team lacking in offensive consistency, Briere can manufacture offense by scoring on his chances and can get the puck to Vanek, Ott, and the vets. Speaking of Vanek, the Sabres can prove to him that they are serious about performing a quick re-tooling rather than undertaking a long term re-build. I say, show Vanek some love before he wants to leave for greener pastures when his contract expires in July 2014.


Briere has played on the wing this season. He isn't complaining about it. He'd rather be playing his natural center positions, but young gun centres Giroux, Schenn, and Couturier ahead of him of the depth chart, Brier becomes the odd man out. The Sabres need a veteran centre, and Briere may well be their man.

I'm all for the Sabres using their amnesty buyout on the oft injured Ville Leino. I'd give Leino's money to Briere.


Danny and his three sons, ages 11,13, 14, are Buffalonians. Western New York is like the "Hotel California"-- you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.




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grigo sabres
Thanks, Dan Hickling





One door closes. Another door opens.

Thats how life works.

Former Quebec Rempart (Tampa Bay) Nikita Kucherov accounted for six points in Rouyn-Noranda's 6-1 win over Mikhail Grigorenko's squad on Friday night.

Game. Set. Match.

Kucherov and the Huskies eliminated the Remparts from the second round of The Q playoffs, 4 games to 1.

Grigorenko is now free to travel back to Buffalo to resume his NHL career. He may likely end up in Rochester to play with the Amerks. The hockey world is Grigo's oyster.

Suffice to say, Grigo will never play another game for the Quebec Remparts ever again. He's an NHLer now.

In the end , Kucherov and the underdog Huskies made the Remparts pay for their sketchy special teams play and their sift D-zone coverage.

It all matters not now. Grigo belongs to the Buffalo Sabres. Now, he gets the chance to resume his NHL apprenticeship. He has before him two interesting options:

Play out the final seven games in Buffalo, and/or, ship directly into Rochester to help the Amerks to lock-down a playoff spot.

In 22 games played in Buffalo earlier this season, Grigo scored one goal and added five assists.




In 33 games in QCity, Grigo scored 30 goals and added 24 assists.

In 11 playoff games, he scored 5 goals and added 9 assists.

The Lindy Ruff firing cut Grigo's minutes from ten minutes per game to five or less. The right move was to send the kid back to Patrick Roy's Remparts where he would play 5 on 5, PP, and PK, and be liberated from the oppression of Rolston's fourth line.

Patrick Roy played Grigo is all key situations. He thrived 5 in 5, as well as on the PP.

With seven games remaining in Buffalo's regular season, the pressure will be off of Grigo. Now would be a great time to skate the kid in the top six and to see what he's really made of.









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The Rochester Americans scored twice in the second period and used a 40-save effort from goaltender David Leggio to defeat the Oklahoma City Barons 3-2 in a shootout Friday at The Blue Cross Arena.

With the win, the Amerks improve to 40-27-3-1 on the season and moved ahead of Oklahoma City and into fifth place in the Western Conference heading into the final five games of the 2012-13 regular season.

Rochester received goals from veteran forwards Cody McCormick and Nick Tarnasky in regulation while Maxime Legault notched two assists for the Amerks, who have won eight of their last 10 games, including three straight via the shootout. Leggio turned in yet another stellar performance between the pipes through the first 65 minutes, especially in overtime, when he steered aside all seven shots before blanking all four Barons shooters in the skills competition.

Thanks, Amerks.com


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The Sabres D corps is growing by one.

There are reports that UMass-Lowell puck mover Chad Ruhwedel is about to sign his NHL entry level contract with the Sabres.

I compare Ruhwedel to mark Pysyk. Excellent skater, great first pass, sound in D and O zones.








A San Diego native, Ruhwedel was named to the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA)/CCM All America First Team, released Friday at the NCAA Frozen Four.

He was also named a Hockey East First Team D, and was also named the Recipient of the Bob Monahan Award for Defenseman of the Year by the New England Hockey Writers Association last week.

Kris Baker of Sabres Prospects created this loop of some of "Rudy's" best work:





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