Potential Logjam on Sabres Blueline

After perusing my long-time internet mate Kris Baker's (known to one and all as "Bakes") excellent SabresProspects.com, I got to thinking about the present and future of the Sabres blueline, especially given the real possibility of the Return of the Numminen (cue the John Williams bombast!). As Bakes put it here:

... the financially responsible Regier would be wise to wait until training camp to further evaluate his defensive corps and really find out if Teppo is needed.

The "wait" isn't all about the dollars. It's about icing your best team. If Andrej Sekera has advanced himself into Buffalo's top-6 ahead of current #7 Nathan Paetsch, it would seem that a Numminen signing would automatically send 21-year old rearguard Mike Weber to Portland (AHL) to start.

Weber and Sekera really grew up a lot after the trade deadline last season, logging very solid minutes (16+) and posting almost gaudy plus/minuses given the Sabres inability to keep the puck out of their own net (242GA --22nd overall). He's exactly the kind of defense man we Sabres fans have been salivating for since Jay McKee left. But, with Craig Rivet in the fold that need has lessened, if only marginally. The obvious choice if Teppo is signed is to send Weber to Portland until he's needed.

But, as Bakes suggests, is this the right move? With development-coach extraordinaire, Randy Cunneyworth moving up to the NHL (Signed as asst. coach in Hotlanta this weekend), would Weber be best served germinating further in the AHL as opposed to learning by Rivet and Numinnen's example and experience, not to mention Asst. Coach James Patrick? I'm honestly not sure. It almost seems to me that Regier should bring Teppo back as much to be a tutor for his 3 up and comers as he would as a player.

Further complicating matters is the signing of prospect Chris Butler from the University of Denver. Not that anyone thinks that he's ready for the show, but if he progresses at the same rate that Weber did, then I'd have to put that in the proverbial "good problem to have" category.

What I'm driving at here is a different conclusion that what Bakes arrived at. If these kids do make it impossible for Ruff and Regier to send them up to Maine because of their training camps, it makes Nathan Paetsch the odd guy out. He's the one that struggled mightily last season, basically getting his job taken from him by Sekera. Under contract for another 2 years at a great price, he's the kind of extra asset that could get packaged up and sent off for a solid return. He's not on his rookie deal so he can't be sent down without clearing waivers, which I sincerely doubt he would. It's not like there's a ton of defensemen who can run the power play just hanging around the puck-bunnies waiting for the phone to ring.

I'd prefer for that not to happen, as I expect this team to make a solid push at the post-season and we all know the Hockey Gods have not been kind to Sabres defensemen come the Spring, but carrying 8 defensemen all season seems a waste. To develop, young blueliners need to play.

The Sabres have drafted a ton of defensemen in the past few drafts and they are starting to push for jobs. The rapid development of Weber, though was a complete surprise. With Mikes Funk and Card and Marc-Andre Gragnani already with significant AHL experience if Butler has the same kind of upside things could get very interesting very quickly.

Ta,