Hecht signed for 3

Jochen Hecht is signed for three years. Three more years in Buffalo for the player that was a dominating force the last month of the last season hockey was last played. He is the type of player Sabres fans want to cheer for. Just like Chris Drury, Hecht never takes a shift off, a problem some associated with the mercurial Miroslav Satan. This is the direction Darcy Reiger is taking the club. This is what the Sabres fans can look forward to in the future as long as Darcy Reiger is in charge. We will sign our own, build from within. The Sabres will be at best the Minnesota Twins of the NHL, playoff contenders every year, or at worse the Millwaukee Brewers , only getting fans exicited when the team occasionally reaches the .500 mark.

This is not a bad team the Sabres have. They finished above .500 in the toughest division in hockey in 2003-2004. Reiger is going all in with this strategy. He has let go his top scorer and top defenseman this offseason. The Amerks of last season will be called on to fill these gaps. Tomas Vanek will certainly be closely watched by Buffalo fans. He has ignited their imaginations since winning MVP honors at the Frozen Four when it was held at HSBC arena.

Unlike other teams, the Sabres remain largely unchanged from the previous season. With such a large movement of players to different teams, the Sabres should have an advantage in the chemistry department. The Penguins have made quite a splash during the offseason, acquiring a ridiculous number of high priced talent. If these players can't play together, all of these aquisitions will be for nought and the Pens will be on the outside looking in come playoff time. The Sabres don't have those concerns.

This may put a rosy picture on bad situation but it is what Sabres fans need to deal with. I think if the Sabres miss the playoffs again this year Reiger will be gone for sure. That is one thing Sabres fans certainly will not miss.