Day Two: Bye-Bye Orpik
Jul 2, 2008 NHL
Orpik the elder has signed back with the Penguins for the surprisingly reasonable price of $3.75 million a year for 6 years. Sabres GM Darcy Regier spoke about the situation today:
“We are looking both short-term needs and we’re looking long-term because we’ve got a number of players that we want to sign and we want to keep here,” he said. “Players that are big contributors now to our hockey club and there are also players down the road… It’s a combination of the short-term picture, the immediate needs and then the long-term. We want to make sure we address both sides of that.
“I remain hopeful.”
This may not be right, but I read that as “We like the potential of the guys in our system more than we like Brooks Orpik for 5+ years.”
By the way, the most disturbing thing from that article is the fact that Sekera goes by ‘Reggie’. WTF?
Tags: buffalo, Hockey, NHL, orpik, penguins, pittsburgh, sabres, sekera, signing
Orpik: Forget I said anything…
Jul 1, 2008 NHL
From John Vogl at the Buffalo News:
I just got off the phone with Darcy Regier. The Sabres will not be in the final running for the services of Brooks Orpik.
“We did have conversations,” Regier told me. “I don’t expect to be a part of that going forward.”
Uh, I guess that leaves a trade still out there…or seeing how Weber/Sekera/Paetsch/Numminen maybe can fill the final two spots on the blueline.
Tags: buffalo, Hockey, NHL, numminen, orpik, paetsch, sabres, sekera, weber
Welcome Patrick Lalime!
Jul 1, 2008 NHL
Patrick Lalime has signed a 2 year, 2 million dollar deal with the Buffalo Sabres, giving Ryan Miller a new backup goalie. Lalime played for the Blackhawks last year, going 16-12-2 with a 2.82 GAA. He performed well when asked last year, including a 4 game winning streak. He was on WGR earlier this afternoon, and said he had talked about playing 15-20 games. Right where it should be, letting Miller rest on those 3 games in 4 nights, back to back travel games.
No other players on their way to Buffalo yet, although a bunch are off the market. Check the live blog at Mirtle for the full measure. Too much for me to keep up with, what with the 3 month old on my lap. Sabres fans’ dream guy Brooks Orpik is still out there, though, so hope springs yet.
Tags: buffalo, Hockey, lalime, mirtle, NHL, orpik, sabres, signing
Brooks Orpik - Opening the Door?
Jun 27, 2008 NHL
Local boy Brooks Orpik turned down the latest contract offer from the Penguins, which might open the door for his unrestricted free agency.
“We did receive an offer, which we turned down,” (agent Lewis) Gross told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Thursday. “But we’re still talking, and we’ll see where it goes.”
The 27-year-old Orpik had one goal, 10 assists and a team-high 239 hits in 78 games this season.
The 18th overall selection in the 2000 draft, Orpik has four tallies, 32 assists and 392 penalty minutes in 297 career games - all with the Penguins.
They are still negotiating, but Sabres fans are hoping this means he wants to come here (with the hometown discount, of course).
Tags: buffalo, Hockey, NHL, orpik, penguins, pittsburgh, sabres, signing
Penguins Get On the Board
May 29, 2008 NHL
Pittsburgh took the third game of the Stanley Cup Finals last night, blowing away my previous poll by scoring 3 goals. Crosby had two and Adam Hall had the other. The Pens seemed to be the more physical team, with Brooks Orpik dominating a stretch of the game in the third period, hitting anyone that touched the puck. Glad they decided to make a game of it.
Tags: crosby, detroit, hall, orpik, penguins, pittsburgh, red wings, stanley cup
