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Posted: Tuesday, 23 June 2009 5:54AM
The Spacek Strategy
Nick Mendola
nick@wgr550.com
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So Darcy Regier got to talking with the media, and the ensuing brushfire claims at least a few fans in the ashes of the news that the team is talking to Jaroslav Spacek.
There are several ways to look at this, and two of them are fathomable.
A) The notion is legitimate...
Spacek is one of the few players who cared when he was named captain, and one of even less who looked the part. His 45 points were 17th amongst NHL defenders, surrounded by names like Dion Phaneuf, Ryan Suter, Rob Blake and Duncan Keith (Norris winner Zdeno Chara had 50). He manned a power play unit and killed penalties.
At 35 years old, he just played an 80-game season, the most since 2002-03 with Columbus, and the team does need a veteran alongside Craig Rivet in a corps that is only going to get younger with Teppo Numminen leading.
FUN FACT: Adding Tyler Myers and subtracting Teppo Numminen would lower the team's "opening day" average defenseman age from 30.375 to 27.625. You don't see that every day, but the 30.375 would be among the eldest blue lines in the league. With four players over 30 (Spacek, Rivet, Tallinder, Lydman), it would be anyway.
2) The notion is part of a ploy...
Even in a recession, the NHL will still deal in funny money come July 1. Spacek's aforementioned 45 points rank fourth amongst unrestricted free agent blueliners. When he gets crazy money, Regier can "blame the market," and use it as a blanket excuse to bring in Lasse Kukkonen to compete with Tyler Myers and Mike Weber for a full-time job.
FUN FACT: The following defensemen in their mid-30s inked deals last offseason --
$5 million -- Rob Blake, 37 years old
$2.6 million -- Jason Smith, 33 years old
$2.5 million -- Adam Foote, 35 years old
$2.275 million -- Aaron Ward, 35 years old
...And because what fun is a world without a depth chart...
Here's my June-blink Sabres defensive depth chart, pre-free agency:
1. Rivet
2. Spacek (UFA)
3. Lydman
4. Sekera (RFA)
5. Butler
6. Weber
7. Tallinder
8. Myers
9. Numminen (UFA)
10. Paetsch
11. Gragnani
The rest: Brennan, Persson, Schiestel, Funk (RFA), Card (RFA)
Email: nick@wgr550.com
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