News Article: Ott in limbo

[joshjull]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/russians-dont-like-the-nhls-style-rules/

Steve Ott is the only impending unrestricted free agent in the Buffalo Sabres dressing room willing to emphatically state that he’s prepared to wait out the rebuild. Yet the captain has no idea if he’ll be given that chance. “We had some negotiating going back and forth and (former GM) Darcy Regier kind of pulled the plug and said he was going to wait until training camp,†says Ott of some summer discussions. “Then training camp came and nothing was said.â€

Now the entire landscape around the franchise has been altered. Pat LaFontaine was hired as president of hockey operations and is currently conducting a GM search with no end in sight. In fact, some in the industry think he could end up essentially holding that job himself through the end of the season. Whoever is calling the shots as the March 5 trade deadline approaches will need to make a decision on the future of Ott, long-time No. 1 goalie Ryan Miller and perennial 30-goal man Matt Moulson—all of whom are playing on expiring contracts.

Sabres more likely to win the draft lottery than 30 games this season, he’s realistic about the fact that he might ultimately end up getting traded. “You’ve got to look at it: Who are your assets?†says Ott, who calls it an honour to be mentioned in rumours and wanted by other teams. “We understand the whole asset side of things. Myself, (Miller) and (Moulson) are the unrestricted guys in this dressing room, and we’re going to probably cause a little stir because of where we are—in a rebuilding atmosphere we’re usually guys (the team) will get pieces for. Otherwise, tha’s bad business.â€

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[stokes84]

Did he really ever emphatically state that he was willing to wait through the rebuild?

 

[Chainshot]

Sounds typical of Regier -- no communication. I remember Heinze talking about not finding out until a summer barbeque that they had no interest in him returning. It's that sort of thing that I'm glad is no longer part of the organization.

 

[Zip15]

Did he really ever emphatically state that he was willing to wait through the rebuild?

The tenor of most everything he's said since he's arrived in Buffalo is that he wants to be here long-term, primarily because he loves Pegula and the fanbase. Whether that makes the most sense for the Sabres is another question entirely.

 

[stokes84]

The tenor of most everything he's said since he's arrived in Buffalo is that he wants to be here long-term, primarily because he loves Pegula and the fanbase. Whether that makes the most sense for the Sabres is another question entirely.

He's also said the most important thing to him is winning. From his WGR interview about a month back, it sure didn't sound like his mind was made up about wanting to be here.

He loves Pegula and the town, but he's also been known to over-exaggerate positives and say things fans want to hear.

 

[Beerz]

good read

 

[gallagt01]

I have little doubt in my mind that Ott will be re-signed. Like Ott (according to the headline), the organization is in limbo. It's without a general manager. I'm sure that's the only reason talks haven't resumed with Regier out of the picture. LaFontaine is likely very interested.

With everything the organization has said in regards to rushing young players since the new regime took over, I can't imagine Buffalo has any intention of trading Ott/letting Ott walk.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

I would rather trade Ott for a first and re-sign Moulson and possibly Miller. Moulson is a better player and more valuable then Ott (along with more expensive) and Miller is the heart and soul of the team. Ott, while a fan favorite and fun guy to watch takes stupid penalties, thinks with his heart over his head and has limited offensive capabilities. Whle that isn't that big a deal especially for a defensive first player, it does matter when he is getting top line along with PP1 minutes.

 

[Kyndig]

Resign Ott and Moulson if they want to stay.

 

[fing0rz]

It will simply come down to money.

 

[Digable5]

I have little doubt in my mind that Ott will be re-signed. Like Ott (according to the headline), the organization is in limbo. It's without a general manager. I'm sure that's the only reason talks haven't resumed with Regier out of the picture. LaFontaine is likely very interested.

With everything the organization has said in regards to rushing young players since the new regime took over, I can't imagine Buffalo has any intention of trading Ott/letting Ott walk.

I really like Ott and think he fits the culture the Sabres have been moving to install. I think he would be a great veteran to have on the team as they regain their competitiveness.

That being said, the best thing for him and the team would likely be to trade him and give him a chance to play on a winning team. I know this isn't NHL 14 but ideally I would like to see him traded for a nice asset, win a Cup and resign with the team in the off-season.

 

[Moskau]

Resign Ott and Moulson if they want to stay.

Moulson is the exact type of player we are trying to avoid right now. He's a luxury that teams with already great cores can add at the deadline before he signs with a middling team like Ottawa or Winnipeg in the off season. If we had some better puck possession players on the team which would make us middling ourselves I would consider it but I'd rather sign two players that put up half of his points and can actually hold on to the puck for longer than 0 seconds than sign Moulson.

 

[Djp]

I would trade Ott and then resign him as a UFA....

 

[Moskau]

If Ott goes to free agency he's gone. Depending on the length he's going to be getting anywhere from 4.5-5.5 Million a year. No thanks.

 

[Paxon]

Trade 'em all and let god sort 'em out

 

[HockeyHeaven8248]

I would trade Ott and then resign him as a UFA....

because that happens so often ....

 

[Jim Bob]

The tenor of most everything he's said since he's arrived in Buffalo is that he wants to be here long-term, primarily because he loves Pegula and the fanbase. Whether that makes the most sense for the Sabres is another question entirely.

And he's Weber's brother from another mother.

 

[Ethan Edwards]

Sounds typical of Regier -- no communication. I remember Heinze talking about not finding out until a summer barbeque that they had no interest in him returning. It's that sort of thing that I'm glad is no longer part of the organization.

Absolutely. It almost seems like every player has a similar Regier story. These little nuggets come out in countless interviews, past and present, even from players who reportedly liked the guy.

 

[BowieSabresFan]

I would rather trade Ott for a first and re-sign Moulson and possibly Miller. Moulson is a better player and more valuable then Ott (along with more expensive) and Miller is the heart and soul of the team. Ott, while a fan favorite and fun guy to watch takes stupid penalties, thinks with his heart over his head and has limited offensive capabilities. Whle that isn't that big a deal especially for a defensive first player, it does matter when he is getting top line along with PP1 minutes.

Moulson is a finishing piece on an already good team. He can really only do one thing well. Ott can handle multiple responsibilities, and do most of them decently well. I would rather have Ott on this current team, than Moulson. I would also rather have Ott as the team develops over the next few years.

 

[Kyndig]

Moulson is the exact type of player we are trying to avoid right now. He's a luxury that teams with already great cores can add at the deadline before he signs with a middling team like Ottawa or Winnipeg in the off season. If we had some better puck possession players on the team which would make us middling ourselves I would consider it but I'd rather sign two players that put up half of his points and can actually hold on to the puck for longer than 0 seconds than sign Moulson.

I just figured it would be nice to have a vet around that knows how to consistantly score in the NHL, to help guide the youngsters and whatnot.

Ott I wanted to keep because hes one of our few PKers/faceoff guys and plays with all his heart.

 

[Jame]

He's also said the most important thing to him is winning. From his WGR interview about a month back, it sure didn't sound like his mind was made up about wanting to be here.

He loves Pegula and the town, but he's also been known to over-exaggerate positives and say things fans want to hear.

yea... funny how fans interpret that

 

[vcv]

He's also said the most important thing to him is winning. From his WGR interview about a month back, it sure didn't sound like his mind was made up about wanting to be here.

He loves Pegula and the town, but he's also been known to over-exaggerate positives and say things fans want to hear.

This morning he again emphasized how important it is to him to be working for guys like Pegula, LaFontaine and even Nolan, and how much it means. Stated how he didn't have that kind of situation in Dallas.

 

[DixonWard15]

I wonder how much being named Captain means to him. It is quite an honor and I doubt many other teams in the league would have given him that letter on his sweater.

 

[SabreBlood]

Sounds typical of Regier -- no communication. I remember Heinze talking about not finding out until a summer barbeque that they had no interest in him returning. It's that sort of thing that I'm glad is no longer part of the organization.

Didn't Nathan Gerbe find out he was bought out via email?

Regier killed this organization. Hopefully LaFontaine can bring the Buffalo Sabres' respect level, from players around the league, back from the dead.

 

[1point21Gigawatts]

Didn't Nathan Gerbe find out he was bought out via email?

Regier killed this organization. Hopefully LaFontaine can bring the Buffalo Sabres' respect level, from players around the league, back from the dead.

Looking back on facts like these, it's no wonder why people don't/didn't like coming into our organization. It would be nice to bring credibility and integrity back to the Sabres franchise.

As for Ott, wouldn't it be nice to keep a captain around for a contract extension for a change