After the Winter Olympics end, NHL teams will have just three days to tweak their rosters ahead of the March 3 trade deadline. Insider has linked ESPN The Magazine's E.J. Hradek with the metric-heads over at Puck Prospectus to evaluate every team's roster and the surrounding whispers from NHL Rumor Central. This is how your team could improve for a run at the playoffs, the Stanley Cup or for next season.
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Buffalo Sabres
Veteran GM Darcy Regier isn't the panicking type. So I doubt's his team's recent slump will cause him to go off the deep end into the trading pool.
I'll be curious to see what he does with defenseman Toni Lydman. Regier could move him to another club as a rental or keep him as a depth defender and risk losing him as a free agent in the summer. I figure his decision will be based on what offers he might get.
Like many teams, the Sabres would love to bolster their roster with another forward and/or defenseman. I don't think they're willing to surrender prospects or draft picks to make that happen. They do have one particularly interesting young forward -- former Boston College star Nathan Gerbe -- who could be part of trade talk. At just 5-foot-6, Gerbe's size is a worry for some scouts, but the 22-year-old Michigan native is lightning quick and exciting to watch. The Sabres might be willing to part with him under the right circumstances.
There's been talk throughout the season that the team should upgrade its goaltending depth. I don't know. Are they going to get anyone significantly better than Patrick Lalime? I'm not so sure. -- E.J. Hradek