Sigh.

Well, if that 10-1 win over Atlanta was indeed a springboard, I want to know who's smart idea it was to put the springboard next to a cliff. Seriously, Sabres, the Leafs? The Leafs?! They're, like, the one team in the Conference who's more effed up than we are. Who are you going to lose to next? The Coyotes? (Please, please, please, don't answer that.) I can't talk about this game, obviously, but I really feel like blogging today, so let's move on to something else.

Brian Campbell. Panic has been widespread ever since Soupy announced he was cutting off contract negotiations with the Sabres until the end of the season. We've got some serious PTSD issues in this city, not like that's anything new, and they're showing early this year, as the flip-outs have started before anyone's actually gone anywhere. Personally, the argument that Soupy's worth top dollar, because that's what the Red Wings are paying Rafalski, or that's what the Leafs are paying McCabe, does little to sway me. (Seriously, let's emulate Toronto's business decisions. That seems like a good idea.) My opinions about the player aside (suffice to say they've taken a dramatic nosedive in the last couple of months), it seems pretty clear to me that this contract isn't a question of market value, it's a question of budget. In respect to the rest of the league, is $6 mil too much for a defenseman of Soupy's caliber? No. In respect to the amount of money the Sabres have already tied up in other players, or will need to tie up in other players sometime in the near future, is it too much? In my opinion, yes. Contrary to popular belief, the cap isn't going to keep rising every season for the next ten years (if it does, we're in deep trouble), and even so, you can bet that B. Tom and co. aren't going to stretch the Sabres' individual budget much more. So there's a reckoning going on in the Sabres front office right now. Who do we keep? Of course Ryan Miller is the name that comes up first and most often when this discussion gets started, but there's another name that I think, while maybe not as important, deserves mentioning.

Jason Pominville. The great number of #29 jerseys I saw at the Ice Bowl (most of them, shockingly, on men) would suggest otherwise, but I think Pommerdoodle sometimes gets taken for granted by fans. He certainly took a verbal bashing this summer, when everyone was convinced that without Briere he would turn into a pile of puke. On a roster full of expensive disappointments (Vanek) and perpetually injured let-downs (Connolly), Pommers hasn't been getting a lot of credit for quietly and consistently meeting expectations. It may or may not shock you to learn that he currently leads the team in points. I know it surprised me. Sure, the population of Pominville seems to have suffered some crazy murder/suicide rates (But, really, can you blame them? Soupy might not re-sign! Who could live at a time like this?), but he's leading all forwards in assists, and is only two away from tying the overall leader, Campbell. Maybe he has suffered a little without Briere, but instead of turning into a pile of puke, he's adapted his game, and that's always a sign of a valuable player. Outside of his offensive stats, he's one of our best two-way forwards, I would say only behind Hecht, a quality which always goes undernoticed and undervalued. He's also somewhat of an Ironmanboy, as my mom would say. As far as I can tell, though I'm not the world's best researcher, he's only missed a total of 13 games due to injury in his whole pro hockey career, all in the AHL. Not bad for a kid who's only 6'0" and 186 lbs. Add on top of everything the fact that Lindy clearly respects and appreciates him, and that he's found a linemate with whom he shares great chemistry (Yo-Yo + Pommers = BFFLTDDUP!), and you've got yourself a player definitely worth keeping around. Now, is he a player worth breaking your bank on? Maybe not, but he's certainly not a player who should be kicked aside so you can break your bank on a guy like Campbell. At least in my opinion.

How could you possibly kick that face aside? Poor puppy.

Maybe I've just been spending too much time listening to my mom, but I've had serious warm and fuzzy feelings about Pommer recently.

Good boy, Pommerdoodle! Now stop drooling on the ice.

While I'm here, I may as well mention this list of the ten worst suggestions someone could possibly make to the NHL. The whole thing is worth a click and a laugh, but here are two highlights:

10. One referee only. Admit it, it was more fun when these guys got away with murder ''behind the play''.

Yeah, the NHL is already the worst and least-consistently officiated pro sports league in the world, why not make a full joke out of it? Ugh.

4. European quotas. OK, guilty, report me to the Xenophobia Hotline. All I know is, other than prime European talent, North American crowds more easily identify with homeboys rather than the vast faceless talents from Russia, Finland, Sweden, et al. On a nightly roster of 18 skaters and two goalies, mandate that a total of 17 must be North American-born. Overall talent level will drop, but that only will open up the game. Bobby Orr and Bobby Hull skated around a lot of tomato cans, and it was great entertainment.

Worst idea in the history of ideas. Any Buffalo fan will tell you that less Max Afinogenov and more Andrew Peters is exactly what this league needs to inspire more interest. Not! Really, I can't even come up with words for how dumb this suggestion is. Out of curiosity, though, if this rule went into effect tomorrow, which three Europeans do you think the Sabres would keep? I'd say keep Vanek, Tallinder and Hecht, though they'd probably keep Vanek, Tallinder, and Afinogenov, or Vanek, Tallinder, and Spacek. (Sorry, Yo-Yo! That's why it's the worst idea in the history of ideas!)