Buffalo, NY ~ The Buffalo Sabres made a big splash late last week agreeing to terms with all-star defenseman Chris Pronger. Pronger, known as one of the OTHL's best defenders spent last season with 6 different teams, finally finishing the season with the Boston Bruins. For the next four years, he will be in Buffalo, where he signed a deal worth a little more than $39 million dollars. He immediately gives the Sabres one of the best defensive groups in the league, and definitely the deepest. Including today's signing of Glen Wesley, the Sabres boast 10 defensemen who saw OTHL action last season. Pronger will be the leader of this group, and play along side Joni Pitkanen where he can act as a tutor for the young defenseman.
The Sabres made an effort to sign Pronger at the stroke of midnight when free agency opened, offering him the max deal on the very first offer. But it wasn't the money that ultimately won Pronger over. It was the team, and thier direction in moving forward. The Sabres are a young team, one of many young teams in the OTHL. However, they never fully went into a rebuild mode, opting instead to build from within, and through acquiring young players who already had proven themselves. Players like Pitkanen, Gaborik, and Kovalchuk will be the foundation for the Sabres for a long, long time. Add in the players they were able to develop from within their own system, like Miller, Tallinder, Vanek, and Roy, and they have a very bright future. A future bright enough to lift Lord Stanley, thinks Pronger. "I wanted to win a cup. Buffalo not only gave me the monetary offer I was looking for, and the job security with the no trade clause, but they also have a plan on how to bring home the cup. They are a hard working team, and I feel we have a great chance of bringing a Championship back to Buffalo. I look forward to being a part of that." Let's hope we all can be a part of that, not just for the players, but for the entire city of Buffalo.
News & Notes: The Sabres have agreed to three free agents thus far. They are LW Rem Murray, D Chris Pronger, and D Glenn Wesley.