Edmonton Oiler fans haven't had much to celebrate this July, having missed out on the major unrestricted free agents (especially that painful Michael Nylander episode ), and it would appear that GM Kevin Lowe's ship is foundering . What's painful for Edmonton might turn into something exciting for fans around the league, however. The SS Lowe Perhaps partially in response to his dire situation, Lowe pitched a resounding 7-year, $50 million offer sheet to Buffalo Sabres restricted free agent Tomas Vanek, who was then retained by Buffalo which had the option of matching the contract. While Sabres GM Darcy Regier predictably whined about Lowe's offer, calling it "an exercise in futility," the fact is that it achieved two legitimate goals on Lowe's part. First, he had the chance to land a promising young winger in case the Sabres were bluffing and not prepared to dole out that $50 million. Secondly, he's forced Buffalo to pay more than they would have o...
The original site for On The Forecheck, this is now my home for sharing thoughts on sports blogging itself, rather than the NHL or the Nashville Predators.