Out with the old, in with the new

Craig Rivet courtesy of yardbarker.com

I’m definitely eating my words. A few months ago I was impressed with one of the few moves that Darcy and company made and that was the signing of Rob Niedermayer. It wasn’t a flashy move nor was it a popular move, but I thought it filled some holes deeper in the roster. I knew what the Sabres were getting and it wasn’t his brother Scott. Niedermayer never compared to his superstar brother, but Rob wasn’t a slouch himself. In the past he has added to the offense and now he provided a solid third line presence and brought leadership to a team that needed it. Now, I thought this was going to be a good addition because  it was an improvement over Adam Mair, but now it seems that I am wrong– at least Mair scored a couple of goals.

I don’t want to completely pick on Niedermayer, though. Niedermayer isn’t the only old timer that hasn’t impressed this year. Captain Craig Rivet has found his ol’ bones sitting in the press box for more than half the games this season. Unfortunately, a slow, gritty stay-at-home defenseman can’t compete in the league anymore. After Rivet’s struggle last season, I thought he was prepared to bounce back and play like he did when he first joined the Sabres. Unfortunately, his play has taken even more of dive. It’s too bad because I’ve been a long time fan of both Niedermayer and Rivet, but it seems that the game is too fast for them anymore. By all means, 35 and 36 is far from old, but apparently it’s old enough for them.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are definitely older players in this league that still compete and a high level. Just look and Mark Recchi and Nick Lidstrom. Both players are in their 40s and continue to play well, but these guys were superstars in their prime. Let’s be honest, neither Niedermayer nor Rivet were ever considered superstars. Both Niedermayer and Rivet definitely have had nice careers, but it seems that their careers are coming to an end. I think it is time for them to hang up the boots and let younger, more hungry players play. For example, I was real impressed with the play of Colin Stuart when he was up. Stuart will never be an offensive powerhouse, but he can definitely play that 3rd or 4th line role better than Niedermayer could at this time. I am also happy that Ruff is playing his young defensemsn in place of Rivet. If your options are playing a slow, aging defenseman and a young defenseman with some potential, I vote the latter any day of the week.

Bottom line is this: if your veterans aren’t getting it done, time to see what your prospects have to offer.