Wait a minute

Now that I've had some time to think about it, and I promise that this isn't a case of spin, the departures of Daniel Briere and Chris Drury from the Buffalo Sabres just might not be as bad as I once believed.

Sure, the team will miss their clutch play and veteran leadership. But this void also creates opportunities for some younger Sabres, such as Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville, Derek Roy and Ales Kotalik, to step up and take over the critical leadership positions.

I'm not asking for anything flashy from these guys (though the occasional end-to-end rush, capped by a highlight-reel dipsy-doodle goal, would be appreciated), just simple, hard-working efforts to further forge this team's gritty, blue-collar identity.

If this happens, the Sabres and their true-blue-and-gold fans won't have to endure the letdown that we may have felt earlier this week.