Blind test.
One defenseman, 31 years old. He'll be 32 by the time the playoffs roll around. He's very much a bruising defense-first defender, who has only four goals in the last two seasons. His cap hit over the next two seasons is $4 million.
Now, the other guy. 27 years old, with his best hockey still ahead of him. Offensively he has a wider skill set than player A. Player B can also hold his own defensively. He skates much, much better than "A," and if that kind of thing matters to you (which apparently it does not to the Sabres), his cap hit is $1.25 million less than that of "A."
Robyn Regehr, player A, was a rush to make a move. Something that Darcy Regier hasn't had the chance to do in his tenure in Buffalo, so it's understandable that once he got the keys to the car he put the pedal down.
But when you add the fact that Ales Kotalik and his $3.5 million contract were involved in the package to bring Regehr to Buffalo, you could argue that Regeher's true financial impact on the Sabres is well, well above $4 million.
Kotalik's presence in the organization is completely irrelevant, so as he sits in Rochester making $3.5 million, that money still comes out of the coffers of the Sabres organization, which ultimately means the fans.
This is where player B, Ian White, comes into play. At the very worst, White, who signed as a free agent with the Red Wings this summer, and Regeher have the same on-ice impact. White is four years younger and offers more in the way of offense. He is also $1.25 cheaper than Regehr.
If you throw Kotalik, and his absurd contract into the mix, the cost of acquiring Regehr becomes an absolute farce.
Nobody wants to hear it during this summer of sunshine and rainbows in Buffalo, but after seeing the defensive signings other teams around the league made this offseason, the Regehr trade looks incredibly lavish and reckless. It's the kind of move Sabre fans have despised when they've seen other teams make them in the past, put suddenly it's all good.
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