The post-Pominville era begins Friday.

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Luke Adam (right) celebrates his first-period goal Friday as Brian Flynn congratulates him. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
04:06:13
Flynn, Hasek, Hecht, Miller, Ott, Ottawa Senators, Pardy, Pominville, Rolston, Weber
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

BUFFALO – On Friday morning, hours before their 4-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators, new assistant captain Steve Ott promised the Sabres would keep fighting for that unlikely playoff berth until the bitter end.

Two days after management jettisoned captain Jason Pominville at the trade deadline with the message the Sabres’ plans have shifted to the future, players emphatically say they’re still focused on the present.

They want to win now.

Ten games remain for the 12th-place Sabres, who trail the eighth-place New …

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Thomas Vanek drove Jason Pominville to the airport Thursday morning. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
04:05:13
Leopold, Miller, Minnesota Wild, Ottawa Senators, Pominville, Regehr, Regier, Rolston, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
1

BUFFALO – Darcy Regier’s strong words stuck with Thomas Vanek. Prior to Saturday, the general manager had never publicly made any of his Sabres available to other teams during his long tenure. At that point, four days before trade deadline, the slick winger knew major changes could hit the Sabres.

Sure enough, Regier dealt captain Jason Pominville to the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday for two prospects and two draft picks.

It could just be the first of several major moves.

“Now with Jason …

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Thomas Vanek wants to talk to management. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
04:04:13
Leopold, Miller, Minnesota Wild, Ott, Pominville, Regehr, Regier, Rolston, Stafford, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

BUFFALO – After trading captain Jason Pominville to the Minnesota Wild, general manager Darcy Regier said the Sabres’ reconstruction could take some time.

Slick winger Thomas Vanek recently said he “would probably look in the other direction” if the Sabres had a two- or three-year plan.

So, did Wednesday’s deal, coupled with earlier trades of defensemen Jordan Leopold and Robyn Regehr, change Vanek’s mind?

“Probably, I mean, obviously we gave up three good players in the last week, got a lot of picks …

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Jason Pominville became a Sabres regular in 2005-06. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
04:04:13
Briere, Drury, Hackett, Larsson, Leino, Leopold, Miller, Minnesota Wild, Pegula, Pominville, Regehr, Regier, Rochester Americans
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
4

BUFFALO – Instead of trading captain Jason Pominville to the Minnesota Wild before the deadline Wednesday, the 13th-place Sabres could’ve tried staying in the playoff chase and acquiring another player to make a run at eighth place, general manager Darcy Regier said.

But the Sabres, whose owner, Terry Pegula, has spent tens of millions of dollars pursuing his championship dream, no longer embrace that kind of philosophy.

They’ve started thinking long-term.

“The preference is to build for a Stanley Cup versus a playoff …

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Kevin Porter scored twice Tuesday. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
04:03:13
Hodgson, Miller, Ott, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pominville, Porter, Regier, Rolston
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

PITTSBURGH – The stunning victory might serve as one final reminder of the potential the 2012-13 Buffalo Sabres possess.

On Tuesday, the reeling Sabres limped into Consol Energy Center losers of four straight, just hours away from a possible fire sale before the trade deadline hits at 3 p.m. today.

The mighty Penguins, winners of 15 straight, awaited them. The powerhouse club had blanked its last three opponents and stood just two victories from tying the NHL’s longest-ever winning streak.

Incredibly, the Sabres …

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Luke Adam spent more than a year in the minors. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
04:03:13
Adam, Biega, Crosby, Flynn, Hasek, Leino, Miller, Pardy, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pominville, Porter, Portland Pirates, Regehr, Rochester Americans, Scott, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

PITTSBURGH – One day this winter, Luke Adam finally had enough. The 22-year-old cleared his head and stopped wondering about his future with the Buffalo Sabres.

In just a few months last season, Adam suffered a stunning decline, morphing from a first-line NHL scoring threat into a forgotten AHL player repeatedly bypassed for recalls.

But fretting wasn’t helping Adam’s career.

“That’s what got me in trouble,” Adam said Tuesday prior to the Sabres’ 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins inside Consol Energy Center, …

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The Sabres acquired Cody Hodgson at last season's trade deadline. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
04:02:13
Bernier, Biron, Boyes, Brennan, Briere, Campbell, Conklin, Drury, Ennis, Enroth, Gaustad, Girgensons, Gragnani, Hodgson, Kassian, Kotalik, Lydman, MacArthur, Miller, Moore, Noronen, Novotny, Pegula, Regier, Rolston, Ruff, Sulzer, Tellqvist, Torres, Zubrus
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
1

PITTSBURGH – With the NHL trade deadline hitting at 3 p.m. Wednesday, here’s the Buffalo Sabres’ Eastern Conference standing and their activity since 2006:

2006, third place, 83 points

General manager Darcy Regier made no additions, only trading No. 3 goalie Mika Noronen to Vancouver for a second-round pick (current backup goalie Jhonas Enroth). Some argued the inactivity bit the surprising Sabres, who lost four defensemen to injury during their run to the Eastern Conference final. They lost Game 7 with just …

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Robyn Regehr crunched Milan Lucic on Sunday, his last Sabres appearance. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
04:02:13
Adam, Brennan, Crosby, Leino, Leopold, Los Angeles Kings, Miller, Myers, Pardy, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pominville, Regehr, Regier, Rochester Americans, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

PITTSBURGH – Robyn Regehr’s absence from Buffalo Sabres practice Monday morning inside the First Niagara Center raised eyebrows.

With Wednesday’s deadline approaching, had the veteran defenseman waived his no-trade clause and been dealt?

The 32-year-old was just enjoying a maintenance day off the ice.

Shortly after practice ended around noon, Regehr walked into the dressing room and said he couldn’t “say yes or no right now” about ditching his no-trade clause again, which he waived in 2011 to leave Calgary.

But Monday night, the …

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Steve Ott (9) got knocked down by Zdeno Chara on Sunday. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
04:02:13
Hasek, Hodgson, Kaleta, Leino, Miller, Ott, Pittsburgh Penguins, Rolston, Scott, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

PITTSBURGH – At the 12:01 mark of the first period in the Buffalo Sabres’ 2-0 loss to Boston on Sunday, hulking Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara cross-checked Steve Ott, sending the agitator flying into the boards.

Ott hit his head and skated off to the dressing room before returning. But in addition to Chara’s minor penalty, Ott received an unsportsmanlike conduct embellishment penalty.

Did interim Sabres coach Ron Rolston agree?

“No, unless you want to launch yourself head-first into the boards as an embellishment,” …

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Jason Pominville (29) received congratulations from Cody Hodgson (19) and Marcus Foligno (82) after scoring earlier this season. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
04:01:13
Miller, Pominville, Regier
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

BUFFALO – The Sabres have asked captain Jason Pominville to give a list of eight teams he doesn’t want to be traded to, according TVA Sports’ Patrick Caisse.

Sabres general manager Darcy Regier said Saturday he had to “be open to everything” to improve his 13th-place club, including trading core stars like Pominville and goalie Ryan Miller.

Pominville bristled Friday when asked about possibly getting dealt, saying the Sabres hadn’t approached him about anything.

“There’s not much you can do about it besides …

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