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1999-2000 Stat Leaders Stat  Leader  No.  Goals  Miroslav Satan  33  Assists  Miroslav Satan  34  Points  Miroslav Satan  67  +/-  Curtis Brown  19  Shots  Miroslav Satan  265  Ice Time (F)  Miroslav Satan  20:36  Ice Time (D)  Alexei Zhitnik  27:11  Faceoff Pct.  Chris Gratton  54.30%  Hits  Erik Rasmussen  175  PP Pts.  Jason Woolley  18  SH Pts.  Miroslav Satan  4

It is identity crisis time in Buffalo. Weren't we supposed to take the term "last season" literally in the case of Dominick Hasek? He was supposed to be done by now, kicking back as a goaltending hero in his homeland after powering the Sabres' Win-one-for-the-Dominator Stanley Cup championship.

Something funny happened on the Cup run. The Sabres didn't get off the ground. Hasek started out 0-3-1 and allowed 15 goals (some soft) in his first six appearances of 1999-2000. Buffalo stumbled to an 0-5-2 record and it was only after Lindy Ruff benched his acrobatic goaltender on October 22nd that the Sabres won their first game. Hasek won his first game on October 27 (Tampa Bay cures what ails) but his delicate groin gave way two nights later. The diagnosis: Out indefinitely. Like the Sabres' Stanley Cup chances.

Martin Biron filled in admirably to keep Buffalo hovering a few games below .500 until Hasek returned in February and the Sabres actually made a gritty little run into the playoffs, squeaking in by a point after the season's final game. Along the way, Buffalo added Doug Glimour, Chris Gratton and Vladimir Tsyplakov. But Mike Peca was in the midst of his worst offensive season in five years and the team clearly was not the Stanley Cup contender of the season before. Even though Buffalo entered the playoffs as everyone's upset special with the No. 8 seed, the Flyers dispatched the Sabres rather easily.

So the Sabres this season will be playing a little game of Whose Team is This? Do you leave it to Hasek? Or Peca, who spent parts of last season on the block and in the midst of a sub-par season? What about 37-year-old Gilmour? Or one of the organizations' many talented young guns?

For more on the Sabres, bookmark this page and check back Wednesday, Oct. 11 for a Sports Illustrated Scouting Report.

BRIGHT SPOTS		GRAY AREAS
Biron should improve. He began last season as the team's third-string goaltender, handled Hasek's benching/injury/return with great class and finished the season 19-18-2 with a 2.42 GAA, .909 save percentage and five shutouts. He's getting old and might not beat Mark Messier in a "best leader" popularity contest, but Doug Gilmour is one of the game's warriors who can also contribute on the right line. Mirolsav Satan showed that despite the team's mediocre 1999-2000 season and line juggling he's still a 30-plus goal threat. Two-way forward Curtis Brown keeps getting better and better. Point totals since 1995-96: 7-24-47-51. Maybe the Farewell Tour will work this season.		Hasek acts as unpredictably off the ice as on. Maybe he retires after a few bad starts. Maybe he goes under 2.00 in the GAA department and wins 40 games. Who knows? Hasek's groin. As it goes, so goes the Sabes. They wouldn't admit it, but the results speak for themselves. The Sabres play better when Hasek's behind them. Statistically the second-weakest power play in the game since 1967. Only three chances to go above .500 this past season and lost all three -- including the penultimate game of the season. With Gilmour and Dave Andreychuk on the roster, development of talented young players suffers. Gilmour will began the season with a sore hip. Peca's contract negotiations didn't start pretty and it appears they will not end pretty, either.

Comings
Player	Pos.	From	Via
Dave Andreychuk	LW	Colorado	Free agent
Eric Boulton	LW	Buffalo	Re-signed
James Patrick	D	Buffalo	Re-signed
Rob Ray	LW	Buffalo	Re-signed
Chris Taylor	C	Buffalo	Re-signed
Jason Woolley	D	Buffalo	Re-signed
Alexei Zhitnik	D	Buffalo	Re-signed

Goings
Player	Pos.	To	Via
Domenic Pittis	C	Edmonton	Free agent
Dwayne Roloson	G	Columbus	Expansion
Geoff Sanderson	LW	Columbus	Expansion

Prospect Watch
Dimitri Kalinin, D, 6' 2", 205
Born: July 22, 1980 in Chelyabinsk, U.S.S.R
Acquired: 1998 entry draft (No. 18 overall)
After trading Cory Sarich to Tampa Bay a spot opened up in Buffalo for a young defenseman. At the beginning of training camp, Kalinin was on the inside track. He had a cup of coffee with the team last year (four games) but played well for Rochester in the regular season (two goals, 21 points) and progressed in the Calder Cup playoffs (two goals, 11 points in 21 games). Scouts say Kalinin brings very good passing skills and could provide the spark that breaks the Sabres out of their zone.

Get the Highlighter
Thursday, Oct. 5 vs. Chicago. The Blackhawks are on the hook for half of Gilmour's $6 million this season and they'll get an early look at how he's doing.
Tuesday, Feb. 27 at Ottawa. It's a short trip to Ottawa (relatively speaking, of course), but then the Sabres are off to Philadelphia, Colorado, Dallas and Boston in perhaps the stiffest road test of the season.
Down the stretch. It's possible that each of the Sabres final five opponents could be fighting it out with them for a playoff spot (at Tampa Bay, at Florida, vs. Boston, vs. Washington and vs. Philadelphia).

Quoteworthy
"When [Gilmour] came here, he was a good addition to our hockey club. He created some chemistry that was primarily with Michael Peca and [Vaclav] Varada. I think he and Varada were very good working down low. It gives us an added dimension."
—Darcy Regier

Team-by-team previews compiled by CNNSI.com's Ken Klavon, Jamie MacDonald and Jimmy Traina.

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