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BUFFALO, N. Jayson Werth Authentic Jersey .Y. -- Given the number of Buffalo Sabres players being mentioned in trade talks, interim coach Ted Nolan has established a running joke with captain Steve Ott. "You dont want to make light of it, but every day when I walk in, I say, Steve, youre still here," Nolan said, with a chuckle after the teams pre-game skate Friday. The question remains, for how long? And the buzz leading up to the NHLs trade deadline Wednesday hasnt been limited to Ott, who is in the final year of his contract and eligible to become a free agent this summer. Goalie Ryan Miller, forward Matt Moulson and veteran defenceman Henrik Tallinder are also being shopped because their contracts are coming up, too. And add defenceman Christian Ehrhoff to the group after confirming he recently complied with the Sabres request to submit a list of eight teams that would make up the no-trade clause of his contract. Though the submission of the list doesnt guarantee Ehrhoff will be dealt, it suggests the 10-year veteran has been the subject of trade conversations. Ehrhoff was not caught by surprise. "No, not really because obviously, we are in 30th place and they have to be prepared," said Ehrhoff, who declined to reveal what teams were on his list. "Its just part of the business. Ill keep focusing on hockey." The Sabres (17-34-8), who host San Jose on Friday, are bracing for a shakeup under newly hired general manager Tim Murray, who continues to drop major hints that hes eager to make big splashes in a bid to rebuild the NHLs worst team through youth. On Tuesday, Murray confirmed hes shopping Miller, adding hes fielded calls from more than two but fewer than 10 teams. On Friday, during an interview with Torontos FAN 590, Murray narrowed the number of teams interested in Miller to about five, while adding that much of his entire roster is available. "Theres no untouchables," said Murray, who took over in early January. "Its a rebuild." The Sabres are in the midst of an overhaul that began under Murrays predecessor, Darcy Regier, who was fired in November. Buffalo will likely miss the playoffs for a third straight season and hasnt won a playoff round since 2007, when the team reached the Eastern Conference finals before losing to Ottawa. The roster purge began last season, when the Sabres traded numerous high-priced veterans, including captain Jason Pominville. And it continued into October, when Thomas Vanek was traded to the New York Islanders for Moulson and a first-round draft pick. The Sabres, as a result, have stockpiled draft picks. They could have as many as two first-round and three second-round selections in this years draft. Buffalo also has a solid group of prospects in its farm system, including defencemen Rasmus Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov, who were both drafted in the first round in June. Murrays objective is to add more draft picks or young prospects. Ehrhoff has value because hes a dependable two-way defenceman who leads the team averaging 24:02 of ice time per game, and leads Sabres blue liners with 28 points (six goals, 22 assists). Hes in his third season with Buffalo after signing a 10-year, $40 million contract on June 30, 2011. Miller, who is set to start against San Jose, has already spent much of this week reminiscing about his 11 seasons in Buffalo, and making sure to thank fans for their support. "Its a great place to play hockey. You feel part of something. You feel appreciated," said Miller, who holds franchise records with 284 wins and 540 games played. "With the uncertainty, you dont want to miss an opportunity to say, Thank you." Miller recalled with a laugh the time a fan approached him at a local grocery store to provide pointers on how to hold his stick. And then there were the times when "sweet old ladies" would come up and hug him and suggest he needs to eat more. "I always got a kick out of the people who wanted to get me more to eat because they thought I was a little thin," said Miller, who is 6-foot-2 and 168 pounds. "Its good that people care." Anthony Rendon Jersey . I kind of got a taste of being able to pick a suit with the draft lottery, I went with the bow tie. Jordan Zimmermann Nationals Jersey . The Basque club improved to four points better than fifth-place Villarreal in the duel for the last Champions League qualifying place. Celta should have come away with more from the high tempo game.Former Dolphins offensive lineman Lydon Murtha gave an insiders look at some of the issues surrounding the alleged bullying scandal involving teammates Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin in Miami. Murtha, now retired after playing for the Dolphins from 2009 through the 2012 preseason, wrote a piece for the Monday Morning Quarterback website and said there were misconceptions about some of the details being reported. After first identifying himself as a teammate of Incognitos at Nebraska and saying he was friends with both men, Murtha said Martin, a rookie in the preseason of 2012, "did not seem to want to be one of the group," adding that he "came off as standoffish and shy to the rest of the offensive linemen." Murtha, though, said Incognito took Martin under his wing since they were both set to play the left side of the line. "They were close friends by all appearances," Murtha wrote. "Martin had a tendency to tank when things would get difficult in practice, and Incognito would lift him up. Hed say, theres always tomorrow. Richie has been more kind to Martin than any other player." However, Murtha added that Incognito would sometimes get on Martin if he wasnt showing effort. But he would do the same with any player who appeared to slack off. Murtha said he doesnt believe that Incognito bullied Martin, adding that the nine-year veteran joked with everybody on the team, including coaches. The voicemail that included the racial slur, however, is the reason Murtha believes that Incognito was suspended, although hhe heard Incognito call Martin the same thing to his face and Martin just laughed. Ryan Zimmerman Nationals Jersey. As far as the coaches not knowing about the so-called hazing, Murtha said that was untrue. "Thats the most outlandish lie of this whole thing," Murtha wrote. "The coaches know everything. The coaches know whos getting picked on and in many cases call for that player to be singled out. Any type of denial on that side is ridiculous." Murtha said coaches did, indeed, ask team leaders to "bring (Martin) out of his shell. Figure him out a little bit." There was a report in the South Florida Sun Sentinel newspaper on Tuesday that said Incognito was instructed by coaches to "toughen up" his fellow lineman after Martin missed a voluntary workout in the spring, but that Incognito may have taken the orders too far. Murtha said that might have been a problem for Incognito because he might not have been able to tell that Martin wouldnt be able to handle the derision. A number of current teammates on Wednesday indicated they were surprised by the recent developments between Incognito and Martin. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill described the two as brothers, saying Martin was "like Richies little brother. He gave him a hard time, he messed with him, but he was the first guy to have his back." The NFL is set to begin an investigation into the workplace conduct in the Dolphins organization and head coach Joe Philbin on Wednesday wouldnt comment beyond saying the team will take measures to fix any problems the NFL may find. cheap nfl jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
