How things can change from one summer to the next

From Bucky Gleason of the Buffalo News:

The contract extension was critical on many fronts. For once, it didn’t take the Sabres an hour to make minute rice. The deal was done 18 days after they were eligible to begin negotiations.

There were no lowball offers, no botching of tentative agreements, no animosity, no jerking around a star player, no distractions. It was a grand departure from business practices that led to Chris Drury and Daniel Briere bolting, Brian Campbell getting traded and the franchise landing on its ear. By golly, maybe they’ve finally learned their lesson.

Miller wanted to remain here. The Sabres showed they were committed to keeping him. Everybody’s satisfied.

Read the entire story here.

Gleason is right, the Sabres have their core locked up for the foreseeable future and are now a more attractive option to players. As Gleason says, it appears the days of “pinching pennies” are over, and that has to sit well with Sabres fans.