Teppo back for at least one more season

Teppo Numminen has signed a one year $1.1 million contract with the Buffalo Sabres for this coming season. Teppo was only able to play in one game last year, but is still in good shape, and although not the fastest player on the ice, he is still a solid and experienced defenseman.

For the Sabres this solidifies there blueline, with a top pairing of Tallinder/Lydman, a second line of Rivet/Spacek, and a third line of Numminen/Sekera. That final pairing will not see as much ice time as the top two, but leaves us with a very capable numbers seven and eight of Weber and Paetsch.

Numminen is accepting a deal of less then half of what he made last season, but I think realizes that at his speed he really can not demand more money. Really it is good to see him playing at all. He worked hard last season just to get in the one game he did play. Hopefully his heart problems are behind him, and we get Teppo for a full season. I would assume that he will even be given a chance to be the alternative captain once again, with Hecht and Pominville taking the other two leadership spots.