The regular season is over and the post-season has just begun, so I feel it’s a good time to think about the Sabres roster for next year. The truth is that the Sabres have salary cap issues, and certainly won’t be able to return the magnificent roster they are able to put on the ice right now in the playoffs. Who goes and who stays is anybody’s guess, but the Sabres could lose some important players, including both popular co-captains Danny Briere and Chris Drury.

Besides Briere and Drury, the Sabres unrestricted free agents are: Dainius Zubrus, Adam Mair, Teppo Numminen, and Ty Conklin. They also have restricted free agents: Derek Roy, Thomas Vanek, Andrew Peters, Daniel Paille, and Nathan Paetsch.

The salary cap, which is only two years old in the NHL, limits the amount of money a team can spend on player’s contracts during a given year. A player’s cap hit is determined by dividing the total dollars of a contract by the amount of years in that contract. For example, if a player made $3 million in ‘06-’07 and $5 million in ‘07-’08, he would have a cap hit of $4 million both years.

On the bright side, the cap is almost certainly going up. According to the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement, the salary cap is tied to the amount of revenue in the NHL. Right now, the prediction is that this year’s $44 million dollar salary cap is going to go up to $48 million next year. This gives the Sabres a little more room to play with.

The Sabres have a decent chance of signing one or both of their co-captains, Briere and Drury. In the interviews I’ve seen with Darcy Regier, Sabres general manger, every time the issue comes up, he has never wavered from a desire to sign both players.

Briere is going to command the biggest dollars of any Sabre this off-season. In the new NHL, he has displayed the skills of a franchise player. Briere is super-fast, with both playmaking and goal-scoring abilities. He is also known for his composure and leadership, becoming a Sabres co-captain at the young age of 28.

Briere also seems to really like Buffalo and playing for the Sabres. In the past he has lamented how Phoenix, the site of his former team, the Coyotes, was just not the right place for him. Briere is a married father of three boys, who lives in Amherst where his two older boys play hockey. It seems there’s no reason he won’t sign with the Sabres for $6.5 million a year for three years before free agency starts. In free agency, Briere might see offers from clubs like the Philadelphia Flyers of about $7 million a year, but I’m speculating he’ll give the Sabres a hometown discount.

Drury, the Sabres other marquee unrestricted free agent, has proven himself to be a great goal-scorer, a talented penalty killer, a solid face-off man, and the Sabres’ best power play scorer. His offensive production is impressive considering the Sabres depend on his defensive skills. His lines usually play against the opposing teams top lines. Drury is also known for his cool head and leadership ability.

The Sabres will sign Drury with a competitive offer for $6 million a year over four years. Drury is a little older than Briere, so he will want a deal with longer terms.

To sign these two players, the Sabres will have to forget about signing popular defenseman Teppo Numminen and winger Dainius Zubrus. Luckily, the Sabres can let these guys go because seventh defenseman, Nathan Paesch, is ready to fill Numminen’s shoes in the top six at a much cheaper price. The Sabres are very deep on the wing, and thus Zubrus is a luxury. The Sabres also will not resign goalie Ty Conklin; prospect Adam Dennis is about ready to come up.

The Sabres will also sign all of their restricted free agents. In the NHL you have to compensate a team when you sign a restricted free agent, so it is rarely done. Thomas Vanek and Derek Roy will probably go through the arbitration process, and get healthy raises. Players Andrew Peters and Adam Mair (an unrestricted free agent) will resign without significant pay increases. Players Daniel Paille and Nathan Paetsch will get small raises.

I know I’ve painted a sunny picture for the Sabres outlook, but remember—it’s only a prediction. Sabres fans should prepare themselves for the worst this off-season. Hopefully, they will have a Stanley Cup victory to help ease the pain.