'Canes, Sabres reflect league's cutting edge

0 Comments | USA TODAY, October, 2006 | by Kevin Allen

The Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres reached the NHL's Eastern Conference finals last season because they built speedy, skilled teams to take advantage of offense-friendly rules changes. If those teams advance that far again this season, it will be because they have guessed correctly how to best manage a salary cap after having success.

The defending champion Hurricanes and the Sabres, who play each other in the season opener tonight in Raleigh, N.C. (7 ET, Versus), both faced difficult personnel decisions this spring while trying to keep their teams together. "Our system is largely about choices, and maybe all cap systems are that way," Sabres general manager Darcy Regier said. "It comes down to who do you want to lay your bet on." Last season, the first under a...