Biron on the block?

With the recent outbreak of goaltending needs throughout the NHL it appears that some teams that are deep in that position may be willing to part with some of that talent for the right price.

It is no secret that two of the top teams with depth in goal are San Jose and Buffalo. San Jose parted with Johan Hedberg at last years trading deadline and it proved to be a great move for the Penguins. He has since signed a long term deal to stay in Pittsburgh between the pipes. Buffalo, which is also deep in that respect, was willing to part with Domonic Hasek and his contract thus giving the opportunity to one of their promising young prospects. Both Martin Biron and Mika Noronen are touted to be top caliber prospects and will battle it out for the starting position.

Melissa Geschwind of the Buffalo News reports that Biron appears set to be the starter in net for the Sabres this season. She does suggest there is a slim chance that Noronen might challenge for the spot at training camp. Should Noronen become the starter, Geschwind believes the Sabres would trade Biron, given the fact the team signed veteran Bob Essensa as backup, thus negating the possibility of both youngsters splitting the duties.

This would be a great opportunity for the Sabres to add some scoring depth to an already deep and strong defensive squad. Many teams are in the market for a goaltender and Biron may attract a great deal of attention based on his performance as a backup to Hasek. But Noronen would have to win the starting job outright in camp in order for the Sabres to offer up Biron.