"The Sabres are in a rut. There's no denying that. They lost again Friday, their seventh setback in nine games. They haven't won consecutive games since mid-November, a drought that will hit the eight-week mark today.

The extended malaise seems to scream for some sort of change, but anyone expecting a huge shake-up should stop holding his or her breath.

In an interview with The Buffalo News following Friday's 4-2 loss to Carolina, General Manager Darcy Regier said no big changes are imminent.

"At this time of the year and where we are, I've done a lot of talking to teams around the league, so I'm aware of some of those situations," Regier said. "Right now there's nothing imminent, and that's part of the business. We'll keep working."

Does this team need a shake-up?

"I wouldn't call it a shake-up," Regier said. "If there's a move that makes sense for us, we'll do it if something is going to improve our hockey club. There's nothing imminent, as I said, right now."

There are numerous players rumored to be on the trade market -- including Anaheim stars Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan -- but price seems to be a sticking point.

"Without specific rumors, there's truth to those rumors," Regier said. "But the price right now, and I think things will build between now and the trade deadline. I think teams that are going to be sellers are going to try and maximize what they can get for what they are selling. I think that will build as we get closer to the trade deadline."

The latest loss merely mimicked the story of the season so far. The Sabres failed in their attempt to win back-to-back games, missed multiple scoring chances and lost another key player, this time center Derek Roy."