BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) Having secured most of the Buffalo Sabres' roster, general manager Darcy Regier is ready to address the next challenge - securing the financially troubled team's fan base.

Regier announced Tuesday that the Sabres are preparing to launch a marketing campaign in an attempt to improve the team's public perception and spark lagging season-ticket sales.

The Sabres have sold close to 6,200 season tickets, about 3,000 short of the team's base last season, and 4,600 short of the NHL average. A boost in sales is considered key to making the Sabres - currently being operated by the NHL - more attractive to prospective buyers.

"I think more than anything, we're going to tell the people of this community and outside this community that we need their help," Regier said. "I think from a budgetary standpoint, we can be competitive with this hockey club."

Regier provided no update on the status of five ownership groups that have expressed interest in purchasing the team and keeping it in Buffalo. The NHL has guaranteed the Sabres' operation in Buffalo only for this upcoming season.

It's an uphill battle for a franchise that lacks an owner, after John Rigas relinquished control in June, lacks a marquee player and is considered by fans to play a boring style of defensive hockey.

Those were among the concerns expressed by current and former season ticket-holders during two forums held by the Sabres last week.

And while Regier favors opening up the team's offense to a degree, the Sabres are handcuffed with a roster made up of mostly defensive-minded players.

With a fixed budget, approved by the NHL, Regier was prevented from bolstering his lineup with free agents, limited instead to re-signing his own players over the past two months.

Forwards Maxim Afinogenov and Vaclav Varada are the two remaining restricted free agents who have not yet re-signed with the Sabres. Goaltender Martin Biron has elected for an NHL arbitrator to determine his contract, with a hearing scheduled Thursday.

The Sabres' marketing campaign comes five weeks before training camp and two weeks after NHL commissioner Gary Bettman visited Buffalo, during which he challenged Sabres' fans to support their team. The pep talk, apparently, hasn't worked, as the Sabres reported selling only 66 season tickets since.

Regier touched on a number of other subjects:

-The Sabres lost about 800 season-ticket sales with Adelphia, the cable television company once operated by Rigas that's now in Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization.

-The Sabres are negotiating with Michigan State goalie Ryan Miller, a former Hobey Baker Award winner as college hockey's MVP, to sign a contract and relinquish his senior year at college. The Sabres are also attempting to sign high-scoring center Jason Pominville, currently playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

-The NHL is negotiating the Sabres' regional broadcasting rights, which previously were held by the Rigas-controlled Empire Sports Network and WNSA-Radio.

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