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If you’re reading this, chances are you fit into one of two categories:

1. You absolutely agree with me, and came to show your support; or

2. You absolutely despise me right now, and came to rip me a new one.

Either way, I’m good.  Let’s do this.

The other day, I wrote a little piece about what the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals are showing me about the Buffalo Sabres – namely, the Sabres don’t have the desire, leadership, and winning mindset that a team like the Boston Bruins possess.  The Sabres have talent, but lost focus too often this season, failed to show up for big games, and never seemed to receive the sort of veteran leadership a team needs in order to band together and make a desperate push to make the playoffs.  At the end of that article, I wrote, “ the Buffao Sabres CANNOT expect to lift Lord Stanley’s Cup any time soon . . . unless major changes take place in the 716.”

Here’s your first major change, Western New York: the Buffalo Sabres absolutely MUST trade Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek in order to take that first step toward develop a culture of winning.

Most Sabres fans have probably already resigned themselves to the fact that Vanek and Miller will be gone soon, if not this summer, then the summer that they become UFAs.  However, the fact that these two players will not be wearing Sabres’ jerseys for much longer doesn’t sit well with many fans.  Apparently, it doesn’t sit well with Sabres owner Terry Pegula, either, as he went on the air Tuesday and proclaimed to anyone listening that he wants these two cornerstone players to remain in Buffalo next season, and possibly beyond.  If anyone is a bigger fan of the Buffalo Sabres than Terry Pegula, I haven’t met him, so it is safe to say that Pegula’s feelings toward keeping these two players represent how a number – possibly, the majority – of Sabres fans feel.

Except, Pegula and the rest of you fans that feel this way are flat-out wrong.  (Pegula was wrong a number of times during his on-air time, in my opinion, but more on that tomorrow.)

Don’t get caught up on the talent angle – yes, both Miller and Vanek make the Sabres a better team on paper, and their abilities will be sorely missed and tough to replace.  I recognize that much, so I’m not a total fool.

Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

But, while replacing their talent will be  problematic, the larger – and frankly, painfully obvious – problem here is that neither Miller nor Vanek want to play in Buffalo any more, and anyone who argues that their talent outweighs any dissension these two guys may be causing in the locker room obviously has no idea how team sports work.

The minute a player – or even worse, players – starts to worry about himself instead of the team, it’s time to move on.  Every player has to sit down and negotiate a contract from time to time – that’s not what I’m talking about.  The business side of the sport is unfortunate, but everyone gets it.  What players don’t get, however, is how a player can gripe to the media about not wanting to be around during a rebuild, or whining about not being a part of the team core, and still come to the arena claiming to be dedicated to the team.  Maybe I’m wrong – maybe the Buffalo players DO get the perspectives of Miller and Vanek.  In which case, we may need to ship a whole bunch of players out of town, because any player who can be led by, or even play alongside, a teammate who thinks it is okay to publicly express an interest in leaving the organization is just the next cancer waiting to grow.

Take some time to read about a team like the Boston Celtics.  (I do like some Boston teams!)  When a player comes to play for the Boston Celtics, they become a Celtic.  They immerse themselves in the tradition.  They fight to remain a part of it.  Heck, they even fight to persuade other players to come to Boston, and lobby for management to do whatever it takes to keep the players on the roster.  In short, the Boston Celtics have built a culture of winning that its players buy into, and feel strongly about.  There’s a reason why current Celtics players feel personally stung by the fact that Ray Allen left the team to play for the Miami Heat – basketball may be a business, but the Celtics are a family, and Ray Allen slapped them in the face.

Compare the Celtics to the Buffalo Sabres.  You won’t like what you find.  If you want to see this team build a legitimate contender for Lord Stanley’s Cup, you need to fill this roster with players who buy into a system, will sacrifice everything to win, and who want to be in Buffalo more than anywhere.   I’ll refer to the Boston Bruins only once here: notice how they handled Tim Thomas.   He didn’t want to commit to the Bruins for a season, so they shipped him out.  His talent was difficult to replace, but he was no longer part of their winning culture, so out the door he went.   Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek no longer want to be in Buffalo; the Sabres should oblige them and bring in players who do.

More than any sport, NHL hockey is a team-based sport.  Aside from a supremely hot goalie, teams win championships less because of the superstars on

Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Whether you think I am a genius, or find yourself wishing you knew where I lived so you can punch me in the face, be sure to leave a comment below, or hit me up @theamazingMrS!

For a rebuild, which is kind of what is going on, you need to get rid of a majority of your older players and get draft picks or up-and-coming prospects to build a team for the far future. The Sabres should be looking to fire off some of their players to get new ones who can play, not who will grow to play.

Almost like shooting rounds in a gun to put brand new ammo in, the team should go for major trades and signings.

Dec 7, 2011; Buffalo, NY, USA; Philadelphia Flyers center Danny Briere (48) before a game against the Buffalo Sabres at the First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Merely speculation on my part. But honestly why not? Daniel Briere stepped up big for us back in his tenure, earning the C on his sweater and playing his very best to get us to the hockey’s holy grail. Although he never saw the SCF with Buffalo, I think Briere was one of the best players we have ever had.

After six seasons of play, the Philadelphia Flyers are deciding to buy-out Briere and releasing him.

So, in my opinion, I think we should campaign to bring Danny back!

The great thing about this is, we won’t have to trade for him, all we need is the right price and offering for him to agree to come back to the 716.

Now I realize that he left a bitter taste in many Sabres fans mouths when he left, but you do have to realize that they just weren’t on the page contractually, under the Tom Golisano-era Sabres. Now with Terry Pegula heading the charge, who is to say he wont give Briere the contract he deserves.

You hear it all the time, players going back to a team they once played for to go out with a bang, at 35 years old, why wouldn’t Briere give it one last shot with the Blue and Gold?

Daniel was acquired from the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for Chris Gratton and two draft picks in the 2002-2003.

In his four-year Buffalo career, he scored a total of 92 goals and 138 assists in 225 games with the franchise.Over the last six seasons with the Flyers, Briere has scored 124 goals and 159 assists in 364 games.

Still looking at how consistent he has been regardless of his age, he still does seem to have a spark to his game, and he is tearing up the playoffs.

In 68 postseason games, Briere has scored 37 goals and 35 assists, which in comparison to this time frame, from 2008-2013, he has scored more goals than the Buffalo Sabres have since then.

Briere was an excellent player and a great leader on and off the ice, if he is looking to continue his career, he should look no further than the Queen city to return to.

By adding him to the mix, even though it doesn’t solve the defensive problem, it does add a offensive spark that Buffalo has lost and has been looking for as well.

As of 48 hours after the end of the Stanley Cup Final, Briere will be on the market, so at the 47th hour, Buffalo should be blowing up his agents phone with offers.

Now to see if we can get Chris Drury out of retirement.