Are Buffalo Sabres Fans Really Ready For A Rebuild With A New GM?
By Mark Huss
Drew Stafford (21)
Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
The Buffalo Sabres are still searching for a new GM since the firing of Regier, and I think for a lot of you Sabres fans that is a good thing. I am not sure that some of you are actually ready for what may come in the near future regarding the Sabres roster when a new captain is sailing the ship.
Unlike most of the fans I have spoken with, I don’t want to see any remnants of the former Sabres after the new GM takes over and rebuilds this team around the young kids that have been recently drafted in the last few years. Maybe I just haven’t found other fans that share similar views about the future of the Sabres and the rebuild – I would love to chat with them and talk about options for the future. Who knows though, maybe I got this whole “rebuild” thing wrong and have the wrong viewpoint.
So I guess you could say that I truly want the future GM to have a fire sale with the Buffalo Sabres, let no one player be untouchable – other than players like Girgensons, Grigorenko, Armia, Flynn, Hackett, etc. (you get the picture). Obviously the young players will be part of the new core that the GM will build around and hopefully add more pieces to via the draft and young prospects via trading off assets.
Ville Leino (23)
Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
In my opinion, fans seem to be gun-shy about the whole situation, and sometimes it seems as if people just want the Sabres to stay the same and not fix some of the issues that came about because of former management. For god sake, 14% of voters suggested we not buy-out Ville Leino in a recent poll (Should the Buffalo Sabres Buy-Out Ville Leino?). Please comment below if you voted no in that poll, and explain to me why Leino deserves to stay on the Sabres, please!
Other conversations I have had with fans have revolved around Ryan Miller and Christian Ehrhoff. Let’s start with Miller, and the main reason he should be traded. Give the guy a break and let him join a winning team and have a shot at the cup – he is 33 now, and will be turning 34 during this offseason when his contract will be up. There is a very slim chance that the Sabres will be able to turn it around quick enough and become a playoff caliber team, so trade him to a legit playoff contender and get prospects and picks.
Trading Miller will also save the Sabres some cap space – he will be asking for Henrik Lundqvist type money anyways. Plus, as much as I would of liked to see Miller retire as a Sabre, do you really want to see him deteriorate like this? Lets let him try to go out on top.
Christian Ehrhoff (10)
Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Christian Ehrhoff, where do I begin? He was brought in to be a stud on the blue line, but I think he has been falling a tad short – TRADE HIM NOW! He was expected to put up big numbers offensively, and he has failed so far – I don’t want to hear the argument again that he had help in Vancouver, it is just a cover up for the ridiculous money that Regier spent on him and an excuse for Ehrhoff. If you hold true talent in any sport, you should be able to make the team around you better, and he has not done so!
Other guys that have been brought up in conversation but have not been thoroughly discussed; Stafford, Ott, and Myers.
Drew Stafford, lack of production, streaky, has been given too many chances, get rid of him!
Steve Ott, emotional player, third line center at best, HAS NO BUSINESS ON THE POWER PLAY, see ya later!
Tyler Myers (57)
Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
Tyler Myers, make a blockbuster trade and shock the NHL, I don’t want the Sabres to have a second project that involves revamping this young mans career, let him do it on his own in another teams uniform!
Get on board fans! Changes will come, so start writing your goodbye letters to your favorite Sabres players! These players have had enough time in Buffalo and haven’t won us a cup. If you are serious about Buffalo winning a cup in the future, then the only way that will happen is to cut our losses now and start truly building for the future.
Step one was getting rid of Darcy Regier – applause goes out to Pegula for finally making the decision to do so. Now lets keep this rebuild going and stock the cupboards and find players who want/can win!
I don’t exactly want to stop but I already know that you are probably at your boiling point and dying to comment below. I really hope that I have some people who agree with my view point – FIRE SALE! EVERYTHING MUST GO!
If you don’t agree with me I would love to hear your opinion, and if you change my mind you win a prize! The prize being you will never have to read an emotional rant of mine that concerns the Sabres rebuild.
Disclaimer: To the people whom I have had conversations with to which I discuss above – I mean no offense and I respect your opinion. I just have not heard anything that has changed my thoughts about the rebuild and as you just found out, that was just an emotional rant!