Jan 9, 2014; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres general manager Tim Murray speaks to the media during the press conference announcing his hiring as the new Sabres general manager at First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
Buffalo Sabres Management – B-
The term tank has become for current Buffalo Sabres fans what the term “suffering” was just a season and a half ago was. Darcy Regier used the term suffering to describe what his process for rebuilding the team was. Fans quickly grew tired of the term, because there were other ways of rebuilding a hockey club.
Nobody wants to talk about tanking, no professional players want to show up every night and lose on purpose, and coaches don’t want to lose because their jobs could be on the line. Tank is for all intents and purposes, a management job. As far as the on ice product is going, Tim Murray is doing exactly what is necessary for the tank to work. The team is better than they were last year, but not good enough to take them out of the conversation for a very high draft pick.
If Tim Murray has a fault to be had right now, he is bordering on the Darcy Regier complex of wanting to much for his players. Sure there is a price to be had, but there were likely deals on the table that might have been made, had the asking price been not as steep. The Detroit Red Wings are still interested in a player like Tyler Myers to continue their push for consecutive playoff seasons. Chris Stewart is demanding some attention around the league, but I continue to say that the Buffalo Sabres should keep him on the roster long term.
On the business side of the house, Ted Black and company continue to build a hockey presence for the city of Buffalo to be a destination for hockey, that all roads hockey start or go through the city of Buffalo. Ownership has their hands full, not only with the Buffalo Sabres decisions, but in the saga of building a new era of the Buffalo Bills.
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