Buffalo Sabres Roundtable: Late First Round Picks
By Tim Redinger
(Photo: Melissa Kania)
Melissa Kania, Buffalo Sabres Editor, SabreNoise
Heading into the 2015 NHL Draft, the Buffalo Sabres have a pair of first-round draft picks. One important thing to keep in mind here is this: the Winnipeg Jets are getting our latest first-round draft pick, as per the conditions of the trade that shipped out Tyler Myers and Drew Stafford and brought in Zach Bogosian and Evander Kane. That leaves the Sabres with their high draft pick, which they’ll (obviously?) keep, and the other pick TBD.
I think the Sabres will end up trading their second pick in the first round. It seems as though GMTM is definitely willing to trade that pick, according to the reports that came out on Monday, so… why not do it? In all actuality, it really depends on what the return would be to see if it would be worth it, but we know that Murray isn’t opposed to the idea. He even said at the trade deadline that the team has a lot of picks that can be used for purposes OTHER than picking players on draft day. Murray’s never been afraid to make a splash before – why would this be any different?
The question becomes: do we keep the pick and select a player who may not make an immediate impact in the NHL? A player who more than likely will not come to the big league right away, but who could be an investment into the team’s future and who could be a solid piece in the years to come?
Or – do we trade the pick, and receive in exchange either a) additional picks (which seems unlikely, given Murray’s comments) or b) players? If the team gets players, good, key pieces, in exchange for that second pick, these would be guys who could make an immediate impact with the team when October rolls around. This would be more of an investment in the team’s present status, the “here and now,” and more of a short-term thought than a longer-term investment.
In the end, it’s really about the return for the pick. Don’t give it up if there isn’t something good coming back to Buffalo. It’s time to really start thinking about the future of this team and about what is going to help the team to succeed. If I were GMTM, would I trade the pick? I’m not sure. I guess it really depends, but I’d be open to calls about it, that’s for sure.
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