Buffalo Sabres Roundtable: Building Next Season’s Roster
By Tim Redinger
Apr 24, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues right wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) in the game against the Minnesota Wild during the second period in game five of the first round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Adam Savard, Staff Writer
As next season approaches for the Buffalo Sabres there are more certainties than I can remember over recent years. Tim Murray has plenty of cap space, young talent on the roster and more in Rochester. Fans already know all these players won’t make it to the Sabres. But what one move will be the Earth-mover?
I’ve looked through the upcoming class of unrestricted free agents. There are plenty of veteran defensemen to help our young future develop and learn. While I’d like to see Francois Beauchemin or Johnny Oduya in blue and gold next season, that’s not the spark to jump start the worst offense in the league.
There are two ways to look at the players and picks Murray has available. Young players could be packaged to acquire another top-six forward in the mold of Evander Kane. Or more boldly, Murray could decide he has plenty of depth in Rochester and light future first-round picks on fire for a few years.
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Signing a major restricted free agent would do that. Should a team not match an RFA offer, the size of the contract determines how many first-round picks the Sabres would part with. If the contract is large enough it could be up to four first-round picks.
It’s worth it for St. Louis Blues uber-sniper Vladimir Tarasenko, whom will be 24 in December. I would like to see Murray offer Tarasenko a borderline absurd contract, the kind you know he can offer with Terry and Kim Pegula owning the team. I’m thinking somewhere around nine years at $8.5 million per season.
That would give the Buffalo Sabres a top line of Tarasenko and Kane around Jack Eichel. Your second line would be Zemgus Girgensons with Tyler Ennis and Matt Moulson.
Bring that on, and good luck stopping THAT.
The Edmonton Oilers tried that with Thomas Vanek seasons ago, and it didn’t work out well for them, as the Buffalo Sabres matched the offer. How much different would the Oilers fortune have been if the Sabres were in a position to let Thomas Vanek walk? Does St. Louis have the luxury of matching such a contract?
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