Apr 1, 2015; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres right wing Brian Gionta (12) carries the puck up ice during the second period against the Toronto Maple Leafs at First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Adam Savard, Staff Writer – SabreNoise
Has everyone caught their breath yet?
The Buffalo Sabres certainly made the weekend exciting. Those of us that thought the drafting of Jack Eichel would start the fireworks seriously underestimated GM Tim Murray as he pulled off the first deal of the weekend. It’s a complex deal for me and easily the most surprising Buffalo Sabres news from the weekend.
Robin Lehner and David Legwand are part of the Blue and Gold after Murray sent the 21st overall pick to Ottawa in return. With Murray’s connections to the Senators he would know Lehner as well as anyone in hockey and as a fan I want to trust what is happening in the team. Until this trade – and after it with Ryan O’Reilly – there is no reason to distrust the process.
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But the idea of a first round pick on a goaltender makes my head hurt. Sure Lehner is 23 and a prototype “big” goalie at 6′ 5” and 225 pounds. But he also has a recent injury history and hasn’t put up the best numbers over the last two seasons. Murray believes there is a reasonable explanation which justifies the trade.
To be clear I would have the same concerns, if not more, should Murray have taken a goaltender with the 21st pick. The fan in me becomes more frustrated with the trade when you consider the price paid for Eddie Lack, Cam Talbot and to a lesser extent Martin Jones.
But from the other side Murray was brilliant in that he set the market for goaltender trades at the draft. He identified the player he wanted and had the conviction to make the deal. A deal he wasn’t entirely happy making if you listen to his comments after the deal was done.
Murray made the deal anyway and the Buffalo Sabres have a new goaltender competing for the starting job. Isn’t that what we want in a general manager? Someone that isn’t afraid to take risks trying to improve the team and ultimately win the Stanley Cup. We have that and with the tanking nonsense out of the way, Murray is improving the Sabres faster than many would have believed.
Trades like this don’t often prove good or bad for a few years and it would take that time to determine if the 21st pick would become an NHL player. Lehner comes with some NHL experience and now gets the chance to prove he can carry the starting load. And the first round pick traded is one of several the Buffalo Sabres had between this draft and the next.
Acquiring Lehner is a calculated risk as all trades are. I still wish the calculation didn’t include a first round pick. That said it’s refreshing to have a general manager willing to take those risks to make the team better. Murray puts himself out there, for better or worse, and makes no apologies for it. For me, that makes him easy to root for.
And it seems to be making the Buffalo Sabres better ahead of schedule. We will look back in a few years and see either a missed opportunity or a mad genius at work. No matter what, the trade for Robin Lehner will be the standout moment from the NHL Draft for the Sabres.
Next: Nathan Fleming, Staff Writer - SabreNoise