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Buffalo Sabres Fire Sale: 2-for-1 Deal, Act Fast!

By Adam DeRose

Feb 4, 2017; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres goalie Robin Lehner (40) during the third period against the Ottawa Senators at KeyBank Center. Sabres beat the Senators 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 4, 2017; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres goalie Robin Lehner (40) during the third period against the Ottawa Senators at KeyBank Center. Sabres beat the Senators 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports /
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After this past weekend, the Buffalo Sabres kissed their post season hopes goodbye. The team, who just came off their bye week, couldn’t even beat the league’s two worst teams…so is it finally time to sell? YES!

WARNING: This piece is not for those who cannot identify occasional uses of sarcasm!

Up for sale today during the Buffalo Sabres Fire Sale is goaltender Robin Lehner and the General Manager that traded big to get him, Tim Murray. Step right up and get a bargain here, it’s a two for one deal; BOGO: buy one get one free!

I’d like to shirk wrap both, put a “Return to Sender” label on them, and ship them back to Ottawa. Unfortunately, I don’t think the Senators want either of them.

Instead, I’ll take the next best trade for the pair: a bucket of pucks!

I’m not a huge Robin Lehner fan. Yes, each game he plays, he makes one or two highlight real saves…but then he lets in a weak or soft goal. Yes, I know Lehner faces 30-40 shot on any given night and his team really doesn’t support him too well on defense. But at the end of the day, the goaltender is the last line of defense in keeping the puck out of the net.

With the playoffs out of the picture, let’s pass on Lehner and call up that Linus kid from Rochester. Last month, during the AHL All-Star game, Rochester Americans goaltender Linus Ullmark was named the Top Goaltender of the game (http://buffalonews.com/2017/01/30/sabres-prospects-ullmark-schneider-win-ahl-skills-competitions/).

As for GMTM, he has his own issues:

  • He still seems emotionally attached to Ottawa
  • It feels like he gives up a lot in trades
  • Giving up a 2016 3rd Round pick to Nashville for the rights to Jimmy Vesey was a mistake
  • The Pysyk trade for Kulikov was another blunder

To be fair, every now and then, a blind squirrel (with thick black rimmed glasses) finds a nut:

  • He  gave up a lot to acquire an injured Evander Kane and injury prone Zach Bogosian from the Jets (though both players turned out to be good additions).
  • Yet again, GMTM gave a lot to Colorado to get Ryan O’Reilly and Jamie McGinn…even though it cost a few extra players, obtaining Ryan O’Reilly was a good move.
  • Sending Michal Neuvirth to the Island for Chad Johnson was a good move.
  • The fact the GMTM hasn’t traded Sabretooth yet is a solid move, especially among the kids

So there you have it: the perfect two-for-one deal!  Act fast: supplies are limited.  All sales are final – no refunds, no exchanges.

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