Rudder17

"Surviving the Rebuild."

Tonawanda, NY • United States •

Sabres' Future Outlook

Let me start my first post by first giving you a bit of background on myself...rnrnI am a 25 year old recent graduate living in Tonawanda, NY and have been a diehard Sabres/Hockey fan for as long as I can remember. Watching the Sabres of the early 90s and a certain Goaltender named Dominik Hasek inspired me to begin playing myself.rnrnI remember being merely 10 years old and watching the Sabres lose the cup to the Dallas Stars and the "Cheater" Brett Hull. Even as a kid you could feel the sting from that loss.rnrnI have been fortunate to be a fan during the Mid 2000s to watch the teams of 2005-2006-2007 and the great players we have had come through here that many my age will likely always remember (Drury, Briere, Miller, etc..)rnrnrnThis season has been a real challenge for us Sabres fans. Watching a team that, a few years ago, won the Presidents trophy... Become a team in a state of mild disarray and in the midst of a full rebuild.rnrnHowever... It is easy to be optimistic about this franchise. We have an owner who is passionate about what he is doing. He love this team. He loves this town. He is here to do something special, not only for the Sabres, but for Western New York as a whole.rnrnThis season has been a particularly turbulent one. Despite this it has been immensely entertaining. Beginning the season with a very much unproven coach and a roster looking much like a puzzle box dumped on the floor... It was tough to imagine what direction this season would head in. The rebuilding of the front office and coaching staff was something that I felt we, as Sabres fans, all knew was coming. The LaFontaine "situation" aside... I feel that Murray and Nolan have become key components of the future development of this team.rnrnNolan is that coach who is going to do wonders for a team that does not know its identity just yet. With departing veterans and young players working their way into the lineup, Nolan will be that coach who teaches them that sometimes the best thing you can do is just to play as hard as you can. Systems, set plays, and finesse aside.... Just go out there and compete as hard as you can.rnrnMurray will be the architect of the team going forward. I have no doubt that he has a book on about anyone out there who has laced up from Juniors right up to the big leagues.His biggest asset is his abilities as a talent evaluator. He understands there is no room for emotion in this business and knows that he needs to make decisions based on the future of his team. Moving Miller will be something Murray will always be remembered for. It was a moment filled with mixed emotions for Sabres fans across Buffalo. Miller will always be remembered as a terrific goalie here. The fan in all of us would have loved to see him stay... However, the best interest of the future of this team dictated he needed to be turned into future assets.rnrnThis upcoming off season and impending 2014 draft will be the first real opportunity for Murray to put his stamp on this team. With anywhere from 1-3 picks in the first round (Possibly the #1 pick) there is a real opportunity for the Sabres to acquire some key pieces to the future of the franchise.rnrnPotential scenarios for Murray at the Draft:rnrnSabres hold first pick: IMO the Best Player Available is Aaron Ekblad... However we have a cupboard full of Defensive prospects. The prospects the Sabres need are one of either Reinhart or Bennett (who appear to be similar and project to be similar players). Put simply with the first pick Murray can draft one of these two... Or.... Murray makes it known that he is "going to draft Ekblad." Force the Oilers hand and swap the Sabres #1 pick for the #2 plus a sweetener. This way Murray still get one of "his guys" and a bonus to go along side it. If Murray indeed has the Islanders' pick he can select one of Draisaitl, Ritchie, Ehlers, Dal Colle, etc....rnrnSabres hold first pick, and execute a trade.... Murray can always go another route as well... Draft Ekblad. However, only after shuffling the deck... Trading Myers to the Oilers for one of their young offensive players would be a bold move for the new GM. If Murray believes that one of the Oil's youngsters is far better than Reinhart or Bennett project to be then he may prefer a trade of that nature. If Myers is indeed turned into an offensive asset, one would have to believe Murray would draft his potential replacement in Ekblad...rnrnrnAny way you look at it, this is going to be an exciting time to be a Sabres fan. Sit back and endure these last 17 games... But, prepare to buckle up for the ride come this summer...