Thomas Vanek...what to do Buffalo?
Posted 11:52 AM ET | Comments 8
Well it appears we have gotten to the point where I will write a blog on my 2nd favorite team...the Buffalo Sabres.
Thomas Vanek has been offered a 7 year 50 million dollar offer sheet by the Edmonton Oilers. If I'm Darcy Regier, I take the picks and run. Why? Vanek is a franchise player you might say. Look at it this way. He's going to get Edmonton's picks not the Anaheim pick they got in the Pronger trade. Chances are, Edmonton will not make it to the Western Conference Finals in the next 4 years. Chances are, the picks will be top 15. Chances are those players are going to be 1st line players or top pairing d-men. 4 players in draft picks is too much to pass up if I'm the Edmonton Oilers. I'm of the same opinion for Dustin Penner on the Ducks. If the compensation is 2 first round picks, see ya Dustin. Young players are important, don't get me wrong, but 4 first round picks not only frees up would have been used cap space, but lets you replenish the prospect pool. In the new salary cap era, you have to constantly let younger players go and bring in new younger players to survive. Brian Burke had a great quote about that: he said you can't keep your young stallions forever and you have to part with them in order to get yourself to a place where you can contend for a cup.
However, Vanek is so important in different ways for the Sabres. Obviously he's a 40 goal scorer in his sophomore year, but he brings more than that to the table. He's one of the few Sabres who are willing to play physical and is hard-nosed. That is absolutely essential to the Sabres getting further in the playoffs. BUT despite all of this, the Sabres can draft players who are more physical and hard-nosed. The risk is worth the reward in my opinion and Sabre Nation will hold more riots outside HSBC, but in the end they will be praising Darcy Regier if he makes the right choice, even if it leads to his firing.
GO SABRES!
Thomas Vanek has been offered a 7 year 50 million dollar offer sheet by the Edmonton Oilers. If I'm Darcy Regier, I take the picks and run. Why? Vanek is a franchise player you might say. Look at it this way. He's going to get Edmonton's picks not the Anaheim pick they got in the Pronger trade. Chances are, Edmonton will not make it to the Western Conference Finals in the next 4 years. Chances are, the picks will be top 15. Chances are those players are going to be 1st line players or top pairing d-men. 4 players in draft picks is too much to pass up if I'm the Edmonton Oilers. I'm of the same opinion for Dustin Penner on the Ducks. If the compensation is 2 first round picks, see ya Dustin. Young players are important, don't get me wrong, but 4 first round picks not only frees up would have been used cap space, but lets you replenish the prospect pool. In the new salary cap era, you have to constantly let younger players go and bring in new younger players to survive. Brian Burke had a great quote about that: he said you can't keep your young stallions forever and you have to part with them in order to get yourself to a place where you can contend for a cup.
However, Vanek is so important in different ways for the Sabres. Obviously he's a 40 goal scorer in his sophomore year, but he brings more than that to the table. He's one of the few Sabres who are willing to play physical and is hard-nosed. That is absolutely essential to the Sabres getting further in the playoffs. BUT despite all of this, the Sabres can draft players who are more physical and hard-nosed. The risk is worth the reward in my opinion and Sabre Nation will hold more riots outside HSBC, but in the end they will be praising Darcy Regier if he makes the right choice, even if it leads to his firing.
GO SABRES!
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26 Top 5 of 2007 NHL Draft in Review
26 Picks 6-10 of the 2007 NHL Draft in Review
27 Picks 11-15 of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft In Review
28 Picks 16-20 Analysis of the 2007 NHL Draft
29 The Rest of the 1st round of the 2007 Draft Analysis+Ratings
26 Picks 6-10 of the 2007 NHL Draft in Review
27 Picks 11-15 of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft In Review
28 Picks 16-20 Analysis of the 2007 NHL Draft
29 The Rest of the 1st round of the 2007 Draft Analysis+Ratings
Buffalo will match. They can not lose Briere, Drury, Zubrus and then Vanek for nothing more than draft choices.
they probably will but it will be a mistake in the long run.....guy on wgr is an idiot.
It's unlikely they will get a Vanek calibre player with those 4 picks.
not really....its 2008 2009 2010 in three of the 4 draft picks....chances are you will get a 1st line player...4 first line players > one franchise player.
chances are you will get A first line player. that means one, and even then nothing is guarenteed. Vanek is already a guarenteed first line player, why take that risk? buffalo is running out of potential franchise players, they need to hang on to one.
chances are you will get A first line player. that means one, and even then nothing is guarenteed. Vanek is already a guarenteed first line player, why take that risk? buffalo is running out of potential franchise players, they need to hang on to one.
I think they should have let Vanek go. Not only because 4 1st rounders from EDM are going to be great picks for the next few years but because 7.1 M for 7 years for a player that only has 2 years of experience is a gamble in itself. Franchise player- maybe but maybe not...and I wouldnt be happy forking over 7.1 M to find out. BUF is in big trouble if they dont bring in some veteran leadership for this young (and talented) squad. Personally I would have let Vanek go, signed as many UFAs to two year deals and gone into full rebuilding mode. Why be a playoff fringe team (Im predicting even worse) for a while when you could just allow yourslef to be in the lower standings and build for the future (your own pick would also be higher this way). Sure its a hard pill to swallow but it may actually payoff in the long run. You have already lost 3 great players- you need to rebuild anyways! Unfortunaty though our GM will most likely be fired (which is why it is easier said then done!) But rebuild- ironic coming from a philly fan eh?
1 word... Tavares ;)