On the Edge of the Sabre

Although this season was somewhat predictable when it comes to how the Sabres would finish, last nights win against the Maple Leafs was a step moving forwards. The Sabres finally started playing with life and emotion. Ted Nolan has really changed the culture here, regardless of his record as Head Coach. He promised back at his first press conference that the culture in Buffalo would change, and it's on the first leg of the race now. A couple of wins strung together could really work wonders for this young Sabres team and build up tons of confidence. rnrnNow, the future is very bright for buffalo. New management, new coach, new look(new third jerseys), and new attitude will be the recipe for success. Management: LaFontaine will pick the best GM candidate possible. Plain and simple. In my opinion, I think Benning or Fenton would be the two strongest GM candidates. rnrnFenton is a Poile guy and look at Poile guys who have had success, prime example Shero in Pittsburgh. Fenton had a big hand in the Predators scouting plans in the past, drafting stars like Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, and Pekka Rine. The only fault I find in Fenton is that he lacks Stanley Cup experience. Fenton also doesn't have ties to Buffalo.rnrnBenning, on the other hand, does have ties to Buffalo. He served as the Head of scouting for several years under the REIGER Era. He left Buffalo in 2006 and was one of the first hirings of Peter Chiarelli. Benning has been the Assistant GM in Boston for several years and won the Cup with Boston in 2011. Benning knows the draft and could work hand in hand with Kevin Devine to draft the next superstars of the NHL and raise them in Buffalo. rnrnA dark horse, in my opinion, in Brendan Shanahan. I don't why I'm drawn to him, but I just am. Shanahan is a superstar in the league and would establish instant credibility to the franchise. rnrnWhoever LaFontaine picks to be the new GM, he is going to have a lot to do to make buffalo into a yearly contender. Several vets will have to be moved to make way for the young stars in juniors or Rochester. Several vets who will most likely be moved are Miller, Leino, Weber, Stafford, and possibly Myers. Where these vets end up is unknown but the new GM needs the grab high picks and established rookies. A Miller and Myers package to Long Island in exchange for Ryan Strome and change would be a win my books. Even Miller to Anaheim for John Gibson would be a win in my book. rnrnWith a Top 3 draft choice in Buffalo's future this offseason in Philadelphia, the draft is going to be so important. Buffalo needs to decide wether they want scoring(Reinhart and Nylnader) or defense (Ekblad). In my opinion, Buffalo should take there first pick on Ekblad and defense and attempt to move up. Even if Buffalo can't move up this year, we have McDavid in our sights come 2015.rnrnBuffalo's future is beyond bright if things can fall into place. Buffalo's future is on the edge of the Sabre. Everything must be done right, or semi-right for a Stanley Cup to be on the Horizon. rnrn

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