Sabres42

"Buffalo Sabres Blog"

Buffalo, NY • United States • 23 Years Old • Male

Getting Healthier

Stafford, Regher, and Kaleta will return tonight leaving the Sabres with only 6 regulars out. Ennis should be back Friday, Miller will take part in his first full practice tomorrow probably meaning another week or so for him, Weber and McCormick both skated today. As the Sabres get healthier will they start to climb the eastern conference again? I think they are starting to get healthy at the right time. After the Islanders tonight they have a tough December ahead of them. A lot of good teams with many back to backs and 3 games in 4 nights stretches. Miller and Enroth will be crucial in giving each other rest and carrying this team on night when they are tired. What can really help this team is the defensive unit locking down the opponent. Ehrhoff is starting to play like the Sabres hoped he would and McNabb although only one game gave the team a different look on the point. Another player with size as well as offensive skill. McNabb could be a key component to this team, and if I were MA Gragnani or Weber I'd be concerned. Last year McNabb carried the Kooteny Ice and pilled up a ton of points. In Rochester he has used his size and reach to get by and did the same Saturday against the speedy Caps. I'm glad the Sabres realized the need for size and are willing to give McNabb another look. I have been raving about him since the middle of last season when I seen him play for Kooteny. I think he is this teams #1 prospect ahead of Kassian. He can have the same effect Tyler Myers has had on this team.

In other news a report out of a paper in Edmonton states that Miller would not mind a trade out of Buffalo. This doesn't come as a surprise with the current goaltending situation in hockey heaven however this seems unlikely to me. It is easy to say Miller wants to be traded west to be closer to his new wife. Well teams out west are all set with goaltending (Neimi, Hiller, Quick/Bernier, Varlamov, and Smith). I find it hard to believe Miller would want to go to Phoenix which is the only team that could make sense there for a trade and who would the Sabres take back? Bobby Ryan is an interesting possibility in Anaheim, but with Hiller between the pipes a Miller trade wouldn't make sense. Also with the way goaltending is seen now in the NHL who wants to pay a goalie 5 million dollars (see Vokoun)? Here is the only situation I could see Miller being moved before the end of this season. If NJ calls and offers Parise for Miller and maybe a draft pick. The Devils and Lightning are the only teams right now I can see in need of a goalie in the future. The goaltending market is also stacked with Luongo, Bernier, Nabokov and Rask all possible trade bait. This situation is worth monitoring, but I feel won't result in much.

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