Vanek wants out :(

[BuffaloWingEater]

"You'd like to be on a team where going into camp you're contending," Vanek said. "You can't guarantee to win a Cup, but right now in Buffalo we're rebuilding, which is not the best-case scenario for me."

http://www.wgr550.com/Vanek-Discusses-Future/16903449

[OpIv37]

I've been saying this all off-season. Why would he want to waste his prime on a team that's rebuilding?

And if the team is going to rebuild, we need to rebuild RIGHT. And unfortunately that means trading Vanek and Miller. I don't see it happening though.

[Skooby]

I say we ship him as far away as possible, Calgary anyone?

[OpIv37]

lmao at the Sabres' take on the interview.

http://sabres.nhl.com/club/blogpost.htm?id=19243

They talk about him saying he's preparing to return to Buffalo and bury the quote about it not being an ideal situation at the very end of the article.

[Typ0]

I think the guy was just being honest...and everyone seems to take it as dissing Buffalo. This isn't even news he said this many months ago that he didn't really want to be part of a rebuilding process. On top of that, in the same interview he recognized there is a good young group of players on the team and hopes they can put it together.

I liken Vanek to Jerry Garcia. He's a superstar who just doesn't want or function well as the front man...but a real superstar. The guy has got to feel like he's in the wrong place right now and he's just expressing himself. Anyone in his position would feel the same way...but a professional would keep a positive attitude and make the best of it as well. Looks to me like he's very professional.

[OpIv37]

I don't see it as dissing Buffalo at all. He's in the prime of his career and doesn't want to languish on a rebuilding team. And I agree that he's not the best front man- he's good but he's not a true #1 player. And Buffalo will NEVER get him that true #1 guy unless they get lucky and CoHo or some other prospect turns into that.

Likewise, I don't see the trade talk as being a dis to him either. Buffalo isn't going to win the Cup this year, his contract is up next year and there's no guarantee that the team can re-sign him, and we're rebuilding so we need all the help we can get. It's just business.

[Skooby]

I don't see it as dissing Buffalo at all. He's in the prime of his career and doesn't want to languish on a rebuilding team. And I agree that he's not the best front man- he's good but he's not a true #1 player. And Buffalo will NEVER get him that true #1 guy unless they get lucky and CoHo or some other prospect turns into that.

Likewise, I don't see the trade talk as being a dis to him either. Buffalo isn't going to win the Cup this year, his contract is up next year and there's no guarantee that the team can re-sign him, and we're rebuilding so we need all the help we can get. It's just business.
According to you, he doesn't try enough so it's all the better we ship him out right ??

[OpIv37]

According to you, he doesn't try enough so it's all the better we ship him out right ??

Here's the problem: despite my reservations about Vanek, there's still no doubt that he's the best player on the team. I don't think he's a true number 1 and I don't think we'll ever win as long as the Sabres try to use him as the top guy, but we're still a worse team without him than we are with him.

Anyway, none of that really matters because it doesn't seem like he wants to be here and he's a FA next year anyway. It's highly unlikely that the Sabres will be a contender by next year, so he can just walk if he wants to and the Sabres will lose their best player for no compensation.

Business is business. The team should trade him and get some youth to help with the rebuild. Let's not half-ass the rebuild like we did when Briere and Drury left.

[DetDannyWilliams]

Not as interesting a soundbyte if you put it in context:



Quote:


<tbody>
“We’re rebuilding, and I’m hoping we have the
right pieces to accomplish something. I’m not saying I’m old. At 29, I’ve still
got many years left,” Vanek explained. “But at the same time, you like to be on
a team where you feel like going into camp you’re contending. You’re not
guaranteed to win a Cup, but right now in Buffalo I think we’re rebuilding which
is not the best case scenario for me. But at the same time, there’s a lot of
good young players and hopefully we pick the right ones.”


</tbody>


<!-- / message --><!-- added 12/15/11 -->
<!-- end DD -->

[Skooby]

Here's the problem: despite my reservations about Vanek, there's still no doubt that he's the best player on the team. I don't think he's a true number 1 and I don't think we'll ever win as long as the Sabres try to use him as the top guy, but we're still a worse team without him than we are with him.

Anyway, none of that really matters because it doesn't seem like he wants to be here and he's a FA next year anyway. It's highly unlikely that the Sabres will be a contender by next year, so he can just walk if he wants to and the Sabres will lose their best player for no compensation.

Business is business. The team should trade him and get some youth to help with the rebuild. Let's not half-ass the rebuild like we did when Briere and Drury left.
You still love that he's leaving, deep down.

[OpIv37]

You still love that he's leaving, deep down.

Here's the thing: he's been here what? 7 or 8 years? And what have we done in that time? Two conference finals when he was a rookie followed by a 5 year stretch with 2 first round playoff exits and 3 years where we didn't even make it. Is it all Vanek's fault? Of course not. But at the same time, we're not winning with him as the top guy so something has to change. People get attached to players they like (or players whose jersey they spent $120 on), yet they never seem to realize that the same players are part of the reason why the team is losing.

Things have to change if this team is going to win, and popular players like Vanek and Miller will probably be part of those changes. Oh well.

[Skooby]

Here's the thing: he's been here what? 7 or 8 years? And what have we done in that time? Two conference finals when he was a rookie followed by a 5 year stretch with 2 first round playoff exits and 3 years where we didn't even make it. Is it all Vanek's fault? Of course not. But at the same time, we're not winning with him as the top guy so something has to change. People get attached to players they like (or players whose jersey they spent $120 on), yet they never seem to realize that the same players are part of the reason why the team is losing.

Things have to change if this team is going to win, and popular players like Vanek and Miller will probably be part of those changes. Oh well. So if we lower our talent level during the rebuilding period, we'll be better off ? Is that the logic ?? I remember teams that had veteran players near the end of their careers that helped that team succeed, so I take a different position on the whole thing. I like your getting value idea but lets see how this season goes before we send him totally packing, we might be better than planned.

[OpIv37]

So if we lower our talent level during the rebuilding period, we'll be better off ? Is that the logic ?? I remember teams that had veteran players near the end of their careers that helped that team succeed, so I take a different position on the whole thing. I like your getting value idea but lets see how this season goes before we send him totally packing, we might be better than planned.

Teams that benefit from vets are teams that are farther along than we are.

And we are facing the very real prospect of losing him for nothing after next year anyway. He may decide to go to a contender or we might simply get outbid.

[sukie]

“We’re rebuilding, and I’m hoping we have the
right pieces to accomplish something. I’m not saying I’m old. At 29, I’ve still
got many years left,” Vanek explained. “But at the same time, you like to be on
a team where you feel like going into camp you’re contending. You’re not
guaranteed to win a Cup, but right now in Buffalo I think we’re rebuilding which
is not the best case scenario for me. But at the same time, there’s a lot of
good young players and hopefully we pick the right ones.”

[Skooby]

“We’re rebuilding, and I’m hoping we have the
right pieces to accomplish something. I’m not saying I’m old. At 29, I’ve still
got many years left,” Vanek explained. “But at the same time, you like to be on
a team where you feel like going into camp you’re contending. You’re not
guaranteed to win a Cup, but right now in Buffalo I think we’re rebuilding which
is not the best case scenario for me. But at the same time, there’s a lot of
good young players and hopefully we pick the right ones.”Thanks for helping us read between the lines, LOL.

[gebobs]

I liken Vanek to Jerry Garcia. He's a superstar who just doesn't want or function well as the front man...but a real superstar.
Some people have a gift for analogy. You, sir, are one off them.