Rebuilding the Sabres

[kernowboy]

Well there does seem to be a growing concensus that we need to rebuild but the question is how to achieve this.

Looking at the current roster, the following are due to become Free Agents in addition to Campbell.

Michael Ryan - offer as little as possible
Dimitri Kalinin - in a permanent slump?
Nolan Pratt - short term solution only
Teppo Numminen - retiring? could we persuade Aki Berg back to the NHL?
Jocelyn Thibault - only ever a No2

Gaustad, Paille and MacArthur are RFA but should all be retained.

We have big money in Vanek and Roy and a looming monster deal required to retain Miller.

I would do the following:

1) Trade Miller to the Lightning for Karri Ramo, Riki Helinius and maybe a R2 pick. Whilst Miller is magnificent so will be the cost of resigning him. Ramo has the potential to be a solid No1 now and Helinius one in the future.
2) We must retain Vanek. Goalscoring LW forwards are worth their weight in gold. He is arguably more irreplaceable than Miller.
3) Trade Campbell to the Flyers for Jeff Carter and Ryan Parent. We get more size in the middle of our line, and a good prospect starting to see NHL action.
4) Use the draft on Forward prospects. We will have a good pipeline of defencemen at the Amerks and solid goaltending in Helinius, Ehroth and Dennis. The forward locker is looking a bit bare.
5) Trade Afingonev. A great winger but never fit. We need someone who can actually log decent ice time or a good prospect who can shortly step up

This leaves us lines of - Vanek/Carter/Pominville - MacArthur/Roy/Stafford - Paille/Gaustad/Kotalik - Peters/Hecht/Mair with a line of Ryan/Connolly/Kaleta able to step up and more prospects down the road.

On the defence we'd have pairings of Berg/Lydman, Sekera/Spacek and Tallinder/Paetsch with Weber and Parent in the wings

Goaltending provided by Ramo, though I'd be interested to see if we could get Haivi Toivonen or Pekka Rinne as both have starting potential and might not be too expensive

Thoughts?

[Dr. Lecter]

I don't think rebuilding is needed.

Re-tooling? Yes, but not rebuilding.

[tampabay25690]

I don't think rebuilding is needed.

Re-tooling? Yes, but not rebuilding.

I AGREE........There will be NO REBUILDING at all......We have so much young talent on this team and it will only get better...

I do think we will have a problem with MILLER!!!!!

[kernowboy]

I don't think rebuilding is needed.

Re-tooling? Yes, but not rebuilding.

Its not much of a rebuild

We get max value for Campbell
We don't resign the likes of Kalinin
Numminen retires but we bring in a veteran D
Afingonev is moved but he's always injured these days

The big decision is Miller. If we end up paying him $8-9m a season will that compromise the roster. Miller is elite but there are several 'elite' keepers whilst the likes of Vanek if traded would be more difficult to replace.

I'd also like to see more size at center.

[BlackMetalNinja]

1) Trade Miller to the Lightning for Karri Ramo, Riki Helinius and maybe a R2 pick. Whilst Miller is magnificent so will be the cost of resigning him. Ramo has the potential to be a solid No1 now and Helinius one in the future.

You lost me right there... You think the fan base is unhappy right now? Try getting rid of Miller and see what happens.

[kernowboy]

I guess it depends if

1) we get really good value for him
2) if the money saved allows the team to find difference makers across the board.

I don't live in Buffalo, but my take is fans are furious at the loss of Drury and Briere for ..... nothing.

I'd prefer not to lose Campbell, but if his demands cannot be sensibly fitted under the cap, then we must get the best value we can for him, either veterans or decent prospects.

Whilst its extremely upsetting to lose a top player, teams have to work within the cap, and if Miller is left facing 50 shots a night because we cannot afford or retain decent defensive pairings ahead of him, he'll soon be so shell shocked as to stop being an elite keeper.