The Buffalo Sabres Tanking Behavior is Disgraceful
Despite their lackluster regular season performance the Los Angeles Kings are one of the best teams in the NHL.
Everyone knows it.
That’s why so many teams are rooting against L.A. to make the playoffs. The Kings are dangerous in the post-season. L.A. is the first franchise in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup as an 8th seed, which they did in 2012.
Right now, however, we’re looking at the other end of the spectrum: the Buffalo Sabres.
For the second straight year the Sabres are the worst team in the NHL. They’re not trying to hide it.
No one will come out and say it. It’s a ‘no-no’ word that everyone avoids. Yet, it’s the cold hard truth. The Sabres management is trying to TANK this season, with one of the best NHL Entry Drafts in history looming in the distance.
Hockey fans world-wide are biting their nails and pacing back and forth, waiting to see the two GOD-PLAYERS Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel enter the NHL.
L.A. isn’t in the running for either of the Heaven-sent children.
It would be amazing to see the Kings win the Stanley Cup again this year.
Championships are difficult to come by, much less a dynasty. Recently, former Kings head coach Barry Melrose was quoted saying, “This league needs a dynasty.” With the Lakers rebuilding and the Kings popularity rising, L.A. could surely use one.
One last thing that would be a little icing on the cake: the Kings would win the Cup with four, that’s right FOUR, defensemen that are former Buffalo Sabres. All within the last four years: from 2011-2014.
Brayden McNabb was traded from the Sabres to the Kings in 2012.
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Sabre Noise
During the 2012-2013 season Robyn Regehr and Andrej Sekera played more than 25 games for Buffalo.
Last season, 2013-2014, Jamie McBain was a Sabre.
If you asked, these players would say they’re happy to be out of there and away from the situation. Things are twisted.
Last night the Buffalo ‘faithful’ cheered on the Arizona Coyotes as they went on to beat Buffalo 4-3 in overtime.
The fan reaction has become a bigger story than the game itself.
Just like the focus of TANKING for this year’s ‘McEichel’ lottery has become a bigger story than playing hockey the way the game is supposed to be played.
NO ONE can fault the Sabres players, or their head coach Ted Nolan. Despite the best efforts of management and the front office, the Sabres players and coaches have found a way to stay competitive and win a game here and there.
As a former player that suited up and stepped out onto the ice for terrible teams it’s easy to understand what that situation is like. It’s a grind.
It’s not fun to lose, not ever. It’s especially not fun to lose consistently.
It’s understandable, the fans have had to endure a lot. They had to endure nine years of mismanagement, incompetence at every level of the organization, and a mountain of heartbreaking losses.
Fans pay the salaries, fans buy the tickets. The fans have the right to express their frustrations, disappointments, and hope in a brighter future that will arrive at the hands of St. McDavid or St. Eichel.
What’s missing?
The fans have failed to appreciate the current Sabre players who suit up and play their hearts out for the city of Buffalo.
Buffalo Sabre veteran defensemen Mike Weber expressed his frustration at the situation in his post-game interview that has stormed through the Twitter-sphere and ESPN.
Weber’s point of view is not only understandable, it’s expected.
Buffalo is cheering the moves that Tim Murray has made. Moves that have clearly ensured the Sabres are the worst team in the NHL, and in all honesty and probability, one of the worst teams in NHL history.
If not for the efforts of the Sabres current players, which includes the likes of Mike Weber, they would be the worst in team history.
Is that a fair price to pay for a top prospect?
Only time will tell. But ask the Colorado Avalanche and Edmonton Oilers how well #1 draft picks improve your team.
These young kids may be able to change the game when they join frozen-roller-hockey leagues like the OHL, but in The Show it’s a different story.
Many would say, “Look at Chicago, look at Pittsburgh. You have to tank to get back to the top. It’s just the way the NHL today works.”
Los Angeles Kings
Fair enough.
So let’s compare.
Look at the Avalanche and Oilers. They’re not at the top of anything.
In 3 of the last 6 years the Avalanche have picked 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. They are currently in last in the Central Division, and tie for 11th out of 14 in the Western Conference.
The Oilers are an absolute mess. A perennial last place team. In the last 5 years they’ve picked 1st, 1st, 1st, 7th, and 3rd.
Not bad eh? Wrong. It’s bad.
Look at the Penguins and Blackhawks.
Yes, Chicago has become a powerhouse. The had two top-3 draft picks in Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. They also had veteran stars like Patrick Sharp, Duncan Keith, and Brent Seabrook. They brought in Marian Hossa in free agency, one of the NHL’s toughest forwards to knock off the puck.
Pittsburgh drafted Sidney Crosby – Sid the Kid. They also got Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Flurey, and Jordan Staal. Drafted all in a row at 1st, 2nd, 1st, 2nd overall.
People also forget, Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux came down from the heavens, out of retirement and coddled Sid into the NHL. Lemieux allowed Sid to live with him at his house, he showed Sid the NHL routine, and he skated alongside Sid on the ice to teach him out to dominate at the NHL level.
Lemieux was there when Sid took his first strides on skates!
Now they have been very good. In the regular season. Remember, they have only won the Stanley Cup once in Sid’s ‘reign’.
. . . and people criticize Peyton Manning for winning one ring. Right. You would never know it with hockey’s ‘Goldne-BOY’ . . . or sorry, ‘kid’.
Now look at the Los Angeles Kings, or the Detroit Red Wings, or the Boston Bruins.
Yes, all of those teams have brought in bigger-named free agents. Yes, they have built their teams through the draft. But when was the last time they had a #1 draft pick?
The Red Wings have made the playoffs for 25 straight years, so they haven’t had a #1 overall in a little bit.
In fact, according to Hockey-Reference.com the last time the Winged-Wheel had a top-3 pick was the 1990 draft. Exactly 25-years ago. Detroit chose Keith Primeau.
From 1983-1986 the Wings picked 4th, 7th, 8th, and 1st overall, respectively. The’83 pick is the one everyone knows: Steve Yzerman the legend and now General Manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
In the intervening years before and after other future stars were chosen, but never that high. Examples: Bob Probert – 3rd round, Adam Graves-2nd round, Dallas Drake-6th round, Nicklas Lindstrom-3rd round, Chris Osgood-3rd round, Mike Knuble-4th round, Tomas Holmstrom-10th round, Pavel Datsyuk-6th round, Henrik Zetterberg-7th round . . .
This list could go on forever.
The Bruins last top-3 pick was Tyler Seguin in 2010. That pick came into the Bruins possession when they traded Phil Kessel to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Boston’s core players are 2nd-3rd round picks. Milan Lucic-2nd round, Brad Marchand-3rd round, David Krejci-2nd round, Patrice Bergeron-2nd round, Torey Krug-undrafted free agent.
Zdeno Chara was a free-agent pick up, who many at the time thought was an old bust. That was 2006.
The Kings, like many of the other dominant franchises have built through the draft, but not with top picks. They’ve built through scouting, and more importantly player development.
Drew Doughty was the Kings last top-3 pick, going 2nd overall in 2008. Ever since the two-time Cup and Olympic Gold Medal winner came to L.A. the Kings have been one of the best in the league.
Feb 14, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty (8) reacts after he is called for hooking on Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom (19) in the first period of the game Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Even then, Doughty walked onto a team with a cast of star players. Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Jonathan Quick – who was never picked to be the Kings starting star goalie . . . that was Jonathan Beriner’s role.
Look at the Kings players draft positions:
Alec Martinez & Dwight King – 4th round (both in 2007; picks 97, 109), Jonathan Quick-3rd round.
Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown were 1st round picks, but were just outside the top-10 at 11 and 13 respectively.
The point is, in this sport, in this league, one player does not turn your franchise around.
L.A. is an army of Tom Brady’s. You read that right Buffalo.
The Buffalo Sabres have had the worst player development in the NHL, possibly the world, for the past decade.
Look at Tyler Myers: Calder Trophy winner + time with Sabres = regressed, stunted development. The same goes for Drew Stafford, and even Thomas Vanek who was misused for years.
Numerous players joined the Sabres and saw their stat numbers decrease as time with the team increased. It’s a suspicious correlation.
It’s why so many players leave Buffalo and Sabres fans say to each other, “Why are they so good as soon as they play somewhere else?!?”
Daniel Paille wasn’t good enough to play in Buffalo. It’s good for Danny the Sabres didn’t think so. Now, Paille has a Stanley Cup ring . . . in Bruins colors.
For this reason, compiled with Buffalo’s expectations from their fanbase and their behavior and history . . . Jack Eichel and Connor McDavid should be placed on suicide watch.
Put differently the Sabres could get both – McEichel, and the Kings won’t see Buffalo in the Stanley Cup Finals. Not until Dean Lombardi has been in the Hockey Hall of Fame for 20 years anyway.
Buffalo is in for a long, cold winter if they seriously think one potential superstar will turn that franchise around. It’s like trying to make a 90 degree turn with a cruise ship at full speed. It didn’t work out well for the Titanic.
I’m not sure if people in Buffalo have seen the movie: everyone starts off with a lot of hope and gigantic expectations . . . and well all know how it ends.
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Jan 9, 2014; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres general manager Tim Murray speaks to the media during the press conference announcing his hiring as the new Sabres general manager at First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports