The NHL trade deadline is 14 games away, and the Buffalo Sabres will have some of the most sought-after players on the board in Ryan Miller, Matt Moulson, and Steve Ott.
Each player is in a unique situation thanks to the current direction of the Sabres. They’re the worst team in the league, and will likely be a bad team again next year as they commit to a long-overdue rebuild. However, none of these players have openly said they want out, and have even hinted that they might want to stay, if the money is right, of course.
Even a rebuilding team needs some veterans, preferably with talent, to help lead the youngsters and show them how to be a pro. We all saw what happened at the beginning of the season when the Sabres tired to go as young as possible, and the results were absolutely disastrous. Keeping some veterans around not only gives the rookies a mentor to learn from, it takes the pressure off of the young guys to instantly become the focal point of the offense or defense.
The team’s biggest three impending free agents all bring something unique that any NHL team, including the Sabres, could use. Ryan Miller is having a great season in net, and has proven himself consistent and cool under pressure, certainly qualities that a team looking to go deep in the playoffs wants. Matt Moulson is a proven 30-goal scorer who slots in on the top-six for almost every NHL team, and Steve Ott brings the heart, grit, faceoff acumen and positional flexibility that contenders often look for at the deadline. Miller and Moulson are also good in the shootout, and anyone watching this season in Buffalo, Toronto, or New Jersey knows how big those points can be.
So today we want you to put yourself in new general manager Tim Murray’s shoes, Sabres fans. Assuming that each player would be willing to re-sign (as Murray has said that once you ask for a trade, you’re outta here) we want to know what you’d like to see the team do with their three biggest UFA’s. Other guys will be in play, certainly, and we’ll talk about them later, but what do want to see happen with Miller, Moulson, and Ott?
