We ran an article in the Daily Links yesterday that highlighted an article on WGR with former Calgary Flames GM Craig Button who said that the Sabres, rather than trading Ryan Miller or Thomas Vanek, should keep both of them. This led to some interesting discussion in the comments, but we thought we’d take things one step further.
Both players have one year remaining on their contracts, and I don’t think I’m offending anyone when I say that Miller and Vanek are the two best players on the Sabres roster. However, just for fun, if you were forced to make a Sophie’s Choice between one or the other, which one of the Sabres stars would you choose to extend – Miller or Vanek? For the sake of argument, let’s say you extend both guys for five more years at or just below their current salary.
Miller is a franchise goaltender, and while some out there say that he’ll never reach the heights of his Vezina season ever again, his career even strength save percentage would beg differ, and no matter what your opinion on him you can’t deny that he’s remarkably consistent.
Thomas Vanek is also a consistent performer, though over the course of a full season. Within those seasons, he’s a streaky player, though his hot streaks can match up with any superstar in the league while they last. He’s a surgeon on deflections in front of the net, and takes a beating on the power play without complaint.
So, if it came down to one or the other, which would you choose to keep for the next few years – Ryan Miller or Thomas Vanek?
Which player would you rather see the Buffalo Sabres extend?
| Ryan Miller | 178 |
| Thomas Vanek | 314 |