Let’s get one thing straight; the Buffalo Sabres are not a good hockey team.
But the thing is, they weren’t good before they traded away half of their roster.
I’ve seen people all over the Internet complaining that the Sabres are intentionally losing games to give themselves the best chance at drafting the “next one” in Connor McDavid.
For those unaware, McDavid finished his Ontario Hockey League season with 120 points in 44 games and has been compared to Sidney Crosby.
The Sabres made some trades this season that on the surface seemed like questionable moves.
Perhaps most notably was trading away Tyler Myers and Drew Stafford (among others) to Winnipeg for Evander Kane and Zach Bogosian.
Kane was already scheduled to undergo surgery and was slated to miss the rest of the 2014-15 season.
So the accusations started, the Sabres are intentionally trying to put the worst team possible on ice to ensure they finish last in the league and have the best odds to draft McDavid.
Finishing last doesn’t guarantee anything, since they would only have a 20 per cent chance to win the draft lottery.
They lost last year, when their odds were 25 per cent.
The Florida Panthers, who had an 18.8 per cent chance to win, won the lottery and moved up from second to first overall.
They drafted defenceman Aaron Ekblad who is having the best rookie season by a defenceman in decades.
The Sabres “settled” for Sam Reinhart, a potential top-line centre who plays for the Kootenay Ice in the Western Hockey League.
Even before this season began almost everyone pegged the Sabres to finish last in the league.
So why are people surprised they’re currently in last?
When predictions were made nobody scoffed, but now that it’s actually happening, people are upset?
I know why; because a player of McDavid’s potential is up for grabs.
People made fun of the Edmonton Oilers for receiving three straight first overall picks in 2010, 2011 and 2012, but nobody accused them of tanking.
Why? Because they were awful. They still are awful.
Nobody said they were tanking because the players they received, Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov, aren’t “tank worthy.”
But all the sudden when a player of McDavid’s caliber is available, teams are accused tanking.
There was no chance the Sabres were going to make the playoffs with the team they had this year.
It all started last season when the Sabres went into full rebuild mode.
They moved long-time starting goalie Ryan Miller to St. Louis. They traded top scorer Thomas Vanek to the New York Islanders.
Everybody, and I do mean everybody, knew they weren’t good. They knew they were likely to finish last.
But only once the dust of the trade deadline had settled, the tank talk came to a head.
I honestly think fans of other teams that are bad this season (Arizona, Toronto, Carolina, Edmonton) are just mad that in a year where a potential franchise-changing player is available, there is a team worse than them.
The Sabres are getting ready for an extremely bright future.
Kane can’t play this year; he’ll be back next year eager to prove that he’s a top player in the NHL.
Long maligned for his seemingly cocky attitude and off-ice shenanigans during his time in Winnipeg, the fourth overall pick in the 2009 draft has a fresh start with a team that truly has nowhere to go but up.
Bogosian, the third overall pick in 2008, has played a top-four role his entire NHL career and will continue to do so in Buffalo.
They made a few other moves, like trading their starting goalie Jhonas Enroth to Dallas for the Stars’ backup goalie and a third round pick in 2016.
Seems like a tank type move, right? Well Anders Lindback has thrown up a sparkling .922 save percentage with the Sabres.
He only has one win to show for it, but if he plays well enough to move the Sabres from last place in the standings he might become the least popular player in Sabres history.
They moved Chris Stewart, a struggling power forward that everyone knew would be moved, for a second round pick in 2017.
Tanking? No, building for the future.
The Sabres are doing a rebuild the right way, going all in to ensure the future is brighter.
Often times you’ll see teams who should have done what the Sabres are doing, only to stay afloat for years and never make progress.
Like the Toronto Maple Leafs, who currently sit fourth-last in the standings.
They have seemingly fully accepted they are a rebuilding team after thinking they could contend for years.
They moved Cody Franson to Nashville for a first round pick in this years draft, and by the sounds of things there’s a good chance they’ll move Dion Phaneuf and Phil Kessel for more futures.
That’s the way it should be done. Accept when your team isn’t good enough and build for the future.
Real fans accept it, and will be there with the “sinking ship”.
In Thursday’s game between the Arizona Coyotes and Sabres, two teams at the bottom of the NHL standings, Sabres fans cheered when the Coyotes won in overtime.
Did anyone accuse the Philadelphia Flyers of tanking in 2006-07 when Patrick Kane was up for grabs in the draft?
No, because they weren’t a good team. Just like this years Buffalo Sabres.
And by the way, the Chicago Blackhawks won the draft lottery that year with an 8.1 per cent chance.
The only thing finishing last guarantees is the Sabres will pick no lower than second overall.
If that happens, they’ll simply draft Boston University centre Jack Eichel who would likely go first overall in most other drafts and this year if it weren’t for McDavid.
Are the Sabres actually tanking? We might never know.
Former Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Lou Angotti admitted that he was told to intentionally lose games during the 1983-84 season so the Penguins could draft Mario Lemieux.
They finished three points behind the New Jersey Devils, drafted Lemieux and saw their franchise blossom into a powerhouse, winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992.
Will it work out that way for the Sabres? I guess time, and a 20 per cent chance, will tell.
