Buffalo Sabres General Manager Tim Murray did all that was in his control to ensure his club would select Connor McDavid in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. In the end, Murray’s tactics went for naught as the Edmonton Oilers won the NHL draft lottery and lucked into McDavid.
Murray didn’t begin the sell-off in earnest until mid-February, but once he started it was comprehensive. On February 11th, Murray sent Tyler Myers, Drew Stafford, prospects Brandon Lemieux and Joel Armia, and the St. Louis Blues 1st round pick in this years’ draft, in a deal for Evander Kane, Zach Bogosian and Jason Kasdorf. 
While it’s hard to argue that trade as a tanking mechanism the deal was definitely made with the future in mind. In Bogosian, the club bought in a workhorse defender who averaged over 26:34 minutes of ice time after joining the Sabres while Kane did not play in Buffalo due to injury. Each player carries at least three years term with salary cap hits of over $5 million, so this deal is crucial to the club’s future.
In the following three weeks, Murray dealt away not one, but two starting goaltenders in Michal Neuvirth and Jonas Enroth. Torey Mitchell and Brendan Flynn were dealt for mid-to-late round picks and Jack Nevins while Chris Stewart was sent to Minnesota for a second-rounder in 2017.
Fortunately for Buffalo, the club is flushed with salary cap cash. They will need to spend at least $8 million just to reach the salary cap floor. If Owner and CEO Terry Pegula gives the okay to spend to the max the Sabres would be allowed to obtain nearly $30M in new obligations.
Money will indeed have to be spent, especially on a netminder. It is hard to imagine Chad Johnson will be the team’s number one goaltender. A quick perusal of the unrestricted free agency list is not thrilling and another avenue must be taken, unless of course, the goal is also to finish poorly next season. This position may indeed give away Buffalo’s intentions for the 2015-16 season.
There are five forwards (Kane, Matt Moulson, Tyler Ennis, Brian Gionta and Cody Hodgson) on the club earning over $4 million per year and they will certainly be expected that they raise their contributions next year. Failing to put more goals on the board next year would not be good for those afore-mentioned players.
On top of it all the club is in the market for a new coach after Ted Nolan was released. In my opinion, the coach must have some experience dealing with young players, which in my mind makes a coach from the minors, or the amateur ranks, a good choice,
One of the items the editor of this section wants is to describe how the season went for the Sabres last season. I don’t suppose he would be satisfied if the word “terrible” was simply used as a description of the season, but it is an apt description at that.
The team was last in the NHL in goal scoring averaging a 1950’s style 1.87 goals per game, but fans got to see plenty of goals during the course of the game as the team allowed 3.28 goals per game, a mark “bettered” by only the Edmonton Oilers (3.37).
Power play? Nope, a league-worst 13.4 percent. Penalty kill? Try again. Also a league worst 75.1 percent. The team even finished last in face-offs winning only 44.9 percent of their draws.
On top of that, the club’s 0-1 record in the lottery draft may have stung the most. Basically this club was one big stat-padding outfit for their opponents. It’s not so much of a question how they managed to lose 51 games, but how they won 23 of their 82 tilts.
Yet there is hope. The club has four picks in the first two rounds of this draft, the second pick courtesy of the New York Islanders in the Thomas Vanek trade that occurred way back in October of 2013. The team also has six picks in the top three rounds in 2016, so it’s not imperative the club wins in 2015-16.
The club has some solid young talent in the stable as indicated by their fourth place ranking in the Hockey News’ 2015 Hockey Watch issue. As the Hockey News notes the rankings were compiled after Armia and Lemieux were sent to Winnipeg.
Included in the prospect pool are players such as Sam Reinhart and Hudson Fasching up front and defender Jake McCabe.
There isn’t much for the club to retain in free agency. Unrestricted free agents (UFA) include Patrick Kaleta, Matt Ellis, Andrej Meszaros, and goaltenders Anders Lindback and Matt Hackett. Restricted free agents include Mikhail Grigorenko, Jerry D’Amigo, Johan Larsson, Zac Dalpe and Philip Varone. Expect the club to try to resign several of these players to their roster. Extensions for young players could also be in the offing.
Ever since the lottery draft concluded the club has been linked with Boston University forward Jack Eichel who will be 19 shortly after the season starts and does hold three more years of college eligibility. He probably won’t use all of them, if indeed any of them. Eichel picked up 71 points in 40 college games this year and has done all he can (personally) do at the college level. He led the nation in scoring, won the Hobey Baker Award as the nations’ top player in the NCAA and was one goal shy from the Frozen Four championship.
While it’s hard to believe the team would entertain a deal for the pick; Murray does have to ensure his primary target will indeed sign a pro contract and not go the free agency route. Once that phone call is made and Murray gets his assurances, the Sabres will select Eichel with the second pick of the draft with the following announcement.
“With the second overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, the Buffalo Sabres are proud to select, from Boston University, Jack Eichel.”
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