Shock waves reverberated through the state of New York on Sunday evening, as news spread that Thomas Vanek had been shipped from Buffalo to Long Island in exchange for Matt Moulson and a pair of picks.
While comment threads on bottom-feeding social media sites are filled with "NOOOOOOOO!" and "FIRE DARCY NOW!" posts, smart (and patient) Sabres fans know that this is just another piece of the puzzle that will build the team back toward the top of the Eastern Conference.
Like it or not, Vanek was going to be an unrestricted free agent at season's end. And fifth-best goal scorer in Sabres history or not, he was going to take his talents elsewhere for the 2014-15 season. The worst thing that a general manager can do is listen to fans' requests to romanticize such players, holding on to them and then seeing them slip away for nothing come July.
(A repeat of the Drury/Briere debacle of July 1, 2007, might end with the city burnt to the ground.)
With the 2014 first-round pick and the 2015 second-round pick acquired along with Moulson in Sunday night's deal, the Sabres now have nine picks in the first two rounds of the next two drafts.&n ...
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Article written by Dave Emke
Vanek/Moulson Trade: Sabres Continue to Build Toward Future, ‘Suffering’ Aside
October 28th, 2013 by Dave Emke Leave a reply »
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