Jhonas Enroth led the Sabres contingent at the IIHF World Hockey Championships capturing a gold medal with Sweden. (Micheline/SynergyMax)

The Sabres Participating

With the Buffalo Sabres missing the playoffs, it gave five players the opportunity to venture to this year’s event, held in Helsinki, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden, May 3-19. Thomas Vanek represented Austria, Christian Ehrhoff, Germany, Andrej Sekera, Slovakia, and Sabres’ prospect Zemgus Girgensons played for Latvia. Perhaps the most standout performance went to goaltender Jhonas Enroth who carried Sweden to the gold medal. Enroth’s performance is one thing but it could not have come at a better time with the latest reports that Ryan Miller may be on his way out of Buffalo.

Jhonas Enroth

A goaltender could not dream about having a better competition than Enroth had at the Worlds. Enroth got to be the number one for Sweden and took full advantage of the situation.  Enroth appeared in seven games during the tournament and registered a 5-1 record helping Sweden win the gold medal over Switzerland. He was between the pipes for their dramatic quarter-final win over Canada in a shootout, then shut out Finland in the semis. He finished things up with a one-goal against game in the gold-medal match versus the Swiss.

Enroth proved he could carry a team by posting out-of-this-world numbers. He finished the tournament with a goals against average of 1.15. He faced 183 shots, and allowed eight goals for a save percentage of .956. He also finished with two shutouts in the tournament.

Thanks to his efforts, Enroth was given many tournament awards. He was selected as best goaltender by the tournament directorate, was named as the goaltender for the tournament All-Star Team by the media and took home the player of the game award for Sweden in the gold-medal game.

With everything that he accomplished in just over a couple of weeks, the biggest thing he may have done is establish himself as a capable number one goaltender, which gives the Sabres considerable leverage moving forward.

Andrej Sekera

Andrej Sekera represented Slovakia at the 2013 IIHF World Hockey Championships. (Wikimedia Commons)

After Enroth’s gold medal winning performance, the next top finisher was defender Andrej Sekera and his Slovakian team. Sekera, along with Florida Panther, Thomas Kopecky were the only NHL representatives on this team due to many big names still being in the playoffs.

As a team, they finished fourth in their group and eighth overall. Sekera logged big minutes on the team’s blue line averaging 25:02 a game. He scored a goal and added an assist plus two penalty minutes in the team’s eight games. He finished with a 0 +/- rating and 10 shots on goal.

Christian Ehrhoff

The second defenseman to represent Buffalo was Ehrhoff who laced them up for Germany. The German team finished fifth in their group and ninth overall. Much like Sekera, Ehrhoff logged big minutes for the Germans averaging 28:04 per game. He had a very solid tournament putting up three goals (one game-winner and two on the power play) and two assists. He had an even +/- rating and registered 22 shots in the seven games he appeared in. Ehrhoff did spend 10 minutes in the box, but the Sabres organization has to be pleased with the performance and must hope he can duplicate it during next season, as offence from the back-end was an issue.

Thomas Vanek

Thomas Vanek scored seven points in seven games for Austria at the 2013 IIHF World Hockey Championship. (Jeanine Leech/Icon SMI)

Much like he did all season, Vanek continued to be a force in the tournament. Vanek and his Austrian team came into the tournament ranked 15^th in the world. After their tournament, where they won just one game, they will remain there, but Vanek has to be pleased with his performance. He had seven points in seven games (four goals, three assists, including a game-winner and power-play goal). He logged 20:15 minutes of ice time, on average, and threw 33 shots on net.  He was a minus player in the tournament at -2, but still his efforts have to be seen as a positive. Vanek’s stock continues to rise, whether the team tries to move him or build around him.

Zemgus Girgensons

The final Sabres or Sabres prospect, to play at the event was Girgensons. Girgensons was originally taken by the Sabres 14^th overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. He came over from Latvia and played the 2012-13 season with the Rochester Americans, but was reunited with his countrymen for the Worlds. Girgensons only played in five games, but did notch a power-play goal. He averaged 17:20 of ice time and had 10 shots on goal. He finished as a -3.

The Sabres have to be pleased at how well they were represented at this tournament, with Enroth bringing back a gold medal, Vanek’s continued production, the defensemen playing major minutes and even a prospect getting the experience of playing with some of the worlds best.

Who knows what this will mean for these players and the team but it has certainly made some of the offseason storylines even more interesting for fans.

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Darren Matte

An avid sports enthusiast, Darren presently is the Sports Editor at Etcetera Publications (Chesterville Record and The Villager) as well as an occasional contributor to the company's AgriNews publication. He is also a colour commentator on TV Cogeco's local junior hockey coverage. He has covered a wide range of junior and professional sports including: hockey, baseball, football and golf to name a few.

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For Buffalo, the day could hold far more impact.

Already possessing the 8^th and 16^th picks in the first round, the Sabres will be shopping big-name players Thomas Vanek and Ryan Miller, looking to stockpile assets for the rebuild, even though they’re not officially calling it that (admitting a rebuild means admitting your team sucks and the Sabres never do that).

Thomas Vanek (Jeanine Leech/Icon SMI)

Vanek, a proven goal-scorer hitting his theoretical prime, could be highly sought after by teams who feel like one big offensive addition could push them over the top. He comes with a big cap hit ($7.142M) but has just one year left on his deal so the team acquiring him has the flexibility of letting him go at year end if they can’t find the funds to re-sign him.

Not only that but he hasn’t scored fewer than 25 goals in his career to date, hitting the 30 and 40-goal plateaus twice. That kind of proven scorer isn’t something you come by often and they certainly don’t come cheap.

Could his haul exceed that brought in by the Jason Pominville trade? Potentially but that depends on who’s buying and what the market is like for Vanek. Ignoring division rivals – and that was hard since it makes sense for the Sens and Leafs — I did a little digging and found five teams who could be interested in the Austrian winger come draft day.

Nashville Predators

Amongst Sabres fans, the Preds seem to be the team that comes up most often when discussing Vanek’s future destination. Nashville seems like one of those teams that could never ice a good offensive team and so, always in search of offense, Vanek could be just what the Preds are looking for.

What They Have To Offer

Aside from draft picks, which are sure to be involved in any deal for Vanek, there are a few forwards who might come available but their strength is depth amongst the defensive prospects and young roster players. Roman Josi, Jonathan Blum, and Mattias Ekholm could

Filip Forsberg was the exclamation point on a very solid 2012 NHL draft weekend for the Washington Capitals. (Elite Prospects)

be enticing pieces to a deal. The team might be hard-pressed to pry away Filip Forsberg or Austin Watson given the Preds’ need for offense and lack of high-end offensive prospects.

Why a Trade Could Happen

It certainly makes sense for a few reasons: General Manager Darcy Regier seems to have a penchant for trading away players to the Western Conference (Pominville, Paul Gaustad, Robyn Regehr, and Jordan Leopold) and the Predators desperately need an infusion of offense.

Vanek would not only provide a steady scoring hand but could prove to tutor some of the young forwards on the roster, helping them to develop. They have a ton of cap space to work with and a deep pool of defensive prospects.

Why It Won’t Happen

It really depends on a couple of things.

First: does Thomas Vanek want to go to a team in transition like Nashville? It might not be a full-on rebuild but the fall from borderline-Cup contender to top five pick might be a turn off for him. He’s already publicly stated he does not wish to participate in a rebuild in Buffalo so I’m not sure he’d be in favor of participating in one elsewhere.

Secondly: the Preds may not be willing to part with their first round pick this year. If they think highly of Aleksander Barkov or think one of the big three could fall to them, they won’t want to move.  If Buffalo is willing to accept a first rounder next year, the deal could still work but I would think they would want to stockpile picks in this year’s draft given all we’ve heard about its depth.

Potential Deal

If a deal is going to happen with Nashville, it will probably look like this: Ekholm, Magnus Hellberg, and a first round pick in 2014. Hellburg is probably interchangeable with another second-tier prospect but you get the idea. That would be a solid haul for Vanek, bolster the blueline long-term, and stockpile more picks in a year where Buffalo should be competing for the first overall pick.

Columbus Blue Jackets

For a team that didn’t make the playoffs, there has to be very little disappointment among the fans. They were treated to an exciting,

(Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports)

unexpected stretch run thanks to the MVP-level play of Sergei Bobrovsky (cut to Flyers fans in the fetal position). They surprised many at the trading deadline by acquiring high-priced Slovak sniper Marian Gaborik from the New York Rangers to bolster their attack.

What They Have To Offer

The Blue Jackets certainly have some flexibility as they chose a great year to have multiple first round picks. With picks 14, 19, and 23 in the first round, they certainly could package those picks either to move up or to grab a proven commodity like Vanek. And despite trading away some of their depth acquired in the Rick Nash deal to get Gaborik, they still have a good pool of prospects to dangle.

Why a Trade Could Happen

The Jackets were so close to unexpectedly making it into the playoffs. It appears as if they’ve found their goaltender in Bobrovsky and they have a hard-working team that fights until the final buzzer. Getting more talent and production in the lineup could be the key to getting into the postseason and making some noise.

If the Jackets are looking to capitalize on their momentum, a trade for a big name could really make the atmosphere in Columbus come alive.  Given the state of the team pretty much since its inception, it could finally be a sign of something big for the fan base.

Why It Won’t Happen

The other end of the spectrum could see Columbus management happy with what they’ve got and opt to trade up in the draft for high-end talent that could potentially make an impact this year. Not only that but if they feel like a few of the youngsters – Boone Jenner, Tim Erixson, Cam Atkinson – are ready to make significant contributions, they may choose to stand pat and grow as a team.

Potential Deal

While it might be nice for Buffalo to grab two of those first round picks, that’s not likely to happen unless Columbus management is desperate to make a big splash to continue momentum.  Jarmo Kekalainen has shown he will make the big move but he’s got a solid track record and a desperation move isn’t likely.

The more likely scenario is the Jackets dealing one of the picks in the teens, one of Jenner or Erixson, a second-tier prospect like Cody Goloubef or Jonathan Audy-Marchessault, and perhaps a later round pick. This lets the Sabres add a third first rounder, add to the prospect pool, and perhaps allow them to make a bigger splash on trade day in regards to moving up.

New York Islanders

The feel good story in the Eastern Conference, the underdog Isles not only made it into the playoffs on the back of Hart Trophy candidate John Tavares, they punched heavy favorite Pittsburgh in the mouth in their first round matchup before finally succumbing in six games.

For all the franchise and the fan base have gone through – the years of poor performances, the botched drafts, the Rick DiPietro debacle, the Alexei Yashin debacle – it was a reassurance that things are on the rebound and that John Tavares could be the team’s first superstar since Pierre Turgeon.

What They Have To Offer

One of the positives of being bad for a long time means you get to pick near the top of the draft quite often and amass a group of talented prospects.  Griffin Reinhart, Ryan Strome, Brock Nelson, Calvin de Haan, Nino Niederreiter; the pool is deep on Long Island. It gives the Isles flexibility to make an upgrade for someone proven to bolster another playoff run.

Griffin Reinhart

Their pick in the first round this year (15) could be valuable to a team like Buffalo looking to acquire as many as they can in hopes of making a big splash this year, making it a valuable asset to the Islanders if they are looking to acquire talent for the present.

Why a Trade Could Happen

The Islanders have a ton of cap space even after they re-sign those necessary to the cause. They acquired sort-of-retired goalie Tim Thomas last year to hit the cap floor and he comes off the books this summer, freeing up over $5M of room alone.

They have good talent on the wings – Matt Moulson, Michael Grabner, Kyle Okposo – but they don’t have much depth and someone like Vanek in the top six could really make their top two lines formidable. Not to mention what someone like Vanek could do to make Tavares even better, scary as that may sound.

Why It Won’t Happen

It really depends on how they feel about the above group of prospects. Neiderreiter reportedly asked to be traded due to lack of opportunity. Do think too highly of Reinhart and Strome to potentially deal one?

Another scenario could see one or two from that group ready to make the jump into the pros next year, taking away a potential landing spot for Vanek. It all comes down to just how ready the organization thinks they are.

Potential Deal

The first round pick would be a must for the reasons mentioned above. Three of the top 16 picks would be huge for the Sabres and they might even be able to package 15 and 16 to move into the top 10.

In addition to that, they may pursue someone like Nelson, a big center with all the skills just looking to put them together.  They will surely try to swing for the fences and get either Strome or Reinhart; that will depend on the desperation of the Isles to make a move.

Winnipeg Jets

Akin to the Blue Jackets, this was another young team on the cusp. They fought valiantly down the stretch but faltered when it mattered most and missed out. With a potential shakeup coming – Blake Wheeler and Bryan Little are RFAs, Nik Antropov is a UFA – they could be looking to make a change and push themselves into playoff contention. Adding someone to take the load off of Evander Kane and Andrew Ladd is never a bad idea, either.

What They Have To Offer

The 13^th overall pick for the reasons mentioned above – stockpile, baby! – would have to be included for the Sabres to act.  Aside from that, they have a couple of top prospects in Mark Scheifele and Jacob Trouba, who would be valuable to any franchise. They also happen to have a very talented young center who appears to be in the dog house and on the way out of town: Alexander Burmistrov.

(Dustin Bradford/Icon SMI)

According to various rumors, Burmistrov was almost dealt to Buffalo at the trading deadline for Drew Stafford so acquiring him doesn’t seem to be much of an issue if he’s part of a package for Vanek. He’s got a very high talent level so perhaps a change of scenery could spark him.

Why a Trade Could Happen

Obviously right on the cusp of the playoffs, it comes down to cap space and desire for proven scoring. If the Jets let Antropov and defenseman Ron Hainsey walk via free agency, replacing them by adding Vanek and other parts could not only bolster their attack but bring even more buzz to the already hockey-crazy town of Winnipeg. Vanek and Kane crashing the net could be the worst case scenario for Eastern Conference teams.

Not only that but they have a similar situation compared to the Islanders: good talent on the wings but little depth. Adding Vanek could make their top six one of the best in the conference.

Why It Won’t Happen

Cap space. If they keep the aforementioned Antropov and/or Hainsey, there might not be enough room to work with even with Burmistrov going back. Not only that but the Jets may not be willing to part with either Scheifele or Trouba and the Sabres will surely be asking for one of them in a package for their sniper.

Potential Deal

I think the breaking point on this deal is one of the two prospects mentioned above. The first rounder will almost certainly be in there and if included, the deal would more than likely end up being Scheifele or Trouba, the first, and a lower-tier prospect.  It sounds like a lot to give up and the Jets may agree with that opinion but it will likely be the cost of landing a guaranteed 25-30 goal scorer.

St.Louis Blues

I went a little bit off the path with this one but it could make sense for both sides. The Blues have made their name of late as a good defensive team that gets things done offensively with a solid group of forwards but no stars. They have a complicated off-season ahead – re-signing star defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, Kevin Shattenkirk, goaltender Jake Allen, power forward Chris Stewart, Patrick Berglund, and UFA Andy McDonald – so they may not be able to fiscally make this work when it comes to it but they could benefit from a front-of-the-net force like Vanek.

What They Have To Offer

The biggest issue is that the Blues have no first round pick this year; that was dealt to Calgary for defenseman Jay Bouwmeester. I can see that being a sticking point but they do have talented wingers Jaden Schwartz and Ty Rattie to dangle as well as a plethora of goalies should the Sabres decide they don’t have enough as it is.

Why a Trade Could Happen

If the Blues can’t or don’t re-sign everyone (like Andy McDonald) or would rather deal a current roster player than pay him, it could make for an interesting day. They’ve also been a Stanley Cup contender the last few years and could be trying to get themselves over the hump with a big offensive addition to compliment their sound defensive style. Vanek comes from Ruff’s defensively-responsible system in Buffalo so he would be no stranger to that type of atmosphere.

Why It Won’t Happen

Money. Too many guys to re-sign, not enough flexibility, and an unwillingness to deal one of their top-tier prospects.

After leading the Blues in goals in the regular season, Stewart did not score in the playoffs (Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports)

They also may not be in a position to re-sign Vanek long-term and would not want to pay a king’s ransom for a rental.

The lack of a first round pick could also be a sticking point from the Buffalo end of things for all of the obvious reasons.

Potential Deal

I could see this going one of two ways: a deal involving Schwartz, Dmitrij Jaskin, and a middle-round pick or a surprise move like trading the rights to Chris Stewart, someone like Jaskin or Ty Rattie, and a mid-round pick.

The Sabres would covet a guy like Stewart – big, mean power forward who skates well – so long as he manages to keep his weight in line and show maximum effort. The Blues would probably like to move Halak here but with the addition of Matt Hackett in the Wild trade, the Sabres aren’t likely to be interested.

Wherever he may or may not end up, the landscape for Thomas Vanek will be wide open.  You can never go wrong with a 25-goal guy who has 40-goal potential. Just where he ends up will be one of the many interesting storylines of draft day.

Follow me on Twitter: @RWTFC

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Ryan Womeldorf

I'm a lifelong Buffalo sports fan who writes for The Farm Club, The Hockey Writers, and Get Real Hockey. I'm also known to babble about pro wrestling and, no, I have no mental difficiencies. That I'm aware of. Seriously.

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This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Granted, they’d dug themselves such a deep hole that it proved too much to emerge from, missing the playoffs for the second year in a row and raising plenty of questions. Still, their play down the stretch was something of a positive. They’d put together a nice run despite having traded away veteran contributors Jason Pominville, Robyn Regehr, and Jordan Leopold.

More importantly than that, the once-left-for-dead Jhonas Enroth rose from the grave (or the bench) and turned in such a tremendous stretch that it’s hard to believe A.) this is the same guy Lindy Ruff had superglued to the end of the bench, never to see the ice again and B.) the Sabres now have goaltending options that don’t read “Options A-Z: Ryan Miller”.

(Jerome Davis/Icon SMI)

The 24-year-old Swedish netminder had cup-of-coffee stints with the Sabres in 2009/10 and 10/11 before getting 26 games under his belt last season and another 11 this year. He’s struggled with consistency but there are flashes of brilliance in his 5’10″ 166lb frame.

A few caveats: yes, “small sample size” and all of that but we’ll get there.  The other tidbit is that Enroth is a restricted free agent. Given that he was a guy making $675k and struggled immensely last season with the exception of the stretch run, I’m going to venture a guess that the Sabres should be able to re-sign him with relative ease.

Unless they’re really trying to cash in on the obvious potential and the nine games at the end of last season, which would be immensely ballsy and/or stupid (mostly the latter), they should be able to get him for less than a million for at least this season. Anything after that is up to the negotiating parties to figure out.

Still, how does he compare with Buffalo’s incumbent superstar Miller?

How They Stack Up

Now, the obvious off-the-top-of-your-head comparison of the two is that Miller is consistently very good and Enroth is largely unproven.  Which is a completely accurate assessment of things.

Miller sees huge chunks of games and minutes and, aside from his anomaly of a Vezina Trophy season, his numbers have remained at about the same level for the last few years. You know what you’re getting out of him.

Jhonas Enroth (Andy Martin Jr.)

Enroth is less consistent for obvious reasons. One: he only has 50 games played in his career. Miller exceeds that in his average season. Two: the team’s style differs between the two goaltenders. With Miller, extra chances can be taken because the team knows he will generally bail them out. With Enroth, that certainty isn’t there and the structure of the defense, as well as its role in the offense zone, changes.

The Numbers: Part 1

Die by the Blade did a fantastic side-by-side comparison of their head-to-head numbers :

What can we take from that?

Both are very good at even strength but surprisingly, it is Enroth who is better. The difference lies with the special teams, where Miller is noticably better than Enroth in just about each season.

Part of the reason the penalty kill has been so bad, especially this season, is because Miller wasn’t very good and Enroth was worse. Expecting them to be league-worst again isn’t fair and a regression back to the mean should take place so those numbers should theoretically go up but Miller clearly is the better of the two at keeping the puck out of their net on special teams, especially shorthanded.

The Numbers: Part 2

This is where things get interesting.  Enroth wasn’t so much as an after-thought when Lindy Ruff was around and it would be interesting to find out just what the dynamic was between the two given the night and day performances by Enroth.

Let’s take a look at his numbers under Ruff and after the firing:

Granted, almost a fifth the sample size but the jump is huge. If you break it down further, he had seven starts down the stretch and posted a 1.55 GAA, .953 save percentage, and a shutout while stopping 224 of 235 shots. He had three games where he surrendered just one goal as well.

If you extrapolate his numbers — and I know extrapolation is only as good as guessing, really — over Miller’s number of games played last year, his numbers are MVP level: 40GP, 1.64 GAA, .941 save percentage.  Those numbers realistically regress towards the mean but even a little bit of a drop and those are incredible numbers.

The small sample size is one thing but just watching him play, you could see a world of difference. Enroth was sharp throughout and downright incredible for large chunks of time. He looked like a whole different goaltender.

Take this save against Winnipeg during a feverish chase for the playoffs:

He wasn’t making routine saves under Lindy, let alone ones like that.

What Does This Mean For 2013/14?

One huge caveat applies here: if Ryan Miller is traded before the start of next season.

Speculation, which is really a bunch of nothing until something actually happens, has Miller being dealt at the draft. For a team that’s attempting a rebuild even if it’s not directly saying that, moving a big asset like Miller for picks and young players is the way to go. If he’s still around next season, he starts. It’s just that simple.

But we’re looking at a scenario in which Miller is gone and Enroth is handed the keys to the car or at the very least given them as part of a platoon. And Jhonas Enroth is ready.

Sure, there isn’t a lot to go on. Yes, it would be a risk but a calculated one. If you’re the Sabres, you’re banking on your still-developing 24-year-old goaltender building on his hot finish to the season and taking it into next year.

Not only that but if you’re without Miller, you’re expecting to be a fringe playoff team in a best-case scenario. Letting Enroth get the bulk of the work on a young team gives him more experience, the team a look at what it has on a full-time basis, and probably good draft position to build towards the future.

It may not be up to Jhonas Enroth to determine whether or not he’s ready for the big time but if Ryan Miller and the Sabres part way, the franchise will be entrusting him to keep the crease clean.

Enroth will stand tall. Well, as tall as his 5’10″ frame will allow.

Follow me: @RWTFC

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Ryan Womeldorf

I'm a lifelong Buffalo sports fan who writes for The Farm Club, The Hockey Writers, and Get Real Hockey. I'm also known to babble about pro wrestling and, no, I have no mental difficiencies. That I'm aware of. Seriously.

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This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

A few days ago,  Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier announced that the team has intentions to move up from the eighth overall pick in June’s NHL Entry Draft.

In a draft loaded with top end talent – Seth Jones, Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Drouin, Aleksander Barkov to name a few – this certainly would seem like the year to make a move to jump into the top few picks of the draft.

So who’s going to be willing to move out of their spot?

Some Scenarios

Seth Jones, the consensus first overall for the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. (Brian Heim/Portland Winterhawks – WHL)

It seems fairly safe to assume that Seth Jones, the consensus top overall prospect in this year’s draft, will come off the board to the Colorado Avalanche first overall.  Jones is a big, puck-moving defenseman that draws comparisons to Chris Pronger and the talent-strapped Avalanche shouldn’t be one to shy away from that kind of player.

It also seems fairly safe to assume that the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning will stay put at second and third respectively.  Hard to want to move when franchise forwards Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin are available.

Would it even be possible to move those spots? Well, theoretically, sure. But the Sabres would have to give up an inordinate amount of value to move up. According to this draft chart, by Michael Schuckers, Associate Professor of Statistics at St. Lawrence University,  they would have to give up picks 8 and 38 just to move into the third spot.  Which would be fantastic this year considering the belief that there are three surefire franchise players to be had but Tampa Bay isn’t likely to give up the third overall pick so easily.

Assuming the Sabres aren’t willing to pay an arm and a leg to move into the top three (and that is likely what it will take), what are their options? Who might they be targeting?

Potential Targets

Could it be Finnish center Aleksander Barkov? The 6’2” 209lb center is considered by some to be the fourth franchise-calibre player in this draft. Called a dominating two-way forward, some believe Barkov to have the elite skills that would make him a steal at fourth overall in most years.

If not Barkov, perhaps the Sabres could trade into the top five to grab Swedish-born Elias Lindholm.  The 6’0” 190lb pivot is supposed to be the complete two-way center, evoking comparisons to fellow Swedes Henrik Zetterberg and Peter Forsberg.  Very polished but considered to not have the ceiling of Barkov, MacKinnon, Jones, or Drouin.

Mikhail Grigorenko was the Buffalo Sabres top pick in last year’s draft. The Sabres now find themselves with a wealth of depth at centre. (Kevin Hoffman/USA TODAY Sports)

The one issue I can see with trading up for one of those two is that the Sabres find themselves suddenly stocked down the middle. Cody Hodgson has shown himself to be a budding offensive player and potential number one center for the team in the very near future.  They also have 2012 first-round picks Mikhail Grigorenko, considered a top five talent in his class, and Zegmus Girgensons waiting in the wings.  Not to mention the trade deadline deal that sent Jason Pominville to Minnesota netted top-tier center prospect Johan Larsson.

So would the Sabres, with a wealth of talent coming at the center position, be willing to pay a steep price to move up and take one of Barkov or Lindholm? Obviously, it would depend on just how highly their scouts thought of them.

No, barring a humongous deal where the Sabres move into the top three, the target could be Russian winger Valeri Nichushkin.

The question mark about Nichushkin was whether or not his decision to stay in Russian rather than come over to North American through the CHL import draft would affect his stock. So far, the decision hasn’t hampered him.

Believed by some to be the best forward in the draft, Nichushkin is big (6’4” 202) and oozes offensive potential. If he can get past the “Russian factor”, he could go as high as four depending on how high Nashville views him.

The Sabres are in need of a big, dynamic winger with top-end talent. Nichushkin could arguably be the talent of the draft and whoever picks him will certainly be taking a bit of a risk.  But with draft day move, the Sabres could find themselves in a spot to take a chance on his enormous potential.

Frankly, the only way the Sabres move into the top three involves a deal for Ryan Miller or Thomas Vanek and, even then, it isn’t likely. Such is the case in a stacked draft.

Follow me on Twitter: @RWTFC

Author information

Ryan Womeldorf

I'm a lifelong Buffalo sports fan who writes for The Farm Club, The Hockey Writers, and Get Real Hockey. I'm also known to babble about pro wrestling and, no, I have no mental difficiencies. That I'm aware of. Seriously.

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On May 7, Ron Rolston became the 16th coach of the Buffalo Sabres as his interim tag was lifted. (Timothy T. Ludwig/USA TODAY Sports )

Perhaps to the dismay of Sabres fans it is official. Ron Rolston has had the interim tag removed and is the 16th coach in the history of the Buffalo Sabres, joining the likes of Scotty Bowman, Punch Imlach and Ted Nolan to name a few.

Why He’s The Guy

Rolston took over the bench from Lindy Ruff for the Sabres Dec. 21st game and guided the team to a 15-11-5 record after they stumbled out of the blocks to a 6-10-1 start and now has a multi-year contract, although length was not announced.

The announcement to promote Rolston to the full time gig came at a press conference on May 7. “I am familiar with the players and their capabilities,” remarked Rolston at the Press conference.

General Manager Darcy Regier was asked if they had interviewed other candidates to which he responded, “We had intended to interview others when we brought Ron in as interim coach. As we moved through the season we noticed he was a very good fit for the team and it’s future. In addition, we can now hit the ground running, spend more time with players and have them better prepared going forward.”

It is true that Rolston does have an advantage having the prior knowledge of the team. In addition, since Rolston spent nearly two season’s with the team’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Rochester Americans, he is not only familiar with the current roster, but also the players that are in the system.

Freshness

A reoccurring theme with the press conference was the notion of “freshness.” Fans and followers of the team have come to almost demand it, but Regier and Rolston were able to point to where they believed the “freshness” will come from. “The young players will add to the Freshness. We will create a good buzz and closeness so that the guys are playing for one another,” said Rolston.

As for Regier, he pointed to changes at the end of last season. “We saw some at the end of last year. Guys like Mark Pysyk will push hard to be on this team and have a role and there will be others. We’ll add more, but it is also about when players will be ready, that is another thing. We need a good leadership core and it starts with work ethic and that will create freshness.”

Are Ryan Miller and other Sabres leaders part of Ron Rolston’s leadership core that he mentioned at his introductory press conference on May 7? (Andy Martin Jr/THW Media Library)

Breaking down these statements, it seems as though the changes, if any, will be in personnel and that players from within will create the change that fans are looking for. The question is will it be enough to turn the team around? Both the general manager and coach re-instilled that players will have to earn opportunities.

Much like Regier’s press conference last week, Rolston preached patience and that there will be a process to building the team to not only be a playoff contender but to make a long run and win a Stanley Cup. However how long will this process take? Both men wouldn’t put a timetable on it.

Current Roster

Rolston was also asked about the team’s two big names, Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek. He said he would like them to be in the line up for opening day but that “they had decisions to make.”

Another name that was brought up was Tyler Myers, who after his rookie campaign has seen a decline in his performance. Yet Rolston still has confidence in the young blue liner. “He is really on a good path. He understands where he needs to grow, especially this summer, to be an elite defenseman in the league.”

One area that will be under heavy scrutiny will be if Rolston can find a way to tap into that potential that Myers has shown so that he can live up to his heavy contract.

A player that Rolston did point out was Mike Weber and his role as a leader when talking about accountability. “Weber took a big jump this year especially in terms of a leadership role.” The coach pointed to successful teams as all having an accountable room, something he hopes to establish.

With these statements there is a lot that will certainly be questioned. If Rolston feels there was not enough accountability from the current leadership group and he is going to establish his own, what does that mean for guys like Miller and Vanek, who just minutes earlier he wanted in his opening day line up? Are these hints at player personnel change or just words to satisfy the fan base?

Where will Thomas Vanek fit in with the future Sabres? Coach Ron Rolston said he would like him, and Ryan Miller, in the line up come opening day but that both players “would have decisions to make.”  (Jerome Davis/Icon SMI)

Regier’s talk about a good leadership core furthers the speculation that both Miller and Vanek could be on the way out, if the right deal comes along.

Rounding Out His Staff

Rolston addressed the rest of his staff stating that he will evaluate his assistants and anticipates decisions on their futures by the end of the week. Rolston gave credit to the assistants he worked with acknowledging that it can be difficult to be left over from a previous staff. He also noted that the three assistants James Patrick, Kevyn Adams and Teppo Numminen were very professional to work with.

With everything that was discussed, it is still hard to determine what exactly the Sabres plan to do moving forward. They stress that they will have a fresh look but at the same time don’t seem to want to stray away from the way things are. Either way Rolston now has his opportunity to shape the team to his liking but he cannot be afraid to make changes and take chances or else the team is doomed to remain mediocre.

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Darren Matte

An avid sports enthusiast, Darren presently is the Sports Editor at Etcetera Publications (Chesterville Record and The Villager) as well as an occasional contributor to the company's AgriNews publication. He is also a colour commentator on TV Cogeco's local junior hockey coverage. He has covered a wide range of junior and professional sports including: hockey, baseball, football and golf to name a few.

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This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

(Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports )

Bright and early on May 7th, the Buffalo Sabres took another important step in the rebuilding process.

General Manager Darcy Regier announced that former interim coach Ron Rolston will be the permanent head coach of the team heading into the 2013-14 season.

The move makes sense for a couple of reasons.

Firstly: he earned it.  Since taking over on February 20th, he coached the team to a 15-11-5 record while Regier was busy selling off veteran assets like Jason Pominville, Robyn Regehr, and Jordan Leopold.  The fact that this team was even on the playoff bubble after flirting with dead last is a testament to the turnaround down the stretch.

Secondly: his time spent in Rochester, Buffalo’s AHL team, will serve him well. He coached young players in the AHL and will obviously get the opportunity to do so as the Sabres rebuild.  The team got younger as they shipped out veteran pieces and could possibly stand to get even younger should stars Thomas Vanek and Ryan Miller get moved at the NHL Draft or at some point during the season.

Things could get rough for the Sabres next year when they will be clearly talent-deficient and in need of direction as they develop. Rolston will be a great fit in that department; helping the team grow together and understand that the losing is (presumably) temporary.

Thirdly, and most importantly depending on who you are: he isn’t a high-priced ego that could potentially get in Darcy’s way.  Rolston will quietly do his job and not command a lot of the spotlight nor will he make many demands that could lead to a clash with the GM.

Rolston isn’t the sexy choice. Anyone who follows the Sabres know that and some will be disappointed the team didn’t go after a bigger name but with the team in the state it’s in — young, clearly rebuilding as Regier has stated, and potentially getting younger — there might not be a better option out there.  Bringing in a veteran coach might not be the best bet for a young team that needs direction and teaching.

This wasn’t a move that the Sabres fan base will love in the short term. Then again, there’s nothing about the Sabres and their future that will be short term.

Follow me on Twitter: @RWTFC

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Ryan Womeldorf

I'm a lifelong Buffalo sports fan who writes for The Farm Club, The Hockey Writers, and Get Real Hockey. I'm also known to babble about pro wrestling and, no, I have no mental difficiencies. That I'm aware of. Seriously.

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This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.