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Core No More

April 4, 2013, 12:48 PM ET [385 Comments]
GARTH'S CORNER
NHL news by Garth • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Ryan Miller has been a prime mover in the "Buffalo Core" for quite a long time. Derek Roy is gone. So are Paul Gaustad and Jason Pominville. The "core" is leaving through the out-door, and Miller ponders what his future in Buffalo will be.

He's still a Sabre and his team needs him to win games now. His future with the Sabres will have to wait until the end of this season.

“You just regroup and look at the plan moving forward. If you’re part of it or not, that’s something you have to talk to Darcy about, it’s something I haven’t had a chance to talk to him about and it’s certainly something I can’t speculate on.

I never know what Darcy’s going to do so I’m in the same boat as you guys.”


Not exactly a glowing endorsement of Regier by Miller. The Sabres goalie feels like he's been left out of the loop. Miller has a contract that expires at the end of next season and its not clear whether he or the Sabres are planning for an extension. This week's broad, sweeping changes that saw veterans Pominville, Regher, and Leopold head for the exit to board planes to Stanley cup contenders may have whet Miller's whistle about wanting to leave a soon-to-be rebuilding team to go try his hand at winning a Stanley Cup or two elsewhere.

The "Buffalo Core" is no more. Only Miller and Vanek remain from the original unit of youngsters with bright futures.

“It’s pro sports and if you don’t perform, it’s easy to look at the standings or the stats and we’ve had some good runs here where we had the right kind of feeling and we had the right kind of team, maybe we were close, maybe we were a piece or two away, but we’ve had ups and downs with this core. Certainly the core group of guys have pushed and early on when we were kind of identified, made good pushes and it just wasn’t enough. It got away from us a little bit. I thought all the guys that were identified have been strong players and done a pretty good job, but when the ultimate goal is to win a championship, it’s pretty easy to step back from all of it and say it didn’t work and we didn’t do enough. It wasn’t from a lack of trying.



Thanks, sabres.com


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Thomas Vanek



Thanks, sabres.com



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Updated 2:55pm:

Thomas Vanek drove his buddy Jason Pominville to the Buffalo Airport on Thursday morning.

Hours later, Pommer arrived in LA.

Pommer will make his debut in LA against former teammate Robyn Regehr tonight. The Wild will travel to Columbus after the game.




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Ron Rolston told sabres.com after today's skate that he will not be naming a new captain to replace Jason Pominville.

The Sabres have suffered a huge loss in leadership in the past week with the departures of veterans Jordan Leopold, Robyn Regehr, and Jason Pominville.

*Stick tap*

Steve Ott has earned an "A".

Otter is being rewarded for his leadership and dedication to the team.

When I first met Ott in August, he told me that he hadn't earned his blue and gold sweater yet, and that he hadn't yet earned the respect of the guys in the room.I told him he'd have no problem doing so. He corrected me and said that he has to earn his sweater, not just have it handed to him. I paused and thought about what he had told me. Pretty deep, thoughtful guy. Smart. Respectful. Doesn't take anything for granted. Respect is earned not given. He's the son of two parents who are military veterans who raised he and his siblings to respect authority and to do the right things.

It didn't take Ott long to win over the hearts and minds of Sabres nation with his tell-it-like-it-is, in your face, hard working, accountable and honest work ethic. The way that he mentored 18 year old rookie Mikhail Grigorenko in the abbreviated training camp revealed Ott's true character to me. His team-first philosophy is not an act. Its how Ott rolls. He puts the team above all else. If teh coach wants him to skate with an 18 year old rookie, so be it. Skate on the fourth line, so be it. Block shots, play the first line, fight, play PK and PP, bag skates. Whatever you want, Ott will gladly and dutifully deliver results.

I'm still impressed by Ott's postgame interview from the win over the Penguins.

Ott's not bluffing or BS-ing. He walks it and talks it.

Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.


Thanks, NBC Sports Network

I love how he respects Leopold and Regehr as "brothers". Ott is the heart and soul of the team and he will make a great captain for the Sabres in the near future. Its not an act, folks. This is the spirit and essence of Ott.

Ott and Vanek are the odds on favorites to be named the next captain of the Sabres.


Before Pominville was traded, I was willing to hand the coveted "C" over to Ott. For all the right reasons. Ott will make a great captain some day. Today, I'm feeling like that if the Sabres refuse to show Thomas Vanek the love, that he will want to pack his hockey bag, scoop up his wife and three boys, and will want to head to greener pastures.

Today, I'm awarding the "C" to Vanek. What the Hell more does this guy have to do for the Buffalo Sabres to earn their ultimate respect? He proudly goes through Hell and back every time he pulls the crossed sword sweater over his head. He takes bullets for his boys and he never complains about it.

On October 6, 2011, while the Sabres were playing overseas in Finland, Lindy Ruff named his leadership group. Ruff selected Jason Pominville as his team captain.


Thanks, sabres.com

On that night, Ruff gave "A"s to Gaustad, Roy Stafford and Vanek. Today, Vanek is the only true leader left on this squad. Gaustad was traded at the last trade deadline. Roy has since been traded twice. Stafford was invisible for the majority of last season and has been a big disappointment this season to the point that he was nearly traded on Wednesday.

Through all of the madness and losing since 10/6/11, one man has endured the pain of losing and has never and has never allowed his emotions to over rule his common sense. Thomas Vanek is the team's best player, and he is the leader on this team.

Personally, I was campaigning for Vanek to be named team captain. Frankly, I think Vanek was expecting the same thing, too.

Were I Darcy Regier, I would have a heart to heart with Thomas Vanek TODAY. Vanek's head must be spinning right now. His long time teammate and friend Jason Pominville was traded away on Wednesday and Vanek must be wondering "I'm next". Its time for Regier to extinguish the nerves and anxiety that have been living in the Buffalo room for the past two months. The tension had gotten so thick that you could cut it with a dual-edged sabre.

Its time to get real. Dialogue, and lots of it with Vanek and Miller, too.

They've earned the right to be told what the plan is for the future direction of the Sabres organization.

Were I Regier, I would tell Vanek that I appreciate all of the sacrifices and all of the contributions that he has made to the organization over the past nine years. I would tell him that I plan on signing him to a new long term contract to stay in Buffalo for the next 4-5 seasons. I would also tell Vanek that the "C" will be sewn on his sweater next season.

Show Vanek the respect now, before its too late.




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Last Saturday night, when Darcy Regier told the hockey world that all players on his current roster, and in the organization, you knew that there would be sweeping changes in Buffalo.

No sacred cows. No untouchables. No mularkey.

All players were given notice that Regier would be listening to all offers, in all players. Which meant that Jason Pominville, Ryan, Miller and Thomas Vanek were all in play on NHL trade deadline day. Three core guys who earned their NHL bones in Buffalo for the better part of the last decade. All three with meaty, expiring contracts. You knew something had to give. Someone had to go. The salary cap will compress from $70.3 million to $64.3 million next season. Darcy Regier accomplished two goals on Wednesday:

* He traded captain Jason Pominville for a whack of hockey value. Two top prospects in Larsson, Hackett, a 1st rounder and a 2nd rounder

* He brought the team's cap into a better compliance position for next seaosn and beyond by shedding Pominville's final year of his contract which represents $5.5 million.

Ryan Miller must be wondering what the H-E-double hockey sticks is going on right now.


He must have questions as to whether or not he plays a role in the Sabres rebuilding/re-tooling plans.


You want my two cents?


I don't think that Miller will be signing another contract in Buffalo. I can see him being traded this Summer, when the team will be able to get maximum return for him. By "maximum" I mean an established, premier forward, a top prospect, and a high draft choice.

I'll share my thoughts on this later......


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