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Murray Christmas

June 22, 2016, 8:32 AM ET [45 Comments]
GARTH'S CORNER
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Murray Christmas, Sabres fans.


All of this euphoria and pre-draft, pre-UFA splendor has you feeling giddy.

Doesn't it?


It feels great to have an owner and GM who despise the taste of losing and who want to deliver a Stanley Cup parade to the loyal fans of the Buffalo Sabres.


Tim Murray in many ways has become Santa Claus to Buffalo.

Sabres fans make their wish lists and hope that the jolly man brings them their high end gifts.

Murray's score cared suggests that he is all about rewarding Sabres fans for their best behavior and loyalty to the franchise for the past 46 years.


Lets's review.


February 28, 2014


Newly minted Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray trumped the NHL trade deadline when he traded incumbent goalie Ryan Miller and team captain Steve Ott to the St. Louis Blues for a package of assets that included goalie Jaroslav Halak, power forward Chris Stewart, prospect winger William Carrier, a first-round draft pick in 2015 and a third-round pick in 2016.

The Murray Era in Buffalo was announced with a sonic boom the likes of which Sabres fans hadn't seen since the Pat Lafontaine for Pierre Turgeon trade in the early '90s.





February 11, 2015.


Then newly minted Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray rocked the rafters of the NHL by executing perfectly his first ever blockbuster trade with the Winnipeg Jets that sent power forward Evander Kane and defenseman Zach Bogosian to the Buffalo Sabres for a valuable haul of assets that included defenseman Tyler Myers, forward Drew Stafford, two prospects and a first-round pick. Forwards Joel Armia and Brendan Lemieux were the Sabres prospects traded to the Jets in the trade. NCAA goalie Jason Kasdorf, an RPI grad, was traded to Sabres.

Murray and Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff helped one another by trading pieces that immediately added value to their respective rosters.

Murray was hired to steward the Sabres through their rebuilding process.

The trade with Winnipeg served notice of hope to the suffering Buffalo Sabres fan base that sweeping changes were in order and that better days were ahead. That is, once the tank had un it's course across the proverbial battlefield of losing.


The trade gave Murray three first-round picks in the 2015 NHL Draft.

Sabres former GM Darcy Regier previously acquired first-round picks in this draft from the New York Islanders in the Mat Moulson trade.

Murray earned the other first round skin in the Ryan Miller trade with St. Louis shortly after he took over the helm of the reorganizing Sabres.





June 26, 2015.

Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray shocked the hockey viewing and reporting world when he pulled off one of the greatest draft day trades in NHL history.

The trade immediately infused new life and legitimacy into his previously bottom dwelling Buffalo Sabres club.

Murray, a long time admirer of 200 foot terror Ryan O'Reilly, pulled the trigger on the trade that delivered The Factor and power forward Jamie McGinn to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for former first round draft choice defenseman Nikita Zadorov, former first round selected forward Mikhail Grigorenko and former second rounder JT Compher, plus, a 2015 second-round draft pick.

Murray used one trade to bolster the leadership and depth of his squad that had finished thirtieth overall in the NHL standings the previous two seasons.

Finishing 30th overall in the 2014 NHL draft earned Murray and the Sabres a lottery pick that was instantly cashed in exchange for high skill, high hockey IQ center/winger Samson Reinhart.

By bottoming out in the 2015 regular season, Murray once again earned the second overall pick in last summer's NHL Draft. Murray wasted zero time in selecting generational talent Jack Eichel with the pick.


O'Reilly, scored 17 goals and 38 assists with Colorado in 2015 and 28 goals and 36 assists in 2014. Desperate for a shutdown, number one center who dominates the faceoff circle against the best centers in the league, Murray targeted and secured O'Reilly, a player who he had been scouting since his days as AGM in Ottawa.

The O'Reilly acquisition made Buffalo more competitive on a shift in, shift out basis in 2015-16. ROR's arrival in Buffalo allowed new head coach Dan Bylsma to play a fast, aggressive puck possession style similar to that of the 2016 Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Bylsma piloted the 2009 Penguins to their Stanley Cup victory after Mike Therrien was fired midway through the 2008-09 regular season.

Initially, Murray caught grief from Sabres loyalists for giving up too soon on Zadorov who was Buffalo's first-round pick in 2013. Zadorov appeared in 60 games in his rookie season with the Sabres and his future looked very bright indeed when he scored three goals, 12 assists and 51 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound aggressive Russian defenseman gave the Sabres a snarly, skilled presence on their blue line.

Grigorenko was Buffalo's first-round draft pick in 2012. Grigorenko showed signs of promise in his time in Buffalo, however, struggled with consistency and confidence.


Compher, was a second-round pick by Buffalo in 2013. He was the captain at the University of Michigan.

In the end, Murray saw the value in trading away young assets for mature players because it made his team more competitive.




General Murray and his scouting team enter Friday's draft with 11 draft choices in hand, many of which were acquired via the trades that he had articulated in the past two and a half seasons.

On Monday, Murray traded one of his four third round picks in the 2016 NHL Draft to the Nashville Predators for the UFA negotiating rights to Harvard scoring forward and 2016 Hobey Baker winner Jimmy Vesey. Murray said that Jimmy Vesey is "the exact player we are looking for". Big, strong, fast, smart. I see the Vesey-Eichel rocking out in Buffalo ala for the next decade like Joe Perry and Steven Tyler of Boston-based hall of famers, Aersomith. Vesey and Eichel will make some beautiful noise with their antiphonal call and response and skills. Vesey's agent, who also reps Eichel, will be in Buffalo for the NHL Draft. Don't be surprised if an entry level deal gets signed on July 1. Do no be surprised is all I'm sayin'.



At his pre-draft presser on Tuesday, Murray stressed that he is doing all that he can within his powers as GM to improve the quality of players on his roster. Murray said that the losing days are over. The 27 point improvement from 2014-15 to 2015-16 was impressive, however, Murray stressed that he and head coach Dan Bylsma demand more from their 2016-16 club. Murray's new stated goal is making the playoffs. Losing and tanking will no longer be tolerated.

All of the losing was a means to an end. You can't win until you learn how to lose.

The dark clouds and uncertainty have blown off shore and are hovering over Lake Ontario now.

Signing Sarnia Sniper Steven Stamkos to a behemoth UFA deal on July doesn't look so unlikely now. Does it? There is no denying Murray's desire to add Stamkos to his roster. He said Tuesday in his post presser scrum that if the best center in the NHL or the best D in the league ask to play for the Buffalo Sabres then he would be happy to oblige them. Murray said that if adding those A-List players improves the quality of his team, then so be it. Murray said that he will do what he has to do to make it happen. He also said that if that means he has to trade players off his current roster to make salary cap room for quality players, bring it on. He and Dan Bylsma are committed to putting the most competitive team on the ice this season as possible.



Today, Murray holds the #8 pick in Friday night's first round of the draft. Murray says that he and his scouts have identified three stellar prospects thatr he feels confident will be on the board when the Sabres walk to the podium at #8. However, Murray said if he can trade his 8th pick in the draft for a 25 year old left shot QB, so be it. He is prepared to do a deal for that player who may be Cam Fowler.

Murray confirmed my report from last month that he has called Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen to discuss a trade for the third overall pick in the draft. Murray said that he made the call, however, Jarmo said that he isn't trading #3.

Murray curiously didn't mention Edmonton's 4th overall pick. I've heard that Murray and Chiarelli continue to talk about the pick. Murray has taken a liking to London Knights power forward Matt Tkachuk who will not be available at #8. I think Murray won't hesitate to trade Mark Pysyk, Zemgus Girgensons and #8 to Edmonton in exchange for pick # so that he can select Tkachuk. If that trade fails, I can see Murray selecting Sarnia Sting linebacker, left shot puck mover D Jakob Chychrun with pick #8. If Chychrun is gone, London Knights left shot QB Olli Juolevi is the target.



On Tuesday, Murray stated that he had his second chat with Ristolainen's agent Monday. Talks continue to progress on a long term extension. Murray has had multiple chats with reps for Zemgus Girgensons and Jake McCabe. He hasn't spoken with Marcus Foligno agent yet, however, he will be doing so shortly.

When asked about the NHL being a copy cat league and how teams will try to emulate the successful strategies employed by the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, Murray said that Dan Bylsma brought that same fast hockey/hard hockey blue print to Buffalo when he became head coach last season. Murray said that the Buffalo attack will be very similar to that of the Pens. Murray also noted that his team should not be considered a copy cat to the Pens because of Bylsma's teaching methods and philosophies.

Murray and Bylsma believe that organizationally, their Sabres are not that far away from the Pittsburgh Penguins in terms of skill and hardness. Adding stud scorers like Stamkos and Vesey will only improve Buffalo's already formidable offensive attack, to say nothing of putting their respectable power play and penalty kill units into the top five teams in the NHL in those respective categories.
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