IMO, they're both equally as important, but both should move at some point this summer. It's time.

And based on comments from both the horse's mouths, neither of them seem happy with being part of a long rebuild. That's not to say it will be a long rebuild. No one knows that until these kids are given the keys to the car. Yet, they both could fetch us, IMO, at least 6 valuable assets, in terms of young roster players, prospects and high picks.

Tyler Myers is an abject joke. At this point in a season, how can a player still be completely out of shape?

If a goalie is on the move the leafs will be on speed dial, what's the asking price for miller going to be?
- ky678468

I dont even know.

Either a 1st or Reilly is the starting point.

Well Ben Bishop went for a really good young player so I'd say something like:

1st+good prospect+roster player (mainly to even out the cap hit).
- Sabresfan-365

would you need a goalie back, who plays with Enroth?

edit, NM forgot your deadline move

Don't the Devils have like 3?
- Nucker101

No !!! That's the # of fans in their building silly !!!!

Kevin I love your writing and often agree with you. But I can't agree with you about the crowd in the Ottawa game. I was there too, and the building was, for the most part, pretty darn dead. It makes me sad we don't have a team that excites the fans anymore.

Okay, here goes. This is an objective opinion, no homerism..

Van is more valuable. I don't like either contract but facts don't lie. Miller's career #'s are average but he's earning $6.25M per. Vanek can't stay healthy but on any given night he has a chance to take over a game. Miller takes over a game once in a while (usually against the Leafs that's why all Leaf fans have such a hard-on for Miller).

Remove Miller and plug in a goalie and I don't seem to notice a difference in chance of winning. Remove Vanek and the team is completely different from an offensive perspective.

That said, move both in the Summer and bring in one solid contributer.

Kevin I love your writing and often agree with you. But I can't agree with you about the crowd in the Ottawa game. I was there too, and the building was, for the most part, pretty darn dead. It makes me sad we don't have a team that excites the fans anymore.
- OnPoint

or fans that get excited, only surley

Objective opinion as a non-sabres fan:

Miller is much more valuable than Vanek. There are maybe 5-7 better goalies in the NHL right now than Ryan Miller.

Players like Vanek, who only seem to try in the offensive end, aren't that special. Really.. they aren't. Vanek is never going to lead a team to the Stanley Cup. He may be a 'support player' on a cup team at some point in his career, but he will never be the 'go-to-guy' on a cup winner.

Honestly, if Buffalo trades Miller and doesn't have a plan for a solid #1 goalie, Buffalo fans are going to rue the day.

Miller has covered up so many other problems Buffalo has had (horrible D, lack of any sort of breakout play, lack of toughness, lack of 'team concept') over the past few seasons. If you trade Miller and don't bring in another top 10 starting goalie in the NHL, you're going to find out how bad the Sabres really are.. and fast.

Just look at how many wins Enroth has over the past two seasons.

Miller, and its not even close.

Miller is a top goalie in this league, and Vanek is like a 4th tier star. One dimensional player with a lot of talent but that depends completely on the players around him. He'll play 1/3 to 1/2 of a season depending on how in shape he is, how motivated he is, or how injured he is.

Vanek, despite being paid like a top 10 player has never been a top 10 player in this league. He hasnt scored 40 goals in 5 seasons, and has never been a point per game player since his career high SEVEN years ago (he has been this season, although thats in jeopardy).
- theblueandgold

I still think the biggest problem is with Darcy, and the fact that it took him so long to realize the CORE was clearly not good enough... To me it seems like Miller and Pommer and even Vanek have been desperate to make some more hockey trades--not just deadline deals for draft picks. I say hockey trades because at some point you have to find different chemistry. Even if you come up on the short end, you need to recognize your weaknesses, make moves before your assets lose their value, and acquire some solid role players along the way...

That said, I'm not trying to knock Vanek totally. He's a highly skilled goal scorer, but he probably isn't the best fit for this team. I've actually gained more respect for him lately. I was never crazy about his past work ethic and I don't think he's Capt material, but he does his job. But surrounding him with Roy and Stafford and Pommer for so long without recognizing it wasn't working was Darcy's fault.

If it wasn't for Miller over the last few years, the Sabres are probably a perennial lottery team. He's a top 3-5 goalie(Lundqvist, Rinne, Price, Ward) however you rank them, but doesn't get the respect. The problem being is even if you decide to move him, you're not going to get the best return. You can't really trade him to Toronto. Out west is where he should go. Maybe Anaheim for Bobby Ryan, Fasth..

And at some point prospects are good for the whole organization, but getting 2nd tier prospects back hoping they become NHLers will do the Amerks fine, but won't bring the CUP to town. So while I support making moves and see it's long overdue, I would've like to have sent Vanek instead of Pommer and gotten a top prospect like Charlie Coyle in return who's just about guaranteed to be a Top 6 guy. Either way, my point being that if Vanek has as much value as some people think, then he should be the guy sent out at the draft or over the summer. Miller still wants to be here for now and not really sold that Hackett or Leggio is NHL-ready, so I say change the player CORE as much as needed. With the goalie market a little watered down as teams are trying to do it cheaper, younger, faster, etc: then save the Miller chip for a major injury to a goalie or a deadline deal next year...

Okay, here goes. This is an objective opinion, no homerism..

Van is more valuable. I don't like either contract but facts don't lie. Miller's career #'s are average but he's earning $6.25M per. Vanek can't stay healthy but on any given night he has a chance to take over a game. Miller takes over a game once in a while (usually against the Leafs that's why all Leaf fans have such a hard-on for Miller).

Remove Miller and plug in a goalie and I don't seem to notice a difference in chance of winning. Remove Vanek and the team is completely different from an offensive perspective.

That said, move both in the Summer and bring in one solid contributer.
- Pairo11

Thats a pretty SUBJECTIVE opinion, considering the team is 5-2-3 without Vanek this year. Thats points in 8 out of 10 games. 13 of a possible 20 points.

The team went 17 games without winning when Miller was not playing.... let that sink in a little bit.

Thats a pretty SUBJECTIVE opinion, considering the team is 5-2-3 without Vanek this year. Thats points in 8 out of 10 games. 13 of a possible 20 points.

The team went 17 games without winning when Miller was not playing.... let that sink in a little bit.
- theblueandgold

I'm being objective. It's my (objective) opinion. If my favorite player sucks I'll be the first to tell you. This team sucks. I hate saying that but it is what it is. I like Miller. I WANT him to succeed. Goalie for goalie, skater for skater I'll take another team's goalie over Miller on any given night with the Sabres in front of him. Vanek on the other hand (in my opinion) can't be replaced by another teams skater with similar skills. We're not talking Crosby for Vanek.

vanek.

vanek.
- yinzer_nation

You guys want him?

I'm being objective. It's my (objective) opinion. If my favorite player sucks I'll be the first to tell you. This team sucks. I hate saying that but it is what it is. I like Miller. I WANT him to succeed. Goalie for goalie, skater for skater I'll take another team's goalie over Miller on any given night with the Sabres in front of him. Vanek on the other hand (in my opinion) can't be replaced by another teams skater with similar skills. We're not talking Crosby for Vanek.
- Pairo11

Some games I tend to wonder if the mesh behind Miller stops more pucks

I'm being objective. It's my (objective) opinion. If my favorite player sucks I'll be the first to tell you. This team sucks. I hate saying that but it is what it is. I like Miller. I WANT him to succeed. Goalie for goalie, skater for skater I'll take another team's goalie over Miller on any given night with the Sabres in front of him. Vanek on the other hand (in my opinion) can't be replaced by another teams skater with similar skills. We're not talking Crosby for Vanek.
- Pairo11

Ummm, you've got it backwards.....

Objective = 5. not influenced by personal feelings, interpretations, or prejudice; based on facts; unbiased: an objective opinion.

Subjective = 1. existing in the mind; belonging to the thinking subject rather than to the object of thought ( opposed to objective ).

Vanek ruined the chemistry last night. Played with no heart. I wish Darcy would have completed the core dismantle. I would take a far less talented Luke Adam over a heartless Vanek anyday. He gave up on two goals that he could have stopped with alittle backcheck effort. Its contageous.

Is GARTH more valuable than EK?

Kevin Freiheit: Who is more valuable: Vanek or Miller?

- KevinJames

- homiedclown

Agreed.

Enroth > *

Kevin I love your writing and often agree with you. But I can't agree with you about the crowd in the Ottawa game. I was there too, and the building was, for the most part, pretty darn dead. It makes me sad we don't have a team that excites the fans anymore.
- OnPoint

I remember going to games at the AUD with real fans (before hockey was the "cool thing" for Muffy & Biff to do) and 10,000 fans (on a good night) rocked that place better than 19,070 do these days.
The atmosphere is a product of corporations giving away tickets to their workers who could care less about hockey, the Sabres targeting a larger part of the population who aren't all necessarily hockey fans & the economy where some real fans can't afford to drop a couple hundred for one game anymore.

You sit in the 200 level & hear Muffy & Biff talking about Joe Blows prostate exam.
In the 100 level, too many doctor & lawyer types who don't even stay at the game past the second period or spend almost the entire game drinking at the bar & not sitting in their seats in row #1 on the glass. Yes, I have personally witnessed all the above.

Thing is, even when the Sabres sucked back in the day, they were never boo'd. Those teams tried 100% of the time, played hard and were respected by the fans even though their talent was lacking.

Okay, here goes. This is an objective opinion, no homerism..

Van is more valuable. I don't like either contract but facts don't lie. Miller's career #'s are average but he's earning $6.25M per. Vanek can't stay healthy but on any given night he has a chance to take over a game. Miller takes over a game once in a while (usually against the Leafs that's why all Leaf fans have such a hard-on for Miller).

Remove Miller and plug in a goalie and I don't seem to notice a difference in chance of winning. Remove Vanek and the team is completely different from an offensive perspective.

That said, move both in the Summer and bring in one solid contributer.
- Pairo11

You don't notice the difference when there's a different goalie in net? How is that possible? For the last 7 years Miller has been overplayed because whenever they put somebody else in behind our pathetic defense, he would get lit up.

You don't have to like Miller but it's like night and day when there's a different goalie tending the Buffalo net

imo miller is more important.

I remember going to games at the AUD with real fans (before hockey was the "cool thing" for Muffy & Biff to do) and 10,000 fans (on a good night) rocked that place better than 19,070 do these days.
The atmosphere is a product of corporations giving away tickets to their workers who could care less about hockey, the Sabres targeting a larger part of the population who aren't all necessarily hockey fans & the economy where some real fans can't afford to drop a couple hundred for one game anymore.

You sit in the 200 level & hear Muffy & Biff talking about Joe Blows prostate exam.
In the 100 level, too many doctor & lawyer types who don't even stay at the game past the second period or spend almost the entire game drinking at the bar & not sitting in their seats in row #1 on the glass. Yes, I have personally witnessed all the above.

Thing is, even when the Sabres sucked back in the day, they were never boo'd. Those teams tried 100% of the time, played hard and were respected by the fans even though their talent was lacking.
- madcow251

The catch-22 is...without the Corporate types, there is no team. You can't financially sustain a product with that crowd.

In response to the question/comment you concluded your blog with regarding the concept of ending the season on a high note with the young guys for a means of heading into next season... how did that work from last year?