Updated:
Tim Murray doesn't care what his critics say about his trading of the 21st overall pick for goalie Robin Lehner. Murray said Friday afternoon that Robin Lehner was his #1 goalie target. Not Cam Talbot, nor Eddie Lack. Not John Gibson nor Craig Anderson.Murray wanted Lehner over all else. In his estimation, Lehner is a starting goalie on a good team.
So, you think that Murray paid too much for Lehner? Too bad. That is your uniformed opinion, according to Murray. He has known Lehner for seven years. He has done his homework on Lehner. Unlike the Twitter Trolls and media "experts", Murray says that he knows the kid like the back of his hand. Murray wants the haters to do their homework before they slap him in 140 character rants.
When you listen to fools, the mob rules.
It's a salient point by Murray to say that when a professional hockey team has to number 1 goalies there are going to be issues. Both guys want the net. One man wins while the other loses. It effects the second goalie and churns up emotions inside the room. Look at Montreal with Halak and Price. Or, Washington with Varlamov and Holtby. Holtby and Neuvirth. St. Louis also had beef between Elliott abd Hakak. New Jersey had a dust up with Brodeur and Schneider.
It happens. Goalies are human, too.
Murray looked into Lehner's disappointing 2014-15 season and he feels that the trade to Buffalo will get Lehner back on the winning way.
Thanks, Sabres.con
I said it before and I'll say it again:
I love the tree the trade that Tim Murray has made for Robin Lehner.
****
The Sabres have finalized the Lehner trade. Here is the official press release:
The Buffalo Sabres today announced the team has acquired goaltender Robin Lehner and forward David Legwand from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for the 21st pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, previously acquired from the New York Islanders.
Lehner (6’5…, 225 lbs., 7/24/1991) joins the Sabres after posting a 9-12-3 record in 25 appearances as a member of the Senators in the 2014-15 season. He has played in parts of five NHL seasons with the Senators after they selected him in the second round (46th overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft.
The Gothenburg, Sweden native made his NHL debut in the 2010-11 season and has since appeared in 86 regular-season games with the Senators, registering a 30-36-13 record with two shutouts, a .914 save percentage and a 2.88 goals-against average.
Before joining Ottawa on a full-time basis, Lehner had a successful AHL career. He backstopped the Binghamton Senators to a Calder Cup Championship in 2010-11, earning the league’s postseason Most Valuable Player award, and later earned an AHL All-Star selection in 2012-13 on the strength of his league-best .938 save percentage.
A 17-year NHL veteran and second-overall pick in the 1998 NHL Draft, Legwand (6’2…, 205 lbs. 8/17/1980) joined the Senators in 2014-15 and recorded 27 points (9+18) in 80 games last season.
In 1,057 career regular-season games, the forward from Detroit, Michigan has amassed 604 points (223+381) and 537 penalty minutes. He has appeared in the playoffs in nine of his 17 NHL seasons, tallying 28 points (13+15) in 55 postseason games.
*** Robin Lehner and David Legwand are Buffalo Sabres.
Buffalo will send pick #21 to Ottawa for the Swedish goalie and the veteran forward.
Pending NHL approval.
Tim Murray loves his players to play with swagger and an attitude. Lehner plays goal like a bar bouncer with a mean streak. If you bump him, he will break his stick across your ankles or back. At 6'5 and 225 lbs. He plays his net like Chris Pronger played D: with a high level of skill and pugnacity. Lehner will fight a fool for interfering with him.
Lehner will fit right in with surly guys Zach Bogosian, Mike Weber, Rasmua Ristolainen, Nikita Zadorov, and Evander Kane.
Lehner has two years remaining on his contract at $2.2M. He will be RFA after 2016-17 season. Murray must be thinking that Super Swede Linus Ullmark will be ready to compete for the #1 job in Buffalo at that time.
**
Tim Murray has been waiting patiently do make a trade with his mentor and former boss Bryan Murray.
Tim needs a goalie. Uncle Bryan has a goalie surplus pile.
Makes perfect sense for the two Murrays to make a deal.
Bruce Garrioch tweeted that Murray and Murray are closing in in a trade that would see Buffalo take ownership if Robin Lehner and David Legwand in exchange for Buffalo's #21 pick in tonight's draft.
My Take:
He won a Calder Cup fir Murray and Luke Richardson in AHL Binghamton. Murray scouted and drafted the Big Swede.
I love Lehner's game. He 23 years old, is big, skilled, mean and loves to compete. He is a passionate player to say the least.
I would love it if Lehner and forward prospect Shane Prince (Spencerport, NY) were the trade package for #21.
On Thursday night, it was reported did the Buffalo Sabres were one of five teams to be granted permission to speak with New York Rangers goalie Cam Talbot. Perhaps Tim Murray sensed that he was not going to get Talbot, so then he focused on an area where he knew he could get a goalie of equal or greater value.
Legwand has one year remaining on his contract at $3M, isn't going to play in Buffalo. I see him as a salary dump for the Sens.
Sabres fans and media are carving this deal because Murray surrendered #21 for a goal. The sexy move might have been for Murray to use #21 to draft Russian goalie Ilya Samsonov, who has a three year deal with a KHL team. Red flags pop up in Murray's mind regarding a potential KHL contract issue.