WORDS OF SABRES GM TIM MURRAY ARE ALMOST LAUGHABLE

DON’T GET ME STARTED keeps wondering whether Sabres GM Tim Murray became the chief of the “Tank Crew?”

On this Monday morning, I scoured the Buffalo News sports page as I always do and noted the article on Murray being enamored with hockey prize Connor McDavid. Of course, every NHL team would want to have this guy on their roster.

As many fans are seeing the season wind down with Buffalo on the bottom of the heap, there was one sentence in the interview with Murray in the News that not only stunned me; but actually reminded me of what I had been thinking most of the season about Nolan being handcuffed by the front office. It brings out the questions, “Would Murray want the Sabres to tank? Was he hoping, during the season, that the Sabres would finish last and increase chances to snare McDavid? Is he so friendly with Richardson of Binghamton that he might want to finish last so that he can use the record as reason for firing Nolan and bring in Richardson?

I don’t know if I wanted to laugh, cry or say yes to the questions when Murray was quoted as saying: “I’VE TRADED AWAY A LOT OF GOOD PLAYERS FOR THE SIMPLE FACT WE HAVE TO GET BETTER.:

Of course, he traded away Tyler Myers who Coach Nolan said you build a team around a player like that. Myers is doing very well in Winnipeg, along with Drew Stafford, among those who Murray dispatched. Let’s take a look at the Myers and Stafford stats:

First Tyler Myers:

Sabres – 47 games – 4 goals 9 assists – 13 points and a -15
Winnipeg – 19 games – 3 goals 10 assists- 13 points and a + 6

Stafford

Sabres – 50 games – 9 goals 15 assists- 24 points and a -18
Winnipeg- 20 games – 7 goals 10 assists – 17 points and a + 3

One can see that this pair of Sabre starters are doing quite well. Certainly others who have departed are probably looking at better things to come. And what did Buffalo get for this pair? Bogosian, a decent defenseman and Evander Kane – damaged goods and a controversial locker room presence who has not player in ages and hasn’t even suited up.

So Murray gave up Myers – Stafford – 2 prospects AND a 1st round pick in this year’s draft. When making trades, isn’t it the idea to bring in good players? Now he says he traded away good players. Now if he had plans for the future, why give away a 1st round pick. Some say that some Jets were not too keen on Kane’s locker room history.

This is supposed to be a talent rich draft. The Sabres – IF they traded away good players so they could get better – then retaining 1st round picks would be the wise move. That would have given Buffalo 3 first round picks. Now they have 2. Now if some other team is chosen to receive the 1st pick – could 3 first round pick and 2 prospects be enough to trade to get McDavid? Or 2 1st round picks, a prospect and Drew Stafford?

Who knows? The only thing we know is that we were surprised to read that Murray admitted “trading away good players for the imply fact we have to get better? When I read that quote to friends….they laughed on Don’t Get Me Started.

Filed under: Don't Get Me Started

Tagged with: Art Wander, Buffalo Sabres, Tim Murray