Sure, load up on dogshit players with bloated contracts. Seth Jones, Darnell Nurse, Huberdeau, Zadorov. Go nuts. Weaponize the cap space and scoop up the draft capital and young players/prospects.
I like Moore, but we're diluting Rakell's value if Moore is the only piece coming back.
IF we decide to trade him, (and that's a big 'if') Rakell will be returning more than a 1st and Moore, especially this offseason when teams get sticker shock from seeing how much UFAs will be going for.
Vancouver also sold low on Miller, whereas we will be selling high on Rakell.
Nope. While we should be trading away many of the vets, we still need some of them. Trading away all of the vets leaves the prospects with nobody to play with. That's how you become Buffalo.
This team's at least three drafts of tanking away from having, best case scenario, two foundational forwards and a foundational defenseman in their organization and ready to build around them toward competing. Rakell's mentorship doesn't f***ing matter, man.
If you need a veteran presence, you can find somebody via trade or in FA. Sid's still gonna be here another two years after this one. Letang through 2027-28, whether we like it or not. And, y'know, maybe this team will have a coach both capable and willing to work with younger guys by then. Probably not, but maybe.
This team's already Buffalo in terms of the standings and recent results. They're about to be three years removed from a playoff appearance. They haven't won a round since 2018. They're just too proud to admit it, accept it, and start building.
Also, Buffalo's run with such incompetence that it feels intentional. I don't think highly of FSG or Dubas at all, but I gotta imagine they have it together more than Pegula and whatever schlub they've got f***ing up in the Sabres' front office at any given time.
