Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Buffalo’s ‘source of frustration’

Chris Osgood, Thomas Vanek

Buffalo Sabres’ Thomas Vanek (26) of Austria, scores on Detroit Red Wings’ Chris Osgood during the second period of the NHL hockey game Buffalo, N.Y., Tuesday Oct. 13, 2009. (AP Photo/ Dean Duprey)

AP

Every now and then, Pro Hockey Talk will ask for insight from some of the best team bloggers out there. For this feature, we asked a simple question: “Who is your team’s most frustrating player?” Just for fun, Brandon and I also provided our “guesses” as to who that player might be. First, here are our guesses for Buffalo.

Brandon: Raffi Torres

He was acquired to add scoring depth to Stanley Cup caliber team. Two points, no goals in seven games won’t cut it.

James: Thomas Vanek

Is might seem a little unfair to judge a player for signing a stupidly huge contract, but a player must know that with bigger checks come heightened scrutiny. Sadly, you just never know what you’ll get from Vanek.

For the Buffalo perspective, we tabbed Marty Vance from Double-Edged Sabres and the NHL satire blog Bangin’ Panger. Definitely give his work an extra look if you haven’t already.

Marty: Thomas Vanek

It’s funny; you ask someone who the Sabres best player is; they’ll say Ryan Miller. Ask them who they’re best offensive player is; well, you’d probably get 5 different answers. But looking at salaries, shouldn’t we all equivocally shout, in a “We Are the World” ensemble, led by Justin Beiber himself, “Thomas Vanek!”

Yes, well, if ifs and buts were candies and nuts we’d all have a merry Christmas. But they’re not, and the Buffalo Sabres are currently paying Thomas Vanek 6.4 million dollars (cap hit 7.143 million) for 23 goals and 24 assists. To wit; $278,260.87 per goal. $266,666.66 per assist. $136,170.21 per point. But it’s not his production that frustrates me so, it’s the would’ve, could’ve, should’ve.

More from Marty on Vanek after the jump.

Thomas Vanek

Buffalo Sabres left winger Thomas Vanek, of Austria, celebrates his goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y., Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009. Buffalo scored five goals in the third period to defeat Carolina 5-1. (AP Photo/Don Heupel)

AP

Well, maybe a little bit. But during a week that saw former heroes Chris Drury and Daniel Briere ride their gilded Bentley’s off to New York and Philadelphia, Kevin Lowe offered restricted free agent Thomas Vanek a 7 year, $50 million offer sheet. That offer sheet was matched in minutes. The rest, they say, is history. Our little Tommy boy has followed up his career year of 43 goals, 41 assists with campaigns of 36 and 28 in 07-08, 40 and 24 in 08-09, and this year with the aforementioned 23 tallies and 24 helpers. So what’s so frustrating about an accomplished in-between-the-dots scorer who’s consistently amongst the top of the league in PP goals?

We could’ve had 4 1st rounders, but not just any 1st rounders, no, no, these would be Edmonton’s 1st rounders. That would’ve been the 22nd pick in 2008, the 10th in 2009, the 1st in 2010, and God knows where in 2011. Yeah, there would’ve been some sparse years in between, but if the Pens and Capitals have taught us anything; you’ve gotta tank before you can dominate.

Now just think about the picks Darcy Regier has made over the past couple years: Nate Gerbe: 2008-2009 AHL Rookie of the Year, Tim Kennedy: 2008-2009 AHL Rookie Point leader, Tyler Myers: 2009-2010 Calder Trophy Winner (yeah, count it), and Tyler Ennis: 2009-2010 AHL Rookie Point leader. Now add Jordan Eberle, Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson, Tyler Seguin, and another top 10 pick from Edmonton, and my God, these Sabres would be fighting for tops in the East moving forward.

Oh wait; the Sabres already fighting for positioning at the top of the East? Guess we don’t have much to be frustrated about, eh?