Thomas Vanek
There’s no question that Vanek does not want to be a part of a long term rebuild, and why should he? The former 1st round (5th overall) pick and 40-goal scorer has been a big part of Buffalo for the past eight years.
Now, after almost a decade with the team, he faces a situation similar to that of Miller’s.
At only 29 years old, Vanek still has plenty of time remaining to put up solid numbers. Is it worth it for the Sabres to keep him with a cap hit of $7.1M, or do they see what they can get in return?
“Let’s be honest. I’m not stupid. I know I have a year left and they can probably deal me for prospects, young guys, whatever else is out there. If it looks like it’s a long rebuild, then it probably makes sense for both parties to move on.”