The Buffalo Sabres were dismantled by the Toronto Maple Leafs last night, managing a franchise-low of 10 shots on goal and dropping their season record to 2-8-0, according to Mike Brophy of NHL.com.
"Our feet weren't moving and our brains weren't either," Sabres' coach Ted Nolan said after his team was shutout for the fourth time in six games. Buffalo though, was coming off of their second win of the season against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.
The loss prompted Sabres' defenseman and potential trade bait Tyler Myers to comment that the team had reached "rock bottom," according to NBCSports.com.
"It didn't go our way because we didn't work," Myers said. "That was embarrassing top to bottom for our group. We hung our goalie out to dry. He did everything ... he battled as much as he could and we didn't give him any help. Something has got to change. This is probably the worst we've had it. Something's got to give here."
Myers may have unknowingly been foreshadowing his own departure from the team.
The Sabres are following the "scorched Earth" theory when it comes to rebuilding their team - burning the organization down to the foundation before attempting to build it back up with young prospects in the future, with the ultimate prize being the 2015 draft, Adam Gretz of CBSSports.com reported.
"It's a high-risk, high-reward strategy. The upside is you get Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, or Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, and you win a Stanley Cup or two like Pittsburgh or Chicago have been able to do," said Gretz. "The downside is that for every Pittsburgh and Chicago that made it work, there have been teams like Edmonton, Florida, and the old New York Islanders or Atlanta Thrashers (if you want to go back to them) that were stuck in a perpetual state of bad hockey they were never able to climb out of it."
Myers, a promising young player who won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's best rookie in 2009-10, has now struggled through several tough seasons, and could potentially be moved this year for a bevy of picks or even younger prospects.
The Sabres only won 21 of a possible 82 games last season, and are very likely staring down a similar finish this year - it may all just be part of the plan.
