Why Lou Makes Sense For Buffalo
The Sabres need structure, which is Lamoriello's middle name.
I’m not sure if you saw the picture making its rounds on social media of what appears to be Lou Lamoriello walking around the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
Here’s the post for people who didn’t see it:
I heard Buffalo had a strong interest in the 82-year-old executive as a senior advisor, but I wasn’t sure — nor was anyone — that Lamoriello had an interest.
Maybe things changed. Maybe not.
Regardless, there’s no question that Lamoriello makes perfect sense for Buffalo.
It’s the same reason why Lou made perfect sense for the Islanders following the 2017-18 season.
The Islanders were lost in their ways and had become an organization that lacked respect. There was no winning culture. So, Lou, in the way he runs his organizations and the hiring of Barry Trotz, turned the Islanders franchise around quickly.
We can sit here and debate every move that Lamoriello made, but the early return from hiring the executive impacted the franchise for the better. The roster just ultimately wasn’t good enough to get the job done.
Looking at the Sabres, they’re in the same boat the Islanders were in before Lou arrived.
They lack stability. They lack structure. They have no direction. They’ve had three different general managers since 2014 and just missed the playoffs for the 14th straight season.
They’ve become a Mickey Mouse operation, and someone needs to restore respect to a once-thriving franchise.
It’s a young team, with 14 of its 22 rostered skates under the age of 25.
The major difference between Lou’s arrival on LI and, potentially, an arrival in Western New York is the contracts.
The Sabres don’t have a John Tavares situation. Star Tage Thompson, 27, just finished the second season of a seven-year deal worth $7.142 million annually. Stud defenseman and captain Rasmus Dahlin, who went first overall in 2018, just finished the first season of an eight-year deal worth $11 million. Another top defenseman, Owen Power — he had a down year, but he’s 22 — is entering the second year of a seven-year deal worth $8.35 million annually.
These are three monumental pieces on both sides of the puck to build around, amongst other rising starts.
This group has so much talent, but it needs direction. It needs someone with one message, a message that can’t be misconstrued. If there’s one person who defines direct, it’s Lou.
The question is, how much say would Lou have if just hired as a senior advisor, and how much does that impact his potential hiring?
The picture and its authenticity don’t change that two years of Lou in Buffalo may straighten that off-course ship out.
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This offseason and next season should be about dumping salary and opening up space in the lineup for the young players. The only players that should be resigned from current roster are the four RFA. No one else should be retained, including Palmeri. The main goal is to open up cap space at any cost regardless if you are giving players up for Future Considerations. If you want Marner this must be done at the draft. I don’t know how you move Engvall or DuClair?
JG is the easiest to move, but the most talented and valuable. Lee and Mayfield are tougher, but not impossible. Marner is more a move for the future than it is for next season. Which is a tough sell to Marner. A lot of people will ask if he is worth the 13.5x7? I think he is in terms of 200 ft any situation play, and with the young talent like Eiserman coming soon. If you don’t get him, we most likely will have another non playoff season and possibly will anyway. This team won’t start to blossom until 2027-2028 season. At least we have a charted course after dropping anchor all those years.
Good for Lou! Buffalo certainly has had problems. I guess they would just want to access why they aren’t progressing.