Trading Ryan Miller
Yes, his GAA stinks, but it only scratches the surface of the problems of the team, and like all of the other problems, could have been prevented in the off-season. Miller's value is not going to get any higher, and clearly, the days when he almost lifted the U.S. to olympic gold in 2010 seem like a lifetime ago. That said, the market for a goalie wasn't particularly kind, as the Vancouver Canucks found out when they attempted to trade Roberto Luongo, where they ultimately ended up trading Cory Schneider instead. Right now, the Sabres don't have much in the way of options for trade partners, but given the injury issues that both Carolina and Nashville are facing in goal, Miller could step in and contribute for the right price, especially with Cam Ward's recent injury history in Carolina.
Trading Thomas Vanek
Vanek was named captain for the team's home games, which effectively put an end (for now) to the rumors of him getting traded. He is the team's second leading scorer with seven points, behind only Cody Hodgson, and appears to be producing his expected numbers. He would carry far more value than Miller at this point, but given his production right now, it is likely the Sabres could hold on to him until closer to the trade deadline, as there will be teams likely lining up at the Sabres' door in an effort to get Vanek as the missing piece for a Stanley Cup run. If the Sabres play it right, they can get maximum return for Vanek here.
Compliance buyouts
The Sabres foolishly did not exercise the compliance buyouts this past off-season, which means the bloated contracts of Ville Leino, Christian Ehrhoff, and Tyler Myers are still on the books. Unsurprisingly, none of them are even producing anything close to 0.50 points per game, and Leino has not been able to find the ice much in his time with the Sabres. The compliance buyouts are still available for next off-season, and the Sabres would be wise to use at least one of those two buyouts. Leino should definitely be given one, and while it appears to be a long shot that Myers would be given one, as he's still young enough to be given a chance to turn it around, time may be running short. Ehrhoff's size of contract makes him a target, as well, though he did produce numbers closer to his Canucks days (prorated).
Handling of rookies
The mishandling of Grigorenko last year resulted in the Sabres having to burn a year on his entry-level contract, which made his demotion to the juniors after 25 games sound pointless. Sometimes, you just never learn from your mistakes, and that is exactly what is happening with Nikita Zadorov this season. Yes, he has not reached the threshold for number of games played before the decision needs to be made, but it is obvious that the Sabres may very well be making the exact same mistake again, as Zadorov can use another year in juniors. Both Girgensons and Ristolainen can be sent to the AHL, as neither played in the Canadian juniors prior to their draft year despite their age, with Girgensons already spending a year in the AHL. How well the Sabres handle both players will be telling, as neither has made an impact with the team yet. The key will be putting the players in position to succeed, something that hasn't happened with Grigorenko and may very well affect the other three players.
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