If we push

There is no push for Buffalo. Zajac is another middle six forward Buffalo has a surplus of. They ned another scorer to support Eichel.

They could use another line of scorers to support Eichel. One star isn't enough, you need a couple and then high value depth to support them. Buffalo has rushed their rebuild so many times.

There are decent supporting forwards on this team with Skinner and Reinhart, but it's not enough. Sheary, Vesey, Frolik and Rodrigues just doesn't cut it.

Buffalo has 30 games left. If they record points at the same rate over the last part of the season as Washington, Boston and St Louis did over the first half of the season -- 1.4 points per game -- the Sabres would finish with 95 points -- almost certainly not enough to make the playoffs. And I don't think anyone, including the most die-hard Buffalo fan, thinks that this team looks like the Capitals, Bruins or Blues.

Botterill has to decide who of the UFA's and RFA's -- Girgensons, Larsson, Rodrigues, Sheary, Thompson and Vesey -- are part of Buffalo's future and start getting some draft picks for those that aren't. Which is why that Zajac trade is a particularly bad one for the Sabres -- Zajac isn't going to do much for you and it would come at the cost of what is probably going to be the 40th overall pick or better. Buffalo needs to acquire picks, not give them away.

The only one who should stay is Thompson