If was a step forward for public perception of the Buffalo Sabres, one bit of news Houston Astros Jersey to emerge on Monday is a few steps back.The Sabres, , were prepared to make Vanek the highest-paid player in the NHL. Thomas Vanek. Highest-paid player in the NHL. Instead, he's a New York Islander at the moment and potentially a free agent come July. New York acquired Vanek for winger Matt Moulson, a first-round pick in 2014 and a second-round pick in 2015.Now, the trade as constituted certainly seems like a win for the Sabres. Vanek wasn't going to re-sign, and they can potentially flip Moulson who's been as productive as Vanek, albeit alongside a star in John Tavares. Plus, player salaries (and cap hits) will continue to rise; a contract signed now is different than one signed before Andy Pettitte Jersey the lockout.But wow. No matter Dallas Keuchel Jersey how good a a 29-year-old sniper he is and Vanek is a two-time 40-goal scorer making him the highest-paid player in the league would have been a recipe for disaster. Stastically, . If Vanek was worth $10 million against the cap now, he wouldn't much longer let alone when the Sabres' rebuild would start paying off.And make no mistake: As constituted, they could be one of the worst teams of all time. The Sabres are also paying defenseman Tyler Myers, who currently looks like an AHL player, $5.5 million against the cap until 2019. Christian Ehrhoff is under contract until he's 40. Carlos Beltran Jersey They've still got three years' worth of Ville Leino. . Things are bad and they would've been worse had Vanek cared more about getting paid than winning games.Instead, he pa sed, and GM Darcy Regier wound up pulling off a nice trade with no real leverage. Funny."I enjoyed my time there, but I didnt want to be a part of that," Vanek told reporters in New York. "We traded pretty much every veteran. The me sage was clear that theyre going for draft picks. I think our last game we played four teenagers. Good, Michael Brantley Jersey young players, but young players take time."