from ESPN,

What one key fix do the Buffalo Sabres need to salvage the season?...

Emily Kaplan: I don't think all hope is lost in Buffalo -- for the long term. After a carousel of coaching and management changes, owners Terry and Kim Pegula say they are committed to stability. Let's give them the benefit of the doubt. Let's also exercise some patience for rookie head coach Housley and GM Botterill. Remember, Botterill is the guy best known for maneuvering the Pittsburgh Penguins' delicate salary cap over the last decade. If anyone can figure out how to work around Eichel's monster contract and allocate for the right pieces to be competitive, Botterill is a guy I'd trust....

So here's my fix: keep Eichel's third-line demotion until he finally feels enough heat and ups his game. Let him be angry, and go on a tear. Once he does that, name him captain. Stop dangling the title in front of him like an inevitability. The Sabres have a streamlined voice in the front office. Emulate that in the locker room. This is one of the youngest teams in the league, and they're working through some growing pains. They're missing leaders like former captain Brian Gionta. If they expect Eichel to be their leader of the future, challenge him to step up now. It might be bumpy at first, but he'll grow into it -- and the the team will grow around him, too.

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