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Winnipeg Jets at Buffalo Sabres Questionnaire: The buy-out edition

Saturday afternoon the Winnipeg Jets put an end to their five game losing streak, scoring four times in the second period en route to a 4-1 win. Now two points out of the Southeast Division lead, the Jets’ will now set their sights on the Buffalo Sabres who invade the MTS Centre later this evening.

As part of our gameday coverage, we had a few questions relating to the Sabres before puck-drop tonight.

With that, here is our pal Zachary Zielonka from Die by the Blade in today's instalment of Gameday Questionnaire:

1. After trading Jason Pomminvile, how optimistic are Sabres' fans about their short-term future?

I think that the recent three game winning streak has give people some hope but their play on the ice is still discouraging. There were times during the win against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday night where the team was consistently hemmed in their own end for minutes at a time without getting the puck out. If the Sabres could get Thomas Vanek back in the next couple of days, their true offensive threat could prove a shot in the arm in the final games of the season.

2. Describe the best case scenario as the Sabres conclude their 2013 season.

In all honesty, that depends on who you ask. Myself, the best case scenario would be to lose out the rest of the games to further their lottery chances. This team needs another blue chip prospect to replace some of the talent that has left in the last few years. But, there is the other philosophy that this team could very well make a run at the playoffs. The fact that the Sabres are only two games out of a playoff spot and that they have won their last three games can give some credence to that. The Sabres play seven of their final nine games at home and three games against teams they are directly competing against. A run to the playoffs means that this team has to win this game tonight to have any shot though.

3. Which contract is more likely to be bought out in the off-season: Ville Leino’s or Ryan Miller’s?

It would have to be Ville Leino. Ryan Miller still has value and only one season left on his contract compared to the four years left on Leino's. The only thing that may make buying out Leino during this offseason is whether he will be healthy enough to buy him out. He has missed most of this season with various injuries and he could very well not pass a physical to be bought out.

Ed. Note: We thank Zach for his for his time in this edition of Gameday Questionnaire. Look for our next edition of Gameday Questionnaire Thursday with our pals from Litter Box Cats.

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