Sabres Radio Host Revives Tanking Debate Amid Franchise Struggles

As the Buffalo Sabres continue to struggle, with a 5-5-4 record that has them sitting in last place in the highly competitive Eastern Conference, the team's radio host Jeremy White is reviving the tanking debate. White, who was a vocal proponent of the Sabres' efforts to land Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel in the 2015 NHL Draft, is now laying the groundwork for "Operation Gavin McKenna."

McKenna, a dynamic forward at Penn State, is viewed as the likely No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft class. White's cheeky message on social media, which spells out "TANK," comes as the Sabres face a difficult stretch of games against the Carolina Hurricanes, Utah Mammoth, Colorado Avalanche, and Detroit Red Wings.

The idea of tanking to secure a top prospect like McKenna is a divisive one in Buffalo, as the Sabres have never fully recovered from their previous efforts to ensure the best odds in the McDavid/Eichel sweepstakes. While some argue that the strategy was successful in landing Eichel, a franchise cornerstone, others contend that the culture of losing created by the tank has haunted the organization for the past 14 years.