With a top-two draft pick just about in his back pocket, Sabres General Manager Tim Murray is starting to come clean about tanking to satiate his obse sion with phenomConnor McDavid. "I watch him too much and I think too much about him," . "I wish I could help myself." MORE: | | Murray's squad has been working hard in recent days to fulfillhisblueprint for last place Zach Muckenhirn Jersey . Meanwhile, McDavid, a consensus future NHL superstar andodds-on favorite to be the first player off the board June 27, has been leading OHL Erie into the playoffs. With Erie, Pa., about a 90-minute drive from Buffalo, Murray has had the luxury to frequentMcDavid's junior games allseason long. He even attended the Otters' playoff opener Thursday instead of staying home to watch the the only other team, ,that posesa serious threat to stealing McDavid. "This guy I call our franchise-changing player,"Murray said of the 18-year-old Ontario native, who scored 44 goals and 120 points in 47 games this year. Murray also shared hisregret over how this season's plunge for rights to draft the prodigy has affected currentSabres players. No matter, though.It's allpart of the master plan. "You go through a year like this, its tough,"Murray told the Times. "I feel bad for our players, I really do. Its been a tough year. Im the type of GM, as everybody can see, Ive traded away a lot of good players for the simple fact we have to get better. Our times the future." Buffalo and Arizona play once again Monday. Should the Sabressucceed which is to say, should they lose in regulation last place is a virtual lock with sixgames to play and an eight-point cushionin hand. That'll give them a 20 percent chance of drafting McDavidand, withfellow future starJack Eichel as the consolation prize, a100 percent chance of mi sion accomplished. Shintaro Fujinami Jersey