Haha, perhaps my standard for "miracle" is skewed. With those rosters, finishing .500 is a miracle in my book. My bottom line is this: When you're fighting for a playoff spot -- if not position -- and the best move you can make at the deadline is obtaining Bob Corkum, you're not setting yourself up to do much.
Now, I know it takes two to tango, and for many years the purse strings were beyond tight, but he's never struck me as a risk-taker in terms of personnel. He's kept the Sabres' "future" in his back pocket for more than a decade.
At the end of the day, it's my worthless opinion. Although I think Ruff's a good coach --- who knows, maybe he's not the right coach for this particular team.