With a draft day surprise, Buffalo Sabres GM Darcy Regier traded Andrej Sekera to the Carolina Hurricanes or the 35th pick in this year’s NHL draft and defenseman Jamie McBain.
Sekera has always been a polarizing player, with some fans liking his steady play but some fans hating the fact that he doesn’t do anything exceptionally well. He was the type of European defenseman who simply did everything at a B level, with no A or A+ attributes. However, he played well for Buffalo last season and had two years remaining on a cap-friendly contract.
In return the Sabres get Jamie McBain. McBain is a bigger defenseman who has good offensive instincts. He’s shown some inconsistency in his own end, but has been used in all situations by Carolina and still has the potential to be a top-4 guy. He had some trouble living up to expectations in Carolina, but he’ll get a fresh start in Buffalo, and the Sabres obviously hope that will lead to more success for their newest defenseman.
The 25-year old right-hander has one more year left on a salary that counts $1.8 million against the cap, freeing up a tiny bit of extra cap space for Buffalo over Sekera’s contract.
What do you think, Sabres fans?