Buffalo Cashes in With the 4th Overall pick, the 45th pick and Dman Louis Crevier
Buffalo Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen cleared out some major league cap space for the team by moving starry-eyed Bowen Byram and 4th liner Jordan Greenway. Bo and his agent have become a headache for the Blue and Gold with his desire to become a number one defender with the salary to match. Greenway’s earnings just didn’t match the production, even though he had some nice attributes.
The Sabres are now in possession of the 4th overall pick in this week’s draft. They could grab a top talent in that range who could be a real difference maker soon. Or they might use it as ammunition along with other assets to nab a legit star to add to this roster. Jarmo is about the here and now mostly, so I tend to believe that the pick could be on the move.
Buffalo also has a 2nd round pick again, getting Chicago’s 45th overall. Some good talent should be available there. Also coming over in the deal is hulking giant defensemen Louis Crevier. The 25 year old is 6’8″ and nearly 230 pounds. He is a decent skater for his size and scored a surprising 7 goals along with 25 points for the Blackhawks last year, his first full season in the league. He is not a Bo replacement but should challenge for a bottom pair spot.
GMJK now has the room and money to really cook. Benson should be signed soon and so could Alex Tuch now. They could make it work. Or Buffalo may sign and trade him for options elsewhere. More to come soon from the Sabres for sure, but a nice job by Jarmo on this one.