Well, here we are NHL trade deadline day. The past few days have been busy around the league, particularly Sunday, but there are still some big pieces that could be moved today. For the Buffalo Sabres, it’s possible that guys like Evander Kane and Benoit Pouliot could be shipped out. Whether they actually get moved, and what the return is (roster players? prospects? draft picks?) remains to be seen.
In the meantime, let’s take a look back at the past five years and what the Sabres have done, historically, on the NHL’s trade deadline day. Keep in mind, of course, that this is Jason Botterill’s first trade deadline day as general manager of the Sabres. Tim Murray was the team’s GM for all the years discussed below.
2017 – Just one deal
The Sabres send Dan Catenacci to the New York Rangers in exchange for Mat Bodie. Bodie would appear in 17 games for the AHL’s Rochester Americans, potting nine points (2-7) in 17 games. Catenacci spent the rest of the season with the Hartford Wolf Pack (9 points, 19 games); that’s also where he’s spent most of this season (12 points, 34 games).
2016 – Another non-busy day
The Sabres made just one deal this day, sending Jamie McGinn to the Ducks in exchange for a conditional third-rounder in 2016. The pick eventually ended up in Nashville’s hands, sent there in exchange for the rights to Jimmy Vesey.
2015 – Deals, deals, deals
The 2015 trade deadline was Murray’s way of shipping out some of the pieces he picked up at the *2014* deadline. That included moving Michal Neuvirth to the Islanders in exchange for Chad Johnson and a pick (which was eventually given to Pittsburgh as compensation for the hiring of Dan Bylsma). Torrey Mitchell was also shipped to Montreal, with Jack Nevins and a 2016 7th-round pick coming back. The Sabres picked up Vasily Glotov with that selection.
In another deal with the Habs, Brian Flynn left Buffalo in exchange for a 2016 fifth-rounder, used to select Vojtech Budik. Finally, the Sabres sent Chris Stewart to the Wild – a popular trade partner of Buffalo’s over the last few years – for a 2017 second-rounder, which turned into goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
2014 – A busy day
This was one of the busier trade deadline days in recent Sabres history, with three deadline-day deals made by Murray and co.
That included shipping out Brayden McNabb and Jonathan Parker, along with a pair of draft picks, to Los Angeles in exchange for Hudson Fasching. Matt Moulson and Cody McCormick went to Minnesota; Torrey Mitchell and two draft picks came back. One of those picks eventually went to Chicago and was used to pick up Chad Krys.
The Sabres also sent Jaroslav Halak to Washington with a 2015 third-round pick. Michal Neuvirth and Rostislav Klesla were the return pieces.
2013 – One deal, but a big one
The Sabres ship out Jason Pominville and a 2014 4th-round pick to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Matt Hackett, Johan Larsson, a first-round pick in 2013 and a second-round pick in 2014. Buffalo turned those picks into Nikita Zadorov and Vaclav Karabacek. The pick sent to Minnesota was eventually flipped and used by the Oilers to pick up defenseman William Lagesson.
Of course, some four years later, the Sabres would pick Pominville *back* up via the four-player trade that sent out Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno and also returned Marco Scandella.
What to Expect – 2018
So what can we expect on this trade deadline day? It’s impossible to say, really. This is GM JB’s first trade deadline day at the helm of the Sabres, and of course, the market varies from year to year. Even the market today is different from yesterday’s, considering the Rick Nash trade and the return on that.
Sit back, keep your Twitter feed refreshing (verified accounts only, y’all), and stay on our live tracking page as well. Let’s see just what the day brings.