Chris Stewart Trade Rumors

It should come as no surprise to anyone that Chris Stewart‘s name is appearing in trade rumor talks.  If you’re not interested in trading Chris Stewart, you aren’t alone.  I for one am in the corner of keeping Stewart in a Buffalo Sabres uniform beyond this season.

Chris Stewart is a power forward, he is for the Buffalo Sabres what they don’t have.  A guy with the talent to pass, shoot, and score, and punch someone in the face if necessary.  The only problem is, Chris Stewart isn’t doing any of that right now.

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Stewart started the year with Buffalo with something to prove.  He wasn’t going to let getting traded to the worst team in the league get in his way pride as an athlete, and when the season started, he said he was going to do his best to make the Buffalo Sabres a better hockey team.

On many a night, Chris Stewart hasn’t been a problem for the Buffalo Sabres.  He shows up and plays the game he knows how to play.  Only for Ted Nolan, that game has gotten soft.

Stewart has played in all but one of the Buffalo Sabres games this year, and has only managed three goals and one assist.  Ted Nolan made him a healthy scratch against the Los Angeles Kings, something Stewart didn’t take to lightly.

Chris Stewart is a number draft pick, selected 18th overall.  He could be a very valuable asset to this team in the long term, but does his being a healthy scratch when others should have been scratched well before him tell a story that is more than the head coach thinking he isn’t playing hard enough?

Stewart is tied for the teams worst plus/minus rating, and only Tyler Ennis and Matt Moulson have taken more shots than Stewart.

There are a multitude of reasons why you don’t trade Chris Stewart.  There are just as many good reasons why the team should move him.

Chris Stewart is in the final year of his contract, one that saddles the team with just over a four million dollar price tag.  At 27 years old, he is likely going to want a long term deal with a bit of a raise.

Tim Murray would have most likely would have wanted to move Stewart by now, but at this point in the season, the asking price for players is way to high; Murray will have to either find someone desperate enough to take him, or wait until the demand rises.  Unfortunately for Tim Murray, that’s when the asking price will have to go down as well, if the Sabres don’t move him, you’re looking at a player who will sign just about anywhere but Buffalo in the coming season.

Teams interested in Stewart are rumored to be the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins, but given the situation and price tag – Stewart is nothing more than a rental, so come trade deadline time, your dance partners are going to be limited as well.