NHL Trade Deadline And Buffalo Sabres Draft Picks
By Tim Redinger
The Buffalo Sabres already have three first round draft picks, and if the right deal comes along, they could end up with more with all the wheeling and dealing that Tim Murray is set to do ahead of the 2015 NHL Trade Deadline.
With three picks in the first round (their own, the New York Islanders, and the St. Louis Blues), the Buffalo Sabres are all set to restock a roster that is almost completely devoid of the Darcy Regier touch. Certainly there are things in place because of Darcy, but for the most part, Tim Murray and company have done a good job of stripping the roster of anything to do with the Regier era of hockey.
First Round Draft Picks
If the season were to end today, the Buffalo Sabres would pick no worse than second overall in the draft. Pretty good for a team whose goal at the outset of the season this year was to draft high, and to ensure there is going to be room at the table for one of the two highly touted players in the 2015 NHL Draft.
As far as the other picks they have in their grab back of tricks right now, the New York Islanders draft selection was worth more news last season than what the pick will be worth this year. Last season the Islanders seemed to be on the brink of disaster, another long and hapless season for the Islanders faithful. Garth Snow was eating his crow over the Thomas Vanek trade(s), and he had the decision to make, give the Buffalo Sabres their first round draft pick in 2014, or defer it to the 2015 NHL draft. Defer they did, and Garth Snow now looks like a hero.
The New York Islanders have leveled off some, from the time they were one of the top teams in the league, to now holding down on a spot that will have them drafting among the playoff teams. If the playoffs were to start today, the New York Islanders would be picking anywhere from 23-30th, depending on how far they go in the playoffs.
What the Buffalo Sabres were expecting as the NHL Trade Deadline approaches, is having no hope for a draft lottery selection from the St. Louis Blues. The Blues have been Stanley Cup hopefuls for a couple of seasons now, and hope to be again in on the push come June. If the playoffs started today, the St. Louis Blues would have a slightly lower pick than the New York Islanders, and depending on where the finish in the playoffs would be pick number 28.
You can check out the current odds for the draft lottery yourself, and even run a simulator. With their pick the Sabres currently have 20 percent chance at landing the top overall pick.
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Magic Eight Ball Bonus
If by some means of hockey god help, the Buffalo Sabres could end up with the first and the second overall pick in a draft that would make the Buffalo Sabres instantly the most alluring franchise in the National Hockey League. All they would have to do in convince a team on the bubble to trade away their first round pick with the hopes they would make the playoffs, only to fall short.
With plenty of expiring contracts and deals to be made between now and the NHL Trade Deadline, Tim Murray could land himself any number of first round draft picks, from teams that might be inside the playoff bubble, or currently in the draft lottery that hope to make a run at the playoffs.
The Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames are both teams currently holding down playoff spots, but could use additional players to help solidify their wild card chances.
The Los Angeles Kings, the Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, and Colorado Avalanche are in play for the wild card spot, but with the right moves and anything can happen scenarios with as much hockey that is left – teams might be willing to give up their chance in the lottery, light as they may be for the extra piece this season.
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Turning your attention to the Eastern Conference, a guy like Chris Stewart would be equally as valuable to the Boston Bruins or Washington Capitals, owners of the Eastern Conference wild card spots. Stewart’s style fits into the punch you in the face play that the Bruins have liked in years past, and the Washington Capitals have been missing something for years since drafting Alex Ovechkin.
Teams on the Eastern Conference that aren’t in the top eight are less likely to crack into the playoff bubble, so a trade to the east is less likely going to increase your draft lottery odds.
With the Florida Panthers and Philadelphia Flyers the closest teams to the wild card race with eight and nine points out respectively, the East playoff teams could be all but set, with only position jockeying taking place from here on out.
NHL Trade Deadline vs NHL Draft
There is a lot of work to be done between now and when the NHL rosters freeze on NHL Trade Deadline today, what should be considered a national holiday in all hockey markets.
Teams might be leery of trading their first round draft pick this season, before they know the results of the 2015 NHL Draft lottery. While Murray would want to expunge his roster of as many expiring contracts as he can; he might find more trade partners at the draft table.
While he might not get the first round draft picks ahead of the trade deadline, stockpiling other prospect players and lower round draft picks, might help the Buffalo Sabres general manager sneak into the first round for a fourth time, or allow the Sabres to move from the lower first round into a top ten pick.
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Blue Line Station
What is the trade that will start the domino fall that will cascade and culminate on March 2nd, 2015? How different will the Buffalo Sabres roster look after Tim Murray hangs up the phone for the last time on March 2nd?
The NHL Trade Deadline in 2015 should be the last fire sale for the Buffalo Sabres, and will likely be the start of a new era for the blue and gold and their fanbase.
Who are you looking forward to getting a fresh start somewhere else, mostly because they wont be on the Buffalo Sabres roster anymore?