Buffalo Sabres Trade: Weber’s Departure End of an Era
Weber traded after 10 years with Sabres
When the Buffalo Sabres traded defenseman Mike Weber to the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night, it marked, in some ways, the end of an era.
Weber was the longest-tenured member of the Buffalo Sabres, having been with the team for ten years.
The Buffalo Sabres drafted the defenseman with the 57th overall selection in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.
Now, Tyler Ennis becomes the longest-tenured member of the Buffalo Sabres, having been drafted in the first round in 2008.
More from Sabre Noise
- 3 biggest standouts at Buffalo Sabres 2023 Prospects Challenge
- 3 takeaways from the Buffalo Sabres final Prospects Challenge game
- Buffalo Sabres experiment with lesser-known talent in loss to Pens
- Buffalo Sabres 75 Bold Predictions for 2023-24: Prediction 51
- Buffalo Sabres vs. Pittsburgh: A quick look at the Penguins prospects
In addition, Weber was the last player remaining on the Buffalo Sabres who had played with the AHL’s Rochester Americans when they were originally the affiliate of the Sabres, the first time around.
Weber played most of the 2007-2008 season with the Amerks, notching 14 points (1-13) in 59 games. He also accrued 178 penalty minutes in his rookie AHL season.
Others on that team? Marc-Andre Gragnani, Andrej Sekera, Tanner Glass, Adam Dennis and the legend, Marek Zagrapan.
In addition, Patrick Kaleta played on that Rochester Americans team, but since he’s no longer playing with the Buffalo Sabres’ NHL club, is not being counted in these statistics.
Regardless of Kaleta, Weber was the last player on the Buffalo Sabres who played with both the original Rochester Americans *and* the Portland Pirates.
In all, over some eight seasons, Weber appeared in 341 regular season games with the Buffalo Sabres.
Over that time, he notched nine goals and added 44 assists, also registering 409 penalty minutes. He finishes his Sabres career with a minus-42 rating and 259 shots on goal.
In an interview with Sabres.com, Weber said that his favorite moment in his tenure with the Buffalo Sabres came in the the 2010-11 playoff run, when Weber notched an assist on Ennis’ game-winning goal in the Game 5 overtime.
And of course, who can forget his spirited debate with Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby? (Starting around the 6:12 mark).
Weber’s time in Buffalo should also be remembered for his work with charities, including the Tickets for Troops program and Roswell Park’s Bald for Bucks.
Now, he’ll move onto Washington, a team that’s a real contender this season — and Weber might even have a chance to win a Stanley Cup before he hits unrestricted free agency on July 1.
Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres will continue their transition to a more youth-driven team as the NHL trade deadline continues to loom ahead on February 29.