In two days the NHL will implement a roster freeze as many NHL players head over to Sochi, Russia to compete in the 2014 Olympics. It’s unfair to trade a player while they’re battling for their country, so GM’s will not be allowed to pull of any trades during the Olympic break.
However, with just two days until the roster freeze talks are heating up once again around the NHL and of course the
Jan 30, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller (30) stands on the ice in the second period against the Phoenix Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
Buffalo Sabres, who will be sellers, are right in the middle of a lot of talks. Obviously the official NHL trade deadline is March 5th, so there really is no rush. However, some NHL GM’s are hoping to jump the gun and avoid over paying at the last minute.
This is a new feature we’re going to run where we bring you all the latest and somewhat reliable trade noise regarding the Buffalo Sabres floating around the interwebs. We’ll say what we’re hearing, and you can voice your opinions on said moves in the comments. Ready? Good, let’s go.
- We’ll start with the Buffalo Sabre, at the middle of all the rumours Mr. Ryan Miller. Miller rumours have been swirling all season long and they’re not about to stop anytime soon. It’s quite unlikely Miller will be moved prior to the Olympics however, Tim Murray is hoping to get something for Miller before he leaves at the end of the year. The two biggest players believed to be in the running for Miller are the Minnesota Wild and Washington Capitals. When asked yesterday Miller refused to talk about his future with the Sabres, stressing he wants to see the plan.
"Couple of sources are telling me the Wild and Capitals are looking at the possibility of acquiring Ryan Miller. #sabres#nhl"
— Renaud Lavoie (@LavoieRenaud) February 4, 2014
- Next we’ll move to the injured Matt Moulson. Who seems to be courting a double digit amount of teams according to Bob McKenzie. The Los Angeles Kings and Montreal Canadiens were the two front-runners in the Moulson race before he went on the shelf with a shoulder injury. Talks for Moulson have quieted since, However, many teams are still interested in the high scoring winger.
- Next we have captain and fan favourite Steve Ott. Who has more than a couple of teams calling Murray. Ott is the perfect type of player a team hoping to go deep in the playoffs is looking for. He’s got heart, soul and plays that rough game. Bob McKenzie and other NHL executives are saying that Ott is even generating more interest than Matt Moulson. The asking price for Ott should only go up and the Sabres will certainly benefit selling him to the highest bidder.
- The Buffalo Sabres are also open to moving Drew Stafford and Henrik Tallinder by the deadline in either package deals or small deals by themselves- link is the video in the Ott section.
- As of yet, the Buffalo Sabres have not inquired about Ryan Callahan.
Take these trade rumours as you will. Obviously not everyone of them will come true and there’s a chance none of them will. However, these are the latest rumours that are out there. Hope you enjoyed our first Buffalo Sabres trade rumour round-up, we’ll be back with more rumours next week.