The Buffalo Sabres are going to be very busy at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. As it stands right now they hold either the number one or number two overall pick in the draft, but the way the season plays out that could be the first through the third pick depending on their luck.
But they also hold another first round pick later in the first round, the earlier of the New York Islanders or St. Louis Blues picks. But Tim Murray doesn’t necessarily want to pick that late in the first round, if rumors out of the General Manager meetings are correct.
@BuffaloSabres are open for business. GM Tim Murray told counterparts he is willing to trade his second 1st round pick in '15 for right deal
— Louis Jean (@LouisJeanSports) March 16, 2015
The deal has to be right for the Buffalo Sabres to make a trade. In fact that has been Tim Murray’s mantra all along. He isn’t going to make a deal just to make a deal, it has to make hockey sense for his club. GM Murray doesn’t want to be invovled in still rebuilding his hockey club when his team hosts the draft in 2016.
So what can he do with the late first round pick? He can trade it away to another team that is picking earlier in the first round, to move up maybe in the top ten again, or even into the top 15. If they have a guy targeted on the board that they are high on, I would not put it past Tim Murray to make a deal.
He could easily offer up the later first round pick on an even exchange for the earlier round pick, and throw in one of his second round picks this year to sweeten the deal. Certainly he won’t give up his own second round pick, which will essentially be another late first rounder, the Buffalo Sabres also own the rights to the New York Islanders second round pick.
But it doesn’t have to be about stocking the cupboard. Tim Murray has an eye for talent, and I think future drafts will look much different for the Buffalo Sabres as Tim Murray keeps the farm teams in Rochester and Elmira stocked.
Tim Murray could be looking for a hockey trade as well. He might be able to bundle together the rights of one of his unrestricted guys, or even restricted players that a team knows they will resign – just to make it seem like he is getting something for a player he will lose on July 1.
Tim Murray has lots of options come draft day, and if the Buffalo Sabres can land either McDavid or Eichel before the draft is too old, it might make deals a little bit more enticing, as the Buffalo Sabres will have a long time to think about perspective deals while they wait for their return trip to the podium.
Buffalo will never really truly be on the clock on draft day when a deal is set to be made, because it will be on the other teams to convince Tim Murray to accept a deal before they have to join the commish on stage.
I think the Buffalo Sabres second (or third depending on how you want to look at it) first round pick was on the table on deadline day as well, but Tim Murray wasn’t able to get the right deal done.
Draft day, is looking like it could turn into one interesting series of events.
Next: Draft Day Dreamer's - Trading Up For Eichel
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