Five Buffalo Sabres Who Could Be On Trade Block
With the NHL trade deadline fast approaching, could the Buffalo Sabres be ready to make some changes?
It sure seems like it, at least based on comments from Buffalo Sabres general manager Tim Murray, quoted by ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun.
Here’s what Murray said, per that LeBrun article:
“The approach is the same. We’re in 29th place. I do stress that we think we’ve improved greatly everywhere but in the standings. This is the process. If I can acquire younger assets or future assets for some of our veterans, especially veterans on expiring contracts, I’m going to pursue that for sure.”
That’s pretty straight-forward for the Buffalo Sabres GM. It’s clear that he knows what he wants – younger assets, future players, prospects, etc. – and clear he knows what he has to give up – veterans, especially those on expiring contracts.
So who are these players that could potentially be on the move over the course of the next month and a half?
Let’s take a look. I’ve plucked out five, a few of which LeBrun mentions in his extrapolation on Murray’s comments, many of whom are on contracts that are expiring at the end of the season.
What other Buffalo Sabres players do you think could be on the trade block? Discuss in the comments.
5. Chad Johnson
Johnson is one of those players who is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the season’s end.
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With both Robin Lehner and Linus Ullmark locked up for at least another season, and Ullmark proving to be solid in both his North American and NHL debuts, could there be a possibility that Johnson gets moved?
At 29, Johnson surely has some good years left in him, but if the Sabres are heading towards a younger team, Ullmark might be the route they choose to take.
As it stands upon writing this, it appears likely that Ullmark is heading back to the AHL soon, with Lehner set to return from injury and his conditioning stint in Rochester.
Johnson is 10-12-1 this season with a 0.916 save percentage and 2.46 GAA.
He stepped up in a big way after Lehner was injured in the first game of the season, but with that free agency tag looming…. could he be on the move shortly?
4. Marcus Foligno
At 24, I’m not sure if Foligno is the kind of ‘veteran’ that Murray was speaking of, but still – he could be another option for the trade block.
Foligno is in the last year of his contract as well, a point that Murray specifically mentioned (“especially veterans on expiring contracts.”)
While he’s never been the biggest scorer on the team, Foligno could be moved for younger, more offensive pieces. He’s registered nine points in 37 games this season after putting up 20 (8-12) in 57 last season.
Foligno is one of those guys who likes to hit and knows how to play a physical game, and those are good players to have around. Suffice to say that another NHL team could see an intriguing opportunity here and be willing to make a move for him.
3. Brian Gionta
Gionta still has one year left on his contract, but that doesn’t exclude him from potentially being on the trade block.
As I wrote in my midseason report card for him just a few days ago, Gionta isn’t performing up to par.
His small mistakes, giveaways and just overall struggles here and there made it hard to give him a good grade.
On the flip side of things, he does provide some veteran leadership as the captain of the Buffalo Sabres. But let’s not act like a captain has never before been traded in Buffalo Sabres history, because we all know that can happen. Captaincy doesn’t provide immunity.
Other teams might really value the veteran leadership Gionta can bring to the table, and they might be able to make a decent offer for the 36-year-old Rochester native.
What would you want to see the Buffalo Sabres pick up in return?
2. Mike Weber
Ah, Mike Weber. Year after year, he remains a member of the Buffalo Sabres, but could this finally be the year we see him move onto a new team?
Weber is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, but it’s highly possible that Tim Murray swaps him for some pieces prior to the February trade deadline.
Weber was one of the players that LeBrun mentioned as a possbility, and it’s easy to see why. He brings depth and toughness, as LeBrun says, factors that other teams could find valuable.
Weber is the longest-tenured member of the Buffalo Sabres at this point, having been drafted by the team back in 2006.
This season, the 28-year-old has registered four points, all assists, and 28 penalty minutes and is a plus-2 in 25 games.
Based on Murray’s quotes, Weber could be exactly the sort of player that gets moved before the February 29th trade deadline.
The question now is, what would the Buffalo Sabres pick up in return?
1. Tyler Ennis
While Ennis doesn’t fit the whole “contract expiring” part of Murray’s quote, it certainly could be possible that the Buffalo Sabres decide to move him.
He’s been stifled this season, registering 11 points (3-8) in 23 games, and has been simply invisible some nights.
What gives Ennis some worth on the trade block is his past success, having put up three 20-goal seasons thus far in his career.
Ennis has a cap hit of $4.6 million and is making $4.75 this season. He’s still got three more seasons on his contract after this one and is set to earn $3.650 million in each of those three seasons (through 2018-2019).
At 26, Ennis has 381 games of NHL experience under his belt and likely a long future ahead.
Is it worth holding onto him, or should the Buffalo Sabres try to move him sooner rather than later, possibly ahead of the February trade deadline?
Next: Ristolainen Midseason Report Card
What other Buffalo Sabres players do you think could be on the trade block? If you were Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray, what moves would you try to make ahead of the deadline?