Sabre Noise
Fansided

5 biggest trading mistakes in Buffalo Sabres history

By Sion Fawkes

28 May 1998: Dominik Hasek #39 of the Washington Capitals in action during an Eastern Conference Finals Game 3 against the Buffalo Sabres at the Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, New York. The Capitals defeated the Sabres 4-3 in overtime. Mandatory Credit
28 May 1998: Dominik Hasek #39 of the Washington Capitals in action during an Eastern Conference Finals Game 3 against the Buffalo Sabres at the Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, New York. The Capitals defeated the Sabres 4-3 in overtime. Mandatory Credit /
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Buffalo Sabres
BUFFALO, NY – MARCH 5: Raffi Torres #17 of the Buffalo Sabres skates with the puck during the game against the Philadelphia Flyers at HSBC Arena on March 5, 2010 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images) /

Trading for Raffi Torres

On January 12th, 2018, The Hockey Writers outlined the worst roster moves in Buffalo Sabres history. The Raffi Torres trade served as their honorable mention and it is probably still etched in the minds of many fans since this one took place during the 2009-10 season.

That year, the Sabres were among the best teams in the NHL and they eventually topped the Northwest Division with 100 points. Like most buyers near the trade deadline, they wanted one player that would take them over the hill. That player, they hoped, was Torres.

In 60 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets that season, Torres enjoyed a 19.2 shooting percentage, and his 19 goals at the time paced the Sabres when general manager Darcy Regier acquired him. Unfortunately, Torres only logged five assists and zero goals in 14 games with Buffalo.

Some of the highlights regarding Torres’ tenure with the team included him arriving out of shape, losing his spot on the top six, and ultimately riding the bench in the playoffs. After his short stint in Buffalo, Torres played a full season in Vancouver and Phoenix before his relevance waned.

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