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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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The Buffalo Sabres have stumbled and bumbled through much of the 21st century. Did any trades during that timeframe land in the bottom five?

When a franchise exists for over five decades, they are going to make a plethora of mistakes via roster transactions. And the Buffalo Sabres are no different. Today, we are going to outline five trades that you can call the absolute worst in franchise history.

And no, not all of them have occurred during the ill-fated 2010s. Far from it. So if you are new to the Sabres and you would like to learn some history, the following five trades will give you a brief glimpse into the team’s past.

Some of these trades, die-hard fans remember as though they occurred yesterday. Other trades were just forgettable. But if there is one common denominator between them all, each trade is one the franchise’s front office would love to have back. Let’s explore them.

11 Nov 1996: Rightwinger Ray Sheppard of the Florida Panthers (center) works against Buffalo Sabres defensemen Richard Smehlik (right) and Jay McKee during a game at the Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres won the game, 3-2. Mandatory
11 Nov 1996: Rightwinger Ray Sheppard of the Florida Panthers (center) works against Buffalo Sabres defensemen Richard Smehlik (right) and Jay McKee during a game at the Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres won the game, 3-2. Mandatory /

The five worst trades in Buffalo Sabres history: Trade #1 – Ray Sheppard

Nick McVicar of The Last Word on Sports outlined what they believed was the worst trade in franchise history. Before we get to the Sheppard trade, McVicar gave us an honorable mention: When they traded longtime goaltender Dominik Hasek to the Detroit Red Wings for a first round pick. You might just see that trade pop up later.

Anyway, before the Hasek trade, they moved the emerging Ray Sheppard to the New York Rangers after the winger posted a forgettable 1989-90 campaign in which he played just 18 games.

During his rookie season in 1987-88, Sheppard posted 65 points in 74 games, earning a spot on the All-Rookie Team and finishing second for the Calder Memorial Trophy. He also put up 43 points in 67 games the next season before injuries wiped him out in 1989-90.

After a solid 47-point outing in 1990-91 for New York, Sheppard scored at least 60 points per season between 1992-93 and 1996-97. He was never considered a great player, but he definitely outplayed the cash and future considerations the Sabres traded him for.

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)
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.

19 Jan 1996: Terry O”Reilly #24 of the Boston Bruin Heroes gets ready to take a shot while teammate Peter McNab #8 fends off Denis Potvin #5 of the NHL Heroes in an attempt to score past goalie John Garrett #31 during the second period of the NHL Heroes
19 Jan 1996: Terry O”Reilly #24 of the Boston Bruin Heroes gets ready to take a shot while teammate Peter McNab #8 fends off Denis Potvin #5 of the NHL Heroes in an attempt to score past goalie John Garrett #31 during the second period of the NHL Heroes /

Peter McNab

Drafted 85th overall in the sixth round of the 1972 NHL Draft, McNab was a mid-round pick who lasted just three seasons with the Buffalo Sabres. While his108 points in 154 games were a sign of things to come, that success occurred after Buffalo transferred him to the Boston Bruins.

Andre Savard stepped in McNab’s place and put up respectable numbers. In 467 games with the Sabres, he scored 305 times, with his career-best coming in 1980-81 when he scored 74 points in 79 games and logged a 20.8 percent shooting percentage.

McNab, however, played off the charts, scoring 587 points in 595 appearances with the Bruins. He scored 75 or more points (35-plus goals) in six of his seven-and-a-half seasons. So while Savard had a good outing in Buffalo, McNab transformed into one of Boston’s greatest players of the era.

LANDOVER, MD – JANUARY 29: Tom Barrasso #35 of the Pittsburgh Penguins looks on before a hockey game against the Washington Capitals on January 29, 1995 at USAir Arena in Landover, Maryland. The Penguins won 4-1. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – JANUARY 29: Tom Barrasso #35 of the Pittsburgh Penguins looks on before a hockey game against the Washington Capitals on January 29, 1995 at USAir Arena in Landover, Maryland. The Penguins won 4-1. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

Tom Barrasso

The fifth overall pick in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft, Barrasso burst onto the scene with a 26-12-3 record in the 1983-84 season. He compiled just a 0.893 save percentage, but he allowed 2.85 goals per game. He won All-Rookie honors, a spot on the NHL All-Star Team, plus the Calder and Vezina Trophies.

While his subsequent seasons in Buffalo weren’t as memorable, he was still an effective goaltender routinely in the voting for the Vezina Trophy. Barrasso, however, struggled in the first ten games of the 1988-89 season. He started just 2-7 and allowed 4.95 goals per game, prompting general manager Gerry Meehan to deal him to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

You know what happened. Barrasso helped fuel the Penguins to two Stanley Cup titles while he manned the net for 12 seasons. In return, the Sabres received Doug Bodger and Darrin Shannon.

Bodger, a two-way defenseman, turned out to be an adequate player for the Sabres while Shannon appeared in just 52 games. Neither fared well enough to justify the trade for Barrasso, especially Shannon.

13 Apr 2000: Goallie Dominik Hasek #39 of the Buffalo Sabres watching for a shot on goal while teammate Jay McKee #74 tries to stop Keith Primeau #25 from getting position and the loose puck during the game against the Philadelphia Flyers at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Flyers defeated the Sabres 2-1.
13 Apr 2000: Goallie Dominik Hasek #39 of the Buffalo Sabres watching for a shot on goal while teammate Jay McKee #74 tries to stop Keith Primeau #25 from getting position and the loose puck during the game against the Philadelphia Flyers at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Flyers defeated the Sabres 2-1. /

Domenik Hasek

Everything makes full circle, right? Here is the honorable mention from McVicar’s article over at Last Word. Hasek was the lifeblood of the Buffalo Sabres from 1992-93 until 2000-01. He was so good, that from 1993-94 until his final season in Buffalo, his save percentage dropped under 0.920 just once. He also never allowed over 2.83 goals per game in that same span.

The Sabres dealt him to the Detroit Red Wings in a move that was to be expected, given Hasek’s dissatisfaction with the franchise’s direction. Problem was, the Sabres got little in return, acquiring Vyacheslav Kozlov, a 2002 first round pick, and future considerations.

Kozlov lasted just 38 games with the Sabres while they used the 2002 pick on Daniel Paille, who played in 195 games in just over four seasons. Paille had his moments, but he never logged over 13:16 of ice time.

light. Related Story. Redrafting the 2015 Buffalo Sabres NHL Draft

To add insult to injury, just like Barrasso in the previous slide, Hasek also won a Stanley Cup. This trade may not be just an honorable mention for the Buffalo Sabres faithful – the low compensation for Hasek may rank it as the worst on the list. 

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)

Article Source: 5 Worst Moves in Sabres History by THW Archives.

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