Top 3 players the Buffalo Sabres could trade at the deadline
The Buffalo Sabres are either going to buy, sell, or do nothing at the trade deadline. If they sell, who would they trade away by March 3rd?
While I don’t believe the Buffalo Sabres will trade anyone, professional sports is always about things happening when you least expect it. So let’s get hypothetical here and list three players who general manager Kevyn Adams would most likely move.
Note, that this article doesn’t mean that the players listed below would mean Adams is exclusively selling. Any player mentioned in this article could also be part of a larger trade package that could, in turn, send another player to the Queen City.
So keep that in mind when reading. And now, it’s onto the players.
1 – Jacob Bryson
It seems as though Bryson took a step back in many aspects. And although he’s on pace for a career-high in points, his (-17) at the All-Star break is cringe-worthy. This would make Bryson a tough sell, unless an NHL contender isn’t happy with their rotational pieces at defense and they believe Bryson to be a better fit.
If the Buffalo Sabres traded only Bryson as part of a package, expect them to get little, perhaps a late-round pick, in return. Trading Bryson could also open things up for Kale Clague, who put up some admirable performances this season.
2 – Zemgus Girgensons
Set to become an unrestricted free agent this season, Girgensons showed enough to warrant consideration as a fourth-liner/rotational piece. While I see Bryson as the likeliest trade candidate, the only way I can see the Sabres shipping out Girgensons is if they fell flat on their faces following the All-Star break.
This would warrant a potential sell and moving someone like Girgensons would enable the fast-falling Sabres (hypothetically) to call up younger talent from Rochester if they chose to go that route. Overall, I’m projecting Girgensons stays, but he’s an aggressive player who can add a physical presence to a would-be contender’s rotation.
While it would be tough to see Girgensons go, few in the NHL deserve a playoff appearance more than the longest-tenured Sabre. So I wouldn’t be too disappointed if he got an opportunity to play past the regular season.
3 – Rasmus Asplund
Asplund hasn’t played much this season because the Buffalo Sabres have no room in the lineup and he’s the odd man out. But last season, he accumulated some Selke votes, and teams around the league will look hard into his defensive-style of play.
I’m not saying they would overpay for Asplund, but he’s a former second-round pick who showed that he could be one of the league’s better defensive forwards. If Adams put him up for grabs, someone is going to take a flier on him. They won’t offer much, but as in Girgensons’ case, he would do well on a contender’s lower lines/rotational role.
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As you can see, none of the above names would give us a blockbuster. But each trade would allow the Sabres to send a player who either hasn’t fared well, is on the lower lines because of age, or an odd man out, to another team for a late-round pick or two. And those late-round picks could easily end up as diamonds in the rough.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)
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