Buffalo Sabres receive high grades for 2023 trade season

The Buffalo Sabres pulled off a plethora of trades this season. And while we saw no blockbusters, we did see plenty of necessary moves. 

The Buffalo Sabres needed to make some serious moves. All season long, they’ve remained competitive and found themselves in the wild card hunt late in the season. But this team also had its respective qualms, one of which involved a lack of physical play.

This shouldn’t be as much of an issue, thanks to new acquisitions Riley Stillman and Jordan Greenway. But what did the Sabres have to give up to get these hard-nosed, physical players? In case you missed, it, here’s a rundown, complete with a grade for each move.

Trade #1 – Jordan Greenway for a 2023 second and 2024 fifth-rounder – with Minnesota

This is the best trade of the bunch, as Jordan Greenway will provide a physical presence on the Buffalo Sabres lower lines. So far this season, Greenway has played in 45 games, with 26 blocks and 79 hits, and 13:18 of average time on ice.

As a member of the Sabres, expect to see Greenway lay a few hits per game. Teams have spent the entire 2022-23 season outmuscling the Sabres, and a player of his size and hitter’s mentality will put a stop to it. Grade: A

Trade #2 – Riley Stillman for Josh Bloom – with Vancouver

Stillman may be just 25, but he’s been a journeyman in the NHL. The defenseman has bounced from Florida, to Chicago, to Vancouver, and finally, to Buffalo. What makes this trade so intriguing is the fact he played well when given the chance.

During his time with the Chicago Blackhawks last season, he logged 67 blocks and 122 hits in 67 games across an average of 15:04 of ice time. His debut with the Buffalo Sabres also went well, logging six hits and two blocks across 18:24. Grade: A

Trade #3 – Austin Strand for Chase Priskie – with Anaheim

This trade is brimming with potential. Strand, at this point, is little more than AHL depth, as is Priskie. Clearly, the Sabres believe Strand is a better fit than Priskie was at the AHL level. And it shows, since Lawrence Pilut, Jeremy Davies, and Kale Clague all saw time in a blue and gold uniform this season, leaving Priskie as the odd man out.

Since we probably won’t see Strand in a Buffalo Sabres uniform immediately, this is a depth trade that could pay off if the Blue and Gold needed a serviceable call up. For now, I’m giving it an Incomplete Grade, but Strand does have potential to be a physical player, so I may revisit this trade at a later date if he sees ice time in the Queen City.

Trade #4 – Erik Portillo for a third-round pick – with Los Angeles

Probably the most surprising trade of the bunch. Here, we have Erik Portillo, a prospect who was not likely to sign with the Sabres. He also didn’t impress throughout his junior season at Michigan. So how Kevyn Adams sold Portillo’s worth to the Kings, I’ll never know, but I’ll take it.

This does, however, give the goaltending prospect the best possible chance to make the NHL on a fast track. The Kings are a goaltender-needy team. And while the Buffalo Sabres look that way on the surface, they have a promising prospect in Devon Levi on the rise. Grade: A

Trade #5 – Anders Bjork for future considerations – with Chicago

For some strange reason, I saw a lot of people chastising this one. In all honesty, the Sabres could have traded Anders Bjork for a broken television set and would still wind up acing this one. Grade: A, for simply sending him somewhere else.

Trade # 6 – Rasmus Asplund for a seventh-round pick – with Nashville

Oh, this is one that I didn’t want to see happen, but I also knew it would. I was a big fan of Rasmus Asplund, but considering the direction the Sabres needed to go, there was simply no room left for him.

Buffalo had seen serviceable play from the likes of younger forwards Jack Quinn, J.J. Peterka, and Peyton Krebs. Plus, they needed valuable leadership from Captain Kyle Okposo and Assistant Captain Zemgus Girgensons. This left Asplund as the odd man out.

Therefore, this is a fair trade, and a good way to give Asplund a chance to continue his career and see some ice time. Overall, it was an average move for the Sabres, and Nashville may have just gotten an under-the-radar player. Grade: C+

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