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Sabres need to make room to keep an Islanders forward in Buffalo

The Buffalo Sabres will find themselves playing a big home game tonight vs. the NY Islanders and there’s one forward they should consider keeping around.

ByTodd Matthews|
Oct 21, 2023; Buffalo, New York, USA; New York Islanders center Brock Nelson (29) and Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (26) go for the puck in the first period at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
Oct 21, 2023; Buffalo, New York, USA; New York Islanders center Brock Nelson (29) and Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (26) go for the puck in the first period at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Earlier today, Michael De Rosa of the Hockey News outlined one star forward the Buffalo Sabres should seriously consider trading for. Brock Nelson, who continues to be a bright spot for the struggling Isles is the player in question, and De Rosa said the following regarding the star center: “If these struggles continue, they could become sellers later this season, and their top trade chip would be Brock Nelson. The 33-year-old forward has already generated buzz in the rumor mill and would be a perfect player for the Sabres to target.”

As my headline implied, I agree 1,000 percent that the Blue and Gold should seriously consider making a move for Nelson. But I’d like to expand on that and ask why not now? Why wait until the middle of the year when the Isles struggles will inevitably keep up? Something that we should have seen coming since before the season began.

Nelson is once again off to a hot start, and the Sabres have more than enough capital to entice general manager Lou Lamoriello into making a trade here. For one, the Isles, given their struggles, should start focusing on rebuilding the prospects pool, and the Sabres have one of the NHL’s best. 

Sabres need to work out a trade while the Isles are in town

Now the question is, who would they trade? At this point, I’d hand them Jack Quinn. Yeah, you read that right, plus a pick in 2025 and an intriguing prospect like Isak Rosen or Anton Wahlberg. 

While I’d hate to see someone like Quinn go, he’s also struggled in head coach Lindy Ruff’s system, something that has been a rather nasty surprise. But Quinn has also been productive in the past, and, in a contract year before he becomes a restricted free agent, would make for a sensible trade for Nelson, who is also in the final year of his deal. 

But Quinn wouldn’t be enough, which is why something like a second-round pick in 2025 would be a necessity, plus an up-and-coming prospect who could help the Isles out sooner rather than later. It’s something that should also be discussed tonight, even if it’d be a longshot for Nelson to miss the trip back to Long Island following tonight’s contest. 

The point is, however, that it’s something general manager Kevyn Adams should discuss with Lou Lamoriello immediately. And who knows? Maybe Brock Nelson will swap out the orange for gold by the end of the calendar year? 

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