Taylor Hall is said to be ready to waive his no-trade clause, which isn't too surprising as who wouldn't want to get out of a situation in Buffalo where the Sabres have totaled six wins on the season.
Yeah, it's been a hellaciously devastating ride for Buffalo this season, which was far worse than the .500 mark suspected here after the NHL placed the Sabres in the toughest division in hockey, but they can reboot in the off season. As long as franchise center Jack Eichel is still on board there's hope and when you add in Dylan Cozens as their No. 2 center next year, Buffalo has their one-two down the middle and they can build around them.
The Sabres biggest problem right now is lack of an identity. As proven in the MassMutual East division this season they can't play a rugged game against the likes of the Washington Capitals or Philadelphia Flyers or fellow Atlantic division foe, the Boston Bruins. They wilt against the fast, hard forecheck and lockdown game of the New York Islanders and don't have the overall speed and top-end skill of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Owner Terry Pegula seems to be obsessed with building a skilled team, which coincides with his love of the French Connection dating back to the highly successful Sabres teams of the 70's, and he also has strong connections to the Sidney Crosby-era, highly skilled Penguins. He also seems to want a team that's high on character, which is probably why this edition of the Sabres ended up being filled with choir boys, which in-turn has been part of the reason they're presently on this historical winless streak (0-15-3) and have a dismal record (6-23-5.)
The 2020-21 edition of the Sabres sans Eichel has absolutely nothing going for them right now and with the trade deadline nearing, some pieces are going to move. Second line center Eric Staal was the first as he OK'd a trade to the Montreal Canadiens with Buffalo landing two picks in the 2020 NHL Draft. More draft picks may be coming dependent upon what teams are willing to do at the trade deadline but for the Sabres there might be a better approach if trade partners are willing.
Draft picks outside the top-10 or top-20, dependent upon the talent in any specific draft, tend to be long shots to make it to the NHL and the deeper you go, obviously the longer the shot. So as we look to the top two pieces Buffalo may be moving within the next week or two, draft picks aren't at the fore of the thought process here, certain players are. The Sabres need an influx of talent and the sooner they get it the better so we'll look to these players from potential trade partners who are almost definitely on the move.
We'll start with trading Taylor Hall and potential suitors.
The Sabres signed Hall in the off season to a one-year deal and he's been pulled down with the disaster that has surrounded him, as his two goals on the season might indicate. However, everyone in the league knows that Hall has talent but the question is, how much of this pitiful season is on the Sabres, the coaching and/or system, or age beginning to creep up on the 29 yr. old?
Hall will get moved and in the end the Buffalo Sabres will get something in return for a player who cost them nothing to acquire. No doubt the Sabres will need to eat 50% of his salary to maximize the return (or maybe even trade him at all) but one might think that Pegula is tired of the embarrassment and would be willing to sign off on GM Kevyn Adams doing so, as they did with the Staal trade.
Who would want Hall? One would think (and it's been rumored) that more than few teams but two teams come to mind--the Bruins and Islanders. In both instances Hall would be placed on a team that's well coached, has high-end talent up top, and a mix of grit and talent up and down the lineup, not to mention strength in net and solid, high-end coaching. Since Hall can't carry a team, or even his line as a premier complimentary player, it should be a recipe for success.
Word on the street is that the Bruins are pretty much done with Jake DeBrusk. The 6'0" 194 lb. left winger has faltered since signing a 2yr./$7.35 million contract in November but he's got a game that makes trading him a tough call for Boston. He has NHL size and speed and a tenacity to his two-way game, but something isn't right at the moment which has led to head coach Bruce Cassidy making him a healthy scratch recently. DeBrusk also is in Covid protocol and hasn't played since the B's pounded Buffalo 4-1 (where he scored a goal) on March 18.
Retaining 50% of Hall's $8 million salary in a trade for DeBrusk also puts the Bruins in the black money-wise allowing them to still have at least $6 million (according to CapFriendly) to spend the rest of the trade deadline, so that makes sense for them. But does Hall/DeBrusk as principles in trade make sense from a hockey standpoint?
The NY Islanders might be another destination for Hall. Having top left wing, and captain, Anders Lee on long-term injured reserve certainly opens up a spot for a talent like Hall, even though they have different styles to their respective games. Lee's a gritty player who goes to the dirty areas and has made his line with Matthew Barzal and Josh Bailey successful because of it. Could that line transform itself with Hall on the wing instead?
Good question, but the Isles could be looking into him.
General manager Lou Lamoriello is a three-time Stanley Cup winner as an executive so he knows how to get things done. Head coach Barry Trotz is a Cup-winner as well. They've built a very gritty, hard-working team on Long Island and Hall would add to their talent-level amidst that sandpaper and skill. In addition, Lamoriello had this to say when talking about the affects on the roster of Lee being out for the season, "We're always trying to find a scoring winger, whether it's because of Anders' situation or not. Everybody is. That's not something that's easy to do. If we can, we will."
The Sabres retaining half of Hall's remaining salary will help and one thing they can go after in return would be forward Kieffer Bellows, who seems to be on the outs on the Island. Bellows is a 2016 first round pick (19th-overall) and is in the final year of his entry-level deal. To see just how far his stock has dropped, last game Trotz opted for undrafted free agent rookie Ross Johnson instead of Bellows against the Pens on Monday (they lost 2-1.)
It should be noted that Bellows played and roomed with current Sabres forward Casey Mittelstadt on Team USA's gold medal IIHF World Junior Championship Team in 2018 where both were named to the all-tourney team (along with Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin.) Trading for him is the type of move that couldn't hurt the Sabres while taking a chance on a player with skill who's floundering in his present situation. New York would be getting immediate help for a piece that doesn't look to be a part of their future. Buffalo should push it a little and ask for the 2021 Colorado second rounder the Islanders own or maybe a third or fourth rounder that year.
The Florida Panthers currently sit second in the Discover Central Division but lost star defenseman Aaron Ekblad for three months and are in the market for a defenseman. Initially one might think that Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen might be a good fit but fellow right-handed d-man Brandon Montour might be a short-term fix for the Cats.
It's quite possible that Florida won't be trading for a player approaching Ekblad's caliber simply because normally one can't be had or the price is way too high. Nashville's Mattias Ekholm comes to mind as rumors have the Predators floating his name despite a very, very team-friendly $3.75 million cap-hit for the 30 yr. old, all-around, top-four d-man with one more year remaining on his deal. The price for Ekholm seems to be a 1st round pick, NHL player and upper-level prospect and the Panthers might not be willing to part with that.
Buffalo has a right-shot d-man in Montour who is a rental and won't cost nearly as much. Granted he's nowhere near the level of Ekblad or Ekholm but the cost for the all-around, puck-moving plug-in defenseman would be right. And with Florida in a weak division before things get back to normal next season, they might feel as if a lesser piece without mortgaging the future is the proper path to take, In fact, the Panthers can keep all of their currently signed players and draft picks if they do a simple one-for-one trade by offering up center Henrik Borgstrom.
Borgstrom has always been a favorite here as his size (6'3" 198 lbs.) and skill combine for a very intriguing prospect combination. However, the word 'prospect' in the aforementioned is what's bothersome for Florida and maybe the rest of the league right now. The 2016 first round pick (23rd) did not have a smooth go of it at the NHL-level (58 games, nine goals, 10 assists, -17) despite solid AHL numbers (73 games, 16 goals, 29 assists, +6) and he's back in Finland getting his game together in SM Liiga (27 games, 11 goals, eight assists, +12.)
Perhaps the 23 yr. old Borgstrom doesn't have the temperament for the NHL game as he's said to lack compete, or doesn't have enough speed which is why Florida didn't sign him. Perhaps he's the type of overseas player who's more comfortable playing in his home country. Perhaps he needs a change of scenery at the NHL-level. We don't know, but if the last part is true, he might be worth the risk. With the Panthers still retaining his rights they could still move him and it would seem as if an NHL defenseman like Montour would be a good swap. The Sabres paid a rather hefty price of a first-rounder and prospect (D, Brendan Guhle) for Montour and it just hasn't worked out in Buffalo (even though he plays the type of aggressive, puck-moving game that should've benefitted the Sabres) so getting the potential of a former first-rounder in return would be something better than a third or fourth-rounder that seemingly is what a buyer's market would bear.
When all's said and done the Sabres will be moving a couple of players this trade deadline (again) with Hall almost certainly gone. What Adams does will not only lay the foundation for his team but also for how he's perceived as a general manager. His trade for Staal for forward Marcus Johansson was initially looked upon as a shrewd move, but Staal's listless play made that a loss, until he landed a 3rd and 5th round pick for him. For as bad as Staal was on-ice, it would seem as if he had one positive contribution--allowing Cozens to get his feet wet while the veteran played the role of No. 2 center. There was that and, in essence, Adams traded Johansson for two picks, which Sabres fans surely would get behind.
More to come.
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