Final week we checked out a few of the very best trades the Buffalo Sabres have made of their historical past, and whereas the checklist was spectacular, it raises the query – what concerning the ones that didn’t go so nicely?
In any case, each group has made unhealthy trades in its historical past, it’s merely an inevitable a part of sports activities. Sadly for the Sabres, they’ve much more examples in that class. Whether or not the deal aged poorly or regarded troublesome from the outset, Buffalo has made some really puzzling transactions all through its 52-plus-year historical past. Retaining this checklist transient was troublesome.
Let’s return in Sabres historical past and overview among the trades that the group received’t be so fast to acknowledge making.
1988 – Darrin Shannon & Doug Bodger
In some ways, Tom Barrasso was the primary famous person goaltender the Sabres had of their historical past. Drafted fifth general in 1983 with a choose acquired from the Los Angeles Kings in trade for Rick Martin, he opted to forgo his collegiate profession and joined the Sabres as an 18-year-old highschool graduate that fall. He instantly proved that it was the right choice, successful the Calder and Vezina Trophies in 1984. He then grew to become the Sabres’ spine for the following 5 seasons.
In Nov. 1988 the Sabres traded Barrasso to the Pittsburgh Penguins in trade for prospect Darrin Shannon and defenseman Doug Bodger. The problem right here was the return, as if Bodger grew to become an integral a part of the group’s protection and turned in eight stable seasons, the centerpiece didn’t pan out. Anticipated to turn into an enormous offensive contributor to enrich famous person Pierre Turgeon, Shannon appeared in solely 55 video games for the Sabres throughout 4 seasons, recording simply 24 factors. Paradoxically, his older brother Darryl additionally had a four-year stint in Buffalo however noticed way more success, serving to the Sabres attain the Stanley Cup Last in 1999.
Barrasso, alternatively, proved to be the lacking piece for the Penguins and, alongside Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr, led Pittsburgh to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 1991 and 1992. He retired in 2003 as one of many winningest American goaltenders in NHL historical past and stays top-of-the-line gamers not presently within the Hockey Corridor of Fame. It’s secure to imagine the Sabres would redo this one if they may.
1990 – Dale Hawerchuk
Apparently, the Sabres have made quite a few superstar-for-superstar trades of their historical past, and this one was one of many first. On the 1990 Draft, Buffalo despatched its longtime defensive anchor, Phil Housley, to Winnipeg in trade for Jets cornerstone Dale Hawerchuk. Make no mistake about it, the issue wasn’t Hawerchuk, who instantly grew to become one of many Sabres’ prime weapons alongside Pat LaFontaine and Alexander Mogilny and contributed 385 factors throughout 5 seasons.
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The issue for the Sabres was, regardless of Hawercuk’s contributions, the commerce nonetheless proved to be an excessive amount of for too little. Along with giving up Housley, they despatched the extremely underrated Scott Arniel to the Jets, too. The groups additionally swapped their 1990 first-round choices within the commerce. Buffalo chosen Brad Could at 14th general whereas Winnipeg took Keith Tkachuk at nineteenth.
It’s troublesome to evaluate trades involving draft picks based mostly upon whom these draft picks grew to become, however that’s about as break up of an consequence as one might get. Could stays a beloved determine in Sabres historical past and produced arguably the group’s most memorable second ever, however there’s merely no evaluating him to Tkachuk.
1993 – Grant Fuhr
Three years later, the Sabres made one other blockbuster swap of future Corridor of Famers, this time with their most storied rival. In a commerce that’s baffling in hindsight, the Toronto Maple Leafs despatched goaltender Grant Fuhr and a fifth-round choose to Buffalo in trade for winger Dave Andreychuk, goaltender Daren Puppa and Buffalo’s 1993 first-round choose.
Buffalo gave up three big items on this commerce. The importance of a first-round choose goes with out saying, but it surely’s the opposite two belongings that basically make this one stand out. Puppa stepped into the beginning function in internet for Buffalo after the commerce of Barrasso and, to his credit score, carried out very nicely. Andreychuk, in the meantime, was drafted by the Sabres in 1982 and was arguably the group’s greatest participant of that decade, famend for his goal-scoring prowess.
Fuhr is likely one of the best goaltenders of all time and no person can deny that, however by 1993 his heyday was behind him. He did have some success in Buffalo, however he was continuously battling accidents throughout his three seasons and by no means appeared in additional than 32 video games. Although his damage issues proved oddly useful in that they opened the door for one more goaltender (we’ll get to him), this commerce is hard to justify even with that in thoughts.
2009 – Dominic Moore
Former Sabres normal supervisor (GM) Darcy Regier was infamous for making patty-cake offers at commerce deadlines relatively than search a reliable asset to enhance the group. This was the worst instance by far. The Sabres have been dealt two powerful blows within the second half of the 2008-09 season, dropping prime objective scorer Thomas Vanek and goaltender Ryan Miller to damage. The group wanted to make an enormous deal (actually) on the deadline to remain within the hunt, however the transfer they made was the precise reverse. On March 4, they despatched a second-round choose to the Maple Leafs in trade for Dominic Moore, a bottom-six ahead.
That’s proper, with Buffalo’s prime two stars on the shelf and its postseason aspirations hanging within the stability, the group went out and received a depth participant. To the shock of nobody, Moore was barely noticeable in his 18 video games with the Sabres and recorded simply 4 factors. Coupling it with the truth that additionally they traded Ales Kotalik, a dependable top-six ahead, to make room for him and this was a catastrophe throughout. The Sabres completed two factors out of a playoff spot that yr.
Dishonorable Mentions
- 2010 – Nathan Paetsch and a second-round choose to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Raffi Torres.
- 2014 – Ryan Miller and Steve Ott to the St. Louis Blues for Jaroslav Halak, William Service, Chris Stewart, and a first-round choose.
- 2018 – Ryan O’Reilly to the St. Louis Blues for Vladimir Sobotka, Patrik Berglund, Tage Thompson, and a first-round choose.
- 2019 – Brendan Guhle and a first-round choose to the Anaheim Geese for Brandon Montour
2001 – A 2002 First Spherical Decide & Vyacheslav Kozlov
The summer time of 2001 was the start of the hardest interval in Sabres historical past. The group was experiencing the beginning of what grew to become extreme monetary hardships and the revelation of a fraud and embezzlement scandal by proprietor John Rigas was on the horizon (from “John Rigas, cable tv government who went to federal jail for fraud, dies at 96”, The Washington Submit, 9/30/2021).
Consequently, the Sabres have been pressured to slash their payroll and plenty of key gamers needed to be let go. The primary was captain Michael Peca, who sat out your entire 2000-01 season on account of a contract dispute and was traded to the New York Islanders. The worst was but to return, nevertheless, and June 30, 2001, grew to become a date that no Sabres fan will ever overlook.
The Dominik Hasek period in Sabres historical past got here to a tragic finish when the megastar netminder was traded to the Detroit Crimson Wings. Hasek spent 9 good seasons in Buffalo and received the Vezina Trophy six instances in that span, in addition to the Hart Trophy twice. His departure was a real paradigm shift for a group whose hopes hinged on him for almost a decade. To make the matter even worse for the beleaguered Sabres, their return within the commerce was paltry.
Within the final article we mentioned how buying Hasek from the Chicago Blackhawks for basically no value in any respect was the very best commerce the Sabres have ever made. However paradoxically sufficient, the Dominator’s exit from Buffalo was arguably the worst commerce they’ve made. In trade for presumably the best participant they’ve ever had, the Sabres obtained one participant (Slava Kozlov, who spent one injury-plagued season with the group) and a 2002 first-round choose. How Regier was content material with such a meager return is anyone’s guess, but it surely wasn’t an excellent search for the Sabres in any respect.
It’s true that Hasek was 36 years previous on the time and his age with out query performed into Detroit’s negotiations, however he was nonetheless the very best goaltender within the league and the reigning Vezina winner. Maybe Regier was extra involved with the Crimson Wings assuming everything of his $8 million wage, but it surely appears to be like as if the Sabres undoubtedly might have commanded extra in return for such a marquee participant. Hasek received the Stanley Cup in his season with Detroit, whereas the Sabres very almost relocated earlier than being rescued by a brand new proprietor in 2003.
Sabres Have Very Combined Commerce Monitor File
It goes to point out that, although the Sabres have made some nice offers of their day, they’ve much more within the reverse regard. It’s proof of each how poorly managed the group has been at instances (Regier was GM for 16 years, which is astounding in hindsight) and the way a lot unhealthy administration can forestall a group from succeeding.
Kevyn Adams simply wrapped up his 4 season because the Sabres’ prime government, and thus far, many of the strikes he’s made have labored out. However there are nonetheless factors to be addressed and his work is lower out for him nonetheless. Typical knowledge states that it’s good to look to the previous for steerage, however in Adams’ case, that may not be the very best concept.
