Sabres Pull Off Huge Trade

I've been saying for about the past 8 years or so that if the Buffalo Sabres needed a key goal late in a game to tie it or win it who could they depend on?  NOBODY.  Over the years they've had guys like Pat Lafontaine, Alex Mogilny, Daniel Briere and Chris Drury who would score big time goals.  But for nearly a decade they haven't anybody they could turn to, until now.

Really, that player won't be available to play until next season because he's on injured reserve, but the Sabres now have that big time goal scorer in Evander Kane.  The Sabres pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday, but they had to give up some well-known players to get him.  Going to the Jets is defenseman Tyler Myers, winger Drew Stafford, prospects Joel Armia and Brendan Lemiuex, plus a first round draft choice.

Along with Kane, coming to the Sabres is defenseman Zach Bogosian and goaltender Jason Kasdorf.  Sabres GM Tim Murray said you have to give up somebody to get somebody and it'll be a while before the Sabres find out just how well Kane fits into the lineup.  Bogosian will be inserted into the lineup immediately.  He's a different type defenseman than Myers, but he's one of those guys who's very hard to play against and I like it.

I do hate to see Myers go.  With his size and skating ability I think he'll only get better just as Zdeno Chara did when he was traded from Ottawa to Boston.  The other player I hate to see go is Brendan Lemieux.  Although he's just a prospect there's a lot of upside to the kid.  He plays a lot like his father, Claude Lemieux and the Sabres certainly need players like that.

Rebuilding the Sabres will take a while, but it looks like Tim Murray has a vision that requires tough decisions and he's not afraid to make them.