The Buffalo Sabres made their first move in advance of tomorrow’s 3 pm trade deadline by sending defenseman Robert Hagg to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Calgary’s 6th round pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. The Sabres now have 10 selections across seven rounds in the upcoming draft.
Hagg, 27, came aboard as part of the Rasmus Ristolainen trade to Philadelphia last summer, along with a first-round pick and a second round pick. Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad is expected to be placed on long-term injured reserve as a result of a collision sustained on Friday, and Hagg will likely slot into the lineup for the cup-contending Panthers down the stretch, while also adding some insurance for south Florida come playoff time. Florida had already bulked up their team for the post-season tournament by adding Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux yesterday in exchange for a package that included a first-round pick and Owen Tippett, among other pieces.
Hagg led the Sabres in both blocked shots (95) and hits (97). The Sabres are likely still shopping right-hand defenseman Colin Miller, as well as center Cody Eakin. Other possible trade candidates include Mark Pysyk, Vinnie Hinostroza, Victor Olofsson and Craig Anderson.
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The Sabres are wrapping a four-game road trip (2-1-0) tonight against the Vancouver Canucks at 10 pm eastern time. Technically the first game in that road trip was a 5-2 “home game… in Hamilton, Ontario which was in all reality an away game.
Vancouver, meanwhile, is enduring a two-game losing streak at the worst time possible. Bruce Boudreau’s squad is in a dogfight to make the post-season along with other Western Conference bubble teams in the Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars and Anaheim Ducks. It looks like tempers are flaring a little bit as the pressure is increasing.
Here is the video HNIC showed after the game of Halak being told by Boudreau he was going in for the third. Unfortunately I missed Bieksa's commentary at the end. Again super tough look from Halak. #Canucks pic.twitter.com/BmoycwzEuI
— Ryan Henderson (@RJHenderson7) March 20, 2022
A loss against the Sabres tonight could radically alter Vancouver’s plan ahead of the trade deadline.
Center J.T. Miller has been the subject of frequent trade speculation due to his stellar play this season (74 points in 61 games). He still has a year left on his current contract at $5.5m per season, so one would think he would be a sought-after commodity for a contending team. According to Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek, though, Miller is not available on the trade market.
“I don’t get the sense they have any inclination to trade J.T. Miller,… Marek said. “The two names we hear most, of course, are Conor Garland and Brock Boeser.…
Now that’s interesting.
Conor Garland was acquired last summer as part of the trade with Arizona that brought Oliver Ekman-Larsson to the pacific northwest. Garland looked like a prime candidate for a breakout season after netting 39 points in 49 games last year for the Coyotes, but his offense has ticked down a bit and he only has 32 points in 58 games. While that’s not a great scoring rate, he only recently turned 26 and he’s signed to a manageable $4.95m contract through the 2025-26 season.
The Sabres should absolutely be interested in the Massachusetts native if he is indeed on the trade block. He fits their age range, he’s productive, he’s affordable, he can do a little bit of everything and he can slide between left and right wing as needed. The Sabres are undoubtedly sellers this year, but if the Canucks are trading the player now, why not get into the race? The Sabres have three second-round draft picks next year. Does a pair of those get a trade done? Perhaps one of those and a defensive prospect Ryan Johnson? The Sabres could part with Olofsson if that idea were interesting to Vancouver GM Patrik Allvin.
Interestingly, Garland does not have any Don Granato/USNDTP connections, as he played his junior hockey in the QMJHL north of the border.
Likewise the Sabres should have interest in Brock Boeser who is having a similar season to Garland with 36 points in 57 games. The complicating factor for Boeser is that he is a restricted free agent after this season and they could find themselves in a bind if they were unable to come to terms with the Minnesota native. Boeser, unlike Garland, does have USHL ties, though not to a team formerly coached by Granato. It would still be too risky to make a trade for Boeser without knowing if he would be willing to sign a long term extension. Lastly, the Sabres could take a look at old friend Tyler Myers whose name was thrown in the rumor mill by David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period about a month ago. Myers, of course, was selected 12th overall by the Sabres back in 2008 before being sent to Winnipeg as part of the Evander Kane trade several years back. The 6’8… right-shot defenseman has two years left on his contract at a reasonable $6m, and the Sabres have a need for a veteran right-shot defenseman with Colin Miller likely leaving in the next 24 hours.
Myers owns a 10-team no-trade clause and there’s no way of knowing if he’d be open to a return to Buffalo.
Tonight’s game could prove the deciding factor in what happens with these players. A win tonight for Vancouver could render these conversations moot. A loss against the Sabres and Kevyn Adams may have a chance to add a piece.