Monday, March 21st is the NHL trading deadline, and after 3 p.m., teams will no longer be able to acquire players for the stretch run to the postseason.
Well, that’s not entirely true.
Teams can still acquire players after the deadline, but those players would be ineligible for this year’s playoffs should their team make it to the post-season tournament. The Sabres figure to be a seller for the 11th year in a row, so today, we’ll take a look at some of the Sabres forward candidates who could be shipped out in the coming days.
The potential trade candidates will receive a ranking (out of five) based on the categories of: contract value, performance, special skill and likelihood of trade. Let’s get to it:
Cody Eakin, 30 - Center
Contract Value:(2/5) Performance: (2/5) Special Skill: Faceoffs (4/5) Likelihood of Trade: (4/5)
Cody Eakin has not enjoyed much success as a Buffalo Sabre either personally, or in terms of team success. A former 20-goal scorer with Vegas, Eakin’s offense with the Sabres has absolutely cratered with the mulleted center scoring only 7 goals in 101 contests over the past two seasons. He’s also a -21 over that time and his underlying numbers aren’t any better. Still, there seems to be a notion that GMs think he’s a good defensive forward for whatever reason, and he does have a few positive attributes.
Firstly, he can expertly troll Jack Eichel and he enjoys staring him down before faceoffs which could be appealing to Western Conference GMs who may have to face Eichel in the post season. Secondly, and this is really an extension of the first part, he has a 56% win-rate on faceoffs. Does that matter? Maybe, but you can bet there’s an old-school GM who believes it absolutely does, and if the Sabres retain half of his $2.25m cap hit, he’ll probably get picked up for a 5th round draft pick.
Or maybe more! Adams just has to find the right old-school GM who will bite hard on faceoff ability.
Vinnie Hinostroza, 27 - RW, C Contract Value: (4/5) Performance: (3/5) Special Skill: Speed (3/5) Likelihood of Trade: (4/5)
Hinostroza is the kind of under-the-radar trade deadline move that could really help a playoff team. The Chicago native is a tenacious, fast and decently skilled winger who can play a bit of center in a pinch. He’s ideally suited to a bottom-six wing role, but he can jump up into a second-line right wing role if needed without looking out of place. With 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) in 40 games, he offers good bang-for-the-buck compared to his $1.05m cap hit.
His three-point performance on the (inter)national stage during the Heritage Classic could help pump up his value, despite missing some time this year due to injury. He would offer a playoff team good depth for a 3rd or 4th round draft pick. He’s basically Conor Sheary without the name recognition.
Victor Olofsson, 26 - RW, LW
Contract Value: (3/5) Performance: (2/5) Special Skill: Shooting (4/5) Likelihood of Trade: (3/5)
It’s tough to predict Olofsson’s value around the league as well as his future in Buffalo. On one hand, he scored 20 goals and netted 42 points overall in 54 games as a rookie while playing with Jack Eichel, and on the other, his scoring ability has taken a massive dip over the past two seasons with only 23 goals in 106 games. Will a team buy the dip?
Olofsson undeniably has a lethal shot which he is free to unleash on the powerplay when he has ample time and space to pick a corner. He also struggles 5-on-5 and doesn’t factor into the physical game at all. His board play leaves a lot to be desired. Still, he’s relatively cheap at $3.05m, and it’s easy to envision him playing the powerplay with a team like Washington whose powerplay is underwhelming.
Would the Capitals be willing to part with a defensive prospect like Vincent Iorio and a draft pick to make that happen? Do the Sabres still view Olofsson as part of the future? It’s hard to read where the player stands in his third year.
John Hayden, 27 - RW, C
Contract Value: (2/5) Performance: (2/5) Special Skill: Toughness (4/5) Likelihood of Trade: (2/5)
It’s tough to see Hayden find a market for his services despite only making $750k. His offense is almost literally nonexistent as he has 4 points in 52 games. His defense is passable. Still, it would be hard to see a playoff team icing a guy whose specialty is closer to the role of enforcer than it is to modern NHL forward.
The Sabres could also use him down the stretch as an extra forward anyway. He’s in Buffalo to keep teams from taking liberties with the young players when Buffalo plays bigger teams. It might be worth keeping him for that reason, even if they could potentially get a 7th round pick in return. Or take the 7th round pick if it were offered; it probably doesn’t matter much either way.
Rasmus Asplund, 24 - LW
Contract Value: (4/5) Performance: (3/5) Special Skill: Defensive Acumen (4/5) Likelihood of Trade: (1/5)
Asplund almost certainly isn’t getting traded. He’s young and he only makes $825k a year this year as well as next. The Sabres have a forward log jam coming, though, and he and veteran Zemgus Girgensons offer almost the exact same skill set: strong defensive play from the left-wing position, around 7-10 goals a year, and not much physicality. Put another way, Asplund and Girgensons are redundant.
That’s not a slight at either one; they both could serve a valid purpose on a playoff team. The Sabres just don’t need both of them. The Sabres need to improve the blend of their roster by adding physical players who can also do a little scoring at the forward ranks, or by adding defensively minded players on the defensive side of things. If either Girgensons or Asplund can return that, it’s something the Sabres need to consider.
Not Ranked:
Anders Bjork – Bad season. Tough to see anyone biting on that idea with one more year left on his deal at $1.6m
Casey Mittelstadt – That’s an off-season discussion.
Mark Jankowski – Waived.