Earlier this month, the Anaheim Ducks were scouting the Buffalo Sabres rather aggressively.
At that time, the Sabres were trying to sort out their starting goaltending situation. Robin Lehner suffered his high ankle sprain injury in the second period of the season opener against Ottawa. Sabres GM Tim Murray has been looking to add another top four, left handed, veteran defenseman since the summer time.
There has been discussion recently about Buffalo-Anaheim trade talks that began last summer.
Tim Murray's modus operandi is to be patient and to operate under the radio. Murray is a stealth bomber who keeps to himself. He is always looking to improve his roster. He has shown a propensity to make big, impactful trades like the Evander Kane and Ryan O'Reilly trades.
In the first couple of weeks of the season, the Sabres were a team looking for its primary and secondary goal scoring to emerge. Inconsistent starting goalie play and an erratic offense were symptomatic of a 2-7 start to the season.
Since then, the Sabres have won five of their last six games to even their record at 8-8. The Sabres are now at the .500 mark since the last day of the 2013 calendar year. The Sabres have since gelled as a team and are playing really inspired hockey.
Dan Bylsma and Tim Murray were careful not to push the panic button on their goaltending when the Sabres were struggling. Murray won't say it publicly, but he was interested in upgrading his goaltending. Today, rookie Linus Ullmark and veteran Chad Johnson are playing exceptionally well and ate largely responsible for the recent winning streak.
While they may have found their two-pronged goaltending solution and their primary,secondary, and tertiary scoring, their D corps could still use an added infusion of talent. On Friday, Zach Bogosian skated in practice for the first time on three weeks. Bogosian is nearing his return to the Buffalo lineup. When he returns to the lineup on or before the Thanksgiving holiday, Bogosian will be counted on to play 20+ minutes per game. When you add Bogosian to a talented D corps that already includes Sabres second leading scorer Rasmus Ristolainen, Josh Gorges, Cody Franson, Mark Pysyk, and Jake McCabe.
The Sabres were dealt a fair bit of bad news on Friday when it was announced that veteran D Mike Weber would be undergoing surgery to repair a chronic knee ailment.
How will Murray proceed from here?
I think that Murray will be making a trade. I think that Anaheim will be his trade partner.
Cam Fowler (6'3" 210 lbs.) is the left handed D that Tim Murray is said to be interested in acquiring.
Fowler fits Murray's criteria to a tee:
He is young at age 23. He has term left on his contract at 3 years and $4 million. He also is in need of a change of scenery.
Why would Bob Murray trade away a young, difference making defenseman?
Three reasons:
The emergence of left D Hampus Lindholm.
The desire to move 20 year old top D prospect Shea Theodore to the NHL ranks.
If the Ducks are going to make a trade proposal for San Jose forward Patrick Marleau, they will have to create salary cap space in order to do so.
Theodore was the 26th overall pick out of Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) in the 2013 NHL Draft.
Fowler was the 12th overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft. He has been averaging 23 minutes TOI per game this season. He has performed well at both ends of the ice in his six year NHL career. Fowler is a 35-40 point producer. He is a PP and PK standout.
Where would Fowler fit in on the Buffalo blue line?
He is a top four D man who is a 20+ minute per game man.
Dan Bylsma would seemingly love to write the names Bogosian, Ristolainen, Fowler, Pysyk, McCabe, Gorges, Franson on the dry erase board on a daily basis. My guess is that Jake McCabe would be made the seventh D-man, or, would be sent back to AHL Rochester. Personally speaking, I have loved the way that McCabe has played ever since the rookie development camp in July. I feel like McCabe has done everything to earn the respect and trust of Dan Bylsma. McCabe is playing a confident, skilled, physical brand of hockey right now. I'd hate to see him leave the Buffalo lineup.
If and when you get a chance to acquire a defenseman of Fowler's pedigree, you make the trade then work out all of the ice time and special teams assignments on another day. In other words, get your man then build your D pairs accordingly.
The bigger picture view is that the 8-8 Sabres now find themselves in 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings. Tim Murray seemingly has his sights set on earning one of the eight playoff berths in a general speaking wide open Eastern Conference.
Don't tell Tim Murray that his team is not a playoff team this season. He will likely give you a look that will kill and then scoff at your assertion. Murray and Bylsma have assembled a team that can score, defend and stop the puck. Murray seemingly wants to add a difference maker to his blue line to make a real, solid push for the playoffs before all of the other NHL GMs make their trades after the Christmas holidays.
Murray likes to make his deals before the market forms.
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Good news and bad news for the Buffalo Sabres D corps.
Injured D Zach Bogosian skated in full at Friday's practice. I was the first time in three weeks that Bogo was a full go in a team training session. Bogosian has been hobbled by a lower body injury since mid-September when he was injured during the second day of training camp.
Bogosian suffered a set back in mid-October after he skated with his team during a game day skate in Florida.
The 25 year old number one D has been training rigorously on his own under the guidance of his coaches.
Dan Bylsma said that it was good to see Bogosian back with team. Bylsma upgraded Bogosian's status to day-to-day from-week-week. Bogosian spoke to media after Friday's practice. He did not give an exact date for his long awaited season debut. However, he hinted at time in the near future.
The Sabres will host San Jose on Saturday and Dallas on Tuesday.
The bad news is that Sabres blueliner Mike Weber was sent home from Buffalo's recent two-game trip to the state of Florida. He is going to undergo a surgical procedure to repair and correct chronic issues with his injured knee. Weber is now listed as week-to-week. Veteran D Carlo Colaiocovo took Weber's spot in the starting lineup in Thursday night's win in Sunrise, Florida.
Sabres GM Tim Murray has been shopping for a left shot D since the summer time. I expect Murray to intensify his efforts to make a trade for another top four D in the weeks to come
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