Here we are on NHL trade deadline day (March 8), and we’ve seen a flurry of activity around the league already. On Wednesday (March 6), the Buffalo Sabres were right in the middle of it, with a one-for-one hockey trade that sent Casey Mittelstadt to the Colorado Avalanche for Bowen Byram. You don’t see this kind of deal very often, but the Sabres were able to get it done, and still be left with business to take care of before 3 PM EST on Friday. Here are three mock trades for Buffalo.
Sabres Send Team Captain to Manhattan
Sabres Trade Kyle Okposo (Retaining 50 Percent of Salary) to the New York Rangers for Anton Blidh and a Fourth-Round Pick in 2024
Elliotte Friedman has connected Okposo to the Rangers, which makes a ton of sense because the 35-year-old has already suited up for two New York state teams (Sabres and New York Islanders), so why not a third? Okposo is a reliable, bottom-six forward currently on pace for 17 goals this season, and with the Sabres retaining half of his $2.5 million cap hit (via CapFriendly), he’d be a great add for the Rangers. Even though Okposo doesn’t have a no-move clause (NMC), the organization thinks highly of their captain, and he would have a say in where he goes. If his only desire is to play for the Rangers, the return would be limited, and similar to what the Ottawa Senators got back in the Vladimir Tarasenko deal, since he had trade protection and only wanted to go to the Florida Panthers. The difference is, the Sabres get a player here in Anton Blidh, instead of an additional pick due to the Rangers’ short supply of them.
Sabres Get Something for a Struggling Winger
The Sabres Trade Victor Olofsson to the Nashville Predators for the Dallas Stars’ Sixth-Round Pick in 2024
The Predators arguably are the hottest team in the NHL and are currently tied with the Vegas Golden Knights for the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Friedman has brought up Nashville as a potential suitor for Olofsson, who could add some scoring on the wing. Speaking of goals, the left winger fired one past Toronto Maple Leafs’ netminder, Ilya Samsonov on Wednesday night. That’s a great thing for someone who’s been a healthy scratch for most of the season, and good timing for Olofsson with how close we are to the deadline.
Even though his cap hit is a little rich at $4.75 million, he’s a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), and the Predators have a boatload of space to play with at the deadline. This would be a win for the Sabres by getting something for a player they’ve had available for a while now, and also a win for the Predators, who would only have to give up a late-round pick for a guy who potted 28 goals last season. This would be similar to the deal they made on Thursday afternoon (March 7) with the Chicago Blackhawks for Anthony Beauvillier.
A Mid-Round Pick for a Veteran Defenseman
The Sabres Trade Erik Johnson (Retaining 50 Percent of Salary) to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a Fourth-Round Pick in 2025
According to Pierre LeBrun, Sabres’ general manager (GM) Kevyn Adams is working on finding a new home for Erik Johnson. The former first-overall pick is a solid NHL veteran with Stanley Cup experience, who can also kill penalties. The former Avalanche blueliner was brought in to be a leader on a Sabres team hoping to make the playoffs, which appears to be an unlikely scenario at this point. The Lightning however, are in a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, and looking to bounce back after last year’s first-round exit at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Before being dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights, a tweet from our colleague, Mark Scheig pointed to Noah Hanifin ending up with the Lightning, as it was reportedly his preferred destination. I’m sure Bolts’ general manager Julien BriseBois would’ve welcomed him with open arms, along with a contract extension like we’ve seen him do in the past with acquired players like Brandon Hagel and Nick Paul. The Lightning have already added a depth forward in Anthony Duclair, and you’d think they’d like to add some depth on their backend after not only losing Mikhail Sergachev to a season-ending injury, but also losing out on Hanifin. That’s where Johnson comes in.
Related: Chicago Blackhawks Mock Trade Deadline for 2024
He isn’t one of those two players (Sergachev and Hanifin) of course, but they know him well from the 2022 Stanley Cup Final, and he would add depth to a thin blue line. The Lightning have close to $6 million in deadline cap space, so Johnson at half of $3.25 million would allow BriseBois to do something else if he wanted to. The Bolts don’t have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to draft picks, but one of their two fourth-rounders in 2025 would be doable and isn’t much to give up. Tampa Bay gets some defensive depth for a potential playoff run, and Buffalo gets a mid-round pick for accommodating Johnson, it’s a win-win.
Why Are the Picks Important for the Sabres?
Well, even though the Sabres are stocked with picks and prospects, you can never have too many for the flexibility of your team. With the draft picks headed to Buffalo in these proposed mock trades, the Sabres could take them, along with a few of their own, and flip them for a player or two from another team(s), in order to add to their current mix.
“They need to get two guys to complement him (Jordan Greenway). You know, a center and a winger, and have a full line that are difficult to play against.”
Paul Hamilton – WGR 550 – 03/07/2024
The Sabres have already completed a hockey trade that we didn’t see coming, and with a handful of players on expiring deals, we’ll see what else the Swords have in store before Friday’s deadline.