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Buffalo Sabres Trade Eric Staal To Montreal Canadiens

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The Buffalo Sabres are working the phones today, after suffering another loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins last night. Earlier in the day, Darren Dreger of TSN reported that Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has spoken to multiple teams about a Taylor Hall trade and now has dealt Eric Staal to the Montreal Canadiens. The Sabres will receive a 2021 third-round pick and a 2021 fifth-round pick for the veteran center. Buffalo will also retain $1.625MM (50%) of Staal’s salary and cap hit.

Adams received an up-close and personal look at the Sabres last night, moving behind the bench while interim head coach Don Granato isolated due to COVID protocols. What he saw was another listless effort from his squad, losing 4-0 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Sabres have now lost 16 straight games and have been shutout more times than they’ve won on the season.

Like everyone else in Buffalo, Staal has been a shadow of his former self this season, recording just three goals and ten points in 32 games. The 36-year-old seemed to be battling father time quite admirably last season, scoring 19 goals and 47 points in just 66 games for the Minnesota Wild. That was the fourth strong season in a row for Staal in Minnesota, but an offseason trade brought him to Buffalo where he has struggled to get anything going. Chemistry never formed with Hall and at times, Staal has been used as a bottom-six player for the Sabres. His average ice time of 15:34 on the year is the lowest in his entire career and the results have followed.

Still, there’s no doubt he was an intriguing option to teams looking to bolster their center group for the stretch run. With a cap hit of just $3.25MM that expires at the end of the year, the financial commitment by an acquiring team would be small. Getting 1,272 regular season games of experience, not to mention a Stanley Cup championship (where he easily could have been awarded the Conn Smythe), would be an attractive option for any contender if the price is right.

For the Sabres, trading Staal is a no-brainer given how poorly the season has gone, and the recent decision by the Canadian government to reduce the quarantine for incoming players only increased their market. Staal does have a 10-team no-trade clause, but failing to get something in return for him would have been a serious misstep by the Buffalo front office.

Still, two mid-round picks for a player of Staal’s stature may speak to the state of the market right now. There aren’t many teams in the league that are looking to add money at the deadline and the Sabres obviously felt they weren’t going to get a better offer.

For the Canadiens, a third and a fifth is basically nothing, given how many other draft picks they already have. The team had hoarded 14 picks for the 2021 event, including three third and three fifths. It will be the Montreal picks that are going to Buffalo, not those they have acquired from other teams.

Even with the salary retention, Staal’s presence in Montreal squeezes the Canadiens right up against the cap ceiling. Pushing Paul Byron’s contract to the taxi squad will allow them to complete the move, given he is still eligible after clearing waivers, but it will be a tight dance for the rest of the year. Montreal GM Marc Bergevin had been repeatedly explaining that his cap situation would limit their deadline maneuvering, but it certainly didn’t stop them from landing one of the best rentals on the market.

Frank Seravalli of TSN was first to report that a deal with Montreal was close. 

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Sabres Restructure Scouting Department

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  • The Sabres have shifted around their scouting department. Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News notes that Jeremiah Crowe will now be in charge of professional scouting while Jerry Fortin will head up the amateur scouting department.  Previously, Crowe held the title of director of scouting, suggesting that Buffalo may be shifting back towards a more standard hockey operations department structure.

Trade Candidate: Eric Staal

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we continue our closer look at some of the players who have a good chance of being on the move between now and April 12th.

It has been an interesting six months or so for Eric Staal.  First, he was surprisingly traded to Buffalo in the middle of the offseason for what seemed like a downgrade from Minnesota’s standpoint in Marcus Johansson based on their respective 2019-20 performances.  Second, he has been involved in what has been nothing short of a disastrous season for the Sabres.

At this stage of his career, it’s certainly not what he signed up for and from Buffalo’s perspective, carrying a 36-year-old when the team is clearly going to be extending their rebuilding plans doesn’t make a lot of sense either.  Accordingly, it looks like he’ll be on the move before next month’s trade deadline.

Contract

Staal is in the final season of a two-year, $6.5MM contract ($3.25MM AAV) with a $3MM salary.  Per CapFriendly, his deal contains a ten-team no-trade clause.  He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

2020-21

It has been an ugly year for Staal, to put it nicely.  When he was acquired, he seemed like a logical fit to provide some secondary scoring behind Jack Eichel while providing some veteran insurance for someone like Dylan Cozens to start out on the wing.  He has been in that role for most of the year but has done next to nothing offensively with just three goals.

To be fair, it has been an ugly year for just about everyone on Buffalo offensively as not a single player overachieving offensively with few living up to even modest expectations.  His power play time is down unsurprisingly and even his faceoff percentage is at the lowest rate in a decade.

Some players find themselves trade candidates based on an impressive performance that catches the eye of another team.  In Staal’s case, he’s on the list because there’s basically nowhere to go but up.  That’s a steep drop from someone who last season was a capable second-line center.

Season Stats

31 GP, 3 goals, 7 assists, 10 points, -20 rating, 8 PIMS, 55 shots, 15:26 TOI, 47.8 faceoff win percentage, 50.3 CF%

Potential Suitors

While he was a top-six player just a year ago, teams won’t be viewing Staal as one now.  As a result, his best role is with a team that has an offensively-oriented third line.

In terms of best fits within the East Division, there aren’t a lot of good ones.  The Islanders have cap space for a rental but have decent depth down the middle.  So does Boston although Charlie Coyle, their third-line center, has plenty of experience on the wing and could easily be shifted over.  Of course, improved depth down the middle is hardly their biggest need so Staal would only make sense if other options fall through.  Evgeni Malkin’s injury could create an opening in Pittsburgh but most of their cap room is derived from Jason Zucker’s LTIR and he’s expected back before much longer so making the money work would be a challenge.

In the Central, Florida is a team that doesn’t have the strongest center depth and would certainly benefit from adding a veteran to the mix.  They have the cap room to absorb Staal’s deal without an offset although as a team that has typically been more of a budget one than a cap spender, they may still want Buffalo to either take a player back or retain on the contract.  His old team in Carolina would be a feel-good story and they have the cap space to make it happen although with Vincent Trocheck nearing a return, there isn’t a pressing need for Staal either.

As for the North Division, Edmonton is known to be seeking some help down the middle – Frank Seravalli indicated as much in the latest Insider Trading for TSN (video link) – although Staal isn’t a right-shot player like the Oilers are believed to be seeking.  They’re a team that also would need to match money or require some retention to get a deal done.  With Vancouver’s recent injuries, they could stand to add a center if they hang around the playoff battle over the next few weeks although with basically no cap room at all, making a move could be tricky.

In the West, a reunion with Minnesota makes some sense.  The Wild never really addressed their center depth after moving Staal and as someone familiar with the team and system, there’s some added value you don’t see with most rentals.  At the same time, he’s not a huge upgrade based on his current performance and the salary cap element would be a bit challenging.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Considering Buffalo’s situation, both sides would likely want a move to happen although there aren’t a lot of good fits and even fewer that can afford him without matching some money.  Ultimately, Buffalo’s willingness to absorb a contract or retain up to half of the contract will ultimately determine the outcome.  Right now, it’s reasonable to think they’d be willing to do so which means Staal should be in another uniform by April 12th.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Kyle Okposo Out For The Rest Of Buffalo's Road Trip

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  • Sabres winger Kyle Okposo isn’t expected to join the team for the remainder of their current road trip, relays John Vogl of The Athletic (Twitter link). The veteran is dealing with an upper-body injury and interim head coach Don Granato indicated that the hope is that Okposo will be able to return next week. It has been another tough year for the 32-year-old who has scored just once in 24 games this season.

East Notes: Ullmark, Zucker, Kuraly

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The Buffalo Sabres have a new coaching staff in place and could be getting back a key player from injury soon as interim coach Don Granato said that starting goaltender Linus Ullmark is expected to join the team for their four-game road trip starting on Monday, according to NHL.com’s Jourdon LaBarber.

“We need to integrate him into practice. That’s the next step here,” said Granato.

That doesn’t sound like Ullmark is ready to play, but getting on the ice with the team would be a big step for a player, who has only appeared in 12 games this season and hasn’t seen the ice since Feb. 25. Ullmark was playing quite well with a 5-4-2 record, a 2.44 GAA and a .919 save percentage. If he can return soon, that could be a huge boost for a team that has lost 13 in a row.

  • Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said that forward Jason Zucker continues to progress in his rehab from a lower-body injury. The winger was placed on LTIR, retroactive to Feb. 23, according to PGPSportsNow’s Matt Vensel. Sullivan said that Zucker dressed in full gear Sunday and skated with the taxi squad, suggesting he’s getting closer to a return. Regardless, it looks like Zucker should be able to return before the end of the season. The 29-year-old has four goals and seven points in 17 games, but should supply a big boost to the team’s top-six once he returns.
  • Boston Hockey Now’s Jimmy Murphy writes that sources suggest that the Boston Bruins are willing to move fourth-line forward Sean Kuraly in any package and the team could find a taker in the Columbus Blue Jackets. Columbus might be interested in Kuraly, who is a local kid, and could provide the team with solid two-way play. The scribe writes that the team feels they have younger players who look ready to step in as fourth-line options.

Buffalo Sabres Trade Jonas Johansson

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When Michael Houser was signed to an NHL contract yesterday, some wondered whether it meant a trade was coming for one of the other Buffalo Sabres goaltenders. That was a good prediction, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports Jonas Johansson is on his way to the Colorado Avalanche for a 2021 sixth-round pick. The deal, which was first reported by Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News yesterday when Johansson was not at practice, had a slight hold up but has now been completed.

Johansson, 25, was the 61st overall pick in 2014 and has climbed the ranks of the Buffalo organization over the last few years. In 2019-20 he posted a .921 save percentage in 22 games for the Rochester Americans, while also making his first appearance at the NHL level. Expected to challenge Carter Hutton this season for the Sabres backup role, he has struggled instead, posting an 0-5-1 record and .884 save percentage in seven appearances. John Vogl of The Athletic called him the worst goalie he’s seen in 19 seasons covering the Sabres, though obviously, the Avalanche believe he can provide some value for the team.

Perhaps that’s because for Colorado, an .884 would be a tremendous upgrade at the backup goaltending position. With Pavel Francouz injured, the team has used Hunter Miska in that role this season, where he has registered an .838 in five appearances. With their sights set on the postseason and not much proven talent behind starter Philipp Grubauer, the Avalanche have decided to add another name to the mix.

While a sixth-round pick doesn’t mean much in the long run, it could signal the start of a fire sale in Buffalo. Johansson is set to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent in the summer and could be just the first of several rentals sold off as the deadline approaches. The Sabres have quite a few expiring contracts, including Taylor Hall, Eric Staal, Tobias Rieder, Riley Sheahan, Brandon Montour, Matt Irwin, Jake McCabe, Linus Ullmark and Hutton. Any number of those could be on their way out, especially if GM Kevyn Adams is happy to take draft picks in return for the lesser names.

Three Players Clear Waivers

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March 20: All three Michaels have cleared waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Amadio and Chaput can now be assigned to the taxi squad or minor leagues, while Houser remain with the Rochester Americans.

March 19: Bad day for Michael. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports that Michael Houser (BUF), Michael Amadio (LAK) and Michael Chaput (ARI) have been placed on waivers today. Houser only just signed a contract with the Buffalo Sabres today, meaning he needed to clear waivers to be assigned to the taxi squad or stay in the minor leagues.

Chaput has known these waters before, clearing waivers several times in his career so far. The most recent occasion was in January just before the season began, but now that he has played 10 games for the Arizona Coyotes, he’ll need to clear again to go back to the taxi squad. The 28-year-old forward hasn’t recorded an NHL goal since the 2016-17 season and has gone completely scoreless this season. He’ll likely go unclaimed once again, giving the Coyotes the ability to move him up and down.

It’s Amadio that may draw some interest out of this group, given his age and interesting history. The 24-year-old winger was the 90th overall pick in 2014 and played extremely well in the minor leagues, scoring at a near-point-per-game pace for the Ontario Reign. In 168 NHL contests, he has just 39 points, though 16 of those came last season in a limited role through 68 appearances. Unfortunately, Amadio has just two points on the season this time around and hasn’t even been able to generate many shots on net. Unless a rebuilding team sees him as a piece that could be salvaged, he will likely clear just like the others.

NHL Postpones Two More Boston Bruins Games

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The NHL has announced that the next two Boston Bruins games, one against the Buffalo Sabres tomorrow and one against the New York Islanders on Tuesday, have been postponed. Four additional Bruins players have entered the league’s COVID Protocols today after Sean Kuraly was listed yesterday. Despite Kuraly’s placement in the protocol and a Sabres staff member also being placed in them, the game between the two teams went on as scheduled last night.

The league expected the Bruins will be able to re-open their facilities for practice on Wednesday, March 24. The team has not released the identities of the four additional players, though they will be included in the list published later this evening.

Buffalo of course was the organization that was “furious” with the NHL earlier this season after a pair of games were allowed to be played against the New Jersey Devils despite a player entering the protocol. The Sabres then had their own outbreak, shutting down the team’s operation for some time. Hopefully, that sort of thing will not be repeated here.

Buffalo Sabres Sign Michael Houser

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The Buffalo Sabres have added some goaltending depth to the organization, signing Michael Houser to a one-year contract. The deal is worth $700K at the NHL level and represent’s Houser’s first NHL deal since his entry-level contract expired in 2015.

With Linus Ullmark out due to injury, the Sabres have Carter Hutton, Jonas Johansson and Dustin Tokarski (taxi squad) all at the NHL level to fulfil the league requirements. That leaves Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen as the only other goaltender in the organization signed to an NHL deal, something that could become an issue should the team have to deal with any other injuries.

Houser, 28, will be the beneficiary of that situation, earning an NHL deal despite not even having much experience at the AHL level. The undrafted netminder has spent most of his career in the ECHL, including 26 games for the Cincinnati Cyclones last season. Now on this new contract, he can be recalled to the taxi squad if necessary.

As John Vogl of The Athletic points out, it isn’t necessarily injury that the Sabres are preparing for, but potentially a trade of Hutton or Johansson. Both goaltenders are free agents after the season, with the latter qualifying as a Group VI unrestricted free agent if he fails to play 18 more games before the end of the season. If they deal either one, Houser’s contract allows the team to keep Luukkonen in the minor leagues, instead of recalling him to the taxi squad.

Buffalo, Boston Cancel Morning Skates Due To COVID

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12:30pm: Both the Sabres and Bruins have announced that after further testing and tracing, tonight’s game will go on as scheduled.

9:50am: Both the Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins canceled their morning skates today due to separate COVID-19 situations. The Sabres were first, canceling their practice due to a staff member entering the COVID protocols, according to John Vogl of The Athletic. The team immediately began contact tracing. Just a few minutes later, the Bruins announced they would also not hold a morning skate as one of their players has entered the protocol.

The two teams were set to play each other this evening in the first of a two-game series. It is not clear yet if the game will be played but it is currently still scheduled.

Boston has not released any information about who has entered the league’s protocol, but it will be made public when the COVID Protocol Related Absences list comes out later today.

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