It’s no secret that the Flames are sellers ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline. It’s no surprise that a lot of guys are on the table and that Calgary is listening to offers on many players. More surprisingly, the Buffalo Sabres are looking to be buyers based on the incredible season they’ve had so far, which has them second in the ultra-competitive Atlantic Division. As the butt-end of jokes for years, it’s nice to see the tides finally turning for Buffalo and their fans. With these teams heading in opposite directions, does a trade between the two sides make sense?
The Sabres and Flames have held trade talks on Calgary’s depth players
Chad DeDominicis, who does a fantastic job covering the Sabres, had the following to say. I’ve linked to his article here.
Who are these depth options that make sense for the Sabres?
Ryan Lomberg
The 31-year-old left winger is in the final season of his contract, which pays him an AAV of 2M. I really like this fit. Lomberg seems like the exact type of move for an inexperienced team that has finally figured things out. You aren’t disrupting your lineup by acquiring a fourth line/press box player, and Lomberg would bring a ton of personality and experience to that room. You can insert him when needed, and he would be a guy to loosen things up in practice as the Sabres go on the final stretch of games.
Joel Hanley
The 34-year-old defenceman is signed through next season at an AAV of 1.75M. After being claimed off waivers two seasons ago by the Flames, Hanley has proven that he’s a capable defenceman. He took on harder minutes last year alongside MacKenzie Weegar and didn’t look out of place. He’s had consistently good defensive impacts in his career. The Sabres aren’t troubled at defence, but could use an upgrade on their third pairing instead of playing the likes of Jacob Bryson and Zach Metsa. Given that Hanley is signed for another year, the Sabres would have some stability. The Sabres have a lot of left-shot AHL defencemen, so I’d imagine one of them would come back alongside a draft pick to balance things out for both organizations.
Brayden Pachal
The 26-year-old defenceman is signed through next season at an AAV of 1.188M. He is a Stanley Cup champion with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023. His best asset to the Sabres? He is right-handed. Buffalo’s top four of Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Bowen Byram, and Mathias Samuelsson are all left-handed. The Sabres do have Michael Kesselring and Conor Timmins, who are right-handed, but both have had their share of injuries this year. I do think Hanley makes more sense than Pachal, but Pachal would add something the Sabres’ defence is missing.
