![]() Ott was intensity personified during his nine seasons with the Stars. He led the team in scoring three times during his eight seasons with the Sabres, but the organization expected him to take over for Drury and Briere, and Roy didn’t have the same killer instinct. July 2, 2012: Sabres acquire center Steve Ott and defenseman Adam Pardy from Dallas for center Derek Roy.Īt this point in the franchise’s history, Buffalo had a bad reputation as a soft team, and Roy was at the forefront. Hasek started to become The Dominator during his second season with Buffalo and spent nine seasons in town.Ģ. Then they acquired Grant Fuhr at midseason, seemingly relegating Hasek to a backup role. Hasek was the backup to Eddie Belfour in Chicago, and the Sabres acquired him to join Daren Puppa in the crease. The spotlight shined on Buffalo with Hasek in the crease as he won two Hart Trophies as league MVP and six Vezinas as the best goalie.īut when the deal was made, Buffalo was simply taking a shot at a quirky prospect. ![]() He grew into one of the best goalies in NHL history, a Hockey Hall of Famer who led the Sabres to the Stanley Cup final in 1999. OK, if this list was solely for long-term impact on the franchise, Hasek would be at the top. August 7, 1992: Sabres acquire goaltender Dominik Hasek from Chicago for goalie Stephane Beauregard and a 1993 fourth-round pick. But he scored just once in the final 16 games and was shipped out in the summer.ģ. Rivet, worn down physically from 13 years with Montreal and San Jose, lasted parts of three seasons in Buffalo before being waived and claimed by Columbus.īernier, acquired from the Sharks in the Campbell deal, had one of the most memorable debuts in Buffalo history with two goals and three points. Rivet filled the role as his new teammates voted him captain. The Sabres spent much of the 2007-08 season on their heels after losing Drury and Briere to free agency and trading defenseman Brian Campbell at the deadline. July 4, 2008: Sabres acquire defenseman Craig Rivet and a 2010 seventh-round pick from San Jose for second-round picks in 20 Sabres send forward Steve Bernier to Vancouver for a 2009 third-round pick (defenseman Brayden McNabb) and a 2010 second-round pick (traded to Columbus in a deal for forward Raffi Torres). ![]() Lydman spent five seasons in Buffalo and, though he talked quietly, became a locker-room spokesman with his thoughtful comments.Ĥ. ![]() He could get the puck to the forwards and teamed with Henrik Tallinder to form a shutdown pair. August 25, 2005: Sabres acquire defenseman Toni Lydman from Calgary for a 2006 third-round pick.Īs the NHL exited the 2004-05 lockout with a game centered around speed and puck movement, Lydman proved to be an ideal complement for the Sabres. Mair spent seven seasons with the Sabres and is now a member of their player development staff.ĥ. As the Sabres grew into a Stanley Cup contender in the mid-2000s with Daniel Briere, Chris Drury and Thomas Vanek up front, Mair provided physical protection and was a dependable fourth-line role player. So the Sabres sent him to the Kings for Mair, a rugged forward who showed a scoring touch in the American Hockey League. But the University of Minnesota product never developed into a scorer, topping out at 12 goals and reaching double digits just once in his five seasons with Buffalo. July 24, 2002: Sabres acquire forward Adam Mair and a 2003 fifth-round pick from the Los Angeles Kings for forward Erik Rasmussen.īuffalo had high hopes for Rasmussen after drafting him seventh overall in 1996. Toss in the three first-round draft picks Buffalo holds for 2019, and Botterill has the ammunition to get creative this summer if he wants.Īnd if he needs some inspiration, here’s a six-pack of past summertime deals that made an impact on the franchise, ranked in terms of how big of a splash the move(s) made, and how the Sabres changed because of them.Ħ. And there’s a chance general manager Jason Botterill can swing another.Īs we showed in our look at the Sabres’ depth chart, the team needs top-end talent and has enough pieces to make deals. The Sabres have made their share in the past. Though the majority of deals are swung at the trade deadline and the week featuring the draft and free agency, there are some summertime blockbusters. As they evaluate the players who came and went during the past month, they see holes and surpluses on their depth charts. But that doesn’t mean general managers have turned their phones off.
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