Sabres' Trade Hesitation Linked to a History of Misfires, per Insider
The Buffalo Sabres have a history of quite a number of failed trades, which could be the reason they have been hesitant to pull the trigger on any this season.
The Buffalo Sabres are perhaps being a little cautious in the trade market. Given their history of trading away players who've gone on to thrive elsewhere, writes Chris Johnston for TSN, that's not particularly surprising.
Current notables include Ryan O'Reilly, Sam Reinhart, Linus Ullmark, and Jack Eichel. Of those, Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel went on to majorly factor in a Stanley Cup win with their new teams.
Date: November 4, 2021
Traded to: Vegas Golden Knights
Buffalo Received:
Alex Tuch (forward)
Peyton Krebs (forward)
2022 first-round pick: Noah Östlund (16th overall)
2023 second-round pick: Anton Wahlberg (39th overall)
Vegas Received:
Jack Eichel (center)
2023 third-round pick: Mathieu Cataford (77th overall)
Date: July 24, 2021
Traded to: Florida Panthers
Buffalo Received:
Devon Levi (goaltender prospect)
2022 first-round pick: Jiri Kulich (28th overall)
Florida Received:
Sam Reinhart (center/wing)
And these results perhaps weigh on decisions about where to go with some pieces of the young roster.
This may temper how they proceed with Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn, for example, considering Frank Corrado stated the team appears to be set on not repeating the same old mistakes.
Similarly, Chris Johnston added that perhaps it's the fear of making mistakes holding up the trade talks, even with Buffalo seeking to find ways to fill in immediately.
Their cautiousness is even magnified in their continued attempt to end the NHL's longest playoff drought. Years of managerial, coaching, and roster instability have made them gun-shy about making high-risk moves.
As noted by Johnston himself, it has definitely gotten to be a bit of a gunshy organization that has to figure out how to balance patience against how much more they can afford for the team to slip further behind, should things continue falling apart this season.
