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• Dainius Zubrus and Timo Helbling traded from Washington to Buffalo for a first-round draft pick and center Jiri Novotny Buffalo GM Darcy Regier resisted the trade urge a year ago and his team rewarded him with a run to the seventh game of the Eastern Conference finals. This season, decimated by injuries to key players, especially up front, Regier did some wheeling and dealing to shore up his first-place club.
In the end, he shed long-time backup netminder Martin Biron, and a couple of deals later, ended up with underappreciated forward Dainius Zubrus from Washington.
Zubrus, whose profile is hampered by playing in hockey-dead Washington, should be an almost perfect fit for Lindy Ruff's skilled, fast-moving Sabres. Zubrus has been playing on a line with Alexander Ovechkin, so he knows a little bit about skill. He's accumulated 52 points on a one-dimensional team, including 33 points in his last 37 games. If the Sabres get co-captain Chris Drury, Maxim Afinogenov and Tim Connolly, among others, back before the playoffs, Zubrus will give the team another layer of offensive talent that will make them as dangerous. If those players are slow to return, Zubrus is a nice insurance policy against an early playoff exit.
Impact-o-meter: 7.5 | Complete trade details
• Martin Biron traded from Buffalo to Philadelphia for a second-round pick in 2007; Ty Conklin traded from Columbus to Buffalo for a fifth-round pick in 2007
If there is a downside to Buffalo GM Darcy Regier's maneuverings, it's that he now has little in the way of insurance in goal. With Biron gone, the backup duties now fall to Ty Conklin, brought in from Columbus for a fifth-round pick. A season ago, Biron was instrumental in keeping the Sabres at an elite level when Miller was out with a thumb injury before the Olympic break. Although Biron was not used in the postseason during the Sabres' run to the Eastern Conference finals, his presence should not be underestimated.
The Sabres knew if rookie Ryan Miller faltered, they had a Plan B. Now Plan B is Conklin, whose career in Edmonton went up in smoke in the dying seconds of Game 1 of last season's Stanley Cup finals when he misplayed the puck behind the Oilers net and allowed Rod Brind'Amour to score the game-winner. Since then, he's split time between the AHL and NHL and has a 3.30 GAA and .871 save percentage in 11 games for Columbus.
Bottom line: Ryan Miller better stay healthy.
Impact-o-meter: 5.5 | Complete trade details
Full Article Here:
In the end, he shed long-time backup netminder Martin Biron, and a couple of deals later, ended up with underappreciated forward Dainius Zubrus from Washington.
Zubrus, whose profile is hampered by playing in hockey-dead Washington, should be an almost perfect fit for Lindy Ruff's skilled, fast-moving Sabres. Zubrus has been playing on a line with Alexander Ovechkin, so he knows a little bit about skill. He's accumulated 52 points on a one-dimensional team, including 33 points in his last 37 games. If the Sabres get co-captain Chris Drury, Maxim Afinogenov and Tim Connolly, among others, back before the playoffs, Zubrus will give the team another layer of offensive talent that will make them as dangerous. If those players are slow to return, Zubrus is a nice insurance policy against an early playoff exit.
Impact-o-meter: 7.5 | Complete trade details
• Martin Biron traded from Buffalo to Philadelphia for a second-round pick in 2007; Ty Conklin traded from Columbus to Buffalo for a fifth-round pick in 2007
If there is a downside to Buffalo GM Darcy Regier's maneuverings, it's that he now has little in the way of insurance in goal. With Biron gone, the backup duties now fall to Ty Conklin, brought in from Columbus for a fifth-round pick. A season ago, Biron was instrumental in keeping the Sabres at an elite level when Miller was out with a thumb injury before the Olympic break. Although Biron was not used in the postseason during the Sabres' run to the Eastern Conference finals, his presence should not be underestimated.
The Sabres knew if rookie Ryan Miller faltered, they had a Plan B. Now Plan B is Conklin, whose career in Edmonton went up in smoke in the dying seconds of Game 1 of last season's Stanley Cup finals when he misplayed the puck behind the Oilers net and allowed Rod Brind'Amour to score the game-winner. Since then, he's split time between the AHL and NHL and has a 3.30 GAA and .871 save percentage in 11 games for Columbus.
Bottom line: Ryan Miller better stay healthy.
Impact-o-meter: 5.5 | Complete trade details
Full Article Here:
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