It could be a quiet trade deadline for the Buffalo Sabres
WGR 550: Luke Fox on Jeff Skinner: “They should be able to sell him on it being a great hockey town & playing with such a great centerman. I’m sure right now his ask is quite high. Trading him at this point, I’d imagine, would dishearten the fan base.”
WGR 550: Matt Larkin on Jeff Skinner: “I strongly believe they need to pay Skinner whatever he wants. They don’t need to acquire more 1sts. If you lost him via trade, you’re stuck looking for another Jeff Skinner.”
WGR 550: “If the asking price is $7.5-8M a year, the #Sabres have to meet the demand. If he asks for like $10M, than yeah that’s a point you might have to move on.”
Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News: (mailbag) It’s not sounding like Buffalo Sabres GM Jason Botterill will be a big player at the deadline.
Botterill will look at moving a defenseman, maybe Nathan Beaulieu, Matt Hunwick or Casey Nelson. There won’t be much of a trade market for Hunwick, and if moved they’d have to send the Penguins a third and not a fourth, as well as likely retaining salary.
Wouldn’t expect much interest in Vladimir Sobotka and his $3.5 million cap hit.
Jason Pominville might get some interest.
If the Sabres are going to trade Rasmus Ristolainen, they’ll need to get someone to replace him. The 24-year old has three years left at $5.4 million.
WGR 550: “I’m starting to wonder about Ristolainen. There’s always a market for rangy right shot defense. I’m a Risto apologist, I think he brings a lot of great things, but he does make mistakes.”
WGR 550: Larkin on Ristolainen: “What types of names would be a fair exchange. I don’t think that happens at deadline, it’s too complicated. Jake DeBrusk in Boston? Kasperi Kapanen in Toronto? A guy that can be a legit top-six forward.”