Biron gone….and other stuff…..
Sabres deal Biron, Novotny and receive Ty Conklin and Dainius Zubrus in return. The moves freed up some cap space and enabled the Sabres to get some much needed size on the offensive end and someone who can score to boot.
The trading deadline has come and gone as I write this, give the Sabres a decent pat on the back for the moves made. While the wheeling and dealing wasn’t as frenzied in the East as it was in the West, the Sabres did more to help themselves down the stretch than their closest competitors in the conference today.
New Jersey was virtually silent in picking up a 3rd round pick, Tampa Bay got Jason Ward (who?). Pittsburgh did do themselves some good by grabbing Gary Roberts and tough guy Georges Laraque…
The action amongst the clubs fighting to get in the East’s top eight was a bit more intense with Atlanta getting Alexei Zhitnik and Keith Tkachuk and the Islanders probably landing the biggest name in Ryan Smyth from Edmonton as well as acquiring Richard Zednik.
Oh yes…..that Western Conference, where the biggest move was the Sabres getting Mikko Lehtonen…..maybe not! I think we can say that the quota of Finnish blue liners has definitely been filled today.
Dallas landed Mattias Nordstrom….Todd Bertuzzi landed in Detroit….and in case you’ve been living under a rock for the last few days, just a reminder that Peter Forsberg is in the Music City.
Anaheim got a bit tougher in landing former Sabre Brad May.
What does it all mean for Buffalo? Seems like they’re still the East’s best club so long as Ty Conklin doesn’t have any “deer in the headlights” moments reminiscent of his Cup Finals appearance in Game 1 last year, when he mishandled a puck very late in Game 1 that resulted in a goal for Carolina and lost his Oilers the game…..
Let the rest of the season begin…starting with tonight!
Die Leaves Die!
