Buffalo Makes A Splash!

While the Buffalo Sabres generally do not pose any sort of threat to other teams in the EHE during the regular season, the offseason is normally when GM Roberto makes himself heard. A team that has not made the playoffs since Roberto was hired as GM of the team, he takes great pride in building his team in the off season and prepping for the draft and for the season(s) to come. This offseason was no different.

Last week Roberto made a minor move with the Cup Champions Detroit Red Wings which saw him bring in defenseman Steve Santini for a 2019 5^th round pick. The deal was nothing more than a depth move, as Santini will likely be a role player for the Sabres. However, that seemed to be the move that got himself going, anxious to make more deals prior to the upcoming entry draft.

While Roberto has not made many trades in the past, he does not shy away from making some larger moves, which was displayed today as he completed two deals. The first deal saw Buffalo trade Colorado’s 1^st 2019 1^st round pick (18^th overall) and Swedish prospect Emil Bemstrom to the New Jersey Devils for Vancouver’s 2019 1^st round pick (11^th overall). The second deal was of much greater magnitude, as the Buffalo Sabres brought in talented defenseman Matt Dumba in exchange for Buffalo’s 2019 1^st round pick (10^th overall), Alex Alexeyev, and Josh Norris. Interestingly enough, these deals mean – unless something else happens – this will mark the first year in EHE history that the Buffalo Sabres will not be selecting in the top 10 (albeit they’re selecting 11^th). With regards to the deals, Roberto had this to say:

“I’m extremely excited to have pulled off these trades. We really like all of our prospects and I’ve taken great pride in the players I’ve drafted and brought in to the organization, however sometimes moves need to be made. We wish Emil (Bemstrom), Alex (Alexeyev), and Josh (Norris) the best of luck with their new teams, but we could not be happier to be selecting 11^th and bringing in Matt (Dumba).

“I have had my eye on Matt for a very long time. When Adam took over as GM of the Bruins I let it be known that if Dumba were to be made available, I was interested. We spoke about it briefly and the deal materialized. The negotiations were extremely smooth and easy and I couldn’t be happier.”

Roberto was asked about the deals and why he decided to make such moves today:

“Well, firstly, the deal with Cole was something in the making for a while. We had discussions about swapping picks and I felt the price was a fair one for the both of us. The draft is very deep this year and we are surely going to get a very good player with the 11^th overall pick.

That being said, trading the 10^th overall pick and those prospects was not an easy decision. However, there aren’t many times you can acquire a defenseman of Matt’s caliber without affecting your roster. I think Matt makes this team better now and, in the future, and I cannot wait to have him dress as a Sabre when the season starts. We have been looking to help our defense situation for a while and this was perfect. We have stockpiled a lot of picks and prospects over the years and this is when we start trying to get over the hump of being a basement team. These moves won’t make us Stanley Cup Contenders over night, but it’s the step that gets this process kickstarted."