In the month of August, as news in the hockey world slows down, we’ll take a look at the most consequential trades in Buffalo Sabers history (using the Hockey News Archives as source material) and rank the 15 best and 15 worst trades in the club’s 54-year history.
This required input from a trio of veteran members of the media (Dave Reichert, Randy Schultz and Pete Weber) as well as three lifelong Saber fans (Chuck Bender, Todd Riniolo and Joe Schwartz).
12. February 26, 2018 – Buffalo acquires Danny O’Regan, a conditional 2019 first-round pick, and a 2019 fourth-round pick from the San Jose Sharks for Evander Kane
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The trade made by former GM Tim Murray in 2015, which brought wing Evander Kane, defenseman Zach Bogosian and prospect Jason Kasdorf to Buffalo, resulted in a situation that Jason Botterill was forced to resolve just three years later.
Kane had three 20-goal seasons with the Sabres, but his off-ice antics (skipping practice to go to the NBA All-Star Game, getting arrested while in town during the 2016 NHL Draft) all but guaranteed that the Sabers would has no interest in re-signing the 26-year-old player. With his club closing in on last place Botterill sought to acquire Kane as a deadline rental and in late February he traded him to San Jose for minor league center Danny O’Regan, a conditional 2019 first-round pick and a fourth-round pick. 2019.
O’Regan played four years at Boston University and scored 58 points as a rookie with the AHL San Jose Barracudas, but struggled in a brief 19-game NHL stint with the Sharks. After the trade, he played just three games for the Sabers and mostly for AHL Rochester before signing as a free agent for the NY Rangers.
The conditional part of the deal was Kane re-signing with the Sharks (which he did after scoring 13 goals in 26 regular season and playoff games). The Sabers received the first-rounder and Botterill used it as part of a trade with Anaheim in February 2019 to acquire defenseman Brandon Montour. Montour struggled for three seasons and was traded to Florida for a third-round pick (Stiven Sardarian).
The fourth round was moved along with a sixth round to Vancouver for a higher fourth round used to select winger Aaron Huglen, who is entering his senior season at the University of Minnesota.
Kane followed up his strong 2018 showing with 30-, 26- and 22-goal seasons before off-ice issues caused the Sharks to terminate his contract in 2022.
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