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 Sabers fans (Chuck Bender, Todd Riniolo, Joe Schwartz).
March 10, 2000 – Doug Gilmour and JP Dumont from Chicago Blackhawks to Michal Grosek
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Coming off the disappointing end to their run to the Stanley Cup Final in 1999, the Buffalo Sabers struggled through half the season without All-Star and Vezina Trophy winner Dominik Hasek due to lingering groin issues. With Martin Biron making the majority of the starts, Buffalo entering the postseason was in doubt, but GM Darcy Regier took action before the trade deadline, acquiring center Chris Gratton from the Tampa Bay Lightning and later the same day acquiring 36 – Year-old Doug Gilmour and Chicago Blackhawks prospect JP Dumont for forward Michal Grosek.
Grosek was a key player for the Sabers during the 1999 regular season, finishing third on the club with 20 goals and 50 points, but he had a falling out with coach Lindy Ruff the following season and requested a trade. Regier agreed and in return got Gilmour (with the Hawks retaining a sizable portion of his salary for the following season) and a promising prospect in Dumont (a former third overall pick of the NY Islanders who had been traded to Chicago in a contract dispute). . ).
Gilmour helped the Sabers reach the playoffs, scoring 17 points in 11 games, but eighth-seeded Buffalo lost to Philadelphia in the first round of the 2000 Playoffs. The following year, without Michael Peca (due to a contract termination), Gilmour reunited with former Leafs linemate Dave Andreychuk in 2001 and after defeating the Flyers lost to Pittsburgh in the second round. He then signed with Montreal as a free agent.
Dumont thrived in AHL Rochester after the trade, scoring 14 goals for the Amerks in a run to the Calder Cup final, and then finished second to Miroslav Satan in scoring for the Sabers in 2001. In five seasons with Buffalo, he scored 20 or more goals four times, including 20 in 54 games and 14 points in the postseason in 2006.
His career in Buffalo ended when the Sabers backed out of an arbitration award, but Dumont played five more seasons in Nashville, scoring 20 or more goals twice more.
Grosek’s tenure in Chicago lasted a total of 14 games. The big winger signed with the Rangers in 2000 and the next two seasons in Boston, but never scored in double figures. He left for Europe in 2004, playing mainly in Switzerland before retiring in 2008.
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