Isles Trade Moulson and 2 picks to Buffalo for Captain Thomas Vanek
It would seem like those Sabres fans that have been begging and pleading for General Manager Darcy Regier to step and make a change have finally gotten just what they asked for. Although, I am not sure that it came in the form that they were expecting.
It looks like the New York Islanders will be sending left wing Matt Moulson along with their 1st Round Pick in 2014 and their 2nd Round Pick in 2015 for Buffalo Sabres Co-Captain, left wing Thomas Vanek.
This would lead one to wonder if this is the beginning of a much bigger fire sale to come in Buffalo. The Sabres are currently 2-10-1 this season, unable to put a string of wins together all season long.
Just this week, after coming up ahead of the Florida Panthers 3-1 on Friday night in Sunrise, they were put down by Martin St. Louis and the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in Tampa.
So far this season, Vanek is tied with center Cody Hodgson for the lead in goals, assists, and points with 4 goals, 5 assists for a total of 9 points.
Vanek was drafted in the first round, fifth overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He has been with the Sabres ever since; 9 seasons to be exact.
On the other side of the ice, the New York Islanders are 4-4-3 this season. They have also had the same issue as the Sabres when it comes to putting a string of wins together. The Isles came up on top of Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night, only to be put down by the Vincent Lecavalier and the Philadelphia Flyers the next night at home.
Moulson is currently 2nd on goals for the Sabres with 6. Add in 3 assists and he has a total of 9 points so far this season. It would seem that he is on par with Vanek in terms of stats.
Moulson was drafted in the 9th Round, 263rd Overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He was later acquired by the Islanders as a Free Agent on July 6, 2009. This would have been his 5th season with the Islanders.
Maybe all these two players need is a change of scenery to get the adrenaline flowing again and get the scoring moving.
It will be interesting to see how this trade plays out for both teams involved.
The first test will come tomorrow night when the Sabres host the Dallas Stars at 7:00 p.m. On Tuesday, we will see how this works out for the Islanders as they host their in-state rival New York Rangers at 7:00 p.m.
What do you think of this trade? Do you think one team made out better than the other? What will it take for these two teams to get a win streak going? Sound off in the comments below and let’s discuss.