The Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals made a Tuesday trade that basically inches them along in their very different directions.
Short version: Capitals acquired Mike Weber; Sabres received a 2017 third-round pick while retaining half of Weber’s salary.
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Capitals: Washington adds depth without spending big money. He’s an unrestricted free agent after this season; beyond that, the Sabres are retaining 50 percent of his $1.67 million cap hit.
So, yeah, this is very cheap.
He’s pure depth for Washington, likely to fight for bottom pairing minutes. The “stay-at-home defenseman” could find himself as a healthy scratch some nights.
There are patterns in the way people describe him:
Best of luck to @Mike6Weber he's a heart and soul guy that will be missed #Sabres
— Jamie McGinn (@JamieMcGinn88) February 23, 2016
Mike Weber was a stand-up, heart-and-soul guy. Glad he'll get to play in the playoffs again.
— Bill Hoppe (@BillHoppeNHL) February 23, 2016
This may be the easiest way to understand his role, though:
Tim Gleason v.2.0
— Japers’ Rink (@JapersRink) February 23, 2016
Sabres: Buffalo’s takeaway is obvious enough.
They receive a third-round pick from the Capitals, albeit in 2017. (Then again, with the way Washington’s playing, there’s at least a chance that might have been the wiser pick to seek. Maybe.)
Weber didn’t figure heavily into the Sabres’ future, it seemed:
Mike Weber's only played ~half of the #Sabres games. He's a negative but doesn't stand out in BUF. pic.twitter.com/wKbbCsVTJI
— Sean Tierney (@ChartingHockey) February 23, 2016
It wouldn’t be surprising if the Sabres continue this pattern of pick stacking for the next few days, at least with whatever assets (maybe Jamie McGinn himself?) teams may value.
With help from General Fanager’s listings, the Sabres now appear to have 11 draft picks in 2016 and nine in 2017. That includes three second-rounders in 2017, while this upcoming draft is heavier on third-rounders ...
... For now?