The Buffalo Sabres and Minnesota Wild have pulled off a multi-player swap. Defenseman Marco Scandella and forward Jason Pominville are headed to Buffalo, in return for forwards Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno, plus a fourth-round draft pick in 2018.
The trade was first reported by TSN’s Bob McKenzie.
Scandella, 27, has three years left on his contract with a cap hit of $4 million. He had four goals and nine assists in 71 games last season, averaging 18:20 of ice time. Compared to previous campaigns, it was not a great season for him.
But the Sabres badly need to upgrade their defense, and they also get Pominville, the 34-year-old winger who spent his prime years in Buffalo. Pominville has two years left on his deal with a cap hit of $5.6 million. He had 13 goals in 78 games last season.
As for the players headed to Minnesota, Foligno is a 25-year-old winger coming off a 13-goal season of his own. He’s also a restricted free agent.
Ennis, a first-round draft pick in 2008, is the bigger name. But the 27-year-old has had all sorts of trouble staying healthy. Last season, he had just five goals in 51 games. He’s signed for two more years at a cap hit of $4.6 million.
No salary was retained in the trade.