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Trade: Buffalo sends Roy to Dallas for Ott, Pardy

Buffalo Sabres v Washington Capitals

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 27: Derek Roy #9 of the Buffalo Sabres passes the puck against the Washington Capitals at the Verizon Center on March 27, 2012 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

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The Buffalo Sabres and Dallas Stars made a big splash on Monday, spicing up an otherwise uneventful second day of free agency.

The Sabres sent former 81-point man Derek Roy to the Stars in exchange for agitator extraordinaire Steve Ott and depth defenseman Adam Pardy.

Roy, 29, is the centerpiece of the deal. The diminutive center has an enticing skill set and was nearly a point-a-game player from 2007-11 (255 points in 275 games), though he did fall on hard times last year, scoring just 44 points in 80 games.

He’ll fit nicely into the Stars lineup, replacing the recently-traded Mike Ribeiro as one of Dallas’ top two centers. He’ll also help out an anemic power play that finished dead last (13.5 percent) in the NHL -- despite his poor campaign last year, Roy still finished third among all Sabres in power play goals.

As for Ott, he fits in nicely with what the Sabres are trying to do this offseason: Add more snarl.

The Sabres signed 6-foot-8 leviathan John Scott yesterday -- he promptly promised “a different outcome” should anybody bowl over Ryan Miller next season -- and while Ott lacks Scott’s towering presence, he’s a nasty piece of business in his own right. “The Rat” is one of the league’s most annoying and relentless pests, one that’s not afraid to drop the mitts (he’s fought 27 times over the last three seasons.)

Pardy, 28, is a physical, stay-at-home defenseman that’s been sidelined by shoulder and rib injuries over the last two seasons. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, he could work his way into Buffalo’s bottom pair solely on his ability to lay the body.

Of note, the deal puts Ott on the same team as Patrick Kaleta, regarded as an equal (if not superior) crap disturber. The Sabres will be a tougher team to play against next season.