Busy week in Buffalo

Busy week in Buffalo.  After trading for Christian Ehrhoff, he was sent packing to Philly 7 days later for young promising dman Matt Donovan and a 4th rounder.  "We needed help on defense when Erik got injured so we went after Christian.  The plan was to try to sign him cheap to a 4-year contract extension so he would fit on our payroll next year, and if it would not work out, use him for the remainder of the season and then send him a third and last offer at the end of the season or move him before free agency." said GM Blanchard.  "He rejected the two offers we made to him but we were still planning to keep him until the end of the season.".

When the Sabres put Ehrhoff on the trade market, the speculations started to go around the league and many GMs contacted GM Blanchard to know what was going on in Buffalo.  Why get some help on defense and then trade the guy a few days later?

On November 17th, the Sabres shocked the Sim world with a deal made with the Boston Bruins.  In that deal, All-Star defenseman Duncan Keith was sent to the Sabres.  In return, the Bruins got promising forwards Tyler Toffoli and Reilly Smith, and a 2nd rounder.  "We tried to get an All-Star dman since the season started but obviously there is not a lot of those guys available.  GM Arcesi has been after me for Tyler since the first day of the league but I was pretty high on him so it was never my plan to move him anywhere.  We had many talks but he understood quick enough that I was not going to let him go" said GM Blanchard.  "Then, when I saw that he put Duncan on the market, I knew perfectly well it was a trap.  An old Italian trick I tell you." added GM Blanchard.

Even if many talks going around the league say that the Sabres got the best of this deal.  In the end, both teams walked away with a deal they are happy with.  The Sabres got their dman, and the Bruins got two good young forwards already in the NHL and signed to really cheap contracts in the sim.

The Sabres had many trade talks before moving Ehrhoff.  "I know some GMs might feel that they had the best offer, but in the end, it made sense for the Sabres to get Matt Donovan instead of mid-range prospects and/or mid-round picks." said GM Blanchard.  "We already have a few good young defensemen in Rochester but you can't have too many of those.  We really like Matt's potential and he is already in the NHL.  In fact, we tried to get him from Philly earlier this year." added GM Blanchard.