The Sabres Observer
A Simple Trade Idea For Peter Chiarelli
by @DaveDavisHockey on 01/05/15 at 02:39 PM ET
Comments (5)
Hey, Boston. I hear you're trying to make a deal quickly to stop your ship from sinking.
Looking to get a forward who can score but don't want to mortgage the farm to get him?
Having some conversations with Tim Murray but not ready to pay his asking price for big man Chris Stewart?
If no deal for a stud sniper falls on your lap soon, I have a lower-scale solution for you.
Drew Stafford.
Wait, what? No, really. Stafford could be your guy. Well, maybe not the one to turn the B's fortunes around on his own. But it won't take much to get him, you can save your other trade chips for bigger deals at the deadline, and you can make the trade today and get a nice bump with him on your second or third line.
He's not tearing up the stat sheet, but his 6 goals and 20 points are with an awful Buffalo Sabres team. He's on pace for 44 points in 82 games playing for the lowest scoring team in the NHL.
But here's my big selling point to you - he's been more potent offensively this season than some good players on your team and players you've been rumored to be pursuing.
|
Player |
Points per 60 minutes |
|
Drew Stafford |
1.81 |
|
Antoine Vermette |
1.70 |
|
Jordan Eberle |
1.66 |
|
Riley Smith |
1.54 |
|
Milan Lucic |
1.27 |
|
Jiri Tlusty |
1.08 |
(stats courtesy of behindthenet.ca)
The bottom line is that if you give him more ice time, and put him with better players, expect his numbers to improve.
The portion of Stafford's $4M cap hit that you'll have to take for the remainder of the season could make things a bit tight, but it looks doable.
Stewart seems to be in higher demand, so getting Stafford instead could be a cheaper proposition. I'd say a 2nd-round draft pick and a mid-level prospect can get it done (If it can't, please let Mr. McKenzie or Mr. Dreger know as Murray will have some explaining to do).
Go ahead, Mr. Chiarelli, make the call. And while you're at it, sir, I hear you like defensemen who are almost 7 feet tall. Since you'll be on the phone with Murray anyway, I have another suggestion for you...
BUY NHL TICKETS FROM VIVID SEATS - CHEAPER THAN STUBHUB!
Filed in: | The Sabres Observer | Permalink
Tags: bruins+trade+rumors,
buffalo+sabres,
chris+stewart+trade
Comments
You’d think so, but we hear teams are gaga over Stewart and his size but not much talk about Stafford.
Posted by @DaveDavisHockey from Buffalo, NY on 01/05/15 at 02:49 PM ET
Well if he is available and cheap the penguins will take him no questions asked.
Posted by gretzky_to_lemieux on 01/05/15 at 03:05 PM ET
Stafford is a total dog; self-centered and mentally soft, in the mold of Derek Roy and Tim Connolly (and Thomas Vanek.)
He would most definitely not fit with the Bruins’ “all in”, once-more-unto-the-breach, team-first style of play. Not saying he couldn’t be coached (given enough time) to re-establish a more committed game - But, to expect him to hit the ground running and fill a meaningful role with the B’s, today? Right now, pronto? No way.
Boston hasn’t the cap (nor time) to squander on a (devoid of hustle) reclamation project.
Posted by icehound on 01/05/15 at 04:35 PM ET
It makes more sense for the Bruins not to do anything. If their big guns can’t get it done they need to rethink their core. Let’s be honest here, Chara is getting older and hurt more often. This is why the Bruins are in decline. Their forward group isn’t good enough. Stafford isn’t the answer, but I did enjoy this post and it wasn’t completely off base.
Posted by bigdee89 from The Great White North Eh? on 01/05/15 at 06:23 PM ET
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About The Sabres Observer
Dave Davis has covered the Buffalo Sabres for various NHL accredited websites and newspapers since 2003. He was the senior writer and Sabres correspondent for The Fourth Period, covered hockey for Western New York Sports and Leisure Magazine, and has had articles featured on NHL.com, FOX Sports, Yahoo Sports and in New York Sportscene. Sabres news and notes can be found on his Twitter page.
Email: dd@kuklaskorner.com Twitter: [@DaveDavisHockey]
Drew Stafford should not be cheaper than Stewart. If he was, half the league would have traded for him already.
Posted by gretzky_to_lemieux on 01/05/15 at 02:44 PM ET