Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - The Buffalo Sabres swung a trade with the Minnesota Wild just about an hour before the 3 p.m. EST NHL Trade Deadline on Friday.
Buffalo has acquired forward Jordan Greenway from Minnesota in exchange for a pair of draft picks: A 2023 second-round pick, originally owned by the Vegas Golden Knights, and a 2024 fifth-round pick.
Greenway, 26, was originally a second-round pick (50th overall) of the Wild in the 2015 NHL Draft. In 317 games with the Wild in parts of six seasons, the Clinton, N.Y. native has scored 38 goals and amassed 81 assists for 119 points.
The 6-foot-6, 231-pound winger has had a very strong defensive season in Minnesota, but has struggled mightily on the offensive side of the puck. He has only scored two goals and added five assists for seven points in 45 games.
Greenway does have some familiarity with Sabres head coach Don Granato. He spent his younger pre-draft years playing with the United States National Team Develop Program, where Granato was his head coach for two seasons with the USHL team. Tage Thompson was also part of that team.
In addition, Greenway has played parts of the last two seasons with Sabres center Tyson Jost when they were together in Minnesota.
As for the return to Minnesota, the Sabres give up the 2023 second-round pick acquired from the Golden Knights in the Jack Eichel trade. That signals the official completion of the Eichel deal, which saw the former second overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft and a 2023 third-round pick going to Vegas for forwards Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs, a 2022 first-round pick (Noah Ostlund) and the 2023 second-round pick that was flipped for Greenway.
The 2024 fifth-round pick going to the Wild is Buffalo's own pick.
