Buffalo, NY (WGR 550) – It took until midnight and for several other dominoes to fall, but the Sabres finally dealt Taylor Hall as we went from Sunday night into Monday morning.
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Hall had a no movement clause in his contract meaning he had to approve the trade of him and Curtis Lazar to the Boston Bruins for a second round pick and Anders Bjork. The Sabres are retaining 50% of Hall’s $8 million salary.
Lazar has been out since Apr. 1 missing six games with an upper-body injury. This season Lazar was a useful bottom six player and a good penalty killer. In 33 games Lazar had five goals and four assists for nine points. Hall was held out of the last four games as he waited to be traded.
Bjork played for Sabres interim coach Don Granato with the U.S. National Development Team. He was a fifth round pick of the Bruins in 2014. The 24-year-old wing has played 138 National Hockey League games scoring 16 goals and 23 assists for 39 points. This year in 30 games he has two goals and three assists for five points. Last year he had nine goals and 19 points.
The Sabres have traded Eric Staal, Brandon Montour, Hall and Lazar. The trade deadline is Monday at 3:00pm and the news from The Fourth Period that Linus Ullmark is not signing an extension with the Sabres and will likely test the open market means Adams may be looking for a landing place for him.
Other smaller trades that could happen for pending UFA’s on the Sabres include Tobi Rieder, Riley Sheahan, Matt Irwin, Jake McCabe, Drake Caggiula and Carter Hutton. McCabe and Hutton are both injured on a long-term basis.