Buffalo Sabres add young winger in trade with Minnesota Wild

As the Eastern Conference continues to load up on trade acquisitions, the Buffalo Sabres have gotten into the action.

Entering Friday’s trade deadline, the Sabres were outside of the playoff picture in the East, but with games in hand, figure to be in the middle of the race for the wild card spots as the final months of the season play out.

To help them punch their ticket, they made a deal with the Minnesota Wild.

26-year-old forward Jordan Greenway will make the move from the Central Division to the Atlantic Division, going from one fringe playoff team to another. In 45 games this season, Greenway has managed only two goals and five assists and is a minus-3.

The Buffalo Sabres have acquired Jordan Greenway.

In return, the Minnesota Wild will pick up a second-round draft pick this summer and a fifth-rounder in 2024. Greenway has two years remaining on his contract beyond this season, which pays him $3 million per season.

To me, this feels like a much-needed change of scenery. Greenway’s lack of offense is not getting the job done for the Wild, but they are able to get a pair of draft picks in return, which they’ve also been able to do throughout the last few months as a third-party in other trades. That’s a win.

As for the Sabres, they are competing for their first playoff berth since 2011, and if Greenway can be rejuvenated by a fresh start, he may be able to help them get in. Even if they don’t get in or he doesn’t immediately gel with the rest of the roster, having him under contract is great for Buffalo.

This is a young player that fits the Sabres’ timeline. Once he gets his legs under him in Western New York, I expect him to be an important contributor for the Sabres.

This deal strikes me as a win-win, or at least it has the potential to be that in the long run.