The Sabres, who have accumulated just 5 points in 13 games played this season, have traded away their best goal scorer. Thomas Vanek, Sabres co-captain, has been sent to the New York Islanders in exchange for Matt Moulson, a first-round pick in 2014 and a second-round pick in 2015.
The fact that Vanek has been traded isn’t all that surprising though the timing of the trade may have caught Sabres fans off guard. The left winger was set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. In his career with the Sabres, Vanek played 598 games, scored 254 goals and accumulated 497 points.
Moulson is a 29-year-old left winger who has played in 333 NHL games. In that time, he’s scored 124 goals and racked up 233 points. He has 6 goals in 11 games this year.