Buffalo - Detroit Trade seeking approval
The Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings have just completed a minor trade, which requires league approval. The Sabres, looking for help to make the playoffs this season, have traded away Ales Kotalik, Chris Drury, Dimitri Kalinin and their first round pick in 2004 to Detroit. Buffalo will pick up 50% of Drury's Salary this season.
In exchange, the Sabres are pleased to announce that they have acquired two key components to making the playoffs this season:
Center Pavel Datsyuk and Winger Henrik Zetterberg.
Datsyuk will center a line with Jochen Hecht and JP Dumont, while Zetterberg will join Daniel Briere and Miroslav Satan on the first line.
Buffalo's GM, Dwaynester, was asked for comment.
'You never like trading away quality players, and Kalinin will be a star in this league in the not too distant future, but we have to look at our fans. We would like a legitimate chance at the playoffs this season, and we feel this trade will aid us in that. Datsyuk is himself a rising star in the league, and Zetterberg, if healthy, will also make a positive contribution to our franchise. As for Drury, we hate to see him go, but there is a reason why he has been traded every year for the past 3 seasons now. His salary is large, and although we are paying 1/2 of it, it allows us the flexibility to obtain two quality forwards.'
Rumours out of Buffalo contend that another deal could be announced as early as today, involving a couple of prospects, and some picks changing hands.