First, which teams may want Buff for a cup run? Those teams would need to have a solid leadership group in place, where Buff doesn't need to take on that role. He can just come in and play, his game. The team would also need to have a solid defence, or stay-at-home dman they could pair with Buff. They would also have to have a relatively young goalie as their starter, so losing a young goalie isn't that big a concern.
IMO, that includes:
- Chicago
- Anaheim
- Boston
- Pittsburgh
- San Jose
- LA
From that list of teams, I like Andersen or Gibson from Ducks, Jones from LA, or Subban from Bruins.
A Buff deal would likely include picks, prospects, and maybe a young roster player. If you can get a good young tender, as part of that package, that might make sense too.
Edit: for instance, would a deal comprising of Buff (and Burmi or goalie prospect?) to Ducks for John Gibson, Smith-Pelly, Stefan Noesen, and Anaheim's 2014 1st be good value?