The NHL trade deadline has come and gone and the Buffalo Sabres were busy, as expected.
The team traded forwards Matt Moulson and Cody McCormick to the Minnesota Wild for forward Torrey Mitchell and two second-round draft picks. Moulson was acquired from the New York Islanders earlier this season in a trade for ex-Sabre Thomas Vanek. Vanek himself was dealt to the Montreal Canadiens on deadline day.
Mitchell has totaled 35 goals and 55 assists in 383 career games with San Jose and Minnesota.
The Sabres, under new GM Tim Murray, also traded goaltender Jaroslav Halak, who was acquired just last week in the Ryan Miller deal, along with a third-round draft pick to the Washington Capitals. The team received goalie Michal Neuvirth and veteran defenseman Rostislav Klesla in return.
Neuvirth has appeared in 134 NHL games, compiling a 59-41-13 record with seven shutouts, a .910 save percentage and a 2.67 goals against average in his career. He has a 4-6-2 record this season, a .914 save percentage and a 2.82 goals against average. In 659 career games with the Coyotes and Blue Jackets, Klesla, who is in his 13th NHL season, has totaled 48 goals and 111 assists.
The team sent defenseman Brayden McNabb, forward Jonathan Parker and two second-round draft picks to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for forwards Nicolas Deslauriers and Hudson Fasching. Deslauriers, a big-bodied 23-year-old, has 18 goals and 39 points for the AHL's Manchester Monarchs this season. Fasching is a former fourth round pick who currently plays for the University of Minnesota. He has 12 goals and 27 points for the team as a freshman.
McNabb, a former third-round pick, has spent most of the year playing for the Rochester Americans. He has played 37 career games with the Sabres over the last three seasons.
Players who were rumored to be possible trade chips, such as Chris Stewart, Drew Stafford, Henrik Tallinder and Tyler Myers are staying put.
The Sabres on Wednesday also claimed forward Cory Conacher off waivers. Conacher, a product of Canisius College has played parts of three seasons in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
For his career, the 24-year-old has tallied 15 goals and 34 assists in 107 games. Conacher played at Canisius for four years. He is the Golden Griffins' career leader in goals and points.
