Moments after the Buffalo Sabres defeated the Florida Panthers on Sunday night, Sabres GM Jason Botterill made a trade.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have acquired defenseman Devante Stephens from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for defenseman Matt Spencer.
Not exactly the trade Sabres fans were waiting for. But a trade nonetheless.
Stephens, 22, has appeared in three games with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL, gathering one assist and 13 PIMs. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound defenseman skated in 69 games with the Cyclones last season, scoring 8 goals and 25 points to go along with 59 PIMs. Stephens also appeared in one game with the Rochester Americans in 2018-19, registering 2 PIMs. Stephens played in seven career AHL games, all with Rochester, notching 9 PIMs.
Buffalo drafted Stephens in the fifth round, 122nd overall, at the 2015 NHL Draft.
Who is Matt Spencer?
I see this trade as a precursor to a bigger trade. Perhaps Spencer will be moved in a deal for a top six forward.
Botterill has 8 NHL defensemen in Buffalo right now and 7 D in Rochester.
In his season debut, defenseman Zach Bogosian led all Sabres defensemen with 22:03 TOI.
Captain Jack Eichel scored a goal and chipped in 2 helpers as Buffalo defeated Florida 5-2 to snap a six-game winless streak against the Panthers.
The Buffalo blue line is bursing at the seams right now. The return of Bogosian gives the Sabres eight healthy NHL D in Bogosian, Rasmus Dahlin, Rasmus Ristolainen, Jake McCabe, Brandon Montour, Colin Miller, Marco Scandella, and Henri Jokiharju. On Friday, Botterill waived defenseman John Gilmour to Rochester. On Saturday, Gilmour went unclaimed and joined a talented D corps that consists of Lawrence Pilut, Will Borgen, Casey Fitzgerald, Casey Nelson, Jacob Bryson, and Zach Redmond.
For the fifth time in the last six games, Kreuger healthy scratched Colin Miller to make room for Bogosian.
Kreuger began the game with 11 forwards and 7 D in the win over the Panthers. The Sabres ended the night with 10 forwards when forward Evan Rodrigues was injured in the second period and did not finish the game. Rodrigues has been ruled out for Buffalo's rematch with Tampa Bay on Monday night.
Forward Curtis Lazar is on the Florida trip and will likely play in place of Rodrigues Monday night in Tampa.
Botterill is accompanying the Sabres on the brief two game roadie to Florida presumably to execute a trade that will deliver a top six forward to the Sabres.
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