In a move that makes sense, the Buffalo Sabres improved their team defense ahead of a potential playoff run by acquiring forward Jordan Greenway from the Minnesota Wild for two draft picks at Friday’s 3 pm deadline.
The picks are a second-rounder this summer, previously held by the Vegas Golden Knights, and a fifth-round pick in 2024.
Greenway, 26, was struggling in his fifth season with the Wild, notching two goals, seven points, and a minus-3 rating in 45 games played. The team decided to give him a fresh start while going in a different direction, adding forwards Oskar Sundqvist, Marcus Johansson, and Gustav Nyquist to the mix-up front.
Originally drafted in the second round (50th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft, Greenway is good at both ends of the ice. He’s a career plus-18, with last year being his best at a plus-26.
That quality helps the Sabres this season and beyond, as the New York native is signed through the 2024-25 season. After that, he will be an unrestricted free agent.
Buffalo is looking to make a run at a postseason spot this year while positioning themselves for potential success down the road. They sit four points out of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot with 22 games remaining.
Meanwhile, Minnesota made many moves to improve heading into the playoffs and could afford to part ways with a big part of their success up to this point. They are three points back of Dallas for first place in the Western Conference’s Central Division.
