How trading former Stanley Cup champions benefited the Sabres

It’s hard to find a positive, as Sabers fans saw not one, but six former Sabers players join a long line of former wearers of the blue and gold jersey who have hoisted the Stanley Cup. Kyle Okposo, Sam Reinhart, Evan Rodrigues and three others will now win a ring after the Florida Panthers won Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday.

They join Ryan O’Reilly, Zach Bogosian and Jack Eichel among recent players who left Buffalo for Cup glory. If you take a closer look at the trades that took them from Buffalo to the Cup, Buffalo has several opportunities to capitalize on these moves.

O’Reilly won the Stanley Cup in 2019 after being traded to the St. Louis Blues for several players and draft picks, including Tage Thompson. In 2022-23, Thompson scored over 90 points and should be part of Lindy Ruff’s plans for the future.

Eichel won it all in 2023. The trade brought veteran Alex Tuch to Buffalo. Tuch has become a force for the Sabres both on and off the ice. He has put up 50-plus points in each of the last two seasons.

Tuch has been the team’s top scorer for the past two years and was named assistant captain for two weeks in January. He also spoke highly of new head coach Lindy Ruff and was among those who attended Ruff’s introductory press conference.

Okposo, who won Monday after 18 seasons, was traded from Buffalo to Florida in March. The trade went from a seventh-round pick to a fifth-round pick after the Panthers won Game 7. Time will tell if the trade pays off for the Sabres.

The Sabres may have the means to end their playoff drought and become Stanley Cup contenders. Some pieces may be in place thanks to these past trades.