The Buffalo Sabres announced three roster moves on Monday. The most notable being a trade with the Detroit Red Wings. The deal brought in Scott Wilson and sent Detroit a 2019 fifth round pick. They also called up Evan Rodrigues, while waiving Matt Moulson and sending Kyle Criscuolo to the AHL.
TRADE: We've acquired forward Scott Wilson from @DetroitRedWings in exchange for our 5th round pick in the 2019 #NHLDraft. pic.twitter.com/eHjqZLofIN
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) December 4, 2017
Matt Moulson on Waivers; Scott Wilson Added; and More Buffalo Sabres Transactions
AHL and NHL Moves
Matt Moulson being placed on waivers flew under the radar for most hockey fans, but it’s fairly noteworthy. Moulson is a seasoned NHL vet, five of his 13 NHL seasons being with the Sabres. He’s played 650 career games, with 369 points. Originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Moulson has played with four different teams throughout his career. Moulson was a top scorer when he played with John Tavares on the New York Islanders but never replicated that in Buffalo. He looks even worse this year. In 14 games, he hasn’t recorded a single point. If Moulson clears waivers, he’ll report to Buffalo’s AHL team in Rochester. After such a slow start, and with his contract, it wouldn’t be terribly surprising if he did clear. On the other side of the coin, Moulson is currently a bottom six-winger with five seasons of over 40 points.
The Buffalo Sabres today announced that forward Matt Moulson will be placed on waivers at noon for the purpose of assignment.https://t.co/h9YUgrbI5m
— Sabres PR (@SabresPR) December 4, 2017
To replace Moulson, the Sabres recalled Evan Rodrigues. The 24-year-old has scored 10 points in eight AHL games this season, earning him the call-up. Rodrigues hasn’t performed too well in his 32 career NHL games so far. In those, he’s only registered eight points. Still, this is the break Rodrigues has been looking for. He’s projected to compete for the third line center role, alongside players like Jordan Nolan.
We've recalled forward Evan Rodrigues from @AmerksHockey. Kyle Criscuolo has been assigned to Rochester. pic.twitter.com/WxlQlfFyn5
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) December 4, 2017
Scott Wilson Trade
The most public of the three roster moves was the deal that brought Scott Wilson to Buffalo. Earlier this season, the Red Wings acquired Wilson and a 2018 fifth-round pick from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Riley Sheahan and a third-round pick in the same year. Wilson has played 20 games this season, 17 with the Red Wings. In those games, he has not recorded a single point. Throughout his career, the 25-year-old has only managed 32 points in 123 games. He’ll be battling for the same role that Rodrigues is in, a bottom line forward role. If he isn’t able to earn the spot, it’s likely he could quickly be sent down to the AHL. Wilson is currently on the last year of his contract, and will have to play fairly well to earn an extension.
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