For the hours leading up to 3:00 PM eastern time, it was eerily quiet. There was one move made in the morning, with the Predators acquiring Andrei Kostitsyn from the Montreal Canadiens, and there were sporadic deals here and there between the hours of 12:00 and 2:00. The Wild slowly told Nick Schultz that he was traded to the Oilers, and the Lighting began Carter Ashton’s quest to become just like his dad, Brent, who called eight different cities his home in the NHL.

Then things got going.

Sammy Pahlsson was dealt out of Columbus to the Cup contending Canucks, giving them a solid defensive center. Ottawa sent Brian Lee to Tampa Bay for Matt Gilroy. Jamie McGinn went to the Avalanche for T.J. Galiardi and Daniel Winnik. The Jets sent Johnny Oduya to the Blackhawks for a 2nd- and 3rd-round pick.

But between 2:00 and 3:00 PM, it seemed the Sabres did nothing, or so we thought.

At 3:00 PM, the exact time of the trading deadline, Sabres fans gave their last honk for the Goose, as it was reported that Paul Gaustad had just been traded to the Nashville Predators. Twitter erupted, with everyone wondering what the Sabres possibly could have gotten for the defensively sound center.

Sammy Pahlsson, a player very similar to Gaustad, had been traded the hour before for two fourth round picks in 2012 and a defensive prospect, so it was only safe to assume that Darcy Regier traded Gaustad for a seemingly similar package.

Not a single person expected Paul Gaustad to go for a first-round pick, except for maybe Darcy Regier, who stuck to his guns on his market price for the Goose. David Poille, fresh off his new extension as G.M. of the Predators, gave in to Regier on his demands, while Regier threw in a 4th-round pick in the 2013 draft. The Sabres scored the Preds first-rounder in 2012. The only way this trade could have gone better for the Sabres is if the Predators gave up a 2013 first-round pick instead, as the Predators are seemingly going all in this year not knowing what the future might bring them, but I’m not going to berate Regier for turning his 7th round pick from the 2000 draft into a first-round pick 12 years later.

Still, the day left a dry taste in the mouths of Sabres fans. All these weeks, begging Darcy to do something, and yet all anyone can say about him is that he dealt Paul Gaustad for a 1st-round pick.

Oh wait, there was that one surprise.

Zack Kassian’s name got out somehow, being sent to the Vancouver Canucks, but no one knew who the Canucks were sending back in return. Sabreland erupted. Zack Kassian? The Sabres’ version of Milan Lucic (laughable, by the way)? What did they possibly trade him for?

Probably one of the most intriguing prospects the Canucks had on their roster.

It’s hard not to like Cody Hodgson. There’s not much you can find not to like about him. The 10th overall pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Hodgson played in 63 games, grabbing 33 points, 16 of them goals. While this may not seem astonishing, this is while logging a small amount of minutes as a 3rd liner on a team that boasts Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler as their 1st- and 2nd-line centers, respectively.

Hodgson will be given every chance to succeed with the Sabres with the amount of ice time he deserves. He has brilliant hands and a magnificent shot to go along with it, not to mention he’s solid in his defensive zone. He is one hell of a complete player, and could be the 1st- or 2nd-line center the Sabres have been waiting for. It’s easier to find toughness than it is to find a potential top-line center, and that’s what we’re dealing with here: potential.

The Canucks also took defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani off the Sabres hands, which many outlets are saying is the wild-card of this deal, citing Gragnani’s +10 as a positive for the young defenseman. If only the NHL kept official stats of giveaways…

The Sabres also picked up defenseman Alexander Sulzer, but he probably doesn’t figure into the Sabres future plans, as Sulzer is an unrestricted free agent at the end of this year. The Sabres could look into signing him for the Rochester Americans next year, but that’s the best-case scenario for Sulzer.

All-in-all, this deadline was a win for the Sabres, and their fans, whether they’re ready to admit it or not.