First, recapping the day of trades…

Brian Flynn to Montreal for a 5th round pick in 2016

Flynn is one of those depth players that you look to have on your team for the long run, but it helps the Sabres get worse, which was all Tim Murray was looking for today. I certainly understand the Canadiens trading for him as he is a defensive-minded penalty killer that will make a solid 4th liner on a playoff team. They also didn’t have to give up much, which seemed to be the motto of the day. Flynn has been one of the few hard-working players that fans have been able to appreciate on the Sabres over the last couple of seasons.

Michal Neuvirth to New York Islanders for Chad Johnson and a 2016 3rd round pick

In a total tanking move, the Sabres traded red-hot goalie Michal Neuvirth to the playoff bound New York Islanders. Interestingly, the Sabres get back Chad Johnson. Johnson will most likely become the team’s number one goalie for the remainder of the season with Anders Lindback getting limited playing time. Simply put, Neuvirth was playing too well for a team that was trying to finish last and Tim Murray had no choice but to move him. The 3rd round pick is a nice bonus, even if it isn’t until 2016.

Torrey Mitchell to the Montreal Canadiens for prospect Jack Nevins and a 2016 7th round pick

Tim Murray and Montreal GM Marc Bergevin got to know each other real well on Monday. A few hours after Flynn was shipped off to the Canadiens, the Sabres completed a much more expected deal with Torrey Mitchell headed to Quebec. Mitchell now gets a chance to play for his hometown and for a team that once again has a really good chance to go deep into the playoffs this year. The Sabres didn’t get much in return, as Nevins only has one point in 35 AHL games this season and 12 fights, but it was still important for Murray to move Mitchell. Mitchell is another one of those upcoming free agents that Murray had to get rid of and good on him for shipping him to a place where he has a chance to not only play but to play for a contender. In this deal, the Sabres retain 50% of Mitchell’s salary.

Chris Stewart to the Minnesota Wild for a 2017 2nd-round pick

Jason Pominville, Matt Moulson, Cody McCormick and now Chris Stewart. Stewart joins a growing list of Sabres’ players that have been traded to the Wild over the last couple of seasons. Like Moulson and McCormick, it is entirely possible that Stewart finds his way back to the Sabres next year. There has been much talk as to how much Stewart likes playing in Buffalo and how much Tim Murray likes him on the Sabres. But for now, the Sabres get a pick in the 2017 draft, something that many people have been critical of. I speculate that the Sabres will use this pick in a trade down the road, but with a decent likelihood that Stewart re-signs with the Sabres over the summer, it isn’t a bad return at all. Also, in this deal the Sabres retain 50% of Stewart’s salary.

Reaction to the trades:

Torrey Mitchell:

Torrey Mitchell to TSN: "I'm just so pumped, so excited to be going back home basically and have a chance to play for the Cup." — John Vogl (@BuffNewsVogl) March 2, 2015

Chris Stewart:

More Stewart: "I've said since day one I've been proud to be a Sabre. I wore it with pride. It's been a first-class organization." #sabres — Mike Harrington (@BNHarrington) March 2, 2015

Michal Neuvirth:

Neuvirth on blocking the tank: "That's crazy if you want to finish last to get a first draft pick." (1/2) #Sabres — Mike Harrington (@BNHarrington) March 2, 2015

More Neuvirth: "It just doesn't seem right to me. You always want to win. If you're playing for last place, I don't think that's right." — Mike Harrington (@BNHarrington) March 2, 2015

Brian Flynn:

Flynn: Very grateful for everything the #Sabres have done for me. Everything has been first class. Going to miss teammates here. #BUFtrade — Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) March 2, 2015

And with that, the 2015 Trade Deadline is over. The Sabres were the busiest team, as expected, and made only one trade that caught some people by surprise. While what the Sabres got in return could come under fire, especially in the Mitchell deal, the point remains that Tim Murray has now done all he can to try and make sure that the Sabres finish last in the McDavid sweepstakes. With a goaltending combination of Chad Johnson-Anders Lindback for the remaining 19 games, it will be nearly impossible for them to get more than 5 or 6 wins.

Murray made sure that he traded all of his rental players to contenders, something that not all general managers are able to do and he certainly gained some respect by players around the league for that. The Sabres were able to acquire some draft picks that they can use in trades down the road and were able to firmly secure a tankjob for the ages. Tim Murray just better hope that this pays off and the Sabres finish with the league’s worst record and get the franchise changing player of either McDavid or Eichel, or it will all be for naught.