After chatter all day that a deal between the two teams was being discussed, the Buffalo Sabres and Anaheim Ducks have agreed to a deal that will send winger Jamie McGinn to the Ducks.
Heading back to the Sabres in the trade is a conditional 2016 third-round pick that could become a second-round pick in 2017. The condition being that the Ducks have to make the Western Conference Final, and he must play in at least 50% of those playoff games.
Sabres general manager Tim Murray said during his press conference on the day that the team was never close on an extension due to the feeling of a potential pay day come July 1.
McGinn leaves the Sabres as the team’s fifth-leading point scorer with 13 goals and 14 assists for 27 points. He’s had success on the team’s top line alongside Ryan O’Reilly before O’Reilly went down with a lower body injury.
McGinn was the biggest pending unrestricted free agent on the Sabres roster, and had been expected to be dealt. The Sabres had wanted a second-round pick for McGinn, but ultimately had to move off that demand in order to make sure the team could get something.
For details on every move made during the 2016 NHL Trade Deadline, check out the official THW Trade Tracker.
