Avalanche trade Ryan O'Reilly to Sabres for Zadorov, Grigorenko, 31st pick
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The Buffalo Sabres are putting the pieces together.
Buffalo has acquired Ryan O'Reilly and Jamie McGinn in a trade with the Colorado Avalanche.
Going back to Colorado is defenseman Nikita Zadorov, forwards Mikhail Grigorenko and J.T. Compher, and the 31st overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, where commissioner Gary Bettman announced the deal.
Zadorov and Grigorenko were first-round picks of the Sabres in 2013 and 2012, respectively, and were both assumed to be part of the team's rebuild.
But the opportunity to add a player of O'Reilly's ilk was apparently too enticing to pass up.
O'Reilly, 24, has one year remaining on a contract that will see him earn $6 million in 2015-16, and is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. The talented two-way center was reportedly seeking an eight-year contract extension worth $64 million, an NHL source told Mike Chambers of the Denver Post.
The deal comes on the heels of Buffalo general manager Tim Murray's acquisition of Robin Lehner from the Ottawa Senators earlier Friday.