Will the Buffalo Sabres Look to Reunite Tyler Myers and Sam Gagner?

When the lockout put the league’s general managers in a deep freeze in September, one of the more prominent rumors floating around was a trade between the Buffalo Sabres and the Edmonton Oilers.

Most talk about the trade was entirely speculative, so no names could be discussed with any sort of authority, but the lockout may have given some clarity as to the situation if it were to play out.

To rehash what was said this summer, the Oilers need defenseman. Justin Schultz has blown the top off of the AHL in Oklahoma City during the lockout, but he’s not going to be the three-zone guy that the Oilers sorely need. His success would certainly go a long way, but the Oilers are likely going to need more.

Enter the Sabres with the cache of NHL-caliber defenseman.

The Oilers would have plenty of options on the Buffalo blue line. They could go the veteran route and inquire about Jordan Leopold. They could entertain another offensive-defenseman in Andrej Sekera, who would also meet any youth requirements if the Oilers had them. They could go the defensively sound depth route in Mike Weber or Alexander Sulzer.

So, who would the Sabres be targeting? Odds are it’s Sam Gagner who has been on the trading block in Edmonton according to some outlets for the better part of the past two seasons.

Gagner played with Tyler Myers in Austria during the lockout for Klagenfurter AC and enjoyed success, scoring 20 points in 21 games.