Sun, Feb 27, 2011 at 10:00pm

SABRES ACQUIRE BOYES

The Buffalo Sabres acquired forward Brad Boyes from the St. Louis Blues for a second-round draft pick in 2011.

What does it give the Buffalo Sabres
This is clearly a new era in Buffalo, as the Sabres decided to buy just prior to the trading deadline. Boyes is a scorer, something the Sabres could use more of for sure. They paid a reasonable price in surrendering a second-round pick. More importantly, this move sends a very clear and exciting message to Sabres fans: they're now open for business. Look for Boyes to be used on the power play. He's also versatile enough to be used as a center if need be.

What does it give the St. Louis Blues
The Blues dealt Boyes after losing a crucial game at Calgary hours before. Therefore, GM Doug Armstrong appears ready to be a full-fledged seller at the deadline. Losing Boyes should mean a more regular spot on one of the Blues' scoring lines for winger Matt D'Agostini--who's been spending a lot of time on the fourth line this season. Adding a second round pick is nice, but losing Boyes' $4 million cap hit is the real motivation for St. Louis here.

Fantasy impact

Player focus

St. Louis Blues

a second-round draft pick in 2011

Buffalo Sabres

Brad Boyes RW