Goose is flying south. John Vogl of the Buffalo News
reports that the Buffalo Sabres have traded Paul Gaustad to the Nashville Predators for a 1st round pick. Gaustad was traded along with a fourth or fifth round pick (as news reports vary at this moment).
Even though every Buffalo Sabres fan knew that Gaustad should be traded by the deadline it was not without emotions. Gaustad became a popular player with fans because he represented the blue collar attitutde that resenates so well with Buffalo fans. He hit hard. He fought. He scored ugly goals. His effort was plain to see.
Other teams saw it too, as Gaustad was a go to guy for important face offs and to shut down opposing lines.
The only problem is that over the past two years, Gaustad's jersey was playing but Goose was no where to be found. He wasn't hitting. He wasn't scoring. And worse, when we needed him to fight. He didn't.
Although Gaustad got around to fighting Lucic for the devasting hit placed on Miller earlier in the season, it was too late. Even though Gaustad seems to be the Goose of old for the past few weeks, it was too late.
His contract is up at the end of the season and if the Sabres were going to get any value at all, they needed to deal him at the deadline. Although he is not the caliber player as Drury, Briere and Campbell, visions of losing another player to free agency without compensation is a Buffalo fan's worst nightmare.
So Goose has flown the coup and the fans are left dreaming of where the first round pick will fall and who might be joining our team in the fall. Hopefully, Darcy and co. can get another trade together over the summer by lumping picks together and get a higher first round pick.
Maybe we'll sign Gaustad in the summer and it'll be like he never left and the Sabres only got better.
No matter what, I hope Gaustad gets a chance to lift the cup. Flick and I enjoyed his time here in Buffalo.
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