BUFFALO —
The Buffalo Sabres acquired forward Steve Ott and defenseman Adam Pardy from the Dallas Stars on Monday in exchange for center Derek Roy.
Roy is entering the final year of his contract after underperforming last season for Buffalo.
Following season-ending surgery to repair a torn quadriceps tendon in 2010-2011, Roy had 17 goals and 27 assists in 80 games last season. He scored at least 25 goals from 2007-2010 before he was hurt.
Roy has 161 goals and 266 assists in eight NHL seasons, all with Buffalo.
Ott had 11 goals and 28 assists in 74 games with the Stars last season. The 25th overall pick in the 2000 entry draft, Ott has 85 goals and 135 assists in 566 career games and the Sabres are hoping he can address criticism that the Sabres lack toughness.
Pardy spent his first three seasons with Calgary before joining the Stars in 2011-12, recording four goals, 25 assists and 157 penalty minutes in 183 NHL games.
Since the draft, the Stars have moved out veterans Mike Ribeiro, Ott and Pardy, and added Cody Eakins, Roy and Ray Whitney, whom they signed as an unrestricted free agent Sunday.
“Change is sometimes hard for people to understand,” said Stars general manager Joe Nieuwendyk. “But sometimes it’s a necessity as well. To be quite frank and honest, we are a team that has been real close, but we haven’t made the playoffs in four years.”
The Stars will now have a center combination of Jamie Benn and Roy, who has had as many as 32 goals and 81 points in a season.
“We have changed the look of our hockey club, and we have two centermen that we feel real confident about,” Nieuwendyk said.
“I think probably a change of scenery will be welcomed by (Roy),” Nieuwendyk said.
“He has been the guy in Buffalo for quite some time, and when you get a serious injury like that, it takes a little time to get back. But scouts in the East felt his game was coming back.”
“You need a blend of skill and grit and we were heavy on the skill side,” Buffalo general manager Darcy Regier said. “The adjustment we wanted to make was to add to the grit side.”
The addition of offensive-minded center Cody Hodgson last season in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks gave Regier the flexibility to deal Roy. Plus, the Sabres like the way Tyler Ennis looked at center late in the season.
“I knew (Regier’s) needs and he knew my needs,” Nieuwendyk said. “Eventually it worked out to the right fit.”
Sabres
Related Photos
-
Derek Roy is traded to the Dallas Stars. AP Photo
Sabres deal Roy to Stars
Buffalo gets feisty forward and 6-4 defenseman.
- Sabres
-
-
GM Regier cautions fans of more 'suffering'
Asking for patience during an end-of-season news conference on Monday, the only assurance GM Darcy Regier could provide fans was that more “suffering” might be in store before the Sabres can once again be considered contenders.
-
Vanek Attack
Thomas Vanek scored twice, Ryan Miller stopped 40 shots and the Buffalo Sabres edged the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 on Tuesday night.
-
Sabres beat Bruins in a shootout
Drew Stafford scored the only shootout goal after Buffalo tied the game in the final minute of regulation, and the Sabres beat the Bruins 3-2 on Wednesday night in the first pro game in Boston since the marathon bombings on Monday.
-
Myers out for season
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Tyler Myers will miss the rest of the season after breaking a bone in his leg during the team’s 5-1 loss to Montreal on Thursday.
-
Gagnon's first goal helps Jets beat Sabres
Aaron Gagnon scored his first NHL goal Tuesday night to help the Winnipeg Jets earn a 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres.
-
Quick goals spark Sabres
Brian Flynn and Jochen Hecht scored third-period goals 12 seconds apart, and the Buffalo Sabres rallied to beat the Ottawa Senators 4-2 on Friday night.
-
Pens' win streak snapped by Sabres
The Pittsburgh Penguins' run at a record-breaking streak is over.
-
Regehr sent to the Kings
The Los Angeles Kings have acquired defenseman Robyn Regehr from the Buffalo Sabres in a trade for two second-round draft picks.
-
Panthers best Sabres in shootout
Mike Santorelli scored the winning goal in the shootoout to lift the Florida Panthers to a 5-4 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.
-
Foligno nets pair in Sabres victory
Marcus Foligno scored twice and backup goalie Jhonas Enroth made 18 of his 32 saves in the third period of the Buffalo Sabres' 3-1 win over the New York Rangers on Tuesday night.
- More Sabres Headlines
-
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree
Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Officials: Texas Tornado Likely Had 200 Mph Wind
Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting
Raw: School Bus Crash Injures Five Children
Quick Response Saved Baby on Phila. Train Tracks
One Million Evacuated As Cyclone Hits Bangladesh
