Canucks and Sabres pull off a one for one trade

This just in, the Buffalo Sabres have acquired defenseman Riley Stillman from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for prospect Josh Bloom.

The 24 year old Stillman was acquired by the Canucks earlier this season from the Chicago Blackhawks in a deal involving veteran forward Jason Dickenson. He has five assists in 32 games with the Canucks this season and is signed next season for $1.35 million. He'll be a depth piece on the Sabres' blueline as they attempt to make a push for a Stanley Cup Playoff spot.

As for Bloom, he's a 19 year old forward with the North Bay Battalion of the OHL with 26 goals and 58 points in 59 games played this season. He was selected by the Sabres in the 3rd round (95th overall) of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.

To me, this represents a pretty fair one for one deal. The Sabres get a player who can jump into their lineup immediately and provide them with some depth on the back-end. It can never hurt to have extra NHL ready defensemen, especially when playoff time rolls around. Good gamble by GM Kevyn Adams in my mind, made even better by the fact that Stillman is signed for next season, as well.

The Canucks get a prospect with some upside in Bloom but maybe more importantly they gain themselves some cap flexibility for this season and next season. Part of the reason why the Canucks have struggled so much in recent seasons has to do with the absolutely dreadful salary cap situation that former GM Jim Benning saddled the team with. Sure, new President Jim Rutherford and GM Patrik Allvin haven't helped matters a ton with their signings, but this move does relieve a little bit of pressure. Rutherford and Allvin will now have more flexibility to make a move ahead of Wednesday's trade deadline if they need it. Frankly, if I were them I'd be looking to offload anyone not named Pettersson, Hughes or Demko... but I'm not sure they'll be so inclined. The fact of the matter though is that the Canucks need a massive overhaul.