The Buffalo Sabres may not have a general manager, but that isn’t stopping them from making trades. In the first move since Pat Lafontaine was named President of Hockey Operations, and Darcy Regier was fired, the Sabres acquired winger Linus Omark from the Edmonton Oilers for a conditional sixth round pick in the 2014 NHL draft. The pick is conditional upon the number of games that Omark plays for the Sabres at the NHL level.
Omark, 26, was a fourth round draft choice of the Oilers in the 2007 NHL draft (97th Overall). While he has been a big time scorer at lower levels he has had little opportunity in Edmonton playing in just one game this season. He has 29 points in 29 games for the Oilers AHL affiliate in Oklahoma City.
In 66 career NHL games (spread over three seasons), Omark has eight goals and 22 assists for 30 points. He is perhaps best remembered for his shootout moves, one from Sweden, and one in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Omark has also played for Zug in the Swiss Professional League.
The move came in just before the NHL’s Christmas Roster Freeze. Teams will be unable to make trades from midnight on the morning of December 20th (ie Thursday Night/Friday Morning) until midnight on the morning of December 28th. The pre-christmas trade deadline has traditionally not been a very busy one in the NHL.
Lafontaine and the Sabres continue to interview candidates for the vacant general manager’s position.
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