Just 45 minutes before the NHL trade deadline was set to strike at 2 p.m. CST Friday, news broke of the Minnesota Wild trading 6-foot-6 forward Jordan Greenway to the Buffalo Sabres.
According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Wild are sending Greenway to Buffalo in exchange for a 2023 second-round draft pick and a 2024 fifth-round pick. The Wild have confirmed the deal.
Sabres sending 2023 2nd and 2024 5th to Wild for Greenway https://t.co/PyQaRggb18
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) March 3, 2023
Trading Greenway offers Minnesota no immediate help, though they did just acquire forwards Marcus Johansson and Gustav Nyquist in trades earlier this week. Johansson made his Wild debut in Thursday’s 2-1 win over the Canucks and Nyquist hopes to return from a shoulder injury before the end of the season.
What matters most for the Wild is that, according to Michael Russo, they aren’t retaining any of Greenway’s salary. That frees up $3 million in 2023-24 and 2024-25, making the Wild’s ability to navigate free agency this summer a little bit easier.
#mnwild get a 2023 second-round pick and 2024 fifth-round pick for Greenway. No salary retained, so they free $3 million in next two years to help with conducting business this summer
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) March 3, 2023
