Buffalo Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier announced on Friday, March 15 that defenseman TJ Brennan has been traded to the Florida Panthers for a fifth-round draft pick in the 2013 NHL draft.
Brennan, 23, was drafted 31st overall by the Sabres in the 2007 NHL draft, and made his pro debut with the Portland Pirates in 2009, who were the Sabres affiliate at the time.
In two seasons with the Pirates, Brennan compiled 21 goals and 41 assists for 62 points, and was rated a plus-9.
In 2011, Brennan joined the Rochester Americans, as the Sabres became re-affiliated with them after three seasons with the Portland Pirates.
Brennan played 52 games with the Amerks last season, notching 16 goals and 14 assists for 30 points. In two call-up stints with the Sabres, Brennan played 11 games, scoring one goal.
With the NHL on lockout until January, Brennan started this season with Rochester, compiling 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points in 36 games before being called back up to the Sabres when the NHL Lockout ended.
In 10 games with the Sabres this season, Brennan has one goal, six penalty minutes, and is rated a minus-1.
Brennan now joins a Panthers team that is in last place in the Eastern Conference with a 7-15-6 record and 20 points.
In another roster move on Friday, Darcy Regier also announced that 18-year-old rookie Mikhail Grigorenko has been sent back to the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League after 22 games with the Sabres this season.
Grigorenko was drafted 12th overall by the Sabres in 2012, and played 91 games with the Remparts over the last two seasons before joining the Sabres in January after the NHL Lockout. In those 91 games, he scored 69 goals and added 66 assists for 135 points.
However, Grigorenko’s strong play in Juniors has not fully transitioned well into the NHL’s style of play.
Averaging only 9:44 of ice time per game in his 22 games with the Sabres this season, Grigorenko only scored one goal and added four assists for five points.
Grigorenko will now return to a Remparts team that is in sixth place in the QMJHL standings with two games remaining. After the Remparts post-season run ends, Grigorenko can than return to the Sabres or be sent to the Rochester Americans of the AHL.
“In the end, he’s got an opportunity to go back to Quebec, be the go-to-guy and play 20-22 minutes. He’s got a terrific coach there in Patrick Roy,” stated Darcy Regier in a press-conference on Friday afternoon.
“It’s an experience that he can build on the World Juniors, and be the go-to-guy in Quebec. And I expect that at some point in his NHL career, that’s what we’re going to expect here out of him. But it’s not fair to look for that out of an 18-year-old.”
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