Drew Stafford to the Wild?

One of the rumors to be surfacing today is the that Minnesota Wild might be interested in former UND Fighting Sioux forward Drew Stafford. Apparently, some of the Sioux hating Gopher fans don't like the idea. One person that might benifit from a change of scenery might be Stafford.

Michael Russo, Russo's Rants --- As I reported in today’s newspaper and on last night’s blog, multiple sources tell me the Wild is very interested in Drew Stafford, who has been playing at a consistently high level for some time for the Sabres. There have been lots of conversations between Fletcher and Sabres GM Tim Murray lately and the big question is whether Murray is indeed willing to trade Stafford, 28, and what the price would be.

He wouldn’t be a rental. He has another year left on his contract at a pretty attractive $4 million (remember, the cap is going up), so this would be more of a “hockey trade” (one of my favorite terms; I’d love to know who coined it).

So it could cost a second-tier prospect, salaried player (Wild would need to trade some cash unless it just puts Backstrom or Harding on LTIR, which allows you to top the cap ceiling by their cap hit if you need the space) and/or a pick.

Stafford is very good friends with Zach Parise from their days at Shattuck and North Dakota, he’s a former teammate of Jason Pominville. (By the way, even though I'm mentioning Stafford on here, I'm not saying it's going to happen. I'm sure Fletcher has many balls in the air and this is just one I've heard about).

BLOG: #mnwild talking to the Buffalo Sabres about Drew Stafford http://t.co/uU1fHguls4
— Michael Russo (@Russostrib) March 5, 2014

Stafford has heard same MIN rumors: "There's chatter about everything. .. It happens. We're in here watching the same thing all of you are."
— Mike Harrington (@BNHarrington) March 5, 2014

Drew Stafford Smoking Hot Right Now

PLAYER TO WATCH: Drew Stafford has six goals and nine points in his past seven games for the @BuffaloSabres. pic.twitter.com/UwWiIiqLLk
— NHL (@NHL) February 26, 2014

There was 23 scouts in the Buffalo Sabres press box for the past two games, preparing for the fire sale that's going to take place in Buffalo. I wonder if Drew Stafford is making the case to be traded? Stafford has scored (10g-14a—24pts) in 51 games this season. Stafford has scored (3g-3a—6pts) in the last five games.

Happy Birthday to Drew Stafford

Happy birthday to #Sabres forward Drew Stafford! pic.twitter.com/Mz0mnM8OCS
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) October 30, 2013

Former Fighting Sioux and current Buffalo Sabres forward Drew Stafford is celebrating his 28th birthday today. Stafford is having what some might classify as a rough season going four games without a point and scoring (1g-2a—3pts) in 14 games, he’s also a -4.

Related articles

• Buffalo Sabres: The Week Ahead (thehockeywriters.com)

Drew Stafford vs. Scott Hartnell

These kinds of hits have to be banned from hockey. Buffalo forward Tyler Ennis is 157 pounds soaking wet, and Flyers forward Scott Hartnell is a bull at 210 pounds, and he buries Ennis from behind.  No penalty on the play. You have to give former Fighting Sioux forward Drew Stafford credit for answering the call. 

Drew Stafford gets his 6th of the year.

That's four points in five game former Fighting Sioux and current Buffalo Sabres forward Drew Stafford, after scoring (31g-21a—52pts) last season, Stafford has had what one might classify as a down season scoring (6g-10a—16pts). The Sabres beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-4.

Drew Stafford to get paid...

Image by bridgetds via FlickrDrew Stafford gets fat contract, Stafford is going to make 4 million dollars a year. With that pay increase Stafford is going to have add pressure to perform from the Buffalo fan base.

Buffalo Sabres; NHL.COM --- Drew Stafford Buffalo Sabres GM Darcy Regier announced today the Sabres have agreed to terms with forward Drew Stafford, who was set to become a Restricted Free Agent on July 1 on a multi-year contract.

“It was important for us to get Drew locked up,” said Regier. “What we saw from Drew this season is exactly what we envisioned when we drafted him. Drew will continue to be an important part of our team in the coming years.”

Stafford (10/30/1985, 6’2”, 214 lbs.) is coming off a 2010-11 season that saw him finish second on the team with a career-high 31 goals in 62 games, including a league-best four hat tricks. The 25-year-old also posted career-highs in both points (52) and power play goals (11). In five seasons with Buffalo, Stafford has 196 points (94+102) in 317 career games.

Stafford was Buffalo’s first-round selection (13th overall) in the 2004 Entry Draft, and played three years at the University of North Dakota.

Related articles

• Buffalo Sabres, Drew Stafford agree on new deal (aol.sportingnews.com)
• Buffalo re-sign Drew Stafford to multi-year contract (cbc.ca)
• Buffalo re-sign RW Stafford, securing him before the start of free agency (thehockeynews.com)
• Sabres re-sign F Stafford to multiyear contract (sports.espn.go.com)

Drew Stafford with a pretty goal...

Former Fighting Sioux and current Buffalo Sabres forward Drew Stafford with a beautiful highlight goal against the Philadelphia Flyers... The Flyers won the game 4-2 and lead the series two games to one.

Stafford buries the Wild in O.T.

What is it with former Fighting Sioux forward Drew Stafford? Every time I turn around Stafford is sinking another one of my favorite NHL teams, twice this season Stafford takes it upon himself to single handily beat the the Boston Bruins as he scored a hat trick twice, now tonight, Drew Stafford scores this high light goal/game winner in overtime to sink my other favorite NHL team the Minnesota Wild. That was goal number 26 (26g-14a-40pts) on the season for the Former Fighting Sioux forward.

Drew Stafford Hat Trick - 2/13 - Stafford second star of the week...

What a season Drew Stafford is having. Drew Stafford has four hat tricks this season, five for his career. Two of Drew Stafford's hat tricks have come against the Boston Bruins, one against Tampa Bay and one against the New York Islanders. Drew Stafford has been read hot has he has 8 goals in the last four games and two hat tricks in his last three games. According to Brad Schlossman Stafford now has 23 goals in 36 games. That’s 0.64 goals per game, which ranks third in the NHL behind No. 1 overall picks Sidney Crosby (0.78) and Steven Stamkos (0.71).

Drew Stafford hat trick 12/15/10

Drew Stafford hat trick 1/1/11

Stafford Scores Hat Trick In Sabres' Win on

Buffallo Sabre forward Drew Stafford named NHL second star of the week. [NHL.COM]

Drew Stafford's big night.

Former Fighting Sioux forward and Buffalo Sabre Drew Stafford has three hat tricks this season (two against the Boston Bruins) and has been on a terror scoring 17 goals in the last 22 games. Stafford as scored 5 goals in the last two games, that's an amazing pace. [Watch all three of Staffords goals]

Drew Stafford burys the Bruins again...

Drew Stafford has scored 13 goals this season 6 of them have come against the Boston Bruins, that is 6 goals in three games for the Former Fighting Sioux winger. Stafford has 4 career hat tricks and two have come this season against the Boston Bruins. You would think going forward that the Boston Bruins might want to check Stafford a little more closely.

Drew Stafford hat trick sinks Bruins...

Leave it to former Fighting Sioux forward Drew Stafford to stick it to my Boston Bruins tonight, Stafford returned from an injury to score a "Hat Trick" and the last two goals of the game. In case you wondering that is MSG voice of the Buffalo Sabres Rick Jeanneret who is one of the best hockey play by play television announcers in the business. Unfortunately, some of my worst Boston Bruins Memories are with Rick Jeanneret at the helm calling the game. My friend Mike once left Rick Jeanneret's call of my Boston Bruins being eliminated in the 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs on a goal by former Sabres tough guy Brad May on my answering machine, "May Day, May Day, Brad May...

Where does Wheeler compare?

The Bruins blog asks the question, 'how does former Minnesota Gopher and Boston Bruins RFA Blake Wheeler compare to other players taken in the 2004 draft.' First comparison is former Fighting Sioux hockey player Travis Zajac. I actually didn't know that Blake Wheeler had six more points in his first two season in the NHL. Wheeler's total (45-38=83 points) compared to Travis Zajac who went (42-34=77). However, I don't see Wheeler getting 62 points playing in the Boston Bruins line up next season, just a hunch.

First you rule out the extreme cases of guys who really cashed in on their second contract. Travis Zajac spent two years playing NCAA hockey, and after entering the NHL at 21 saw his point totals go from 42 to 34 to 62. That earned him a four-year extension worth an average of a little more than $3.887 million per season. As a centerman, his contributions are automatically more valued, and then he sky-rocketed from supporting player to leading man just in time for his entry-level contract to expire.

The Bruins blog also looked at former Fighting Sioux and current Buffalo Sabres forward Drew Stafford and Wheeler and Stafford had the same exact amount of points their first two season in the NHL.

That brings us to two players whose production and compensation are more in line with Wheeler should receive. Buffalo’s Drew Stafford played three years of college like Wheeler, and in his first three full NHL seasons produced 38, 45 and 34 points. After that second full season, he worked out a two-year deal worth $1.9 million per season.