Worst Trades In Buffalo Sabres History - #4

We have been taking a look at the most consequential deals in Buffalo Sabres history (using the Hockey News Archives as source material) and ranking the 15 best and the 15 worst deals in the club’s 54-year history.

This required the input of a trio of veteran media members (Dave Reichert, Randy Schultz, and Pete Weber), as well as three lifetime Sabre fans (Chuck Bender, Todd Riniolo, and Joe Schwartz).

4. July 1, 2001 – Buffalo acquires winger Vyacheslav Kozlov and a 2002 first round pick from the Detroit Red Wings for Dominik Hasek.

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READ ABOUT OTHER SABRES TRADES

Best Trades In Sabres History - #6

Worst Trades In Sabres History - #6

Best Trades In Sabres History - #5

Worst Trades In Sabres History - #5

Best Trades In Sabres History - #4

It is understandable when a franchise deals arguably the best player in their history for the club to win that trade, but it is incumbent on a general manager when that scenario comes up to get the best return possible. In the summer of 2001, the Sabres and future Hall-of-Fame goalie Dominik Hasek were headed in different directions.

After nine tumultuous seasons in Buffalo, after winning six Vezina Trophies, two Hart Trophies, and a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 1999, the Sabres could not repeat their playoff success in 2000 and 2001 with Hasek, and GM Darcy Regier was looking to cut the club’s payroll.

Buffalo let veterans Doug Gilmour and Dave Andreychuk leave via free agency, they dealt holdout center Michael Peca’s rights to New York for Tim Connolly and Taylor Pyatt and on July 1, they moved Hasek to Detroit for forward Slava Kozlov and a 2002 first-round pick.

The 29-year-old winger was a consistent scorer for the Wings after coming from Russia in 1992, scoring 20 or more goals in six seasons, but Kozlov’s point totals slipped to under 40 points in his last two seasons with Detroit. Kozlov’s transition with Buffalo was not smooth, as the veteran struggled in the first half with just nine goals in 38 games before suffering a season-ending Achilles tendon injury in December.

The Sabres opted to move on from Kozlov after one season, shipping him to Atlanta for a 2002 third-round pick and a swap of second-rounders, the second-round pick was later sent to Edmonton to winger Jochen Hecht. Kozlov went on to score 20+ goals in five of the next six seasons for the Thrashers.

The first-round pick in the deal was dealt to Columbus along with the rights to Mike Pandolfo to move up to 20^th overall in the ’02 Draft to select winger Daniel Paille.

Hasek continued to be “The Dominator” in his first season with Detroit, winning a career-high 41 games and leading Detroit to their third Cup in six seasons. After retiring in 2002, he returned with the Wings in 2003 but played only 14 games before suffering a season-ending groin injury. After one season with Ottawa, he returned to Detroit for two more years, winning another Cup before retiring from the NHL for good in 2008.

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