CALGARY, ALBERTA • The Buffalo Sabres came calling about Brad Boyes, and with an abundance of right wingers, the Blues were ready to listen.
Late Sunday night, they sent Boyes to the Sabres for a second-round pick in the 2011 NHL draft.
The Blues' recent acquisition of Chris Stewart from Colorado created a logjam on the right side, and with Boyes' drop in goal-scoring the past two seasons, general manager Doug Armstrong pulled off the swap less than 24 hours before today's 2 p.m. trading deadline.
"When we got a call on Brad, I looked at our roster today and also looked at it moving forward," Armstrong said. "With the addition of Stewart and knowing (David) Perron is coming back at some point (from a concussion), it was necessary to make the move now while it was available.
"You just have to manage your assets. With Stewart, Perron and T.J. Oshie (on the right side), we had to create space. We had too many right wingers."
Boyes, 28, was in the third year of four-year, $16 million contract. The Blues will save approximately $975,600 this season by sending him to the Sabres, who will take over the final year of his contract next season at $4 million.
Armstrong acknowledged the cost savings but stressed, "This was a hockey decision based on personnel that we had."
After scoring 76 goals in back-to-back seasons in 2007-08 and '08-09, Boyes hasn't been the same goal scorer. He netted 14 goals last season and has 12 goals and 41 points in 62 games this season.
"That was definitely what I wanted to get back to," Boyes said after the trade, referencing his high-scoring seasons. "We had some injuries this season and it was tough. The style that we played is not the style you can put up a lot of points. We were a good defensive team. It's not good or bad, it's just what it was.
"I tried to create as much as I could. I would have loved to score more. If I did, maybe I'd still be in St. Louis. But I love where I'm going, and I'm looking forward to it. I'm not necessarily surprised (by the trade). But it's tough leaving the guys. The organization was great, everybody was awesome. It's some of the best years I've had in my career. Unfortunately, I didn't get where I wanted to, and the team didn't get where we wanted to. But I don't have a bad word for the Doug Armstrong or the organization."
In five seasons with the Blues, Boyes played 327 consecutive games and had 106 goals and 126 assists.
Buffalo GM Darcy Regier said the Sabres aren't concerned about Boyes' lack of scoring the past two seasons.
"It's not just the goals," Regier told the Buffalo News. "I certainly think the goals were there and they've dropped off, but it's also his ability to make plays, his ability to play in and around the net. He's got very good hands. He sees the ice well, can make plays, and I think that's probably the shift you see in him statistically this year ... from more goals on one end to setting the goals up on the other side. We'll be happy to take whether he's scoring the goals or contributing on the offense of someone else scoring the goals. Either one works fine."
Regier added that the Sabres targeted Boyes.
"He was one of a few players that we've talked about," Regier said. "We were looking for someone that could contribute for the balance of this season and a minimum next season, and given the marketplace at the deadline, he was one of the guys we were looking at."
The Blues acquired Buffalo's second-round pick, which could give them as many as three second-round picks in 2011.
The team received a conditional second-round pick from Colorado in the Erik Johnson trade, but that might not be used until 2012, depending on where the Blues finish in this year's standings. The club also has two third-round picks, after receiving one from Tampa Bay in the trade involving Eric Brewer.
Armstrong said the accumulation of draft picks doesn't mean the Blues will take all of those selections to the draft in June. He indicated that the picks could be used in trades.
"Part of getting these draft picks is that it gives us good options to move draft picks for NHL players," Armstrong said. "The potential allows us to maybe do some of that tomorrow. Now we have picks in play that we didn't have. There's not a 100 guarantee we will use these picks at the draft."
