[BUF initiate compliance buy out on Ehrhoff]

Um... There's a reason he was bought out instead of traded - nobody would take him.

The two years he played for the Canucks were the best of his career - putting up roughly half those numbers per year since. He is still a liability defensively - he was with the Canucks too but we were able to hide that a lot more than the Sabres could.

He will be picked up by another team no doubt, as he's still an NHL calibre defence man, but not worth the 4 mil Buffalo was paying him. I think someone will probably sign him for a short term deal worth 2.5-3 mil per year.

[Jordan Schroeder Talk]

A grade-A prospect like Jordan Schroeder has to be added to gain any significant piece in return without losing a roster player. That's why you're seeing Jordan's name out there often - because our goal is to win now, and if trading Jordan will get us a piece that will put us over the top, I wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger either.

I look back to even this year, when that ridiculous trade rumour for Corey Perry involving Cody Hodgson was gaining traction. At the time, and even now, I wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger to get Corey Perry using Hodgson as one of the pieces because it would make us an unbelievably stacked team.

It's about what gets us the Stanley Cup now rather than how promising a player is.

Look at the Dallas Stars - they traded Jarome Iginla for Joe Nieuwendyk in 1995. Dallas won the Stanley Cup and Nieuwendyk won the Conn Smythe in 1999. Jarome put Calgary's sh!t team on his back and went to the SCF game 7 in 2004. Would Dallas have won a Cup or two if they stuck with Jarome? Maybe - there's a good chance.

But they wanted to win now, and Nieuwendyk got it done. Similarly, if Jordan can bring us that guy that will put us over the top, and even Cody (though his value is much higher), we would pull the trigger.

That's why he's included in the talks - not because we don't see him as a valuable piece in the future - we know and everyone else knows - that's why he's included, since he's a player of value - but because we can use him if necessary to get a piece to win now.

I don't think it will happen, because MG is not looking to significantly upgrade, but if he was, Jordan and even Cody (though to a lesser extent) wouldn't be off the table.

This is exactly it - people are looking to get the best return without giving up a current roster player, and to do that, you need to look at options that one of your best prospects can get you.