The New Jersey Devils continued moving veteran players Monday by trading Wayne Simmonds to the Buffalo Sabres.
The ”Wayne Train” is heading northbound. Monday, the New Jersey Devils traded veteran winger Wayne Simmonds to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a 2021 conditional fifth-round pick per Frank Seravalli of TSN.
All aboard the Wayne Train ?
Welcome to Buffalo, @Simmonds17! pic.twitter.com/4A1Iz0JBm2
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) February 24, 2020
Simmonds possessed a no-trade clause in his contract with the Devils, but he chose to waive it to join a playoff-hopeful team in Buffalo.
The Sabres currently sit four points behind the Florida Panthers for the final wild-card spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. If Buffalo is able to make it with Simmonds on board, the conditional fifth-round pick acquired by the Devils would turn into a fourth-rounder.
Regardless, New Jersey will retain half of Simmonds’ $5 million salary per Pierre LeBrun of TSN. Simmonds signed with the Devils in the summer of 2019 after stints with the Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers and Nashville Predators. In his first season with New Jersey, Simmonds scored eight goals with 16 assists for a total of 24 points.
With the trade to the Sabres, Simmonds will move closer to his hometown of Scarborough, Toronto, located just two hours from Buffalo.
At practice, Monday Devils interim coach Alain Nasreddine told Abbey Mastracco of USA Today that he spoke to Simmonds and that he is content to join a potential playoff team close to his hometown.
With Simmonds gone, the Devils have now traded away four veterans this season. The team moved Taylor Hall, Blake Coleman, and Andy Greene were all shipped off to teams with playoff aspirations.
The deal may not be the last for the Devils before Monday’s 3 p.m ET NHL trade deadline.
