The Sabres, according to the Buffalo News, were prepared to make Vanek the highest-paid player in the NHL. Thomas Vanek. Highest paid player in the NHL. Instead, he's an Islander at the moment and potentially a free agent come July. New York acquired Vanek for winger Matt Moulson, a first-round pick in 2014 and a second-round pick in 2015.

Now, the trade as constituted certainly seems like a win for the Sabres. Vanek wasn't going to re-sign, and they can potentially flip Moulson — who's been as productive as Vanek, albeit alongside a star in John Tavares. Plus, player salaries (and cap hits) are going to continue to rise; a contract signed now is different than one signed before the lockout.

But … wow. No matter how good a a 29-year-old sniper he is — and Vanek is a two-time 40-goal scorer — making him the highest-paid player in the league would have been a recipe for disaster. Stastically, players start exiting their scoring prime at age 27. If Vanek was worth $10 million against the cap now, he wouldn't much longer — let alone when the Sabres' rebuild would start paying off.

And make no mistake: As constituted, they could be one of the worst teams of all time. The Sabres are also paying defenseman Tyler Myers, who currently looks like an AHL player, $5.5 million against the cap until 2019. Christian Ehrhoff is under contract until he's 40. They've still got three years' worth of Ville Leino. They employ John Scott and Patrick Kaleta. Things are bad—and they would've been worse had Vanek cared more about getting paid than winning games.

Instead, he passed, and GM Darcy Regier wound up pulling off a nice trade with no real leverage. Funny.

"I enjoyed my time there, but I didn’t want to be a part of that," Vanek told reporters in New York. "We traded pretty much every veteran. The message was clear that they’re going for draft picks. I think our last game we played four teenagers. Good, young players, but young players take time."


MOULSON UNCERTAINTY


The setting might be new for Moulson after he joined the Sabres on Monday. The uncertainty about his future beyond this season hasn't changed.

A day after moving over from the Islanders, Moulson was unsure of whether Buffalo would be his last stop this season.

"I'm just going to take it day by day," Moulson said. "If it's for however long, a long period of time, a short period of time or whatever they have planned, I'm going to play and compete, play my game and try to help this team get wins."

Moulson's uncertainty stems from him being in the final year of his contract. That makes the 29-year-old eligible to test free agency next summer, when he's expected to attract lucrative offers.

Moulson, a three-time 30-goal scorer, could eventually find himself on the move again with Buffalo (2-10-1) in the process of rebuilding from scratch.

Though Moulson provides Buffalo someone capable of immediately filling Vanek's spot on the top line, the key to the deal for the Sabres was an opportunity to continue stockpiling draft picks. 

Intent on developing a young lineup that features four 18-year-olds, Buffalo has matched its worst start in franchise history. It's unclear yet how Moulson fits in the team's plans, which opens the possibility of the Sabres trading him to address additional needs.

In discussing the trade on Sunday, Regier said Moulson "will address our current needs."

Moulson isn't in position to complain. "You can't really worry about those things too much," he said. "Obviously, when they come, it's a little bit of a whirlwind. I'm going to play my game, and I don't think that will change."


CONCUSSION TESTS FOR KOIVU 


Ducks center Saku Koivu has returned to Anaheim for concussion protocol testing after taking a hard hit during Sunday's game at Columbus.

Koivu was knocked unconscious on a hit by Columbus' Brandon Dubinsky, who was ejected from Anaheim's 4-3 victory over the Blue Jackets. Koivu must be tested and evaluated before he is allowed to return to the Ducks, per NHL protocol.

The Ducks recalled center Richard Rakell, who played four games with Anaheim last season, from the AHL on Monday.

Goalie Viktor Fasth also returned to Anaheim for treatment on his lower-body injury. Fasth hasn't played since Oct. 16. Danish rookie goalie Frederik Andersen has won his first three NHL decisions as Jonas Hiller's backup.

Anaheim is 2-2 on its eight-game road trip, which continues Tuesday in Philadelphia.

Contributors: Sean Gentille, The Associated Press