Pavel Buchnevich #89 of the New York Rangers . (Photo by Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images)
When the New York Rangers traded Pavel Buchnevich to St. Louis the fanbase went nuts. As infuriating as the enigmatic Russian could be when he passed up prime scoring opportunities to pass the puck or missed an open net, he was still the right winger on the top line, one of the team’s best penalty killers and a well liked locker room presence who grew up as a Ranger.
Sammy Blais and a second round draft pick seemed like meager pickings for a player of Buchnevich’s quality and there is definitely some merit to that.