The Buffalo Sabres have acquired the rights to defenseman Christian Ehrhoff for a 2012 fourth-round pick, the Associated Press reports.
The move comes hot on the heels of the Islanders themselves acquiring Ehrhoff for a fourth-round pick from the Vancouver Canucks. The Islanders were unable to sign Ehrhoff, so now they have a fourth-round pick again, and the Sabres will take a shot at him. New Sabres owner Terry Pegula has made it known that he won't be shy about spending money, so perhaps a deal can get done. The Sabres will have until Friday to swing a deal; if they can't, Ehrhoff will become a free agent.
Ehrhoff himself has yet to be informed of the deal:
"He's fast asleep. He doesn't know," Ehrhoff's agent, Richard Curran, told The Associated Press. And that leaves Ehrhoff and the Sabres about 36 hours to negotiate a deal before the NHL's free agency period opens Friday afternoon.
Ehrhoff, who turns 29 next week, had 14 goals and 36 assists for the Canucks in 2010-2011.
For more on the Islanders, check out Lighthouse Hockey. For more on the Sabres, there's Die By The Blade, which figures that it will cost "at least $4.5 million" to keep Ehrhoff from free agency.