Certainly, the Canucks got a king’s ransom for Hughes. To get not one, but two high-end youngsters, an NHL-caliber player in center Marco Rossi, *and* a first-round pick is a solid haul for Vancouver executives Patrik Allvin and Jim Rutherford. But when it comes to Dahlin, we believe he’s sick to death of continuing to lose in Buffalo. And the Sabres haven’t done much of anything positive this year, so you have to believe he’s disgruntled the way Hughes was in Vancouver.

But there’s little question Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has to work with Dahlin on finding a new team to play for. And even then, with Dahlin holding all the cards with a no-move clause in his contract, you could find a taker team for Dahlin that still gives up draft picks and prospects.

And that’s the way the Sabres are headed – yes, once again, to the outside of the Stanley Cup playoffs looking in – so you can’t fault Dahlin for possibly wanting out. Other star players could’ve asked out of Buffalo far sooner , but like Hughes, Dahlin is trying his best, but just like Hughes, Dahlin isn't getting the results he wants. Hughes tried to mae it work in Vancouver, but he couldn’t do all the work himself. The same goes for Dahlin.

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And now, when NHL GMs go big-game hunting for a top-defenseman, the Sabres should be seeing what they can get for Dahlin. Adams may also explore a trade for youngster Owen Power, but he’s having a tough year and wouldn’t get Buffalo nearly as much as they would if they chose to deal Dahlin.

We’re not saying a Dahlin trade is imminent. He may want to stay in Buffalo and get this team on the right track. However, the Sabres are losing all these games with Dahlin, so why shouldn’t they explore the market for a Dahlin trade? If Buffalo is going to miss the playoffs for the 15th consecutive season, all bets are off when it comes to untouchable players.

The deal for Hughes shows you what you can acquire if you’re determined enough and clever enough to make it work. Wild GM Bill Guerin deserves credit for going all-in with Hughes, and a Minnesota defense corps that includes Hughes and Brock Faber is almost too good to be true.

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But the Hughes deal proves that any team can choose to trade a top player – and that means the Sabres should be preparing for life after Dahlin. He’s put in his time, and it still hasn’t worked. Thus, it's time to move on, for the betterment of Dahlin and the Sabres as well.