Good morning, Buffalo. Grab your coffee because the NHL trade deadline is tomorrow and the Sabres front office clearly did not sleep last night.
The Sabres Are One Phone Call Away From Getting a Lot Bigger
When the Robert Thomas blockbuster fell apart, most fans were ready to throw their remote through the TV. Instead, GM Jarmo Kekalainen basically shrugged, pivoted, and came back with a 6-foot-6, 228-pound Stanley Cup champion. Buffalo has a framework in place to bring in defenseman Colton Parayko from St. Louis, reportedly sending top prospect Radim Mrtka and a first-round pick to the Blues to get it done. There is one catch though: Parayko has to waive his no-trade clause, and he has not pulled the trigger yet. Insiders believe it happens, but nothing is official until the man himself says yes. The deadline hits tomorrow at 3 p.m., so watch your phone. If Parayko agrees, Buffalo lands a shutdown veteran to play alongside Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power and finally has the defensive anchor this team has been missing for years. Tonight, the Sabres are in Pittsburgh at 7. 35-19-6, 2nd in the Atlantic, four points behind Tampa. This team is the real deal.
Buffalo Wants to Sell Four Parking Ramps. Yes, Really.
The Buffalo Parking Authority officially held its first-ever meeting Tuesday, appointing Deputy Mayor Benjamin Swanekamp as CEO and getting down to business on one goal: selling four city-owned downtown parking ramps to help close a projected $20 million budget gap by June 30. Financial advisors at the meeting said the ramps could fetch somewhere between $25 and $30 million. Mayor Scanlon has been pushing this plan for a while now, calling it a necessary cash infusion at a time when the city's finances are stretched thin. Critics have called it a one-time gimmick that trades a long-term asset for short-term relief. Either way, the authority is now officially up and running and the clock is ticking.
North Tonawanda Made History Wednesday Night
Give it up for North Tonawanda. The Lady Warriors took down Williamsville East 73-52 at Buffalo State on Wednesday night to win the school's first-ever Section VI Class AA girls basketball championship. Jakayla Brown dropped 23 points, Lilly Day added 16, and Annabelle Day chipped in 14. NT had been waiting a long time for a night like that, and they earned every bit of it. Huge night for the whole program and everyone in that community.
The Sheriff's Narcotics Chief Is Heading for the Door
Erie County Sheriff's narcotics chief Daniel "D.J." Granville announced he will retire on March 27. His attorney confirmed the news after Granville had been under scrutiny for months. This one has been brewing in the background for a while and it sounds like the exit is finally happening. More to come on what this means for the department going forward.
March Madness Is Coming and Buffalo Businesses Are Ready
Visit Buffalo Niagara has been quietly meeting with restaurant owners and other local businesses to help them prepare for the wave of fans expected to roll into the city for March Madness. If you have ever seen Chippewa during a big game weekend, you already know what this means. For business owners this is a golden window to cash in on out-of-town visitors who are going to need food, drinks, and a place to watch their bracket fall apart in real time.
Tonight Is a Good Night to Go Out
Buffalo Iron Works is throwing a Choreo and Cocktails: Gaga Night tonight. If you are someone who knows every word to Bad Romance and has been waiting for an excuse to prove it in public, tonight is your moment.
Coming Up
NFL free agency opens March 11 and the Bills have work to do at the backup QB spot with Mitch Trubisky headed for free agency. The Sabres host Nashville on Saturday. A win combined with a Tampa loss could shake up the Atlantic Division standings with a real stretch run ahead. Gas prices across the region are creeping back up, so fill your tank before the weekend.
Weather
Today: 43°F with rain arriving later. Friday: 52°F with some drizzle. Saturday: 65°F with rain showers. Yes, 65 degrees. In Buffalo. In March. Don't waste a single minute of it.
THE BUFFALO BUZZ