Sharpen Up: All the Sabres news you need to know on February 25, 2020

Ahead of the 2020 NHL Trade Deadline, Sabres general manager Jason Botterill brought in a pair of new forwards.
First, he acquired forward Wayne Simmonds from the New Jersey Devils for a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. Then he added forward Dominik Kahun from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for forwards Conor Sheary and Evan Rodrigues.

The team will practice today before heading out on a four-game road trip. They'll take on the Colorado Avalanche tomorrow night at 8 p.m. The game will air on NBCSN and WGR 550.
Here's what you need to know.

Botterill recaps the moves

From our story here on Sabres.com…
Ralph Krueger said Sunday that he felt the Buffalo Sabres put themselves in a position to play meaningful games in March with back-to-back victories over Pittsburgh and Winnipeg.
On Monday, general manager Jason Botterill treated the trade deadline as an opportunity to better prepare the team for that challenge.
Botterill shook up the Sabres' forward group with a pair of deals, acquiring veteran winger Wayne Simmonds from New Jersey in exchange for a conditional fifth-round pick and versatile forward Dominik Kahun from Pittsburgh for forwards Conor Sheary and Evan Rodrigues.
"We've talked a lot about playing meaningful games in the month of March," Botterill said. "I think with some of the moves we made today, we're hopefully setting our team up to better accept that challenge."
The Sabres have won five of their last six games and six of their last eight. They sit six points behind third-place Toronto with 20 games remaining and one in hand.
They will return to practice at KeyBank Center on Tuesday, then head west to open their road trip against the Western-Conference leading Avalanche. The road trip continues against three more teams currently occupying playoff spots in Vegas, Arizona, and Winnipeg.
A difficult test, sure, but one the organization is embracing.
"With this group, you see the potential and I see the dialogue our players are having with our coaches and our staff and you want to see them have success," Botterill said.
"I'm happy today that we're able to make some moves that I think put us in better position and we'll see how we progress here for the next month or so."
Click here for the full story.

More on Simmonds

Some facts and stats from Sabres.com's trade story…
The Sabres have won five of their last six games to cut their standings deficit to six points behind third-place Toronto. In Simmonds, they'll have another veteran to help them make a push.
Simmonds, 31, brings a physical edge and a willingness to play in front of the opposing net. He was a regular on the Devils' power-play, ranking third on the team in ice time with the extra man.
He has tallied 24 points (8+16) while averaging 15:11 in 61 games with the Devils this season. He has five points (3+2) in his last eight games.
Tweet from @NJDevils: #NJDevils players reflect on Wayne Simmonds and his impact with New Jersey this season.@AmandaCStein reports in DEVILS NOW presented by @RWJBarnabas. pic.twitter.com/bhqCpVfV0l
The Scarborough, Ontario native was selected by Philadelphia in the second-round pick of the 2007 NHL Draft. Simmonds has played 902 regular-season games over 12 seasons and 44 more in the playoffs. He's scored 20 or more goals six times, most recently in 2017-18.
Simmonds should also add a respected voice to the team's dressing room. He was an alternate captain during his time in Philadelphia and won the Mark Messier Award, presented to the player who "exemplifies great leadership qualities on and off the ice and who plays a leading role in his community growing the game of hockey," last season.
Check out our full article here.

Insert your Kahun-aville pun here

From our story on the trade…
Kahun, 24, has 27 points (10+17) in 50 games this season. He's averaging 2.31 points per 60 minutes at 5-on-5, which ranked sixth on the Penguins.
The Czech-born forward was raised in Germany, where he beat out current Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl for the DNL (Germany's developmental league) scoring title with 57 points in 2011-12. He was a three-time champion in Germany's pro league (DEL) with EHC München.

Kahun signed a two-year, entry-level deal with the Chicago Blackhawks in summer 2018 and tallied 37 points (13+24) as a rookie last season. He was acquired by Pittsburgh as part of a package that sent defenseman Olli Maatta to Chicago this past summer.
Whereas Simmonds added a veteran presence with a knack for the net front, Kahun is a versatile young forward who came into the league as a centerman but has seen time on both wings this season. That includes 129:07 of even-strength ice time alongside Evgeni Malkin.
Read more here.