Blue Jackets trade left winger Eric Robinson to Sabres

The Columbus Blue Jackets have traded left winger Eric Robinson of Bellmawr, New Jersey to the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday according to TSN. In return, the Blue Jackets are receiving a conditional seventh round pick in the 2025 National Hockey League Entry Draft.

The Sabres will be Robinson’s second NHL team. He previously played seven seasons with Columbus since the 2017-18 season.

Robinson in 2023-24

In seven games this season, Robinson scored one goal for one point. He was a -3 with one game-winning goal, nine shots on goal, three blocked shots. 19 hits, three takeaways, and one giveaway. The lone goal, lone point and game-winning goal came on November 24 in a 2-1 Blue Jackets win over the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Robinson scored from Justin Danforth of Oshawa, Ontario and defenseman Erik Gudbranson of Ottawa, Ontario with 37 seconds left in the first period to close out the scoring and break a 1-1 deadlock.

Robinson played the Blue Jackets’s regular season opener, in a 4-2 Columbus loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on October 12. He was then placed on waivers on October 16, and subsequently sent down to the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League. Robinson was then recalled on November 21, when the team sent down right winger Trey Fix-Wolansky back down to Edmonton, Alberta. However, while with the Blue Jackets this season he was primarily playing on the fourth line.

Robinson in 2022-23

Robinson was much more of a regular for Columbus last season compared to this season. He had 12 goals and 12 assists for 24 points and was a -21 with six penalty minutes. Robinson had one game-winning goal, 98 shots on goal, three faceoff wins, 32 blocked shots, 124 hits, 30 takeaways and 17 giveaways. Robinson’s game-winning goal came on December 9, 2022, in a 3-1 Blue Jackets win over the Calgary Flames. He scored an unassisted marker at 2:52 of the second period. Also last season, ironically, Robinson recored his first and only hat trick against the Sabres. It came in a 5-3 Columbus win on February 28.