Friday, March 10, 2000
By DIRK SOETERIK -- SLAM! Sports

BUFFALO -- Sometimes lightning does strike three times, and for Chris Gratton, this is a good thing.

One of the Sabres' newest acquisitions, Gratton was the main fodder in a trade for the third time in his short five-year career.

Gratton was introduced to the media a couple of hours before the Buffalo Sabres tangle with the Montreal Canadiens, both teams hoping to solidify a ticket to post-season play.

Seeming still a little shell-shocked at landing on a team that may make the playoffs, after leaving the lowly and no-chance at a berth in the playoffs Tampa Bay Lightning, Gratton was obviously happy.

"It feels great," he said, "I'm still in shock, a little bit."

The 24 year-old Gratton was dealt from the Lightning to the Sabres late Thursday night, along with a second round draft pick in 2001, in exchange for Wayne Primeau, Brian Holzinger, Cory Sarich and Buffalo's third round pick in this year's entry draft.

With the Gratton trade, and the big news Friday morning that Doug Gilmour will soon be wearing the black and silver, the Sabres suddenly look like a team that can make some noise in the Eastern Conference.

The Sabres are currently 11th in the east, two points out of a playoff spot.

"I'm very fortunate to be a part of this team," Gratton said. "We've got a great lineup with some spectacular goaltending and we're going to make a good run at it [the playoffs]."

Apart from size and toughness, Gratton, who is 6'4 and 219 pounds, also gives the Sabres an injection of some much needed offence.

Going into Friday night's tilt, the Brantford, Ont., native has 14 goals and 27 assists for 41 points in the 1999-2000 campaign. He is now the second leading scorer on the Sabres.

"He will undoubtedly boost our offence," Sabres GM Darcy Regier said. "Additionally, he improves our size, toughness and gives us on of the top faceoff men in the league."

Gratton has a 55.85 percentage in winning control of the puck, ranking him 12th in the NHL.

After going to the Stanley Cup finals last year, the Sabres looked like a team suffering from an incurable playoffs hangover. They have now, though, been given a chance to make something out a season that looked like it was on the fast track to mediocrity.

Chris Gratton Chris played two seasons with Kingston during which he had 82 goals and 93 assists in 120 games. In 1993 Chris played on the Canadian Junior Team, in Gavle, Sweden, where the team won the Gold Medal. Chris was recently named the All Time Centreman for the Kingston Frontenacs. Chris was drafted 3rd overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. Chris made the NHL clubs lineup in his first year, which saw him contribute 42 points. Chris played 4 full seasons in Tampa Bay before being traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in 1997. Chris played the 97- 98 season in Philadelphia then was subsequently traded back to Tampa Bay during the 98-99 season. Last year Buffalo traded for Gratton in anticipation of their playoff run. This year with Buffalo Chris is having one of his best seasons ever. In 566 games Chris has 122 goals and has collected 211 assists while accumulating 1007 minutes in penalties.