Saturday: Bogosian has cleared waivers, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. The Sabres announced that he has been assigned to AHL Rochester.
Friday: The Buffalo Sabres have decided to offer Zach Bogosian to the rest of the league for free, placing him on waivers today. Bogosian has been a healthy scratch at times this season and reportedly requested a trade, but also comes with a hefty contract that makes a deal difficult.
Bogosian, 29, was acquired by the Sabres back in 2015 as part of the huge Tyler Myers–Evander Kane deal, but his constant battle with injury never stopped. In fact, Bogosian has played more than 80 games in a season just once in his career, not even topping 65 since 2010-11. That fact, combined with a steady decline in effectiveness, has made him even impossible to ice for the Sabres.
Combine those struggles with the fact that he is still carrying a $5.14MM cap hit this season and the idea of a team claiming the right-handed defenseman becomes unlikely. Bogosian is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year and could still try to continue his career elsewhere, but having a team take that contract of Buffalo’s hands right now will be difficult.
There is always the trade route, if the Sabres are willing to retain some salary, but again it would be hard to see him providing any real upgrade for a contending team. At this point, it seems likely that he’ll just have to wait out the rest of the year in Buffalo (or, alternatively Rochester if the team decides to send him to the minor leagues and save $1.075MM against the cap).
Not playing the guy makes him super attractive. They are using the Rob Blake / Kovalchuk philosophy.
Maybe goes back home to Winnipeg ?
He’s from NY, Winnipeg is not home.
excuse me I should have have clarified that he started out in Atlanta with the Thrashers and their subsequent move to Winnipeg in 2011 and was saying that he would be a good fit back with Winnipeg as they are looking for defenseman , bad oversight on my part. Am by no means perfect I am human I as everyone make mistakes.
G. – I knew what you meant, no apology needed. @wreckage – “home”, not home was what he was going for. Not even a low-end misdemeanor, just a minor stubbed toe, if that. Maybe that would help with his injury issues. Yeah, maybe not… But, the Buffalo experience is sour for most of that roster. Just ask Dwayne (Duane) from Buffalo…
Wow. Odds he even shows up to rochester? Gotta be something out there! He can go follow Berglund. Good guy but too injury prone and more “old school” nhl. Not a fit in today’s nhl