The Buffalo Sabres may be busy talking to other teams ahead of the trade deadline, but that doesn’t mean the other work stops. The team has signed Linus Weissbach to a two-year entry-level contract following his senior season at the University of Wisconsin. The deal will begin in the 2021-22 season. Had the Sabres not signed him, Weissbach could have become an unrestricted free agent in August.
Now 22, the undersized Weissbach has come a long way from the seventh round of the 2017 draft, when he was picked 192nd overall by the Sabres. At that point, he was coming off a strong but not outstanding season with the Tri-City Storm of the USHL and looked like he was a long shot to have success in professional hockey. Now after four outstanding seasons at Wisconsin, including lining up alongside top Montreal Canadiens prospect Cole Caufield, Weissbach is a legitimate prospect for the Sabres and one to keep an eye on.
Still small, measuring in at a generous 5’8″, Weissbach has shown an unshakeable work ethic in his time at Wisconsin and has his sights set on success at the professional level. In his senior season he posted 41 points in 31 games, finishing behind only Caufield and Odeen Tufto (who recently signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning) in scoring across the nation. That kind of offensive production will have to be his calling card at the next level, but if he can continue to create chances for his linemates with strong playmaking abilities, his small stature may not hold him back for long.
No one is gonna keep a close eye on a very small former 7th round prospect. But, when you’re a Sabres fan, and that prospect scored over 1.3 PPG in his Senior season, you pay attention.
There is definitely a place for a small player in today’s NHL. I was anxious to see the Sabres avoid losing him to FA in August. As frosting on the cake, the contract does not kick in until next season. As cherry on top, Linus is a Swede.