After signing Owen Power on Friday, the Sabres were hoping to get two other key college prospects signed soon. GM Kevyn Adams told Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News on Friday that he had reached out to Michigan goalie Erik Portillo and Minnesota defenseman Ryan Johnson to discuss the possibility of both of them turning pro. However, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link), Portillo has since decided to return to the Wolverines next season. A 2019 third-round pick by Buffalo, Portillo had a 2.14 GAA along with a .926 SV% in 42 games in his sophomore year.
Meanwhile, Johnson, a first-rounder that same year, had 19 points in 39 games with the Golden Gophers. If the Sabres wanted to do so, they could offer to burn the first year of his entry-level deal as they did with Power to help entice Johnson to sign.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:
- While Minnesota has been eliminated from the Frozen Four tournament, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that Matthew Knies will take a few days to decide whether or not to turn pro. The Maple Leafs drafted the 19-year-old forward 57th overall last summer and opted to hold a contract slot available for him over converting an AHL player to an NHL deal at the trade deadline. He averaged a point per game in 33 contests with the Golden Gophers this season while also suiting up at the Olympics. If Knies isn’t going to play in the NHL right away, staying in college for his sophomore year would make more sense from a development perspective. It’s believed that Knies is leaning towards staying in school at this time.
- The Canadiens announced (Twitter link) that winger Michael Pezzetta will return to the lineup tonight after missing the last couple of weeks with an upper-body injury. The 24-year-old has played in 44 games in his rookie season, collecting eight points along with 68 penalty minutes and 132 hits. Jesse Ylonen will be scratched to make room in the lineup for Pezzetta.