The Buffalo Sabres have re-signed defenseman Kale Clague to a one-year, two-way contract with a $775k AAV and a $475k total guarantee, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
This re-signing keeps Clague, 25, in Buffalo for a second season after he first signed there in July 2022. Clague spent most of the year as the Sabres’ seventh defenseman, ultimately playing in 33 NHL games averaging just over 15 minutes of ice time per night.
A former WHL Defenseman of the Year and AHL All-Star, Clague is no longer the top prospect he once was but he’s settled into an established role on the NHL/AHL bubble. Clague has already proven himself to be a capable AHL defenseman, and should he end up a regular for the Sabres’ AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, he’ll make a difference there.
It’s less likely that Clague finds his way onto the NHL roster next season as much as he did in 2022-23, thanks to Buffalo’s signings of Erik Johnson and Connor Clifton to bolster their blueline.
But should the Sabres run into injury issues, this re-signing gives head coach Don Granato a player he’s familiar with as one of the team’s top call-up options, as well as an experienced pro to enhance the level of competition at training camp.
While Clague might be better suited signing with a team that doesn’t boast left-shot defensemen (or defensemen set to play on the left side) such as Mattias Samuelsson, Owen Power, and Johnson already entrenched in their lineup, he’s put work in to be as versatile as possible and has played on his off-hand.
There are worse roles to play for an NHL organization than top AHL defenseman and first or second-choice AHL call-up, and that’s exactly what the Sabres are paying Clague a hefty AHL guarantee to do.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Erik Johnson is a RHD (not left handed), but Dahlin is LHD to further enhance your point.
Good catch, thanks for pointing that out. It’s now been clarified as “left-shot defensemen or blueliners likely to play on the left side.”