Free Agent Focus: Buffalo Sabres
Free agency is almost upon us as it’s less than a day away. There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. Next up is a look at the Buffalo Sabres.
Key Restricted Free Agent
F Victor Olofsson: The 26-year-old has had some ups and downs in his career and there was a time last season when it looked like Olofsson could be a non-tender candidate when he was struggling. However, he was much better over the final two months of the season, notching 25 points in 28 games to show that he can still be a part of Buffalo’s plans. Olofsson is in his final year of arbitration eligibility so GM Kevyn Adams will be looking to work on a multi-year agreement which likely would fall in the mid-$4MM range. If they can’t work out something in the next few days at least, expect Olofsson to file for arbitration and that will start the clock on working out a deal to avoid a hearing. A one-year pact through a hearing should check in around the $4MM range if it gets that far.
Other RFAs: G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, F Brett Murray, F Arttu Ruotsalainen
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
D Will Butcher – Few players have seen their stock plummet as much as Butcher has in recent years. After making the All-Rookie team in 2018, things have gone downhill from there. The 27-year-old has had a very limited role the last couple of seasons between New Jersey and Buffalo but still put up nine points in 37 games in 2021-22. He’s only four years removed from reaching 30 points back in his sophomore year. While his market isn’t going to be the strongest, there will be teams looking to add some low-cost offensive depth on their back end and the potential upside of a rebound will result in some interest on a one-year deal.
D Colin Miller – There are some parallels with Butcher in the sense that he’s a few years removed from his best year but his production has dropped considerably since then. Miller is coming off a tough year on the injury front as well, missing 30 games between injuries and a stint in COVID protocol and with only 14 points in 38 games, his market is going to be similarly limited as well. Again, teams will be looking to shore up their depth and Miller did log nearly 19 minutes a game last season so there will be some interest in a short-term pact, albeit at a much lower price tag than the $3.875MM he made the last four seasons.
D Mark Pysyk – After playing very limited roles in the previous two seasons with Florida and Dallas which included time on the wing, Pysyk returned to Buffalo and reclaimed a spot on their back end, spending most of the year on their third pairing. At this stage of his career, the 30-year-old is likely going to be going year-to-year but as a right-shot defender that can play up front in a pinch, he should have some teams showing interest at a deal a little above the league minimum.
F Cody Eakin – Eakin’s days of being an impact energy player are largely gone but he can still kill penalties and win faceoffs having won a career-high 56% of his draws in 2021-22. As far as fourth-line centers go, those are two elements that teams often look for. It would be surprising to see the 31-year-old come close to the $2.25MM that he made in each of the last two years – the market for role players has dipped since then – but Eakin should have some suitors from teams looking for some cheap depth down the middle.
Other UFAs: F Drake Caggiula, D Brandon Davidson, G Aaron Dell, F John Hayden, G Michael Houser, F Mark Jankowski, F Ryan MacInnis, D Ethan Prow, D Jimmy Schuldt, G Malcolm Subban (expected to re-sign), G Dustin Tokarski
Projected Cap Space
Cap space won’t be an issue for the Sabres who have over $30MM in cap space right now and that’s even after adding in Ben Bishop’s contract that they took on from Dallas earlier this summer. Olofsson is the only free agent of note to re-sign so Buffalo has the cap space to be aggressive in the market or to take on more contracts to add additional assets. That said, they typically have been a budget team so it remains to be seen how much of that $30MM they’ll be able to use.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.
Buffalo Sabres Bring Back Malcolm Subban
The Buffalo Sabres are retaining goalie Malcolm Subban on a one-year, two-way deal worth $850,000 against the cap, per the team.
Subban becomes the second (healthy) goalie Buffalo has signed for next season after quite literally every goalie in the organization was on expiring contracts last year. He likely won’t see a whole lot of NHL time next season, given the team’s already retained Craig Anderson, restricted free agent Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is ahead of him on the depth chart, and the team is still expected to hunt for another goalie in free agency to bolster their team on the rise.
The 28-year-old played in just four games for Buffalo last season due to injury, compiling a 0-2-1 record and .871 save percentage. While he’s no longer a dependable NHL backup like he was in his days with the Vegas Golden Knights and Chicago Blackhawks, he’s strong organizational depth and gives the Sabres multiple options in case of injury, which is likely given Anderson’s age and Luukkonen’s injury history already.
The Athletic’s Matthew Fairburn was first on the deal.
Vinnie Hinostroza Signs With Buffalo Sabres
Vinnie Hinostroza won’t be going to market after all. The Buffalo Sabres have signed the pending free agent forward to a one-year, $1.7MM contract for 2022-23.
Hinostroza, 28, was a perfect fit for the Sabres this season, offering some solid secondary scoring in relatively limited minutes. His 13 goals and 25 points in 62 games came while averaging fewer than 14 minutes a game and seeing almost no time on the powerplay. While he’s not ever going to be a first-line player, Hinostroza offers a reliable option for the Sabres as they look to take the next step.
Originally selected in the sixth round of the 2012 draft, Hinostroza has actually carved out a nice little NHL career for himself to this point. In 334 career games, he has 51 goals and 137 points, with a career-high 39 coming with the Arizona Coyotes in 2018-19. For less than $2MM on a one-year deal, there is absolutely no risk involved for the Sabres, other than perhaps taking up a roster spot from one of their young forwards.
Even so, there had been mutual interest in a new deal for weeks (if not months) and it was hard to imagine Hinostroza getting a ton more money or opportunity on the open market.
Sabres Re-Sign Jacob Bryson
The Sabres have taken care of one of their pending restricted free agents, announcing (Twitter link) that they’ve re-signed defenseman Jacob Bryson to a two-year contract. The deal will carry a $1.85MM AAV with PuckPedia adding (Twitter link) that the deal will pay $1.8MM in 2022-23 and $1.9MM in 2023-24.
The 24-year-old was a fourth-round pick of Buffalo (99th overall) back in 2017 and a strong showing in the second half of the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 campaign helped propel him into a regular role for this past season. Bryson suited up in 73 games, picking up a goal and nine assists along with 73 hits while averaging 18:20 per game, good for fourth among full-time Sabres blueliners.
This contract effectively works as a second bridge deal for Bryson. He had salary arbitration eligibility this summer but the two-year term will still have him RFA-eligible with arbitration rights at its conclusion and a required qualifier of $1.9MM. Now that Bryson has established himself as an NHL regular, this pact will give him an opportunity to play his way into a bigger role; with Colin Miller expected to depart in free agency this summer, Bryson could be in line for a bit more playing time next season although 2021 top pick Owen Power will also be in the mix on the back end.
With this contract done, winger Victor Olofsson is the only full-time Sabre that’s still eligible for restricted free agency. He’s owed a $3.25MM qualifying offer by Monday’s tender deadline and the 26-year-old is also arbitration-eligible. Accordingly, GM Kevyn Adams will be looking to get that deal in place as soon as possible to try to avoid giving Olofsson a chance to file for a hearing.
Ryan Johnson Will Decide On Whether Or Not To Turn Pro After Development Camp
- Sabres prospect defenseman Ryan Johnson will make his decision on whether or not to turn pro following their upcoming Development Camp, reports Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. The 2019 first-round pick has one more year of college eligibility remaining and the team could interpret him staying at the University of Minnesota as an indication that he may be interested in testing free agency next summer. If that’s the case, Buffalo could look to move his rights in the coming weeks. If Johnson opts for free agency next August and his rights aren’t traded, the Sabres would receive the 64th pick in the 2024 draft as compensation.
Buffalo Sabres Extend Brandon Biro
The Buffalo Sabres have done a little bit of RFA work, signing Brandon Biro to a new two-year contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $762.5K, meaning that the young forward will earn the NHL minimum in both years.
Biro, 24, was really just barely getting his feet wet in professional hockey this season, after playing in only 15 games for the Rochester Americans in 2020-21. It was an impressive 2021-22 campaign for the undrafted free agent from Penn State, who racked up 41 points in 48 games at the AHL level and even made his NHL debut.
This two-year deal will give him some added stability and allow him to focus on his development, or even compete for a job in camp. Given that he is still waiver-exempt, it may be difficult to land that full-time role in Buffalo. More likely, he’ll split time between the two levels this season, playing a big role for the Americans while adding another handful of games in the NHL. As the Sabres grow an exciting young core of high picks, they’ll also need players like this to fill in the gaps.
Senators, Sabres Discussed Matt Murray Trade
12:15pm: Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the deal would have included the Senators retaining some of the salary, and Buffalo moving up from No. 16 to No. 7 in today’s first round.
11:10am: With the shallow free agent goaltending market this year, teams are trying to get a bit more creative. One name that has popped up a few times is Matt Murray, the Ottawa Senators netminder who fell out of favor with the team and spent a good chunk of last season in the minor leagues. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Senators and Buffalo Sabres were “deep into conversations” about Murray.
Unfortunately for both teams, Murray has Buffalo on his 10-team no-trade list and, as Friedman puts it, “stuck to his list.” That would suggest the talks got far enough along to ask him about whether he would waive, as the Senators try to rid themselves of his contract. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia notes that Ottawa wouldn’t face the same issue with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are also “in the mix”, as Murray would agree to a move there.
It’s easy to understand why the Senators want to move on. Not only does Murray have a $6.25MM cap hit, but the actual salary owed is higher in the last two years of his deal, with a $7MM salary in 2022-23 and $8MM in 2023-24. Combine those escalating costs with inconsistent play and a handful of exciting goaltending prospects, and you have a player that needs to be shipped out of town.
The Sabres are looking for a veteran goaltender to help Craig Anderson carry the NHL load while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen continues to develop in the minor leagues, and given Murray’s experience–two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins–he certainly fits that bill, despite being just 28. For Buffalo, taking on a cap hit like that wouldn’t be an issue (the same can’t be said for Toronto), meaning they could likely have landed another asset along with Murray from the Senators.
Matt Moulson Joins Maple Leafs Front Office, Signaling Retirement
Longtime NHL and AHL forward Matt Moulson has joined the Toronto Maple Leafs as a pro scout, per the team’s website. The move to scouting signals that Moulson has retired from hockey after a 16-year professional career that included 605 NHL games.
Moulson hasn’t played in the NHL since 2017-18 with the Buffalo Sabres, but he’s been floating around the AHL with the Ontario Reign and Hershey Bears since then, maintaining a solid professional career, although falling short of a Calder Cup. A three-time 30-goal scorer, Moulson did his best work with the New York Islanders alongside current Maple Leafs captain John Tavares.
The point production burnt out quickly after turning 30, though, notching no more than 14 goals or 41 points in a season during his four NHL seasons spent in Buffalo after departing the Islanders during the 2013-14 season. Waived and loaned to Ontario in 2017-18, Moulson made a home for himself tutoring youngsters in the minors, aiding both Los Angeles’ and Washington’s development systems along the way.
Moulson finished a strong AHL career with 424 games played, 159 goals, and 350 points, including a trio of seasons spent with the Manchester Monarchs early in his career, back when he was the property of the Kings in the mid-2000s. Now 38, Moulson will make a swift transition to scouting with the Leafs.
Prospect Notes: Beck, Nelson, Lucius, Guhle
Hockey Canada has made some changes to their National Junior Team summer development camp roster, from which the organization will select their contingent for the 2023 World Junior Championship in December. In lieu of San Jose Sharks defense prospect Gannon Laroque being unable to participate due to injury, Hockey Canada has added a pair of 2022 draft-eligible prospects in forward Owen Beck and defenseman Ty Nelson to their list.
Beck, ranked 33rd in TSN’s Bob McKenzie’s final scouting poll, netted 51 points in 68 games for the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads in 2021-22. The public opinion on him is rather skewed, with some listing Beck in the mid-to-late first while some have him deep within the second round. Regardless, he’s one of the better OHLers available in this year’s class. He’ll rely on his strong skating and transitional play to try and improbably work his way onto the final roster. Nelson, who hails from the OHL’s North Bay Battalion, was ranked 50th in McKenzie’s consensus rankings after a 51-point season.
- A second Lucius brother has officially left the University of Minnesota program. 2022-eligible Cruz Lucius, the younger sibling of Winnipeg Jets prospect Chaz Lucius, has switched his college commitment to rival Wisconsin. Cruz’s draft stock was hurt by injury this season, but he still managed eight points in six games for the U.S. at the U18 World Juniors and 25 points in 33 games with the U.S. National Development Team Program. If McKenzie’s consensus rankings are a proper indication, he’s slated to hear his name called in the mid-to-late third round.
- Anaheim Ducks defense prospect Brendan Guhle won’t be staying in North America for 2022-23 after signing a contract with the DEL’s Eisbären Berlin. Guhle, originally selected 51st overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2015, will still belong to the Ducks organization if they issue the pending restricted free agent a qualifying offer. Guhle has just 65 NHL games to his name at this point, tallying 14 points. He had just seven points in 37 games last season in the AHL with San Diego.
Gatineau Olympiques Acquire Olivier Nadeau
While the NHL Draft is still a few days away, the 2022 QMJHL Draft is underway tonight. There’s some big action on the trade floor as well, as the Gatineau Olympiques have acquired Buffalo Sabres forward prospect, Olivier Nadeau, from the QMJHL champion Shawinigan Cataractes in exchange for this year’s 14th overall pick, a 2023 first-round selection, a 2023 second-round selection, and 2005-born defense prospect Thomas Hebert.
Nadeau, Buffalo’s 97th overall selection in 2021, led Shawinigan in regular-season scoring with 78 points in 65 games. While he finished ahead of teammates like Edmonton’s Xavier Bourgault and Dallas’ Mavrik Bourque, they both played in considerably fewer games and had higher playoff point totals.
That doesn’t discount Nadeau’s role on the team, though. Serving as an alternate captain, Nadeau is a powerful, versatile forward who knows how to use his 6′ 2″ frame. A smart and skilled passer, Nadeau boasts solid middle-six upside and is a good transitional talent. In what will be his last year of juniors, Nadeau will get a chance to shine on Gatineau, who suffered a first-round playoff loss this year.