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Brandon Montour

Tampa Bay’s Pat Maroon Suspended For Final Regular Season Game

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4:43 p.m.: The Department of Player Safety announced that Maroon will be suspended for one game for unsportsmanlike conduct, the team’s final regular season game against Florida.

10:59 a.m.: With a first-round matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers coming up shortly, there have been plenty of words between the two teams with Lightning forward Pat Maroon being one of the loudest. The forward was clear recently before their two-game regular season bout started Saturday to end the regular season that Tampa Bay wanted to make it clear who Florida would be playing in the first-round.

That got things started in their first game on Saturday as Maroon and Florida’s Brandon Montour, once teammates together with the Anaheim Ducks, had words with 6:02 remaining in the third period. Following that, Maroon freed himself from a referees who were escorting him off the ice and attacked Montour as the defenseman was also being escorted off ice (video here). Maroon received a minor penalty for roughing and both players received misconduct penalties.

Now, on top of that, the Department of Player Safety announced that supplemental discipline may be in order as they will have a hearing for Maroon for roughing Montour.

The two teams meet again Monday for their regular season finale before starting up again for the playoffs.

Department Of Player Safety Hands Out Three Fines

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The Department of Player Safety has been busy since Saturday’s slate of games. The DoPS has already announced a hearing for Tampa Bay Lightning forward Pat Maroon, but it was also busy handing out fines as well. Two of the three fines came from the Tampa Bay-Florida showdown, including fines to Florida Panthers defensemen MacKenzie Weegar and Brandon Montour as well as a fine to Montreal Canadiens’ Joel Edmundson.

Montour received a $5,000 fine, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for spearing Maroon. The incident with Maroon occurred with six minutes remaining in the game, stirring up quite a fight between the two. Weegar also received a $5,000 fine for high-sticking Tampa Bay’s Mathieu Joseph. The infraction happened at the same time as the Maroon/Weegar incident. Weegar did not receive a penalty.

The third fine went to Edmundson, who received a $1,000 fine for a dangerous trip on Toronto’s John Tavares. The incident occurred late in the second period of the game between Montreal and Toronto. Tavares was not injured on the play. There was no penalty on the play.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 04/14/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Here is the list for today:

Boston – Jaroslav Halak
Colorado – Bowen Byram, Philipp Grubauer*
Edmonton – Dmitry Kulikov*
Los Angeles – Matt Roy
Montreal – Jon Merrill, Erik Gustafsson*
Philadelphia – Jackson Cates*
Toronto – Nick Foligno, Riley Nash, William Nylander, Ben Hutton, Nicholas Robertson*
Vancouver – Jalen Chatfield, Alexander Edler, Jayce Hawryluk, Nils Hoglander, Zack MacEwen, Nate Schmidt, Jake Virtanen

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Brandon Montour, Florida Panthers; Braydon Coburn, New York Islanders; Travis Boyd, Vancouver Canucks; Thatcher Demko, Vancouver Canucks; Braden Holtby, Vancouver Canucks; Bo Horvat, Vancouver Canucks; Marc Michaelis, Vancouver Canucks; Tyler Motte, Vancouver Canucks; Tyler Myers, Vancouver Canucks; Antoine Roussel, Vancouver Canucks; Brandon Sutter, Vancouver Canucks

Grubauer is about the worst player to test positive for the Avalanche, but at least the team did add to their goaltending depth at the deadline. The team canceled morning skate today but are still expected to play tonight against the Blues. The 29-year-old has been one of the best goaltenders in the league this season with a 25-8-1 record, posting a .920 save percentage in his 34 appearances. Without him, the recently acquired Devan Dubnyk will likely be forced into an increased role.

Also added to the list is Robertson, who was recently recalled from the Toronto Marlies. The Marlies have now been shut down due to COVID-19 protocols, and as Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports, Robertson has been added to the list under precautionary measures. Still, the young forward has been around the Maple Leafs for the last several days and has played each of the last two nights.

For the Canucks, seeing a swathe of players come out of the protocol is excellent news as they prepare for action Friday night. The team hasn’t played since March 24 and will be forced to jump right back into the fray against the Oilers. Their list is down to just seven, with more players expected to be removed tomorrow.

*denotes new addition

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 04/13/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Here is the list for today:

Boston – Jaroslav Halak
Colorado – Bowen Byram
Florida – Brandon Montour
Los Angeles – Matt Roy
Montreal – Jon Merrill*
New York Islanders – Braydon Coburn
Toronto – Nick Foligno, Riley Nash, William Nylander, Ben Hutton*
Vancouver – Travis Boyd, Jalen Chatfield, Thatcher Demko, Alexander Edler, Jayce Hawryluk, Nils Hoglander, Braden Holtby, Bo Horvat, Zack MacEwen, Marc Michaelis, Tyler Motte, Tyler Myers, Antoine Roussel, Nate Schmidt, Brandon Sutter, Jake Virtanen

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Jay Beagle, Vancouver Canucks; Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks

The number of names included on the list today was always expected to increase thanks to the trade deadline yesterday, as players travel all over the continent to their new homes. We will likely see several more added in the next few days, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will be held out more than a few days.

The important thing is that players continue to be removed from the Canucks’ list as the team approaches a return to the ice. Beagle was only added over the weekend, but Hughes was one of the first names to be added, appearing for the first time on April 2. Hopefully, the trend continues and the Canucks have a clean board later this week.

*denotes new addition

Trade Deadline Summary: Central Division

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The NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone. A relatively slow day ended with a late burst, as many teams jumped into the mix at the last minute. How do you think your team did? Share your deadline grades in the comments for teams in the Central Division.

Carolina Hurricanes
Status: Buyer

In – F Cedric Paquette, D Jani Hakanpaa, D David Warsofsky, F Yegor Korshkov, 2022 sixth-round pick (ANA), 2022 seventh-round pick (CLB)
Out – F Ryan Dzingel, D Haydn Fleury, F Gregory Hofmann

Chicago Blackhawks
Status: Neutral

In – F Brett Connolly, F Vinnie Hinostroza, F Adam Gaudette, D Riley Stillman, F Henrik Borgstrom, F Josh Dickinson, F Ryder Rolston, 2021 second-round pick (VGK), 2022 third-round pick (VGK), 2021 fourth-round pick (MTL), 2021 seventh-round pick (FLA)
Out – F Mattias Janmark, F Carl Soderberg, F Matthew Highmore, F Lucas Wallmark, D Madison Bowey, D Lucas Carlsson, F Brad Morrison, 2021 fifth-round pick, 2022 fifth-round pick

Columbus Blue Jackets
Status: Seller

In – D Mikko Lehtonen, F Gregory Hofmann, 2021 first-round pick (TOR), 2021 first-round pick (TBL), 2022 third-round pick (TBL), 2022 fourth-round pick (TOR), conditional 2022 seventh-round pick (TOR)
Out – F Nick Foligno, D David Savard, F Riley Nash, G Veini Vehvilainen, 2022 seventh-round pick

Dallas Stars
Status: Neutral

In – None
Out – None

Detroit Red Wings
Status: Seller

In – F Jakub Vrana, F Richard Panik, F Hayden Verbeek, 2021 first-round pick (WAS), 2022 second-round pick (WAS), 2021 fourth-round pick (TBL), 2022 fourth-round pick (COL), 2021 fifth-round pick (OTT via MTL)
Out – F Anthony Mantha, D Patrik Nemeth, D Jon Merrill, D Brian Lashoff

Florida Panthers
Status: Buyer

In – F Sam Bennett, D Brandon Montour, F Lucas Wallmark, D Lucas Carlsson, F Brad Morrison, 2022 sixth-round pick (CGY)
Out – F Brett Connolly, F Vinnie Hinostroza, D Riley Stillman, F Henrik Borgstrom, F Emil Heineman, 2022 second-round pick, 2021 third-round pick, 2021 seventh-round pick

Nashville Predators
Status: Neutral

In – D Erik Gudbranson
Out – D Brandon Fortunato, 2023 seventh-round pick

Tampa Bay Lightning
Status: Buyer

In – D David Savard, D Fredrik Claesson, D Brian Lashoff, F Antoine Morand, conditional 2023 seventh-round pick
Out – F Alexander Volkov, G Magnus Chrona, 2021 first-round pick, 2022 third-round pick, 2021 fourth-round pick

Trade Deadline Summary: East Division

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The NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone. A relatively slow day ended with a late burst, as many teams jumped into the mix at the last minute. How do you think your team did? Share your deadline grades in the comments for teams in the East Division.

Boston Bruins
Status: Buyer

In – F Taylor Hall, F Curtis Lazar, D Mike Reilly
Out – F Anders Bjork, 2021 second-round pick, 2022 third-round pick

Buffalo Sabres
Status: Seller

In – F Anders Bjork, 2021 second-round pick (BOS), 2021 third-round pick (FLA), 2021 third-round pick (MTL), 2021 fifth-round pick (MTL), 2021 sixth-round pick (COL)
Out – F Taylor Hall, F Eric Staal, D Brandon Montour, F Curtis Lazar, G Jonas Johansson

New Jersey Devils
Status: Seller

In – D Jonas Siegenthaler, F A.J. Greer, F Mason Jobst, 2021 first-round pick (NYI), conditional 2021 fourth-round pick (NYI), conditional 2022 fourth-round pick (EDM)
Out – F Kyle Palmieri, F Travis Zajac, D Dmitry Kulikov, 2021 third-round pick

New York Islanders
Status: Buyer

In – F Kyle Palmieri, F Travis Zajac, D Braydon Coburn
Out – F A.J. Greer, F Mason Jobst, 2021 first-round pick, conditional 2021 fourth-round pick, 2022 seventh-round pick

New York Rangers
Status: Neutral

In – 2021 fourth-round pick (LAK)
Out – F Brendan Lemieux

Philadelphia Flyers
Status: Neutral

In – 2021 fifth-round pick (VGK via WAS), 2022 seventh-round pick (STL via MTL)
Out – F Michael Raffl, D Erik Gustafsson

Pittsburgh Penguins
Status: Buyer

In – F Jeff Carter
Out – conditional 2022 third-round pick, conditional 2023 fourth-round pick

Washington Capitals
Status: Buyer

In – F Anthony Mantha, F Michael Raffl, conditional 2021 third-round pick (ARI/NJ)
Out – F Jakub Vrana, F Richard Panik, D Jonas Siegenthaler, 2021 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick, 2021 fifth-round pick

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 04/11/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. While the league is still waiting for a report from the Blues, here is the updated list for today from the other 30 teams:

Boston – Jaroslav Halak
Colorado – Bowen Byram
Florida – Brandon Montour*
Los Angeles – Matt Roy
St. Louis – TBA
Toronto – William Nylander
Vancouver – Travis Boyd, Jalen Chatfield, Thatcher Demko, Alexander Edler, Travis Hamonic, Jayce Hawryluk, Nils Hoglander, Braden Holtby, Bo Horvat, Quinn Hughes, Zack MacEwen, Marc Michaelis, Tyler Motte, Tyler Myers, Antoine Roussel, Nate Schmidt, Brandon Sutter, Jake Virtanen, Jay Beagle*

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Adam Gaudette, Vancouver Canucks

As reported earlier, another Canucks player hit the CPRA list today in injured veteran Beagle, delaying the team’s return to action by at least a day. At least one player has been cleared, as Gaudette – the first player to hit the list at the start of the Vancouver outbreak – has been removed. Hopefully more and more Canuck names continue to come off the list in the coming days.

The only other name that is new to the list today is Montour, who is in a short quarantine period after understandably choosing to fly from Buffalo, New York to Sunrise, Florida rather than make the 20-hour drive to join his new team. So all things considered, this is a net even day for the league’s COVID cases.

*denotes new addition

Panthers Acquire Brandon Montour

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The Panthers have had a big hole on their back end since Aaron Ekblad suffered a season-ending leg injury last month.  They’ve taken a step towards shoring up their depth and have taken one of the more notable rentals off the board with the acquisition of Brandon Montour from Buffalo in exchange for a third-round pick in 2021.  Both teams have confirmed the trade.  Florida GM Bill Zito released the following statement about his new rearguard:

Brandon is a capable and talented right-shot defenseman who will have an immediate impact on our club. His two-way acumen and ability to play important minutes make him an exciting addition to the Panthers.

The 26-year-old is only a few years removed from being someone viewed as a long-term top-four piece going back to his time with Anaheim.  Buffalo was convinced that he’d be that for them and flipped a first-round pick along with Brendan Guhle, a fairly well-regarded prospect at the time, to acquire Montour just two years ago.  However, things haven’t gone anywhere near as well as expected with the Sabres.

His offensive output has dipped since putting up two straight seasons of over 30 points in 2017-18 and 2018-19.  Last season, he managed just five goals and 13 assists in 54 games while seeing his ATOI dip below the 2o-minute mark.  As a result, Montour profiled as a possible non-tender candidate last offseason although the two sides were able to agree to a one-year, $3.85MM contract just before the free agent market opened up.  The results have only been mildly better from an offensive standpoint as he’s up to 14 points (5-9-14) in 38 games so far this season but he, like many other Sabres, have struggled considerably at times in the defensive zone.

At 26, Montour still is young enough to turn things around and a change of scenery will certainly be beneficial to him as he looks to restore some value before hitting the UFA market for the first time in July.  From Florida’s perspective, the fact that Montour can log 20-plus minutes a night – something most of the blueliners that will be moved in the next two days can’t do – is a big benefit as it allows him to slide into their top four if needed or give a big boost to their third pairing.  Considering the state of the right side of their back end with Ekblad out, it’s probable that he begins in a more prominent role, sliding in behind MacKenzie Weegar to bolster their second pair.

Unlike many playoff contenders, cap space isn’t an issue for Florida, especially after they cleared the rest of Brett Connolly’s contract to Chicago earlier this week.  They entered today with more than $14MM in cap room, per CapFriendly, so it was something they didn’t require in order for this move to happen; TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that there was no salary retention on Buffalo’s end, leaving them with two remaining retention slots.

Former NHL defenseman Shane O’Brien was the first to report that Montour was going to Florida while Kevin Weekes of the NHL Network first reported the third-round pick going to Buffalo.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Candidate: Brandon Montour

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we begin our closer look at some of the players who have a good chance of being on the move between now and April 12th.

Just two years ago, it looked like Buffalo had brought in a core piece to their back end.  Even though they were out of playoff contention, they shipped a late first-round pick and prospect Brendan Guhle to Anaheim to bring in Brandon Montour.  Montour, then 24, was in the midst of a career season and while he was a bit of a late-bloomer, it looked as if the Sabres had a top-four defender in place for the foreseeable future.

Since then, things have spiralled in the wrong direction.  Montour has gone from a potential core player to a non-tender candidate last offseason to one that doesn’t appear to have a future with Buffalo.  He fit with the Ducks and clearly, under multiple coaches now since joining them, he doesn’t fit with the Sabres and as a result, is quite likely to be dealt having been made available for a couple of weeks already.

Contract

Montour is on a one-year, $3.85MM contract and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.  His deal does not contain any trade protection.

2020-21

On the one hand, Montour – an offensive defenseman in Anaheim – has just one goal and four assists in 23 games this season.  That’s not exactly high-level offensive production (or even average).  He’s below the team average in possession stats and while this could be said about just about everyone in Buffalo’s back end this season, his play in his own zone has been spotty at times.

On the other hand, Montour is still a right-shot defender that averages more than 20 minutes a game and takes a regular turn on the penalty kill.  This is not a commodity that is easy to get around the trade deadline.  His offensive downturn can also in part be explained by the fact he does not see any regular time on the man advantage.

Is Montour a true top-four defender on a contender?  Probably not but there will be teams viewing him as a third-pairing upgrade with the ability to move up in certain matchups or when injuries arise.  Despite the negativity surrounding him – and there has been plenty of it – this is still a profile of a fairly useful player and he should be viewed as such around the league.

Season Stats

23 GP, 1 goal, 4 assists, 5 points, -11 rating, 14 PIMS, 41 shots, 20:54 TOI, 47.3 CF%

Potential Suitors

The majority of the league can’t afford to take on Montour’s salary outright and would require some sort of offset either by retention or taking another contract back (or even both).  He’s hardly the only player who will be in this situation though.

Chicago is one of the teams that can afford him due to their huge LTIR pool and considering they’re seven points up on a playoff spot, adding to their group would certainly help.  They’ve used several young defensemen this season with varying degrees of success but there’s a difference between finding playing time for someone in the regular season versus being in that spot in the playoffs.  Montour would slide in onto their third pairing and give them some insurance while still being young enough where a good showing could put him in the mix to stick around as well.

Philadelphia hasn’t really replaced Matt Niskanen with their offseason signing of Erik Gustafsson not really covering that role.  A cap offset would be needed but Montour would definitely boost their third pairing and he could conceivably fit in the top four given their shallower depth on the right side.

Winnipeg has a bit more right-side depth than Philadelphia but still has a void to fill defensively.  They’re in a spot where their LTIR-created cap room is fixed (it doesn’t bank like regular cap space) so unlike teams that may want to wait until closer to the deadline for additional flexibility, the Jets could pull a deal quicker but would also need an offset of some sort.  Calgary also has a need for a bottom-pairing upgrade but the offset would need to be significant given their lack of cap space; someone like Derek Ryan ($3.125MM, UFA) would likely need to be involved.

In the West, the Coyotes already have five pending UFAs on the roster but Montour would at least slide in ahead of a couple of them.  They’re on the outside looking in at a playoff spot but only by a handful of points so if they hang around the race over the next few weeks, they could be an option and have the cap space.  If they falter though, they’d be off the table.

Likelihood Of A Trade

In this financial environment, it’s hard to say anyone costing nearly $4MM has a high chance to be dealt due to cap and budgetary restrictions.  But the odds of Montour being moved are still high.  There are always teams looking for help on the back end and the Sabres have enough LTIR flexibility with Jake McCabe and Zemgus Girgensons out for the year to be creative in terms of retaining money and/or taking back expiring contracts.  They’re not going to get back what they gave up but there should be enough of a market to net GM Kevyn Adams a decent pick or prospect as the rebuilding continues in Buffalo.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Deadline Primer: Buffalo Sabres

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Although we’re not even two months into the season, the trade deadline is just over a month away.  Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the Buffalo Sabres.

No team has received more media scrutiny this season than the Buffalo Sabres. The team is floundering yet again despite adding the top free agent forward in Taylor Hall and acquiring veteran center Eric Staal. Not only have Hall and Staal disappointed, but very few members of the team have exceeded or even met expectations this season. With failing veterans, stalled youngsters, and a number of expiring contracts, the Sabres are stuck and appear primed for a fire sale and resumed focus on rebuilding.

According to a number of sources, almost anyone on the Sabres could be made available. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Buffalo is “wide open” for business and The Athletic included four Sabres on their Trade Deadline Big Board. It all sounds very exciting to the other 30 teams and their fans, doesn’t it? Well, don’t get your hopes too high for major moves by Buffalo. Given the constraints of an NHL trade market impacted by a flat salary cap as well as real-life financial struggles, not to mention the restrictions on Canadian teams due to COVID-19 border policies, making trades this year is no easy feat. Trading a player like Jack Eichel in-season seems nearly impossible, even if the Sabres wanted to move him which is unlikely. Add in that rookie GM Kevyn Adams is new to the job and trying to build connections in a quiet market while trying to avoid being taken advantage of, and the Sabres suddenly look like a team that might end up playing it safe. Does Adams really want to move the likes of Sam Reinhart and Victor Olofsson, both of whom are among the productive minority in Buffalo, when the odds of winning such a move seem slim? Does he want to potentially overreact to the frustrations of Jeff Skinner and give away major assets to move his contract? Adams has a number of contracts expiring after this year and next that he can move without much risk of it coming back to bite him. Expect that “wide open” means he’s willing to move any amount of those players, but won’t be too keen to touch anyone else who the team may still be able to build around.

Record

6-14-3, .326, 8th in East Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$410,962 in full-season cap space, 0/3 retention slots used, 44/50 contracts used per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2021: BUF 1st, BUF 2nd, BUF 4th, BUF 6th, BUF 7th
2022: BUF 1st, BUF 2nd, BUF 3rd, BUF 4th, BUF 6th, BUF 7th

Trade Chips

Hall of course stands out as the top trade chip for the Sabres if you assume that the likes of Eichel, Reinhart, Olofsson, and Rasmus Dahlin are not going anywhere (a safe assumption despite the whispers). The former Hart Trophy winner may not be enjoying a strong season, but he is a known commodity who can play a top-six role for any team in the league. Hall has expressed some interest in re-signing with Buffalo, but without any evidence that he is a fit and with a ways to go in their rebuild, retaining the 29-year-old Hall on a heavy price tag makes little sense. The trouble with trading him though is a potential lack of suitors who can actually afford his $8MM cap hit. A lack of demand could impact what Buffalo is able to receive in a deal, but they should still end up with a nice package. Anything is better than letting him walk for free this summer.

Staal too could see his time in Buffalo come to a quick end. The veteran center is well-respected across the league and brings solid two-way play and postseason experience. While he has lost a step, that won’t stop contenders from seeing him as a worthwhile depth addition.

On defense, Brandon Montour is absolutely on the block. The puck-moving defenseman is headed for free agency and the Sabres have made it known that they are open to renting him out. Montour has not produced as they had hoped and is no longer in their long-term plans, so Buffalo has no reason not to trade the 26-year-old defenseman. Given his offensive upside, his ability to play either side of the blue line, and his palatable $3.85MM cap hit, Montour should be easy to move. Sadly, Jake McCabe also would have been easy to move and would have returned a prime package as arguably the best left-handed defenseman on a trade deadline seller. However, his season is over due to injury and the Sabres will lose out on his trade value.

Even with Montour and McCabe out of the way this off-season, the Sabres still face a potential expansion conundrum on defense. Should Buffalo choose to protect seven forwards and three defensemen, Dahlin is a lock but it leaves only two spots to split between top-four blue liners Rasmus Ristolainen and Colin Miller and young Henri Jokiharju. The Sabres could choose to move one of the three rather than lose them for nothing to the Seattle Kraken. Ristolainen had long been a fixture on the rumor mill, but those talks have cooled significantly since last season. Do the Sabres finally move the talented defenseman, especially as his stock has risen this season? Ristolainen only has one season remaining on his contract and could be tempted to pursue a more talented team in free agency after playing exclusively for Buffalo thus far in his pro career. Miller also has just one year remaining on his deal and comes with a lesser price tag than Ristolainen, albeit with a less complete game as well. Jokijarju, 21, is not necessarily safe either; the young rearguard has not met expectations thus far in his time with the Sabres but he does have impressive upside.

In net, Buffalo will see both members of their NHL tandem hit the open market this summer barring an extension. The Sabres may be well-served to extend 27-year-old Linus Ullmark, but if the feeling isn’t mutual then they should move the net minder while he can still return value. If Ullmark is healthy, he could be a major trade chip for the Sabres. Veteran Carter Hutton is less likely to move given his struggles and his $2.75MM cap hit, but Buffalo will certainly make him available.

Others to Watch For: F Curtis Lazar ($800K, one year remaining), F Tobias Rieder ($700K, UFA), F Riley Sheahan ($700K, UFA), D Matt Irwin ($700K, UFA)

Team Needs

1) Draft Picks – Sabres fans rightfully want their team to be better and they want them to be better sooner rather than later. However, that isn’t easy to do. A rookie GM with few impact players and little cap space doesn’t have the means to immediately upgrade his roster. This team is headed toward a long, arduous rebuild. What makes accepting that reality even more difficult is that the Sabres do not even have their full complement of draft picks to build upon. Missing a third and a fifth this year and a fifth next year, Buffalo is in the unfortunate position of needing to add talent to their pipeline and don’t even have the complete means to do so. The goal for Adams and company at the deadline should be not only to recoup their missing picks but to add other high-value picks as well.

2) Prospects – If the Sabres are unable to add valuable future prospects in the form of high draft picks, they need to target current top prospects instead. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler recently ranked Buffalo’s pipeline as 15th-best in the NHL, an unacceptable position for a team that is supposed to be rebuilding. The Sabres need to move from middle-of-the-pack toward the top of the NHL’s prospect rankings if they want to speed up their rebuild. A projected top-four defenseman and center depth should be the specific targets of their aim to add youth.

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