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Jacob Bryson

Sabres Extend Jacob Bryson

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2:47 p.m.: Buffalo confirmed the deal as reported.

1:29 p.m.: The Sabres are closing in on a one-year, one-way extension worth $900K for defenseman Jacob Bryson, PuckPedia reports. He was slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July.

Bryson’s new deal mirrors what he signed to return to Buffalo last summer after they opted to non-tender him on the conclusion of his two-year, $3.7MM deal that carried a $1.9MM qualifying offer. That’s fair value for the limited role he continues to play as the No. 7 on the Sabres’ depth chart. He’s made 42 appearances this season, up from last year’s 36, although his average ice time has dropped slightly from 14:41 to 14:22.

The 27-year-old was a fourth-round pick by the Sabres back in 2017, so he’s now been affiliated with the organization for eight years and will extend his stay through a ninth. As far as replacement-level players go on the back end, he fits the bill. While not an overly physical rearguard (he has just nine hits this year), he blocks shots well and plays an overall sound defensive game. His 46.8 CF% and -5.7 expected rating at even strength this year are par for the course, considering he starts over 60% of his shifts in the defensive zone. Offensively, he’s posted 4-39–43 in 248 career games as a Sabre, including seven assists in 2024-25.

After making his NHL debut during the COVID-shortened 2021 campaign, he’ll return to Buffalo for his sixth big-league campaign. With the six defenders ahead of him on the depth chart either signed through next season or destined for restricted free agency this summer, he’ll likely start next year in a press-box role again, barring injuries or an unforeseen trade that doesn’t bring an in-kind replacement back to the Sabres. The 5’9″ lefty will now surpass $8MM in estimated career earnings with this deal, per PuckPedia.

Atlantic Notes: Petry, Bennett, Bryson

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As mentioned yesterday, the Detroit Red Wings’ concerns regarding the availability of veteran defenseman Jeff Petry have unfortunately been realized. According to team broadcast reporter Daniella Bruce, the Red Wings won’t have Petry in the lineup tonight due to an undisclosed injury suffered in the team’s recent game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Petry may be out for longer than just tonight. Head coach Todd McLellan is hopeful it’ll be a shorter-term injury for Petry but did say the team would know more once they get back to Detroit. In the meantime, McLellan will choose between youngster Albert Johansson or recently recalled William Lagesson for tonight’s contest.

There is a valid argument that either option may prove to be an improvement over Petry. He’s experiencing one of the worst offensive seasons of his career, reminiscent of the 2013-14 season when he had only seven goals and 17 points in 80 games with the third-to-last-place Edmonton Oilers. While Petry has performed slightly better defensively this year with the Red Wings, he has not approached the level of the consistent 40-point defenseman he once was.

Other happenings in the Atlantic Division:

  • The NHL’s Department of Player Safety has fined Florida Panthers’ center Sam Bennett $5K for roughing Pittsburgh Penguins’ Drew O’Connor in last night’s contest. It’s the second time Bennett has been issued a fine by the Department of Player Safety and the fourth time he’s faced supplemental discipline. During the incident, Bennett attempted to hit O’Connor behind Pittsburgh’s net and threw his right hand into O’Connor’s face.
  • According to Mike Harrington of Buffalo News Sports, the Buffalo Sabres will be down a defenseman tonight. Jacob Bryson, who has picked up a more consistent role in Buffalo’s bottom defensive-pairing this season, won’t play tonight due to an illness. Dennis Gilbert, seldomly used by head coach Lindy Ruff this season, will draw in for Bryson against the Vegas Golden Knights. Gilbert has tallied one assist in 12 contests this year averaging 10:45 of ice time per game.

Sabres Sign Nicolas Aubé-Kubel, Jacob Bryson, Dennis Gilbert, Jack Rathbone

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The Sabres have added to their flurry of depth signings today, confirming deals for UFA winger Nicolas Aubé-Kubel (one year, $1.5MM), defenseman Jacob Bryson (one year, $900K) and defenseman Dennis Gilbert (one year, $825K). The team also confirmed the previously reported signings of Jason Zucker and Sam Lafferty.

PuckPedia later reported that the Sabres also inked depth defenseman Jack Rathbone to a one-year, two-way deal worth $775K NHL/$500K AHL.

Aubé-Kubel’s stock has improved after being an early-season waiver claim two years ago.  Since then, he became a regular role player for the Capitals.  Last season, the 28-year-old played in 60 games for Washington, recording six goals and ten assists along with a career-high 159 hits while logging a little over 12 minutes a night.  With the Sabres looking to add some grit to their bottom six group, they’ve elected to reunite Aubé-Kubel with Beck Malenstyn, who was acquired back at the draft.

As for Bryson, his stint in unrestricted free agent was short-lived after being non-tendered by the team yesterday.  The 26-year-old had a limited role with Buffalo last season, getting into just 36 games where he had eight points while averaging a little under 15 minutes a night.  His $1.85MM contract helped get him through waivers unclaimed, resulting in him seeing action in ten games with AHL Rochester as well.  Bryson is likely to still have a depth role with the Sabres next season but it will be at a much more manageable price point this time around.

Gilbert, meanwhile, spent all of last season at the NHL level with the Flames but playing time was hard to come by.  While he missed a handful of games with a concussion, he was also a frequent healthy scratch.  In the end, the 27-year-old played in 34 games, picking up a goal and six assists along with 49 blocks and 59 hits while logging a little more than 12 minutes a night.  He could battle for an end-of-roster spot with Buffalo in training camp but could also be earmarked for a key role with AHL Rochester.

In 2021-22, Rathbone picked up 40 points in 39 games with AHL Abbotsford and it looked like a full-time promotion to the NHL could soon be forthcoming.  However, that didn’t come to fruition.  The 25-year-old was moved to Pittsburgh last year in an early-season trade but played exclusively with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, recording 24 points in 67 games.  He’ll be ticketed for a regular role with the Americans where he’ll hope to play his way into his first NHL action since 2021-22.

Injury Notes: Barabanov, Sandin, Kostin, Bryson

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Winger Alexander Barabanov has reportedly played his last game with the San Jose Sharks, with a lower-body injury expected to end his season and the Sharks not likely to re-sign him this summer, per Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News (Web link). Barabanov suffered the injury from a blocked shot on March 26th and hasn’t played since, missing San Jose’s last five games.

This is an abrupt and quiet end to what was a quiet season for Barabanov. He played in 46 games, scoring just four goals and 13 points – the lowest scoring rate of his career. It’s a disappointing follow-up to what seemed to be Barabanov’s breakout season last year, when he managed a career-high 15 goals and 47 points in just 68 games. He’ll now set his eyes on free agency – the 30-year-old’s first chance to play outside of San Jose since he became a full-time NHL player in 2021. While he’ll certainly have to take a price cut from his current $2.5MM cap hit, Barabanov could be an intriguing pick-up for teams needing more depth down the wings.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Washington Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin left the team’s Sunday matchup against the Ottawa Senators with an upper-body injury, following a hit at the end of the first period (Twitter link). The 24-year-old has moved into an integral role for the Capitals, averaging 21:34 in ice time over his last 10 games. Rookie Vincent Iorio is currently Washington’s seventh defenseman. He could be poised for a crucial role, with Washington currently two points back of an Eastern Conference Wild Card with just six games to go.
  • The San Jose Sharks were without hot-streak winger Klim Kostin on Sunday due to illness, per Curtis Pashelka (Twitter link). Kostin has nine points through his first 14 games with the Sharks, averaging six more minutes of ice time than he did in 33 games with Detroit. The Sharks traded minor-league defenseman Radim Simek and a 2024 seventh-round pick for Kostin at the Deadline and have him signed through next season. He was replaced by undrafted rookie Collin Graf, getting his NHL debut just days after signing his first professional contract. Graf recorded one assist in the start.
  • Jacob Bryson suffered an upper-body injury in the Buffalo Sabres’ Sunday afternoon game, leaving after just nine minutes of play (Twitter link). Bryson has played in just 31 games this season – the fewest of his career. He’s recorded one goal and eight points in those appearances, extended his streak to four consecutive seasons with just one goal on the year. Buffalo will have to decide between Kale Clague and rookie Ryan Johnson, who is currently in the AHL, if Bryson has to miss any time.

East Notes: Bryson, Rafferty, Robertson

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The Sabres recalled defenseman Jacob Bryson from AHL Rochester on Monday morning, per the team’s public relations department. The 26-year-old joined Buffalo for practice this morning and will travel with them to California on their road trip, which takes them up to the All-Star break (via Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald).

Bryson has been papered up and down frequently over the last few days as the team grapples with an injury to veteran Erik Johnson on the back end. The 35-year-old missed Saturday’s loss to the Lightning after taking a hit from behind from Blackhawks forward Philipp Kurashev late last week and was not on the ice for practice today. As such, the Sabres needed to bring a defenseman up from Rochester to give them an injury fill-in option if an additional blue-liner is sidelined during their California trip.

It’s been a difficult season for the 26-year-old Bryson. He’s played sparingly for the Sabres, making three appearances (none since November 4) and passing through waivers unclaimed in December. The 2017 fourth-round pick is in the latter half of a two-year, $3.7MM deal ($1.85MM AAV) and is unlikely to receive a qualifying offer before his deal expires in the summer. He has three assists and a +5 rating in 10 games with Rochester this season, his first minor-league stint in three years.

Some other NHL/AHL shuffles in the Eastern Conference this morning:

  • The Red Wings assigned defenseman Brogan Rafferty to AHL Grand Rapids this morning, according to a team announcement. Detroit recalled the 28-year-old yesterday to serve as injury insurance with Ben Chiarot out of the lineup with an undisclosed injury, but he did not dress in their win over the Lightning. Rafferty has served as a healthy scratch in four games this month as the team has shouldered short-term absences to Chiarot and Jake Walman on their back end. The offensive-minded blue-liner has struggled to adapt in his first season with the Red Wings organization, posting two goals, 13 assists and 15 points in 35 games with Grand Rapids after lighting up the league with 51 points in 72 games with AHL Coachella Valley last season.
  • The Rangers returned defense prospect Matthew Robertson to AHL Hartford today, the team’s PR department said. The 6-foot-4 22-year-old came up to serve as injury insurance for the first two games of the Rangers’ California road trip but did not play. As such, they’ve decided to return him to the minors before their game against the Sharks in San Jose tomorrow. Their 2019 second-round pick is in the final season of his entry-level contract and is still looking to make his NHL debut. He’s posted two goals, 11 assists and 13 points with a -3 rating in 32 games with Hartford this year.

Transaction Notes: Polin, Bryson, Asplund

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Earlier today, the Colorado Avalanche reassigned forward Jason Polin to their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, per a team announcement. Polin was originally recalled on January 8th via an emergency loan and factored into six games for the Avalanche, scoring only one goal.

It was a positive sign from Polin to see him score his first professional goal, as he has been unable to score even one with the Eagles over 20 games during this year and last. Colorado is likely holding out hope they he can recoup some of his offensive talent that showed in his last season in the NCAA, when he scored 30 goals and 47 points with Western Michigan University.

Although nothing official has come from the organization, the reassignment of Polin likely spells the much-awaited return of Artturi Lehkonen, who has been on the team’s long-term injured reserve since November 13th with a neck injury. However, with Valeri Nichushkin now enrolled in the NHLPA Player Assistance Program, and captain Gabriel Landeskog still working his way back from knee cartilage surgery, Colorado will have to wait a bit longer to see a complete top-six forward group.

Other notes:

  • The Buffalo Sabres announced today that the organization has loaned defenseman Jacob Bryson back to their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. After clearing waivers on December 20th, Bryson would not make his way back up to the Sabres until January 18th but was unable to suit up in a game. During his short span with the Americans, Bryson has tallied one assist in nine games.
  • Sticking in the Atlantic Division, the Florida Panthers have loaned forward Rasmus Asplund to their AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, per a team announcement. Asplund did not suit up for the Panthers over his emergency loan roster placement, but will return to a Checkers team where he has had some success this season, scoring four goals and 19 points in 33 games.

Buffalo Sabres Recall Jacob Bryson

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The Buffalo Sabres have recalled defenseman Jacob Bryson. He fills the open roster spot left when Kale Clague was sent down from his emergency loan. Bryson has been in the minors since December 19th, appearing in nine games with the Rochester Americans and recording one assist. Bryson was on injured reserve earlier in the season with a lower-body injury.

This is the first time that Bryson has played AHL games since the 2020-21 season when he played in five games with Rochester and recorded three assists. In fact, Bryson has largely avoided the minor leagues since making his pro debut in 2019-20. He’s only totaled 75 AHL games, scoring 31 points, compared to his 173 career games in the NHL. Bryson’s most eventful NHL season came in 2021-22 when he netted a career-high 10 points in a career-high 73 games. He’s come close to breaking his scoring high a number of times, netting nine points in 38 games in his rookie 2020-21 season and nine points in 59 games last year. The Sabres originally drafted Bryson in the fourth round of the 2017 NHL Draft, taking him in the same round that saw Michael Anderson, Emil Bemstrom, and Drake Batherson get selected.

Bryson rejoins a Sabres team that’s slowly finding their groove, setting a 4-2-0 record since the calendar turned over to 2024. He’ll serve as a depth option for Mattias Samuelsson, who is currently in concussion protocol and designated as day-to-day.

Sabres Place Jacob Bryson On Waivers

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12/19: Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Bryson has cleared waivers, and may now be freely optioned to Rochester.

12/18: The Sabres placed defenseman Jacob Bryson on waivers for the purpose of assignment to AHL Rochester on Monday, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reports. The move is likely a precursor to the Sabres activating winger Jack Quinn off injured reserve before tomorrow’s game against the Blue Jackets, as head coach Don Granato said earlier today he’s an option to make his season debut after rehabbing an offseason Achilles injury (via Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald).

Bryson, 26, has remained on the Sabres’ roster all season but has been a healthy scratch for all but three games, last suiting up on November 4 against the Maple Leafs. He’s since been a healthy scratch in 20 straight games.

With a significant $1.85MM cap hit, there are unlikely to be any takers for Bryson, so he should clear without issue and head to Rochester tomorrow. He’s in the final season of a two-year, $3.7MM extension signed in 2022 and is eligible for salary arbitration next summer. However, it seems unlikely at this stage that the Sabres will opt to retain his rights – with a $1.9MM qualifying offer due, Bryson is an obvious non-tender candidate and could find himself on the open market as a UFA next summer.

When in the lineup, Bryson has barely played, sometimes dressing as a seventh defenseman. He averaged just 9:26 through his three appearances with the Sabres and was held off the scoresheet, posting a -1 rating.

It’s been difficult for Bryson since his extension platform year of 2021-22 when he played a career-high 73 games and averaged significant minutes for the Sabres while being one of their better possession-controlling defenders. His defensive game has lapsed significantly over the past two seasons, however, and the 2017 fourth-round pick now finds himself on the fringes of an NHL job.

If he clears waivers and heads to Rochester, it will be Bryson’s first AHL games since the 2020-21 campaign.

East Notes: Hurricanes, Sabres, DeSmith

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The Carolina Hurricanes aren’t going anywhere – they’ve signed a 20-year lease extension agreement with the Centennial Authority and Gale Force Sports and Entertainment, according to a team release, keeping them at PNC Arena through the 2043-44 season. As part of the agreement, PNC Arena is poised for a substantial facelift, with plans to create a sports and entertainment district encircling the arena, which is rather secluded from downtown Raleigh as things stand. “This development will transform PNC Arena into a year-round destination for residents while also improving the event day experience for Hurricanes fans, NC State fans, and concertgoers alike,” said Hurricanes majority owner Tom Dundon.

It’s a significant investment coming from the local government, with a combined $300MM million from the City of Raleigh and Wake County. There’s also a fair amount of private money funneled into developing the land around the arena, which will include office space, living space, a hotel, and a concert venue – a minimum of $200MM investment within five years, $400MM within ten years, and $800MM within 20 years.

Elsewhere from the Eastern Conference today:

  • Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News tabs Jacob Bryson as the likeliest odd man out when it comes to their crowded defense during camp. Noting that his $1.85MM cap hit isn’t fully buriable in the minors, a trade is more likely for the 25-year-old than placing him on waivers and assigning him to AHL Rochester. Bryson signed a two-year, $3.7MM extension with Buffalo before last season after he played in a career-high 73 games, posting some solid two-way numbers in a bottom-pairing role. His momentum evaporated this season, however, and he was a defensive liability when given any increase in minutes, posting a career-low relative Corsi for at even strength of -2.3%.
  • After flipping one asset acquired in the Erik Karlsson trade earlier today, the Montreal Canadiens are still faced with a goalie crunch caused by taking on netminder Casey DeSmith from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Speaking with reporters today, GM Kent Hughes said he’s talked to DeSmith and asked him “to be patient.” Hughes is undecided on whether to keep DeSmith or trade someone else (Jake Allen or Samuel Montembeault) off the roster to make room for the 32-year-old, who started a career-high 33 games for the Penguins last season.

Looking At The Buffalo Sabres’ Defense Crunch

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Even though the Buffalo Sabres signed some much-needed defensemen as the off-season started, they now face a problem: having too many of them. With the signing of Erik Johnson and Connor Clifton, they now have nine defensemen on their active roster and twenty-four players.

Those two signings make sense, as the team has struggled with their defense depth for some time. However, Don Granato and their coaching staff have a few hard decisions to make as the new season approaches. There are a few reasonable options to send down to the AHL or trade entirely. One of them is an obvious choice, as The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski commented on earlier in the week.

Jacob Bryson played 59 games last year, most of those paired with Ilya Lyubushkin. He missed six games with injuries and was healthy scratched for 17 throughout the year. His stats don’t make his case any better. In the games he did play, his advanced metrics are not the best. In addition to being scratched a lot, Bryson averaged less than 15 minutes a night – weak minutes, even for a bottom-pairing defender. On a team that needed their defense to step up, Granato didn’t seem too impressed with the 25-year-old, and neither were most Sabres fans.

When compared with his fellow defensemen, it becomes clear that Bryson is the best option to leave out. Mattias Samuelsson will be healthy to start the year, Clifton and Johnson were signed to help in the back end, Power and Dahlin are set to take another step forward, and there isn’t much space to be average among a quickly growing Sabres core.

Another player that the Sabres could consider sending down or trying to trade is Henri Jokiharju, who also didn’t have a great season in 2022-23. His advanced metrics were slightly better than Bryson’s, and Granato played him in the top four with Power for the majority of the season. The pairing didn’t pass with flying colors, though, and it’s likely a driving reason why they signed Clifton. With that said, Jokiharju did play over 20 minutes a night – something Clifton hasn’t done to date with the Bruins, and there’s no guarantee he’ll be able to replicate his strong play from last year with increased responsibility.

The team could also look to waive Riley Stillman, who has one year left at a $1.35MM cap hit and is, from a financial standpoint, the easiest player to cut ties with. His cap hit is just $200K over the buriable threshold, which is what he would cost against the cap if assigned to the minors. The team parted with a quality prospect in Josh Bloom to acquire him from the Vancouver Canucks last season, however, and he did hold his own defensively in Buffalo’s environment. He does carry a rather limited offensive upside, but he may be a more ideal seventh (or eighth) defenseman candidate than others mentioned in this piece.

With last season’s arrival of Owen Power and the signing of Lyubushkin, Bryson needed to impress to keep his job, and he failed to do so. Now, the team has signed substitutes for him, and he has become replaceable. Likely, the stars need to align for him to get a spot on the team when the new season starts.

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