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Nathan Beaulieu

Injury Notes: Beaulieu, Rust, Makar

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The Winnipeg Jets already lost several defensemen this summer to various means, and now will be without another for the first month of the season. Nathan Beaulieu has suffered an upper-body injury and will be out for four weeks according to Murat Ates of The Athletic. Beaulieu was one of the players expected to pick up some slack this season after re-signing with the Jets for $1MM, but will have to work hard to get back into the lineup at some point in the future. The team claimed Carl Dahlstrom off waivers today to give them some more depth.

Ates also notes that Bryan Little did indeed suffer a concussion when he was hit by Luke Kunin in a game this weekend. Though there is no timetable for his return at this point, it comes as just another blow to a weakened Jets team that can’t seem to find any respite these days.

  • Another team that might be facing a lengthy absence from an important player is the Pittsburgh Penguins. Head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters today that Bryan Rust will be out “longer-term” after blocking a shot against the Buffalo Sabres. Rust took the shot right to the palm of his hand, though there has been no confirmation if it is broken at this point. Sidney Crosby, who also blocked a shot and suffered a minor injury, was back out on the ice today for the Penguins.
  • Alarm bells went off in Colorado today when Cale Makar was missing from practice with the Avalanche, but head coach Jared Bednar told reporters including Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic that it was just a “little tweak.” Makar is expected to be ready for the start of the season.
  •  The same can be said about Mikael Backlund who skated by himself before Calgary Flames practice today. Backlund has a minor lower-body injury and according to GM Brad Treliving (via Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet) is expected to practice tomorrow and be in the lineup when the Flames take on the Avalanche on Thursday night.

Nathan Beaulieu Extended By Winnipeg Jets

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Nathan Beaulieu made enough of an impression in Winnipeg as a minor trade deadline acquisition to earn a longer look. The Jets have announced that they have re-signed the defenseman to a one-year deal worth $1MM. Given the departure of Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers and the unknown status of Ben Chiarot, Beaulieu could be asked to play a starting role in Winnipeg this year.

Winnipeg acquired Beaulieu for a small price at the deadline, only having to send a 2019 sixth-round pick to Buffalo for the 26-year-old. He immediately took a significant role for the Jets, playing 16:51 of ice time in his 18 games, putting up five assists. While he didn’t make the lineup during the playoffs, the team feels that he was worth bringing back.

The team, now without Trouba and Myers, must begin to rebuild their defense around Josh Morrissey, Dustin Byfuglien and Neal Pionk (barring a trade) and will have a number of young players battling for playing time, including Beaulieu, Sami Niku and Tucker Poolman.

List Of Players Not Receiving A 2019 Qualifying Offer

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The deadline to issue a qualifying offer to pending restricted free agents comes down at 4pm today, making any player who has not received one eligible to become an unrestricted free agent. It does not stop them from re-signing with the team for a different amount. Below are the players who will not be issued a qualifying offer:

Anaheim Ducks

D Jake Dotchin, D Trevor Murphy, D Keaton Thompson

Arizona Coyotes

G Hunter Miska, F Nick Cousins, F Josh Archibald

Boston Bruins

F Gemel Smith

Buffalo Sabres

F Eric Cornel, D Jack Dougherty, D Brycen Martin, F Sean Malone* (Signed to AHL deal)

Calgary Flames

F Curtis Lazar, F Brett Pollock, F Kerby Rychel, D Josh Healey, G Mason McDonald

Carolina Hurricanes

D Josh Wesley

Chicago Blackhawks

D Blake Hillman, F Anthony Louis, F Spencer Watson, F Luke Johnson, F David Kampf

Colorado Avalanche

F Sven Andrighetto, G Spencer Martin, D Sergei Boikov, D Mason Geertsen, F Julien Nantel

Columbus Blue Jackets

F Sam Vigneault

Dallas Stars

F Brett Ritchie, F Ryan Hartman, D Chris Martenet, G Philippe Desrosiers

Detroit Red Wings

F Martin Frk, F Axel Holmstrom, F Dylan Sadowy, D Libor Sulak

Edmonton Oilers

F Tobias Rieder, F Ty Rattie, F Colin Larkin, F Tyler Vesel, D Robin Norell

Florida Panthers

F Vincent Praplan, F Henrik Haapala, D Michael Downing, D Ludwig Bystrom

Los Angeles Kings

F Nikita Scherbak, F Brendan Leipsic, F Matheson Iacopelli, F Pavel Jenys, D Alex Lintuniemi

Minnesota Wild

F Pontus Aberg, F Chase Lang, F Dante Salituro, D Michael Kapla

Montreal Canadiens

F Hunter Shinkaruk, F Daniel Audette, D Brett Lernout

Nashville Predators

F Phillip Di Giuseppe, F Justin Kirkland

New Jersey Devils

F Stefan Noesen, D Ryan Murphy, G Cam Johnson

New York Islanders

F John Stevens 

New York Rangers

D Julius Bergman, D Fredrik Claesson, D Chris Bigras, G Chris Nell, G Brandon Halverson

Ottawa Senators

F Adam Tambellini

Philadelphia Flyers

F Justin Bailey, D Jacob Graves

Pittsburgh Penguins

D Jeff Taylor

San Jose Sharks

D Joakim Ryan, F Rourke Chartier, F Jon Martin, F Alex Schoenborn, D Michael Brodzinski, D Cody Donaghey, D Cavan Fitzgerald

St. Louis Blues

F Nikita Soshnikov, F Conner Bleackley

Tampa Bay Lightning

F Mitch Hults

Toronto Maple Leafs

F Nicholas Baptiste, F Gabriel Gagne, D Jordan Subban, G Eamon McAdam

Vancouver Canucks

F Brendan Gaunce, F Markus Granlund, F Yan-Pavel LaPlante, D Derrick Pouliot, D Ben Hutton

Vegas Golden Knights

F Tomas Nosek, F Alex Gallant, F Tobias Lindberg, F Tomas Hyka, G Zach Fucale

Washington Capitals

F Dmitrij Jaskin, F Mason Mitchell, F Hampus Gustafsson, F Mathias Bau-Hansen

Winnipeg Jets

F Marko Dano, D Joseph Morrow, D Nathan Beaulieu, D Jimmy Oligny, G Ken Appleby

Western Notes: Tippett, Josi, Beaulieu, Simek

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The Edmonton Oilers and new general manager Ken Holland haven’t announced a new coach and while rumors have suggested that the team has settled on Dave Tippett as the team’s new head coach, nothing has been announced.

Postmedia’s Kurt Leavins reiterates that Tippett to Edmonton is a “done deal,” but the timing of the announcement has been the issue. The deal still has to get onto paper and with both the NHL Draft Combine and the Stanley Cup Finals, there is little time to get the announcement out there that the team has a new head coach. Regardless, the scribe writes that Tippett’s appointment will come in the next few days.

  • For a second year in a row, the Nashville Predators top priority will be to sign one of their star defensemen to a extension. The team locked up Ryan Ellis to an eight-year, $50MM deal last summer and must do something similar with Roman Josi, who is eligible to sign an extension on July 1. Josi, however, has made it clear he wants to stay in Nashville. However, the Predators will have to pay up as The Athletic’s Adam Vingan (subscription required) writes that they will likely have to give him the biggest contract in team history, which could overtake Ryan Johansen’s $8MM AAV.
  • The Winnipeg Jets have a number of big contracts and potential trades to deal with this offseason, but there are also smaller issues along their roster as well. The team needs to keep their defensive depth, one of the strengths of their roster in recent years, yet they only have five defensemen under contract. The Winnipeg Sun’s Ken Wiebe writes that the Jets have indicated that they would like to bring back restricted free agent Nathan Beaulieu, who the team acquired at the trade deadline for a sixth-round pick, as insurance in case they lose Jacob Trouba to a trade. However, in order to offer Beaulieu a qualifying offer, they would have to add 10 percent to his $2.4MM he made last year, which the team is unlikely to do for a bottom-pairing defenseman. The more logical approach, which Winnipeg did last year with Joseph Morrow, would be to not qualify him and then try to sign him for less as an unrestricted free agent.
  • The San Jose Sharks got some good news as The Athletic’s David Lombardi (subscription required) writes that defenseman Radim Simek, who has been out since March 12th after having his leg crushed in a collision with Winnipeg’s Andrew Copp and having surgery to repair a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus, has already returned to the ice and is skating again. “The guys who are taking care of me say that my rehab is going really fast, that it’s really unusual to only be two months removed from surgery but back on the ice, skating however I want,” Simek said.  Simek, who signed out of the Czech Republic in 2017, played one year in the AHL and made the NHL roster this season, playing in 41 games and making a significant difference before getting injured and hopes to be back for next season.

West Notes: Oilers, Beaulieu, Donskoi

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It appears that the Oilers are making progress in their search for a new general manager.  In an appearance on 630 CHED (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that   Edmonton has narrowed its list of candidates down to three names.  Two have been widely speculated for a while in former Toronto assistant GM Mark Hunter and current Vegas assistant GM Kelly McCrimmon while the third has yet to be determined.  Friedman suggests that Ken Holland would warrant consideration but there are doubts that the now-former Detroit GM would seek that position so quickly.  Interim GM Keith Gretzky could also be the other option being considered.  A decision on who to hire is expected after the World Under-18’s conclude on Sunday.

Elsewhere out West:

  • The Jets have interest in keeping defenseman Nathan Beaulieu in the fold, mentions Postmedia’s Ken Wiebe. After struggling with Buffalo, the 26-year-old held his own in a late-season trade to Winnipeg, logging nearly 17 minutes a night during the regular season although he didn’t see action in the postseason.  Even though they want to retain him though, his required qualifying offer of $2.5MM is probably too rich to justify, especially with all of the other prominent players to sign.  Accordingly, it’s likely that if a deal can’t be reached by the tender deadline in June, he’ll go unqualified with the Jets hoping to bring him back after he has a chance to test the open market.
  • On top of missing Joe Pavelski for tonight’s series opener against Colorado, the Sharks will also be without winger Joonas Donskoi, notes Kevin Kurz of The Athletic (Twitter link). He suffered an upper-body injury back in the sixth game of the first round against Vegas.  Despite having a career-best 37 points this season, the pending UFA has seen limited action so far this postseason, even when healthy.  There is no timetable for his return.

Big Money Sits As Playoffs Begin

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The NHL playoffs kick off tonight with five games including three Western Conference battles. The top 16 teams in the league have spent months preparing for this moment, fine tuning their roster and lineup card to make sure they have the very best group available to them. With that in mind, this postseason is about to kick off with an incredible amount of salary sitting in the press box. Many of the teams about to take the ice have decided to do so without some big earners, instead using breakout performers that have overtaken their veteran counterparts. Let’s take a look at the expensive names (above $2MM cap hits) on the sideline:

Tampa Bay Lightning:

Ryan Callahan -$5.8MM cap hit
Braydon Coburn – $3.7MM cap hit

Who says it’s easy to coach the best team in the league? Jon Cooper has made some tough decisions for his opening lineup, sitting veterans in Callahan and Coburn. Both players were big parts of Tampa Bay’s 2015 Stanley Cup Final run but will now find themselves watching from the press box as the action begins. Jan Rutta and Mathieu Joseph will both be making their postseason debuts tonight against Columbus.

Columbus Blue Jackets:

Alexander Wennberg – $4.9MM cap hit

When Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel were acquired earlier this season the pressure was on for Wennberg to try and get back into the lineup, but it will be Alexandre Texier that pushes him out for the first game. Texier has made an impact on head coach John Tortorella in the first two games of his NHL career and will be jumping right into the fire against the Lightning tonight. The 19-year old forward scored a goal in his second NHL game and has shown a confidence beyond his years.

Pittsburgh Penguins:

Brian Dumoulin/Jack Johnson – $4.1MM/$3.25MM cap hit

It’s not clear if Dumoulin will be ready for tonight’s game, but if he is Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweeted that it would be Jack Johnson coming out of the lineup. The idea of sitting Johnson in the first game of the playoffs certainly wasn’t the plan when the Penguins signed him to a five-year deal last summer. To be fair, this is more a situation of having too many options for the Penguins, as they currently employ six defensemen all making at least $3.25MM. If Marcus Pettersson stays in the lineup, someone expensive is coming out.

New York Islanders:

Thomas Hickey – $2.5MM cap hit

Hickey missed a huge chunk of the season with injury and while he was gone Devon Toews made a name for himself on Long Island. The veteran defenseman will find himself on the outside looking in as the playoffs begin, but he’ll likely be the first man up if the team suffers an injury against the Penguins. At least Hickey won’t be alone in the press box, as Michael Dal Colle, Ross Johnston, Luca Sbisa and Dennis Seidenberg all worked as extras today.

St. Louis Blues:

Carl Gunnarsson – $2.9MM cap hit
Michael Del Zotto – $3.0MM cap hit

The Blues went out and added some depth to the back end at the trade deadline by acquiring Del Zotto, but won’t have him in the lineup tonight when they take on the Winnipeg Jets. He and Gunnarsson will be watching and waiting for their chance to help the team while 22-year old Vince Dunn makes his playoff debut. Dunn has turned into a top option for the Blues this season and will skate next to captain Alex Pietrangelo as they try to slow down the Jets attack.

Winnipeg Jets:

Nathan Beaulieu – $2.4MM cap hit

Just like the Blues, the Jets went out at the deadline and added a pair of depth options on the blue line to give them somewhere to turn if things go awry. Beaulieu will be a restricted free agent this summer and will have to hope for a chance to prove what he can do in the playoffs. The 17th-overall pick from 2011 has played only 17 postseason games in his career, and could potentially find himself without a qualifying offer after the season is over.

Dallas Stars:

Jason Spezza – $7.5MM cap hit
Valeri Nichushkin – $2.95MM cap hit
Jamie Oleksiak – $2.14MM cap hit

The Stars have the most money sitting on the sidelines out of any team in the playoffs, and a huge chunk of that is just Spezza. The 35-year old didn’t bounce back like many had hoped this season and scored just 27 points in 76 games. Combine that with his declining defensive game and you have a player that will have to watch and wait for his chance. At least Spezza scored at all this season, something you can’t say about Nichushkin. The return from Russia has not gone well for the 24-year old, who somehow went an entire season (57 games at least) without scoring a goal or committing a penalty.

Vegas Golden Knights:

Colin Miller – $3.875MM cap hit

Though it hasn’t been confirmed yet, David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets that Miller looks to be a scratch on opening night. The 26-year old has 29 points in 65 games this season but could come out for Jon Merrill who has been used more and more over the last month by head coach Gerard Gallant.

Boston Bruins:

David Backes – $6MM cap hit

Backes hasn’t been what the Bruins were expecting when they signed him to a five-year, $30MM deal in 2016. The veteran forward’s offense has completely dried up and though he tried to reinvent himself this season as a physical force, the Bruins are going with a bit more speed and skill as they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Undrafted rookie Karson Kuhlman is expected to suit up on the right side of Jake Debrusk and David Krejci, a big step for a 23-year old forward who played just 11 games this season.

Calgary Flames: 

Michael Stone – $3.5MM cap hit

It’s a testament to just how quickly Rasmus Andersson has developed that a veteran option like Stone is on the sidelines to begin Calgary’s first-round series. The team put a lot of responsibility on Andersson this season and he has responded extremely well, putting him in line to be a top option for the team down the road. Stone meanwhile is just experiencing another setback in what has been a dreadful season, marred by a blood clot in his arm early in the year. He has played in just 14 games but will have to be ready to go if someone suffers an injury.

Josh Morrissey Out Until April

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The Winnipeg Jets experienced some uncertainty right before the trade deadline after losing Josh Morrissey to injury the day before. It wasn’t exactly clear how long Morrissey would be out, but the team acted quickly by bringing in Bogdan Kiselevich and Nathan Beaulieu to add some depth on the blue line. Today, Jets head coach Paul Maurice announced that Morrissey will miss all of March and is looking at a return in early April.

Morrissey, 23, is an absolutely huge part of the Winnipeg blue line and the anchor of the left side. He averages more than 22 minutes a night and trails only Jacob Trouba in terms of scoring from the Jets defenders. His 31 points in 59 games are already easily a career high, as he has developed nicely into a top-end puck-moving option for the team while not losing any of his shutdown ability. There are few players who can excel like Morrissey does in almost any situation, and it will be an extremely tough task to replace his minutes adequately.

The Jets finish their season on April 6th and will presumably be starting their first playoff series a few days later, meaning Morrissey will have to jump right back into extremely important games and shake off the rust immediately. It’s nice that the team has other top options like Trouba, Tyler Myers and Dustin Byfuglien, but they’ll need Morrissey to be at his best as they try to navigate the Western Conference playoff picture.

His absence will likely create a huge opportunity for one of Beaulieu or Kiselevich to show what they can do. Both players found themselves in the press box on a regular basis with their last teams, but have shown ability in the past. Kiselevich notably was pursued heavily by the Jets before eventually signing in Florida, an indication that the team believes in his talent level and could give him a shot. Beaulieu struggled to find his game in Buffalo but is still just 26 and has experience in the NHL playoffs.

2019 Trade Deadline Day Recap

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The trade deadline for the 2018-19 season has come and gone, with teams all around the league loading up for a Stanley Cup run. This year saw a nearly unprecedented level of skill available, though things got started quite early. Before deadline day, names like Matt Duchene, Brandon Montour, Mats Zuccarello, Charlie Coyle, Ryan Dzingel, Gustav Nyquist and Nick Jensen all switched teams. However, the day was no disappointment; a slow pace early on ended in fireworks right before the deadline and as deal trickled in right after. Below is a complete list of the 21 trades featuring all but seven of the NHL’s teams made on February 25th alone (chronologically):

To Anaheim Ducks:
D Patrick Sieloff

To Ottawa Senators:
F Brian Gibbons

 

To New Jersey Devils:
2022 fifth-round pick

To Columbus Blue Jackets:
G Keith Kinkaid

 

To Winnipeg Jets:
F Kevin Hayes

To New York Rangers:
F Brendan Lemieux
2019 first-round pick (top-3 protected)
2022 conditional fourth-round pick (if Winnipeg wins Stanley Cup)

 

To Montreal Canadiens:
F Jordan Weal

To Arizona Coyotes:
F Michael Chaput

 

To Florida Panthers:
F Cliff Pu
Future Considerations

To Carolina Hurricanes:
F Tomas Jurco (AHL contract)
Future Considerations

 

To Colorado Avalanche:
F Derick Brassard
2020 conditional sixth-round pick (no pick if Brassard re-signs)

To Florida Panthers:
2020 third-round pick

 

To Columbus Blue Jackets:
D Adam McQuaid

To New York Rangers:
D Julius Bergman
2019 fourth-round pick
2019 seventh-round pick

Read more

Nathan Beaulieu, Bogdan Kiselevich Traded To Winnipeg Jets

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The Winnipeg Jets were in the market for a depth defenseman, and they have found a pair in Nathan Beaulieu and Bogdan Kiselevich. The Buffalo Sabres have traded Beaulieu to the Jets in exchange for a 2019 sixth-round pick, reports TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, while a 2021 seventh-round selection is heading to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Kiselevich, reports colleague Darren Dreger. Both defenders are impending free agents, Beaulieu an RFA and Kiselevich a UFA.

Beaulieu, 26, proved to be a poor fit in Buffalo. After recording 28 points in 74 games in his final season with the Montreal Canadiens in 2016-17, Beaulieu was dealt to the Sabres for a third-round pick. Less than two years later, he had registered just 16 points in a combined 89 games and Buffalo were content to move on for a mere sixth-rounder. Beaulieu has shown to be a capable puck-moving defenseman, but the system and the depth chart worked against him with the Sabres. Now in Winnipeg, Beaulieu is likely to challenge for regular play time with several Jets defenders injured. A strong showing down the stretch or in the postseason could even earn him an extended stay with the team. Beaulieu will be owed a $2.5MM qualifying offer for the Jets to retain his rights and the team is facing a difficult cap crunch this off-season, so Beaulieu will really have to perform well in his brief time with the team.

As for Kiselevich, the 29-year-old is in his first NHL season after coming over from the KHL. Kiselevich has only seen 32 games worth of action to this point with Florida – likely why the team was happy to move him for just a future seventh-rounder – but has actually played well in his limited exposure. Nevertheless, this is very much a deep depth addition for the Jets and Kiselevich may never actually suit up for the team. If he hopes to stay in the NHL beyond this season though, he will try to earn some ice time before the end of the year.

Deadline Primer: Buffalo Sabres

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With the trade deadline fast approaching, we continue our look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? As we continue with the Atlantic Division, here is a look at the Buffalo Sabres.

By all accounts, Jeff Skinner isn’t going anywhere at the deadline and that’s all Sabres fans should really care about. Whether it’s because the team wants to use all the time they have to re-sign him or whether it’s due to his No-Movement Clause, Skinner is staying put through the end of the season, at the very least.

Beyond Skinner, the Sabres lack any real rental players of value. They also lack much incentive to give up trade capital for rentals of their own; there’s realistically one playoff spot left in the Eastern Conference and Buffalo would need to pass up the surging Carolina Hurricanes and the dynastic Pittsburgh Penguins to get it. The Sabres have overachieved this season, even if their hot start to the year makes it seem like they’ve underachieved of late. No one expected this to be a playoff team, so no one will blame them for holding on to their assets and maybe moving a player or two. At the same time, it’s possible they sneak in and no one would be upset if they made a value addition or two. It’s quite possible that Buffalo stands pat at the deadline, but expect them to dabble in both the buyers’ and sellers’ markets in the coming days.

Record

28-21-7, fifth in the Atlantic Division

Deadline Status

Fence Sitter

Deadline Cap Space

$14.94MM in full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 46/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: BUF 1st, STL 1st, SJ 1st, BUF 3rd, SJ 4th, BUF 6th, TOR 6th, BUF 7th
2020: BUF 1st, BUF 2nd, BUF 4th, BUF 5th, BUF 7th, DAL 7th

Trade Chips

Everyone wants a piece of Matt Moulson, right? How about Kevin Porter? Matt Tennyson? Honestly, the Sabres likely won’t be big sellers because there isn’t much to sell. The team’s best – and maybe only – traditional rental is 36-year-old forward Jason Pominville. Pominville got off to a strong start to the season but has been streaky the rest of the way en route to 13 goals and 23 points in 50 games. If a contender is interested in Pominville and can afford to add $5.6MM of salary for ideally a third-line forward, then the Sabres will certainly listen. However, those offers may be few and far between and, if they aren’t impressive, Buffalo might prefer to hang on to the well-like veteran. The other name that might be on the move is Group 6 UFA Danny O’Regan. O’Regan has not seen any NHL action this season after being traded away by the San Jose Sharks last year and will thus earn his free agency as an underutilized 25-year-old per the CBA. Rather than lose him for nothing, the Sabres will likely try to trade the productive minor league forward.

A closer look at the Buffalo roster also reveals some non-UFA rental candidates. With excellent depth on the blue line in both veterans and promising youngsters, the Sabres are more than able to sell from a position of strength. Impending RFA Nathan Beaulieu has been a poor fit in Buffalo for two years now since coming over from the Montreal Canadiens. The team owes Beaulieu a $2.5MM qualifying offer this summer to retain him, which seems unlikely. The Sabres could definitely treat Beaulieu like any other expiring asset and trade him away. Jake McCabe is also an RFA in need of a new contract, but is a full-time contributor in Buffalo and seems far less likely to be traded. A team looking to improve their depth in net could look at RFA Scott Wedgewood as an option.

As for players with term, the Sabres would surely like to move Vladimir Sobotka. The 31-year-old has another season remaining on his contract at $3.5MM and has been a major disappointment in his first year in Buffalo. Takers may be hard to come by, but the team will likely take what they can get for a largely unnecessary roster piece. With a better fit, Sobotka could still prove to be an effective bottom-six forward. The buried contract of gritty forward Scott Wilson would also be nice to move, but unlikely. Of course, if anyone made a half-reasonable offer for expensive and ineffective forward Kyle Okposo, he would also be moved, but such a deal won’t happen.

Five Players To Watch For: D Nathan Beaulieu, F Jason Pominville, F Danny O’Regan, F Vladimir Sobotka, D Matt Tennyson

Team Needs

1) Secondary Scoring: Buffalo is very top-heavy on offense, with the first line doing the vast majority of the scoring. The young roster forwards should improve next season and the team should be players in the free agent market, but as for this year they could use a boost. A cheap rental would help the Sabres stay in the playoff hunt. However, the ideal addition would be a young player with team control. Nikolay Goldobin, Tobias Rieder, and Nick Cousins are among several RFA names rumored to be available.

2) Forward Prospects: The Sabres have both established and high-potential young forwards on the roster right now. They also have a few promising prospects in Europe and three first-round picks this year. Basically, they’re in great shape with players and projects. However, they lack “prospects”, that intermediate level of guys who could push for a spot in camp or be a difference-maker in the AHL in the next year or two. The current young “stars” of the Rochester Americans have left much to be desired this year. In potentially moving one of their more valuable trade pieces, it would make sense for Buffalo to target some pro-ready forwards.

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