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Buffalo Sabres Sign Pair of Free Agents

By Melissa Kania

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The Buffalo Sabres signed a pair of free agents on day one of the NHL’s free agency period, the team announced Wednesday evening.

The Sabres have signed Jason Akeson and Matt Donovan to one-year deals. Both are likely bound for the AHL, to bolster the Rochester Americans lineup.

Akeson, 25, is an Orleans, Ontario native who spent most of last year with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, where he registered 53 points (23 goals, 30 assists) in 57 games.

A member of the Philadelphia Flyers organization since 2011, the right-winger has played 15 games in the NHL, including 13 this past season. He’s spent most of that time in the AHL with Adirondack/Lehigh, but made a brief appearance in the ECHL in the 2012-13 season.

Akeson is a grad of the Kitchener Rangers organization, having played there between 2007 and 2011. One familiar name to Akeson: Jerry D’Amigo, who played for Kitchener in the 2010-2011 season.

Philip Varone also played for Kitchener for part of the 2007-08 season, but left for London just as Akeson came in.

Donovan, 25, hails from Edmond, Oklahoma and was originally drafted byt he New York Islanders 96th overall in 2008.

He played 14 games for the Islanders last season, and overall has played 67 games with the NHL team since 2011. Donovan has mostly played for the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers, putting up 120 points, including 88 assists, and 216 penalty minutes, in 183 games.

The defenseman attended the University of Denver for two years and also was a prior member of the USHL’s Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.

Donovan already expressed his enthusiasm in joining the Sabres organization via Twitter on Wednesday.

One piece of news that was NOT announced or confirmed on Wednesday: the reported signing of Cal O’Reilly – brother of recently-acquired Ryan O’Reilly.

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Reports flooded in about the Sabres signing the other O’Reilly, but Tim Murray did not confirm the signing. That news could, or could not, be coming in the next few days, but he’d also likely be headed for the Amerks.

Cal spent the last two seasons with the Utica Comets of the AHL.

But another piece of news that WAS announced Wednesday evening: goaltender Nathan Lieuwen has accepted his qualifying offer. That news came in via TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie.

Lieuwen was one of seven restricted free agents qualified by the Sabres organization; he’s the first to accept his offer.

With that, the goaltending situation in Rochester should be pretty well set, with Lieuwen and Andrey Makarov as your one-two punch there.

Next up for the Amerks — a coach?

This is where things could get interesting, as Tim Murray was quoted Wednesday as saying that the team may do something that he’s not sure has ever been done before. Could this mean a split staff? Two head coaches? A staff that moves back and forth between Rochester and Buffalo? Who knows, but we should find out soon enough.

Next: Sabres Acquire Ryan O'Reilly

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