Buffalo Sabres 2016 Free Agent Guide
Confused over which Buffalo Sabres players will become RFAs or UFAs on July 1, 2016? Or just too lazy to do your research? Ha ha! Don’t worry -we’ve got you covered!
Over the weekend, my partner in crime here at Sabre Noise, Melissa Kania, shared her thoughts on three players the Buffalo Sabres should re-sign during the free agency madness, and three players she feels the Sabres should not touch with a 3,000-foot pole.
Melissa’s post was a great conversation piece, but as it was not comprehensive, I decided to go ahead and compile a list of all the pending free agents that are on the Buffalo Sabres roster. As an added bonus, I have included a handful of Rochester Americans on this list – those players who have already skated with the Buffalo Sabres, or who are expected to join the team soon.
And as an added, added bonus, I have tossed in my two cents, because any monkey with a keyboard can find a list of Sabres players and their contracts! I respect you all a little more than that, so take my opinion for what it is worth – gold, actually! – and use this as a handy reference guide to the offseason.
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Forwards
Daniel Catenacci (12-12-24 w/Amerks)
Status: RFA
Age: 23
2015-16 Salary Cap Hit: $611,667
Nicolas Deslauriers (6-6-12)
Status: RFA
Age: 25
2015-16 Salary Cap Hit: $637,500
Marcus Foligno (10-13-23)
Status: RFA
Age: 24
2015-16 Salary Cap Hit: $1,875,000
Zemgus Girgensons (7-11-18)
Status: RFA
Age: 22
2015-16 Salary Cap Hit: $894,167
Johan Larsson (10-7-17)
Status: RFA
Age: 23
2015-16 Salary Cap Hit: $800,000
David Legwand (5-9-14)
Status: UFA
Age: 35
2015-16 Salary Cap Hit: $3,000,000
Tim Schaller (12-14-26 w/Amerks)
Status: RFA
Age: 25
2015-16 Salary Cap Hit: $874,125
Cole Schneider (21-35-56 w/Amerks)
Status: RFA
Age: 25
2015-16 Salary Cap Hit: $700,000
It would be surprising if we saw everyone on this list playing with the Buffalo Sabres organization in some capacity next season. You have to think that the front office is going to go hard after either a top-six forward or a top-four defenseman once free agency begins on July 1, so there will be casualties. If I had to pick, I would say that Girgensons and Foligno are locks to be re-signed, while Legwand is 100% going to be looking for a job this summer.
Larsson came on strong, scoring-wise, toward the end of the season, so I would be surprised if Buffalo failed to retain him. The guy I am most interested on this list is probably Schneider, who led the Amerks in scoring this season (although to be fair, 42 of his 56 points did come while he was playing in Binghamton). Is there any chance that he finds his way onto the Sabres’ roster in 2016-17? I know Tim Murray has commented that the Sabres forwards are nearly set, but Schneider did get called up at the end of the season, so keep an eye out for him.
Defense
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Carlo Colaiacovo (1-4-5)
Status: UFA
Age: 33
2015-16 Salary Cap Hit: $900,00
Jake McCabe (4-10-14)
Status: RFA
Age: 22
2015-16 Salary Cap Hit: $925,000
Rasmus Ristolainen (9-32-41)
Status: RFA
Age: 21
2015-16 Salary Cap Hit: $925,000
Chad Ruhwedel (10-16-26 w/Amerks)
Status: RFA
Age: 25
2015-16 Salary Cap Hit: $650,000
There should not be too much drama surrounding the Sabres’ defensive corps. Adios, Colaiacovo! Enjoy your bridge contracts, Ristolainen and McCabe! Keep doing what you are doing in Rochester, Chad!
Seriously – the only drama that could occur when it comes to this group is watching the Sabres hem and haw over whether Ristolainen is worth a long-term contract or not. Has Risto done enough to deserve a long-term contract? Probably – but he’s only 21, and the ghost of Tyler Myers lives on in the 716. Expect to see him get offered a bridge deal that gives him two more seasons to prove that he has earned a long-term contract.
Goaltenders
Nathan Lieuwen (14-11-0, 2.91 GAA w/Amerks)
Status: RFA
Age: 24
2015-16 Salary Cap Hit: $605,000
Jason Kasdorf (0-1-0, 4.00 GAA)
Status: RFA
Age: 23
2015-16 Salary Cap Hit: $667,500
Andrey Makarov (9-9-1, 2.82 GAA w/Amerks)
Status: RFA
Age: 22
2015-16 Salary Cap Hit: $578,333
Chad Johnson (22-16-4, 2.36GAA)
Status: UFA
Age: 29
2015-16 Salary Cap Hit: $1,300,000
Out of all the goaltenders, Johnson is probably the player that Sabres fans are most interested in, negotiation-wise. There is a discernible lack of faith in Robin Lehner among the Buffalo faithful, and it’s not like Johnson didn’t earn the starting job. The problem is, listening to Tim Murray speak, you get the definite feeling that he views Johnson as a backup only, which will most likely result in Johnson’s signing with another team this summer, as he will not be asking for backup money.
As for the rest of the netminders, I would like to see Lieuwen be the go-to guy in Buffalo if a spot opens up, but who knows what deal-with-the-Devil Murray will enter into when it comes to Kasdorf. And if you don’t know already, Makarov will be playing in the KHL next season.