Riley Sheahan gets PTO opportunity with the Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres sign veteran center, Riley Sheahan, to a professional tryout contract for this upcoming season.

Earlier this week, the Buffalo Sabres signed St. Catherines native, Riley Sheahan, to a professional tryout contract. Sheahan was the 21st overall pick by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2010 NHL Draft.

From 2017 to 2019, he played with the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Florida Panthers. This past 2019-20 season, he played in 66 games with the Edmonton Oilers.

With Arttu Ruotsalainen, Casey Mittelstadt, Curtis Lazar, and Tage Thompson being bottom-six forwards for the Sabres, Sheahan will be battling with them for a roster spot. As a 29-year-old center, Riley Sheahan has racked up 66 goals with 98 assists in 513 games throughout his career so far. This past season as an Edmonton Oiler, he had 8 goals with 7 assists in 66 games.

It should be interesting to see what he does in tryouts. Even with 9 years of experience in the NHL and good penalty-kill numbers, he’s never been a top offensive player.

However, he has proven himself to add depth to a roster with the solid seasons he has produced over his time in the NHL as a bottom-six center. As a 6’3, 214 lb center, he brings some physicality to the forward position as well.

If not a fourth-line forward, I could see Sheahan being a helpful addition to the taxi squad, especially if one of their tops gets injured. Clearly, the Sabres see him as someone who has a lot of potential and could be a useful player to have.

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