5 worst free agent signings in Buffalo Sabres history – Cap Era
While the NHL Draft takes precedent in early July, free agency closely follows. Today, we will discuss the five worst free agents in Buffalo Sabres history.
The salary cap era officially began in the NHL in the 2005-06 season and in that time frame, we have seen the Buffalo Sabres whiff on some big name free agents. Or at least players they brought in thinking would fare well for the blue and gold.
While we can name far more than five free agent flops that fit the bill, none stand out more than those we are about to list below. So who are the five worst free agent signings in Buffalo Sabres history during the salary cap era? Keep reading to find out.
Worst free agents in Buffalo Sabres history: Free agent #1 – Matt Moulson
Moulson emerged as a productive player for the New York Islanders between 2009-10 and 2013, prompting the Sabres to acquire him in the Thomas Vanek trade in October 2013. Then on March 5th, 2014, the Sabres traded him to the Minnesota Wild. He then swung back around to Buffalo on July 1st, 2014, signing a five-year contract with the team.
While the winger looked good in his 44-game sample size with the Sabres in late 2013-14 with 29 points, it was the high water mark for Moulson. In 2014-15, he scored a respectable 41 points (13 goals), but his shooting percentage dropped to a career low 8.3 percent.
Moulson returned in 2015-16 and played in 81 games, but he set a new career low with a shooting percentage of 7.2 percent while amassing just 21 points (eight goals). Things didn’t get better for Moulson the following season as he scored a dismal 32 points.
You may look at the above stats and say they weren’t half-bad compared to some other players in the era. On paper, that may be true, despite the low shooting percentage. Problem was, the Sabres were paying Moulson $5 million per year before they got rid of him in 2017. Overall, Moulson scored 94 points in 253 games with the Sabres following his long-term deal.
Ville Leino
Leino’s career in the NHL lasted between 2008 and 2014. But in 2010-11, he had a sensational season with the Philadelphia Flyers. That year, he scored 53 points in 81 games with an outstanding 16.2 scoring percentage. Following this breakout season, the Buffalo Sabres faithful believed he and Christian Ehrhoff would help carry the team to new heights.
He signed a lucrative six-year contract in July 2011, and in return, the Sabres got 137 games, 46 points, and 10 goals. The 2011-12 season is really the only one worth mentioning, as he scored 25 points (eight goals) in 71 contests.
The following two seasons saw Leino fall flat on his face, playing in a combined 66 games while scoring an abysmal 21 points (two goals). He also took part in 527 face-offs during his time with the Sabres, winning 42.5 percent of them.
It is worth mentioning that in 2013-14, Leino recorded 15 points in 58 games, yet he never found twine. Three seasons after signing with Buffalo, the Sabres bought out the rest of his contract and Leino never played in the NHL again.
Christian Ehrhoff
Many of you may find Ehrhoff to be the biggest free agent bust on this list. Especially since he signed a 10-year deal with the Buffalo Sabres and in return, they got nothing more than 192 games out of the defenseman. That said, it’s safe to debate whether Ehrhoff’s stint in Buffalo was worse than the jersey he is wearing in the above photo.
Erhrhoff is also a different case, since his rights were technically traded to the Sabres from the New York Islanders on June 29th, 2011. The Islanders actually acquired his rights the previous day from the Vancouver Canucks. He would sign with the Sabres on June 30th for $40 million over 10 seasons, one day before free agency began.
However, in Year One with the Sabres, Ehrhoff wasn’t half-bad. He even showed more promise in Year 2. In fact, he even finished in the top 28 for the All-Star voting and notched a career high in average ice time at 25:11.
Then in Year 3, he faceplanted. While his statistics weren’t bad, he became a turnover machine, notching 61 giveaways. His plus/minus of (-27) was the worst of his career. Exactly three years after Ehrhoff signed in Buffalo, the Sabres bought out his contract and he faded into obscurity after short stints in Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
Taylor Hall
The Hockey Writers called Taylor Hall the 2020 offseason’s top free agent. And the lowly Buffalo Sabres snagged him for a one-year, $8 million deal. Following the shocking signing, Hall became an internet sensation, and Kevyn Adams became a hero.
Sabres fans envisioned a Hall-Jack Eichel dynamic duo that would perhaps carry the team to its first playoff appearance since 2010-11. Instead, Hall gave the Sabres and their fans just 19 points and two goals in 37 contests. He shot an abysmal 2.3 shooting percentage, and didn’t even stick around to see the end of the season.
The Sabres traded Hall in April to the Bruins in a deal that included Curtis Lazar for Anders Bjork (yikes!) and a second round pick that turned out to be Aleksandr Kisakov. Perhaps Kisakov will save the situation and Hall’s time in Buffalo wouldn’t have been for nothing.
Carter Hutton
No, Hutton was never a great player in NHL circles. But he also wasn’t bad, as the serviceable goaltender played much longer in the NHL than his draft status indicated. But here’s the kicker: Between 2013-14 and 2017-18, Hutton had an annual GAA of 2.62 or less. His best season came in 2017-18, when he enjoyed a 0.931 save percentage and a 2.09 GAA.
So it only made sense for the Sabres to sign him to a three-year contract worth $8.25 million. Problem was, Hutton allowed three or more goals per game in each of his three seasons with the team. His final stats with the Sabres are this: 94 games, 31-49-10, a 3.12 GAA, and a 0.902 save percentage.
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Hutton finished 1-10-1 during his final season in Buffalo and he moved on to finish his career with the Arizona Coyotes. While many won’t call Hutton a free agent bust, his lackluster performances in Buffalo certainly ring true after he played lights out in St. Louis and Nashville.
Article Source: The Best and Worst of Sabres Free Agency by Ryan Wolfe
Article Source: Sabres’ Dubious Free Agent History Under the Pegulas
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)