With less than a week until the Buffalo Sabres start training camp in preparation for the 2020-21 National Hockey League season, it was reported by TSN hockey insider Darren Dreger on Sunday that defenseman Casey Nelson has chosen to opt out of the upcoming campaign.
The 28-year-old depth defenseman last saw NHL action in the final game of the 2018-19 regular season, one of his 38 appearances with the Sabres that year. Nelson spent all of the 2019-20 season in the American Hockey League with the Rochester Americans, scoring four goals and registering 12 points in 48 games.
Nelson has been with the organization since 2016 after he signed with the Sabres as a free agent following a three-year tenure at Minnesota State University. Since coming to Buffalo, Nelson has played in 93 games with the Sabres and in 151 contests with the Americans.
Buffalo starts its training camp on Thursday, Dec. 31, and will open the season against the Washington Capitals on Thursday, Jan. 14 at KeyBank Center.