Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - It's well known that unrestricted free agency is not the way to build your team in the National Hockey League. There were very few attractive players that became available on July 1, and many players were severely overpaid.
Buffalo Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen made some minor signings that will likely benefit the Rochester Americans on Wednesday. Two former Sabres were brought back into the fold - defenseman Dennis Gilbert and forward Conor Sheary. Both got one-year contracts worth $850.000.
Forward Jason Polin got the same deal from the Sabres. He played four games for the Colorado Avalanche last season, and played 46 games in the AHL for the Colorado Eagles. The winger had 10 goals and 11 assists for the Eagles.
Overall, the 27-year-old has played in 13 NHL games and scored one goal.
The Sabres gave Buffalo native Trevor Kuntar a two-year, $1.75 million deal. He made his NHL debut with the Sabres last year, playing one game. In 70 games with the Amerks, he scored 21 goals and 16 assists for 37 points.
I asked Kekalainen if there were still some free agents he had his eye on this offseason.
"We're still open for business, if there's an opportunity to make our team better. But by no means are we desperate to add anything right now," said Kekalainen on Wednesday. "It needs to be a perfect fit financially, and cap wise it fits our system. We're open for business."
The Sabres traded goalie Devon Levi and a 2028 seventh-round pick to the Edmonton Oilers for a 2028 third-round selection.
"He requires waivers next year, and we have three goalies. So there's a chance he wouldn't be with the Buffalo Sabres, and we'd have to send him back to Rochester. And there's a good chance we would've lost him for nothing," Kekalainen acknowledged when explaining the trade.
Kekalainen admits having Colten Ellis in Buffalo factored into the trade.
Buffalo also signed newly acquired defenseman Olen Zellweger to a three-year, $9.3 million deal. This is a good contract for both sides, as it gives the 22-year-old an opportunity to reach his potential. Zellweger has only played two full NHL seasons and 164 games, which often isn't enough to get to where many thought he would be.
"Good negotiations with his agents, and he really wanted to get a contract done and we really wanted to get a contract done. It all worked out good," Kekalainen said.
Peyton Krebs is the only restricted free agent that needs to be re-signed. Buffalo has just over $8.7 million of cap space available. Kekalainen says Krebs is a very important part of the team, but just sometimes takes a bit longer to come to an agreement.
