Former Sabres are finding new homes all over the hockey map this summer, from NHL rosters to the KHL, and a few familiar names are heading into fresh situations after changing teams in Buffalo.
Josh Dunne is one of the clearest examples. In his sixth pro season, the forward finally carved out a real NHL role, spending nearly the entire year in Buffalo aside from a one-game stint with the Rochester Americans in October. He set a career high with 34 games and gave the Sabres a versatile, hard-nosed option on the fourth line.
That said, Dunne’s path to steady minutes in Buffalo was never going to be simple. The Sabres had plenty of depth up front, which meant he bounced in and out of the lineup last season. If he had stayed, he would have been fighting for a roster spot again.
Instead, once free agency opened July 1, Dunne signed a one-year, one-way contract worth $850,000 with Washington. He joins former Sabres winger Alex Tuch, who was sent to the Capitals in a sign-and-trade deal. Dunne also appeared in two games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and Washington could give him a better shot at more regular work.
A few other ex-Sabres also landed new NHL deals. Defenseman Luke Schenn signed a one-year, $2.25 million contract to return to Vancouver for his third stint with the Canucks.
Schenn, 37, played six games total, including two in the postseason, after the Sabres picked him up in a deadline trade with the Winnipeg Jets. Buffalo brought in the 18-year veteran for depth and experience as the club started its first playoff run in 15 years.
Jacob Bryson, who was part of the trade that sent Schenn and defenseman Logan Stanley to Buffalo, found a new team as well. The 28-year-old defenseman signed a one-year, $850,000 deal with the Detroit Red Wings after playing 15 games for Winnipeg. Bryson spent six seasons with the Sabres and appeared in 289 games for Buffalo.
Connor Clifton is heading back to where it started. After spending last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the defenseman signed a two-year, $4.5 million contract to return to Boston. The Sabres signed Clifton to a three-year, $9.99 million deal in 2023 before trading him to Pittsburgh last summer.
Sam Lafferty also changed teams again, signing a one-year, $850,000 contract with the Florida Panthers. Buffalo signed the 31-year-old forward to a two-year, $4 million deal in 2024 before dealing him to the Chicago Blackhawks last summer.
Brett Murray is taking a different route. The winger, who spent last season with the Nurnberg Ice Tigers in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, signed a one-year contract with the Shanghai Dragons in the Kontinental Hockey League. Murray played 26 games for the Sabres over parts of four seasons and also spent six years in Rochester.
There’s also movement overseas for some local names. Williamsville native Andrew Poturalski and Youngstown native Joseph Cecconi both re-signed with Avangard Omsk, a KHL team. Poturalski, 32, remains a high-scoring center and is described as arguably the best player outside the NHL, while Cecconi, 29, is a sturdy defenseman.
Another Williamsville native, Justin Bailey, signed a one-year contract with Barys Astana in the KHL. The 31-year-old winger spent last season with the San Diego Gulls, the Anaheim Ducks’ AHL affiliate.
In Other News...
Sabres May Finally Have Their Goalie But The Cost Looks Serious
Connor Hellebuycks future in Winnipeg is suddenly looking shaky, and the Sabres are right in the middle of the conversation. EJ Hradek raised the possibility that the Jets goalie may have already played his last game for the club, with Winnipeg apparently preparing to move him and Buffalo among the teams talking as both sides explore what a deal might look like.
The appeal is obvious for Buffalo, which would be getting one of the leagues premier goalies and a major on-paper upgrade. The price, though, is where this gets tricky. Winnipeg is believed to want a second-center type back, and the Sabres have already seen depth come off the roster with Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram gone, so any serious push for Hellebuyck would have to balance the urgency of landing a star against the cost of stripping more from the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres May Be Eyeing Another Risky Answer To A Familiar Need
The Sabres are still sorting through the fallout of missing out on Patrick Kane, and the search for another top-six answer has pushed them back into the trade market. Buffalo has a clear need to add more scoring and stability up front, and the conversation has started to turn toward players who can bring both offense and reliable two-way play.
One name that has surfaced is Bryan Rust, whose production last season showed why he would draw interest from a team looking to deepen its lineup. He finished with 29 goals and 36 assists in 72 games, a kind of output that could make him an appealing fit for Buffalos second line while also giving the club help in special teams situations. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres May Have A Real Answer For Their Scoring Problem
Buffalos search for extra offense has taken on a familiar urgency after the departures of Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram left another hole to fill. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen is still weighing ways to replace that production, and the Sabres are at least looking in the direction of a veteran scorer who could bring a proven finishing touch without forcing the roster into a corner.
The appeal is obvious on paper: an unsigned winger with a track record of putting up big goal totals and enough experience to slide into a top-six role if the fit is right. What makes the situation worth watching is whether the contract side can line up with Buffalos cap picture, because if it does, the Sabres may have a realistic path to adding the kind of scoring punch that has been missing. [Read more 🡒]