The Sabres got their own business done before the September 15 deadline, but they were hardly the only club making noise across the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference.
Buffalo locked up forward Noah Ostlund to an eight-year, $52.8 million extension, while Montreal added to its own long-term picture by signing winger Zach Bolduc, center Alex Newhook and defenseman Arber Xhekaj. Bolduc’s deal is worth $4.2 million AAV over four years, Newhook’s comes in at $5.5 million AAV for four years, and Xhekaj signed for one year at $1.5 million.
Washington also kept moving after earlier in the week reaching an eight-year, $84 million agreement with Ryan Leonard. The Capitals then completed another long-term deal with Justin Sourdif, the 24-year-old forward they acquired from Florida in June 2025 for a pair of draft picks. Sourdif produced 35 points, including 15 goals and 20 assists, as a rookie with Washington last season, and his new contract starts in 2027-28 with a $6.35 million AAV.
Ottawa joined the wave too, signing veteran winger Drake Batherson to an eight-year, $86 million deal with a $10.75 million AAV. New Jersey followed late Tuesday by landing recently acquired forward Luke Evangelista on a five-year, $36.25 million contract worth $7.25 million AAV.
While those teams were checking off major pieces, the situation in Winnipeg kept hanging over the league. TSN’s Darren Dreger reported Tuesday that Connor Hellebuyck will not report to training camp on Wednesday. The 33-year-old former Hart and Vezina Trophy winner disclosed through his agent late last month that he had requested a trade after last season, putting added pressure on Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff to find a deal before the season.
Dreger also said earlier in the week that the offers Winnipeg has received for Hellebuyck have been “terrible” and well below expectations. Even with the public stance that the gold medal winner no longer wants to play in Manitoba, the market does not appear to be improving. The Sabres were reportedly the leading candidate to land Hellebuyck around the NHL Draft i June, but more recent reports have linked him to Utah, Carolina, possibly New Jersey and San Jose.
In Other News...
Sabres Start Camp With Two Early Absences Fans Will Be Watching
The Sabres are opening training camp at LECOM Harborcenter with a pair of early absences that will immediately draw attention from a fan base eager to see how the roster takes shape. Ahead of Thursdays camp opener, the team confirmed it will be without one of its veteran forwards and a recently acquired defenseman, leaving a couple of notable spots empty right as the preseason work begins.
Jason Zucker is expected to be among the missing pieces when camp gets underway, and Louis Crevier will also be out to start. No further details were offered on either situation, which leaves Buffalo sorting through the first week of camp with a little less depth than planned and a little more curiosity than usual about when the roster will be whole again. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Quiet Offseason Put Extra Pressure On These Young Players
After a summer of limited movement, the Sabres are making a clear bet on what they already have. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen stayed quiet after the trades of Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram, a sign the front office is leaning into internal development rather than chasing outside fixes. For a team trying to keep moving forward, that puts a heavier burden on the young players in the system to show they can help right away.
Noah Ostlund is one of the names carrying that expectation after recently landing a long-term extension, while Louis Crevier may be in line for a bigger defensive role. Colten Ellis also sits in the goaltending mix as Buffalo sorts out its depth in net. The Sabres have left themselves little margin for error here, which makes the next step for that young group more important than ever. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Stat Races Just Got More Interesting In A Changing Lineup
With the offseason additions in place, the Sabres are heading into the 2026-27 season with a lineup that looks different enough to make their internal stat races a little more intriguing. Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin still sit at the center of the conversation, but the group around them is shifting, with younger pieces like Zach Benson and Josh Doan expected to push for bigger roles as Buffalo continues building around development.
The changing cast matters because the categories fans tend to track all season long could be harder to predict than usual, especially with the blue line and goaltending both in flux. New defensive faces are entering the picture, and Buffalo is still sorting through how it wants to manage its net, leaving plenty of room for a camp and early-season competition that should tell a lot about where this roster is headed. [Read more 🡒]