The Buffalo Sabres are still sorting through ways to replace the offense they lost when Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram moved on, and veteran winger Alex Killorn has emerged as a name worth watching.
With NHL trade season rolling on after the draft and the start of free agency on July 1, GM Jarmo Kekalainen is expected to keep hunting for scoring help. The Sabres are trying to account for the 44 goals that disappeared with those departures, and they’d also like to ease some of the burden on young players Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich, and Noah Ostlund as they try to make up the difference.
Killorn fits a different part of the need. At 36, he brings experience, leadership and a track record that includes two Stanley Cup wins and 11 seasons in the Atlantic Division. He spent the last stretch of his career in Southern California after the Lightning’s cap crunch pushed him out, landing with the Anaheim Ducks on a four-year deal.
Now, with one year left on a contract carrying a $6.25 million cap hit, he could be available again. Ducks GM Pat Verbeek may want to clear salary to get 41-goal scorer Cutter Gauthier locked into a long-term deal, and Killorn is the kind of veteran who could be moved if Anaheim decides to reshape its books.
He’s no longer a top-six player, but he has still produced in Anaheim, scoring 18, 19 and 15 goals over the last three seasons.
The Ducks may need to attach a draft pick to move the contract, but Buffalo’s cap room is tight too, with only around $5 million available. That could force Verbeek to retain 20 to 25% of Killorn’s cap hit, or to bring back a salary such as Justin Danforth in any deal.
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