The Buffalo Sabres are shopping Jack Quinn, and they’re doing it with purpose.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that Buffalo is “actively dangling” the forward in trade talks, a sign the club is pushing hard to reshape its roster this summer. Quinn has become one of the Sabres’ most valuable chips, especially after the team used the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 draft - acquired in the Bowen Byram trade - on WHL defenseman Daxon Rudolph instead of moving that selection for immediate help.
Quinn’s value is obvious. He scored 20 goals and finished with 51 points last season, making him one of the more appealing names Buffalo can put on the market. And with the draft only a few days in the rearview mirror, it may be simpler for teams to build deals around players rather than picks, which could explain why Buffalo’s focus on Quinn has sharpened.
Money may be part of the picture too. The Sabres have already committed meaningful cap space in recent weeks, locking up players like Zach Benson and Beck Malenstyn to long-term extensions.
Quinn is headed for restricted free agency next summer and will almost certainly be looking for a hefty raise from his current $3.75MM cap hit. If Buffalo doesn’t believe it can fit that kind of contract into its future plans, moving him now - with one year left on his deal - could be the cleanest path, especially if the club wants to hand his role to a younger, cheaper option such as Konsta Helenius or Jiri Kulich.
Elsewhere in the East, the New Jersey Devils are close to getting something done with Arseni Gritsyuk. James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now reported that the team is nearing a contract extension with the pending RFA forward, and that the new deal “should be wrapped up soon,” possibly within the next few days.
Gritsyuk, 25, was a fifth-round pick in 2019 and spent five years in the KHL before finally making the jump to North America. After starring for SKA St. Petersburg, he delivered 13 goals and 31 points in 66 games for New Jersey last season, putting himself in line for a strong bump from the $925K cap hit on his entry-level deal.
The Ottawa Senators also have a goalie situation to sort out. Even though the club did not give Samuel Ersson a qualifying offer before today’s deadline, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reported that Ottawa still wants to re-sign him for the 2026-27 season and beyond. Garrioch added that it “would be surprising if [Ersson] doesn’t get signed.”
The reason for skipping the qualifying offer appears to be tied to arbitration. If Ersson had been qualified, he would have been eligible to file for it, giving him more leverage in negotiations and taking some control over compensation out of the club’s hands. Ottawa’s move suggests the Senators still want to keep the goalie after trading a fifth-rounder for him last week, but prefer to avoid the risk that comes with an arbitration filing.
In Other News...
Senators Could Lose An RFA Forward For Almost Nothing
The Senators may have another roster issue simmering before the next round of contract business even gets fully underway. Elliotte Friedman reported that a restricted free agent forward is looking for a way out of Ottawa because the path to meaningful NHL minutes is not clear, and the club would still hold his rights if he decides to press the issue. For a team trying to manage its forward depth carefully, it is the kind of situation that can turn into a trade conversation quickly, especially when the player in question is still trying to translate strong minor-league production into a more stable NHL role.
There is also the wrinkle of an offer sheet, which would put Ottawa in a different kind of bind depending on how another club structures the deal. The compensation would hinge on the contract value, with the return changing significantly above or below the relevant threshold, so the Senators could be forced to decide whether to match, negotiate a trade, or risk losing the asset for very little. For a front office that already has to balance opportunity, depth and cap planning, it is one more negotiation thread worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Claude Giroux Suddenly Puts Ottawa In A Position Fans Feared
Claude Girouxs future in Ottawa has quietly become one of the more delicate roster questions of the summer. After four seasons with the Senators, he has given them the kind of reliable two-way presence they value, producing at both ends of the ice while fitting into a lineup that still leans on veteran poise. The problem is that what the Senators want from Giroux and what they can realistically fit into the roster are not quite the same thing right now.
Pierre LeBruns report only sharpened the uncertainty around a player Ottawa would clearly like to keep. The Senators remain interested in bringing him back, but depth on the forward group and salary-cap pressure are pushing the conversation into difficult territory. For a team that has already spent years trying to build the right supporting cast, Girouxs situation is a reminder that sometimes the hardest decisions are the ones involving the players who have helped stabilize the room. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Fans Finally Got A Key Prospect Sign They Needed
For a Senators development camp that has plenty of attention on the usual group of young skaters, the sight of Carter Hensler back on the ice carried a different kind of weight. The defense prospect had been sidelined after an injury in January and spent months working through rehab, so simply getting back into drills this week was an encouraging step for a player whose momentum had been interrupted just as he was trying to build it.
Henslers return also adds another layer to a camp that is already giving Ottawa a look at prospects with different kinds of upside, including Kasper Halttunen, who arrives with a scorers resume and a history of helping drive winning teams. For the Senators, the appeal is obvious: development camp is about talent, but it is also about seeing who can get back on the ice, settle in again and start turning promise into something more reliable. [Read more 🡒]