The Stanley Cup Playoffs have arrived, but there are plenty of NHL rumours to go around. Some teams like the Buffalo Sabres made a big impression, but missed out on the post-season. One of the reasons the team took a big leap forward was because of the Buffalo Sabres defencemen. Today’s edition of NHL rumours takes a look at general manager Kevyn Adams trying to sign Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin to extensions.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
GM Wants to Extend Buffalo Sabres Defencemen
Rumour: Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News said that management wants to ink Power and Dahlin to long-term extensions. Adams told the media that he’s spoken to both blueliners about making a deal. This is Adams’ philosophy in that he wants to lock down core pieces long-term. He’s done this with Tage Thompson, Dylan Cozens and Mattias Samuelsson.
Sabres GM Kevyn Adams reached out to the agents of Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power to express interest in signing both to long-term contracts this summer.
Plus, updates on Okposo/Girgensons, Ryan Johnson, prospects and more:https://t.co/R4GH6qKxMe
— Lance Lysowski (@LLysowski) April 20, 2023
However, Adams did acknowledge that signing one or both is going to take time. Dahlin is eligible to sign a contract extension on July 1, but Power won’t be eligible for an extension until July 1, 2024. However, it doesn’t hurt to get out ahead of the situation. There’s been a drastic change in philosophy as the Sabres want to tackle problems.
Impact of Extending Buffalo Sabres Defencemen
Both Dahlin and Power have been a vital part of the team’s turnaround. The Sabres didn’t make the post-season this year, but have a lot of promise. Adams does need to make some moves the shore up defensive depth and goaltending. However, taking core of his two top-tier defenders would go a long way to giving the Sabres a strong foundation.
Adams also added that Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons are welcome to return if they want to next season. Buffalo does have a bit of money to play with, but are hoping for some sort of discount. Things are looking up for the team and they may take less money to be part of something growing.
