The Buffalo Sabres have re-signed restricted free agent forward Rasmus Asplund to a two-year contract with an $825,000 AAV.
Aspy’s back! 🙌
We’ve signed Rasmus Asplund to a two-year contract worth $825,000.
Details: https://t.co/uyLVtRBJbS pic.twitter.com/1pm1VNCnph
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) July 30, 2021
Rasmus Asplund Re-signs with Buffalo
The Sabres general manager, Kevyn Adams, has been focused on his young core to build a future. Of course, Asplund will play a big part in it. The 23-year-old player had his best NHL season so far, especially when coach Don Granato took over the bench. Asplund started the season on the taxi squad and as injuries started to creep in, he made his way into the official roster. When Granato was named their interim head coach, he kept the young player in the lineup for the rest of the season and it was the best decision for both the team and the player.
For the 23 final games, under Granato, the Swede player scored six goals and 10 points. Before the new coach arrived, Asplund had played only five games with former head coach Ralph Krueger. During the 2019-20 season, he split time between the NHL and the Rochester Americans, Buffalo’s AHL affiliate. He played 29 games with the Sabres, scoring only two points. With Rochester, Asplund was pretty successful, getting 19 points in 33 games. During the 2018-19 season in the AHL, the Swede had ten goals and 41 points in 75 games.
What This Means For The Sabres
It is clear that Asplund was having a hard time flourishing under Krueger’s system. To be fair, almost everyone in Buffalo was. But the change in the head coach and mentality did wonders for the 23-year-old forward. First, he was given a permanent spot in the lineup, playing with Casey Mittelstadt and Tage Thompson. Then, his ice-time improved significantly, going from a 12-minute average to a 15-minute average by the end of the season. He was also put in the second line and sometimes even in the top line, carrying a bigger responsibility with his team.
Even though he still has some things to improve in his game, Asplund has shown a lot of improvement. With Adams statement on wanting to focus on the young core and Granato’s ability to improve his players, there’s no doubt that Asplund has a potential breakout season ahead of him.
Ryan MacInnis
The Sabres also added depth to the minor-league lineup. They signed forward Ryan MacInnis to a one-year, two-way contract. MacInnis played 16 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets last season, but didn’t score any points. His father is Hall Of Fame defenceman Al MacInnis.
Main Photo:
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 22: Rasmus Asplund #74 of the Buffalo Sabres skates against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on March 22, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
