Buffalo also could have interest in Noah Hanifin if he reaches the free agent market this summer
Buffalo also could have interest in Noah Hanifin if he reaches the free agent market this summer
The Buffalo Sabres are expected to be busy before the March 8th trade deadline. Their moves will likely be limited to dealing some of their helf-dozen pending unrestricted free agents; defenseman Erik Johnson, wingers Kyle Okposo, Victor Olofsson, Eric Robinson, Zemgus Girgensons, and goalie Eric Comrie, but there is a possibility that GM Kevyn Adams may be toying with the idea of trading leading scorer Casey Mittelstadt.
On the “32 Thoughts” podcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek indicated that “a lot of teams watching (Mittelstadt).” The number of clubs scouting the Sabres during their February homestand was in double figures on most nights. While some could be attributed to some of the UFA’s, there has to be an increased interest in Mittelstadt after two prominent centers in Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan were traded during the All-Star break.
The summer is likely to bring impactful changes with the Sabres missing the playoffs for the 13th straight season, and if they do not move Mittelstadt by the deadline, the odds will increase that the 25-year-old center will be moved as an arbitration-eligible RFA, one year out from becoming a UFA.
There was also some speculation that the Sabres had an interest in acquiring Calgary defenseman Noah Hanifin last summer. Hanifin, who is likely to be dealt in the next two weeks, reportedly wants to play for a US-based club. If the 27-year-old blueliner reaches free agency in July, Buffalo could be among the group of teams interested in signing him, but the chances of him heading to market are slim since most of the clubs wanting to trade for him will be looking to sign him to a contract extension before the summer.
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