Olofsson is not expected to return to Buffalo next season
Olofsson is not expected to return to Buffalo next season
The Buffalo Sabres traded off a number of the veteran pending unrestricted free agents at the trade deadline, but GM Kevyn Adams indicated that one of the players he did not want to move was winger Zemgus Girgensons, who has played all 10 seasons and 688 games of his NHL career.
"Zemgus is so important within the fabric of this team,” Adams said in March. “I've made it clear to him (that a new contract is) something that we're going to talk about……I'm really glad we're keeping him because there's something special about him and I think it's important here down the stretch that he's in that locker room."
Those talks or the desire for the club to bring Girgensons may have changed since the end of the season and the hiring of head coach Lindy Ruff, as a report from the Fourth Period on Wednesday indicates that the 30-year-old Latvian will be heading to market on July 1.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcWWADs5a2Q[/embed]
Girgensons made $2.5 million on a one-year deal in 2023-24 and had 14 points (8 goals, 6 assists) in 63 games playing mostly on the fourth line.
It was expected that with the extensions of Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power kicking in next season and a pay raise for goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in the offing, Adams will have to be more budgetary conscious in other areas, and that would likely mean a pay cut for the veteran forward. While heading to free agency does not rule out a return to Buffalo, it could indicate that the Sabres under Ruff may want to go younger in their bottom-six or they want to make room for young prospects who played in Rochester.
The report also indicated that pending free agent Victor Olofsson will not be returning to Buffalo next season.
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