The Buffalo Sabres made some significant roster changes before the NHL trade deadline, including trading center Dylan Cozens to Ottawa. However, GM Kevyn Adams also accomplished one of his stated goals before 3 p.m. last Friday: signing veteran forwards Jordan Greenway and Jason Zucker to contract extensions.
Greenway signed a two-year extension for $8 million ($4 million AAV), which was slightly higher than expected for the 28-year-old winger, whose career high was 12 goals. However, Zucker, who spent 11 years with Minnesota and Pittsburgh before hopping from Arizona to Nashville to Buffalo over the last two seasons, re-upped with the Sabres for slightly less than his current $5 million salary on a two-year, $9.5 million deal to establish some roots with a club where he has been placed in a leadership role.
“I believe in the group. It's been a fun challenge for me being one of the older guys on the team, it’s just been a lot of fun to be a part of it. Obviously, this year didn’t go the way we wanted to at this point, but that doesn't mean we didn’t make progress. (Re-signing with the Sabres)is a little bit of unfinished business kind of thing.” Zucker said. “Fortunately or unfortunately, I’ve been in trade speculation throughout my career, so it’s just kind of is what it is. You're never going to be able to block it out. It’s something that you deal with those couple of weeks, I knew my focus was always trying to get something done to stay here. I was just glad to get it done.”
Zucker returned to the Sabres lineup after a two-week absence from a lower-body injury, and played nearly 14 minutes in a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday, but did not take part in Tuesday’s practice for maintenance prior to the club departing for Detroit, where they will take on the Red Wings on Wednesday.
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