OTP - ESPN's Wyshynski On The Sabres Core Group The Buffalo Sabres face a season where accountability will be stressed under head coach Lindy Ruff and areas of need will have to be addressed by GM Kevyn Adams for the club to snap their 13-year playoff drought. We have been taking a look at players who could be potential trade targets this summer over the last few weeks in advance of a year that has to be considered playoffs or bust. Travis Konecny – Wing (Philadelphia Flyers) Contract status – signed through 2024-25 at $5.5 million AAV In 2018, with one year left on his contract, the Sabres acquired 26-year-old winger Jeff Skinner from the Carolina Hurricanes for prospect Cliff Pu and three draft picks. Skinner had a year left on his contract at $5.725 million and Buffalo was looking to punch up their offense in hopes of challenging for a playoff spot. Skinner provided a bit of feistiness on Jack Eichel’s top line and rewarded the Sabres with a career-high 40-goal season, which convinced Buffalo to lock up the Toronto native on a long-term deal. The Sabres scenario is similar this summer with Adams possibly looking for a middle-six forward. Buffalo ironically may be looking for the same combination of scoring and sandpaper if they choose to buy out the final three years of Skinner’s eight-year contract, and someone like Flyers winger Travis Konecny would be a perfect fit. Konecny is coming off consecutive 30+ goal seasons with Philadephia, but with a year left on a six-year, $33 million extension, the 27-year-old is looking for a significant pay raise on his next contract. Anthony DiMarco of The Fourth Period [https://www.thefourthperiod.com/dimarco/konecnys-next-contract-and-what-it-means] reports that when Konecny becomes eligible to sign an extension on July 1, his agent Newport Sports (Pat Morris) will “go for the jugular” and may be looking for a deal over $10 million per season. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_47DrqA-iMA[/embed] Flyers GM Daniel Briere has been attempting to dig his club out of some salary cap quandaries created by his predecessors like the long-term deals of Sean Couturier, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Travis Sanheim. Philadelphia might be hesitant to lock up a smaller forward like Konecny on a big salary for eight years, for fear of the dilemma the Sabres currently have with a declining Skinner. If Philadelphia chooses to deal Konecny, the Sabres have the pieces that Briere would want in a deal for their 2024 first-round pick, a young player like Peyton Krebs, or prospects like Jiri Kulich or Noah Ostlund. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA1OTI0MDY2NDU5MTMzMjA2/img_5780.jpg] LATEST THN BUFFALO STORIES Sabres Say They Are Ready For Accountability [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/latest-news/sabres-say-they-are-ready-to-be-held-accountable] Ruff Sees Similarities Between Sabres And Former Club [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/latest-news/ruff-sees-similarities-between-sabres-and-former-club] Ruff Hopes To Bring Winning Culture Back To Buffalo [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/latest-news/ruff-hopes-to-bring-winning-culture-back-to-buffalo]
