The Buffalo Sabres signing Jordan Greenway to a two-year contract extension on Wednesday gives some perspective on where they’re at as a team.
Greenway’s extension is worth $4 million per season, a $1-million raise from his current expiring deal. His previous deal was a three-year, $3-million contract signed with the Minnesota Wild on Jan. 31, 2022. He was traded to Buffalo on March 3, 2023.
The once-pending UFA was considered trade bait during NHL trade deadline season. Buffalo had a different idea by keeping the left winger.
If GM Kevyn Adams traded Greenway away, the team would have likely received some draft compensation in return. More importantly, they would lose a solid roster player with respectable NHL experience despite only recording eight points in 26 games this season.
While it’s important to think about the future, the Sabres must move on from the rebuilding phases and get older as a squad.
The Sabres haven’t seen playoff hockey in 13 years. Keeping Greenway and possibly other pending UFAs beyond this season could play a small part in the team ending the streak.
Buffalo has the youngest team in the NHL with an average age of 25.76, according to eliteprospects.com. The next youngest team is the Montreal Canadiens averaging 26 years of age.
Buffalo has just two players over the age of 30: goaltender James Reimer, 36, and left winger Jason Zucker, 33.
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Buffalo Sabres could be the most talked-about team in terms of players being on the move prior to the NHL trade deadline, but whether anything comes to fruition will be up to the quality of offers GM Kevyn Adams receives before 3 pm Friday.
Last season, the nine youngest teams in the NHL did not reach the playoffs, and Buffalo was among them. Age is more than just a number when it comes to the NHL. A solid core of established NHL veterans who can bring the best out of the inexperienced youngsters leads to success most of the time.
Utah Hockey Club made similar signings on Wednesday evening, agreeing to terms with veteran center Alex Kerfoot, defensemen Ian Cole and goaltender Karel Vejmelka instead of using them as trade bait. Utah sits only four points out of a playoff spot after the Arizona Coyotes underwent a deep rebuild.
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NHL trade deadline can set teams up for a long playoff run or success in the long term. It can also be a time of huge mistakes.
Zucker ranks fifth on the Sabres in scoring, with 44 points in 54 games. He’s found an effective role on the team as a producer and a veteran presence, so it would make sense for the Sabres to re-sign him unless a better opportunity to improve the roster arises in the trade market. Zucker told The Athletic in January he’d love to stay, but it wasn’t in his control.
Nevertheless, re-signing the 28-year-old Greenway could be a step in the right direction for a team that badly needs to have some success.
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