Sabres Daily: Bryson Odd Man Out?; Panthers Comings/Goings

The Buffalo Sabres after the opening week of free agency find themselves in a situation that will have to be rectified before the start of the regular season. After signing veteran free agents Erik Johnson and Connor Clifton, and re-signing Kale Clague, the club has 10 defensemen with NHL experience.

Jacob Bryson gives the boys an early lead on the power play!#LetsGoBuffalo | @NewWaveEnergyCo pic.twitter.com/JlTnpGkNBN

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) March 3, 2022

Depth is never a bad thing, but at most Buffalo can carry eight blueliners on their opening night roster. The addition of Johnson and Clifton to go along with Henri Jokiharju and Ilya Lyubushkin reinforces the right side, with a strong left side consisting of Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, and Mattias Samuelsson. Clague will likely be the swing man between Buffalo and Rochester, making either Riley Stillman or Jacob Bryson the odd man out.

The Sabres like Stillman’s size and physicality, so it is possible that GM Kevyn Adams finds a new home for the 25-year-old Bryson before the start of training camp.

Sabres In Case You Missed It

• Sabres Shifting Interest To Hanifin?
• The Hockey Now 2023 Mock Draft 
• Could Johnson Be The Sabres Blueline Fallback Option?
• Sabres Opt For Familiarity With Selection Of Benson
• Sabres Select Wahlberg, Strbak In The Second Round 
• Sabres Sign Johnson, Clifton To Bolster Defense; Re-Sign Jost
• Adams Chooses To Stay Away From Goalie Market
• Sabres Rely On Relationships To Attract Blueliners
• Sabres Sign Clague To One-Year Deal
• Friedman: Dahlin And Power Extensions Top Priority
• Sabres Prospects Showing Off At Scrimmage

Panthers Comings And Goings

In keeping track of the transactions of the Sabres Atlantic Division rivals, the Florida Panthers had a playoff run for the ages, eliminating the heavily favored Bruins, beating Toronto, and sweeping Carolina before falling to Vegas in the Stanley Cup Final. Florida needed to compensate for playoff injuries to Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad, which was apparent in their targets in free agency.

Goings

Radko Gudas (signed with Anaheim as a free agent)

Eric Staal (retired – unconfirmed)

Marc Staal (signed with Philadelphia as a free agent)

Anthony Duclair (traded to San Jose)

Alex Lyon (signed with Detroit as a free agent)

Comings

Evan Rodrigues (signed to a four-year, $12 million deal)

Steven Lorentz (acquired from the Sharks)

Niko Mikkola (signed to a three-year, $7.5 million deal)

Oliver Ekman-Larsson (signed to a one-year, $2.25 million deal)

Mike Reilly (signed to a one-year, $1 million deal)

Dmitry Kulikov (signed to a one-year, $1 million deal)

Anthony Stolarz (signed to a one-year, $1.1 million deal)

Hockey Now Network

Boston: Don’t Blame Sweeney For Bertuzzi Leaving (Boston Bruins)

Calgary: Flames Ask For Hanifin Stays High, Bruins Interested (Calgary Flames)

Chicago: Korchinski Honing His Habits On Way To Hawks (Chicago Blackhawks)

Colorado: Drouin Ready For Fresh Start With Avs (Colorado Avalanche)

Detroit: Yzerman Says Edvinsson Still Needs To Earn Spot (Detroit Red Wings)

Florida: Mikkola Brings Hard Defensive Play To Panthers (Florida Panthers)

Los Angeles: Kings Talbot Excited For Reunion With McLellan (Los Angeles Kings)

Montreal: Harvey-Pinard Extension Adds Great Value To Habs (Montreal Canadiens)

Nashville: Predators Duo Developing Chemistry At Camp (Nashville Predators)

New Jersey: What Are Devils Getting In Colin Miller (New Jersey Devils)

NY Islanders: Islanders Have Eyes On DeBrincat  (New York Islanders)

Philadelphia: Briere Says Sanheim Off The Trading Block (Philadelphia Flyers)

Pittsburgh: Penguins Get Bargain, Sign Will Butcher (Pittsburgh Penguins)

San Jose: Sharks Should Claim Zadina (San Jose Sharks)

Vegas: Next Things To Watch For Golden Knights Offseason (Vegas Golden Knights)

Washington: Cristall Gains Key Reps With Roller Hockey Team (Washington Capitals)