Latest news with #ConorTimmins
New York Times
10 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
Sabres depth chart: Where Buffalo's cap space, lines stand ahead of free agency
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres look a lot different than they did 12 months ago. At the trade deadline, general manager Kevyn Adams dealt Dylan Cozens. And before the start of the 2025 NHL Draft, he traded JJ Peterka. Two pieces of what looked like Buffalo's core a year ago are now playing elsewhere. And Adams may not be done turning over key pieces of this roster. Bowen Byram's situation is still unsettled, and Adams said he's open to a trade. The Sabres also added Conor Timmins in a trade that sent Connor Clifton and a second-round pick to the Penguins, so the right side of the depth chart on defense could look entirely different than it did at the start of last season. Advertisement Here's a look at Buffalo's depth chart, cap space and team needs entering free agency. Salary cap picture: The Sabres currently have just under $21 million in cap space with 18 players under contract, according to Puckpedia. Byram, Timmins, Ryan McLeod, Jacob Bernard-Docker, Devon Levi and Tyson Kozak are the remaining restricted free agents. The money freed up from the Peterka trade should give Adams flexibility heading into free agency. McLeod's cap hit on a new contract could be between $4.5 million and $5 million. Byram could be between $5 million and $6 million even on a short-term deal, and that cap hit would be even higher on a long-term deal. Timmins and Bernard-Docker should account for roughly $5 million of that space combined. Levi and Kozak aren't locks to be on the NHL roster, but their cap hits should be a combined $2.5-$3 million. Signing Byram isn't a guarantee, either, because the Sabres have been exploring the trade market for him. Using contract projections from AFP Analytics, they would have between $3 million and $5 million in space if they signed all of these players and between $8 million and $10 million if they traded Byram away. Sam Lafferty's $2 million contract is another one they could try to get rid of if they need more space. If Josh Doan is strictly a right winger, it seems like he'll be capped as a third-line player as long as Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch are healthy. That's a fine spot for him. The Sabres could put McLeod between Doan and Jordan Greenway for a useful shutdown line or give Jack Quinn the opportunity to add some scoring pop to that group. Doan feels like a bit of a wild card. Depending on how well he develops, he could become a top-six player at some point. He's already arguably the strongest forechecker on Buffalo's roster. He just needs to find a scoring touch, something he's been focused on during offseason training. Quinn signed a two-year extension worth $3.375 million per season, but he is still a funky fit in this lineup. Do the Sabres take the risk of playing him in the top six again? That would push either Zach Benson or Jason Zucker to the third line, where both have shown fine chemistry with McLeod. But Quinn would need to earn this spot in the lineup. His skating looked off last season and he had a dreadful scoring slump in the first few months of the season. Advertisement Thompson's move to the wing was beneficial for his production, but it made the Sabres' future at center murkier. Josh Norris needs to prove that he can stay healthy and handle the responsibility of being a No. 1 center for an entire 82-game season. Jiri Kulich, who just turned 21, had an excellent rookie season. He's better at center than he is on the wing and has proven capable of handling the defensive responsibilities of the position. But entrusting a 21-year-old with a top-six center job is a big ask. McLeod was a major success in his first season in Buffalo as a lockdown third-line center with some offensive pop. He's also strong on the penalty kill. There are just more question marks with this center group than there were a few years ago, when Thompson, Dylan Cozens and Casey Mittelstadt were the top three centers on the depth chart. It still feels like the Sabres need a top-six center, but a lot of teams have that same problem and there aren't many on the market. Can Adams add to this group? Benson showed some promising results playing with Thompson at the end of the season. His skill set as a top-end forechecker who wins puck battles and can make plays, complements the scoring threats of Norris and Thompson. Jason Zucker and Tuch paired well together when they were on the same line last season, too. But another winger capable of playing on the left side in the top six would really help the Sabres. They have to find a way to replace some of the 27 goals they're losing by trading Peterka. Pittsburgh winger Bryan Rust is still a logical trade target, and his no-trade protection expires on July 1. With the Peterka trade done, attention has turned to Byram, who is also a restricted free agent and has been in trade rumors since the season ended. While he may be looking to play somewhere where he can get more power-play time, Byram is a professional and well-liked in the dressing room. Playing a top-pair role should be enough to keep him happy if he stays in Buffalo. Keeping Byram would give the Sabres a strong top four on defense and a much deeper blue line than they had last season. Being able to shelter Mattias Samuelsson in a third-pair role and have more competition for his minutes is a better situation than the Sabres had last season. There is also a better balance between the left and right-handed shots on this depth chart. While Adams recently shot down the idea that the Sabres would consider buying out Samuelsson, that doesn't prevent the Sabres from trading him if someone is interested in taking on that contract. If the Sabres trade Byram, they would need to go shopping for another defenseman via trade or free agency. Owen Power and Michael Kesselring look like an ideal tandem on the second pair. Dahlin has the ability to carry a pair, so they could find his partner in free agency if Byram is dealt. Putting Samuelsson back on the top pair with Dahlin would not be an ideal outcome. And Timmins and Bernard-Docker would be too high in the lineup as top-pair guys. The depth chart is better off with Byram in place. If he moves, that creates some extra work for Adams. Advertisement This week, Adams said Devon Levi's NHL timeline is up to him. But he also said he'd be comfortable going into the season with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Levi as the team's goalie tandem. That feels risky considering Luukkonen is coming off a down year, and Levi is still unproven. This is a spot where it would make sense to add a free agent like they did with James Reimer last season. Adams has more work to do in order to make this a playoff team. His stated goal this offseason has been to make the Sabres a better defensive team and one that is more competitive and harder to play against. Those are worthwhile goals given how easily this team has been pushed around the last couple of seasons. But removing Peterka and his production from the lineup without adding any proven scoring is a bit of a risk. While I wouldn't expect the Sabres to be major players at the top of free agency, finding another signing like the Zucker one from last summer would help round out this lineup. Given their lack of roster space, trades seem like the more likely avenue than free agency for major moves.
CBS News
a day ago
- Sport
- CBS News
Penguins make 13 draft picks, multiple trades during 2025 NHL Draft
The 2025 NHL Draft wrapped up on Saturday evening, and the Pittsburgh Penguins were quite busy on both days. In total, the Penguins made 13 draft picks, as well as made a few trades during the entry draft that took place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Going into the first round on Friday night, the Penguins originally had back-to-back picks at 11th and 12th overall, but ultimately chose to trade the 12th overall pick to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for the 22nd and 31st overall picks. The Penguins also traded defensemen Conor Timmins and Issac Belliveau to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for defenseman Connor Clifton and the 39th overall pick. Penguins make three first-round picks For the first time since 1984, the Penguins made three selections in the first round. The Penguins chose forward Benjamin Kindel from the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL 11th overall. The 18-year-old Kindel registered career highs across the board in the 2024-25 season, scoring 35 goals, 64 assists, and 99 points. Those 99 points were second on his team and seventh-best in the WHL. In the playoffs, Kindel continued to produce, scoring eight goals and seven assists in 11 games. Originally, the Penguins were scheduled to have back-to-back picks in round one, but President of Hockey Operations Kyle Dubas made the decision to trade the 12th overall pick to the Flyers in exchange for the 22nd and 31st overall picks. Then, the Penguins would trade the 31st overall pick and the 59th overall pick to the Los Angeles Kings for the 24th overall pick. With those two picks in the first round, the Penguins chose forwards Bill Zonnon 22nd overall and Will Horcoff 24th overall. Zonnon spent the 2024-25 season with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the QMJHL, and like Kindel, posted career highs. He scored 28 goals, 55 assists, and 83 points. In total, the 6'2", 185-pound forward scored 62 goals, 118 assists, and 180 points across three seasons in QMJHL. To close out the first round, the Penguins selected forward Will Horcoff 24th overall. The son of former NHLer Shawn Horcoff split the 2024-25 season between the USA National Team Development Program and the University of Michigan. He played 28 games with the NTDP and scored 14 points, then with Michigan, he scored 10 points in 18 games at the NCAA level. Wheeling and dealing in the second round, the Penguins make 10 picks Day two of the NHL Draft for the Penguins began with a trade. The Penguins sent defensemen Conor Timmins and Issac Belliveau to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for defenseman Connor Clifton and the 39th overall pick (7th pick in the second round), and with the pick, they selected defenseman Peyton Kettles. There were plenty of Pittsburgh connections for the team's picks on the second day. Kettles, in his pre-draft interview, said the first NHL jersey he ever owned was an Evgeni Malkin jersey. He also played junior hockey with current Penguins' prospect Owen Pickering. "I have a really good relationship with Owen," Kettles said. "Started my Western League career with him, and we were D partners for a long time, so definitely happy to reunite with him." With the 73rd overall pick, the Penguins selected defenseman Charlie Trehewey, who spent several years in the Pittsburgh area. At age 13, Trehewey moved to Pittsburgh to play for the Penguins Elite program. "Obviously, having a lot of family in the area, went down for Sunday dinners and stuff like that down in Mt. Lebanon when I was with Pens Elite," Charlie said. "I'm going to be so close to a lot of family, and I just can't wait to get started." Another fun Penguins connection came in the form of the 84th overall pick when they selected goaltender Gabriel D'Aigle. D'Aigle is a native of Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, the same hometown as former Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. During the offseason, D'Aigle and Fleury work with the same goaltending coach. After selecting D'Aigle 84th overall, the Penguins made seven more picks: forward Brady Peddle (91st overall), forward Travis Hayes (105th overall), forward Ryan Miller (130th overall), defenseman Quinn Beauchesne (148th overall), forward Jordan Charron (154th overall), Carter Sanderson (169th overall), and forward Kale Dach (201st overall). There won't be a lot of time to rest for the Penguins and their new draft picks as they will host prospect development camp next week at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex from July 3 until July 7.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Bruins defenseman part of trade on Day 2 of NHL Draft
Connor Clifton is on the move. The Buffalo Sabres traded the defenseman to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Conor Timmins and Isaac Belliveau and the 39th pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. The Penguins used the pick to draft Peyton Kettles. Advertisement Clifton just wrapped up his second season in Buffalo. He signed a three-year deal with the Sabres in the summer of 2023 after spending his first five years with the Boston Bruins. The defenseman has one year and $3.33 million left on his deal. While Clifton didn't live up expectations in Buffalo, he'll add a veteran presence on Pittsburgh's blue line and can be a serviceable depth defenseman. In 232 games with the Bruins, Clifton scored 10 goals and added 33 assists. He racked up 157 penalty minutes with 280 blocked shots and 602 hits. More Bruins content Read the original article on MassLive.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Sabres trade Connor Clifton and pick to Penguins for Conor Timmins, Isaac Belliveau
The Sabres traded the No. 39 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and Connor Clifton to the Penguins in exchange for Conor Timmins and prospect Isaac Belliveau. The Penguins used the pick to take Peyton Kettles, a 6-foot-6 defenseman from Swift Current in the WHL. The Sabres still have eight picks left in this draft. Advertisement This looks like the Sabres shedding some salary. Clifton is entering the third season of a contract that has a cap hit of $3.33 million. He played mostly on Buffalo's third pair over the last two seasons. He's a physical right-handed defenseman who will be a high-character addition to Pittsburgh's locker room. He didn't live up to his salary in Buffalo, but he's still a serviceable depth defenseman who can contribute on the penalty kill. We have acquired defensemen Conor Timmins and Isaac Belliveau from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Connor Clifton and the 39th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. Details → — Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) June 28, 2025 Getting back Timmins in the trade gives the Sabres a right-handed defenseman to replace Clifton on the depth chart. Timmins is a restricted free agent but shouldn't cost as much as Clifton and might end up being an upgrade. Timmins played for both the Leafs and Penguins last season. His team outscored opponents 39-30 while he was on the ice at five-on-five. He's bigger than Clifton and can kill penalties if needed. The extra salary cap space doesn't hurt, given the fact that the Sabres still have some big restricted free agents unsigned. Bowen Byram, Ryan McLeod, Devon Levi and Jacob Bernard-Docker all need new contracts. Belliveau was a fifth-round pick in 2021 and has split time between the ECHL and AHL the last two seasons, so he looks like a minor-league addition for Buffalo's organization. This trade, from the Penguins' standpoint, is all about collecting more assets. Timmins was OK in Pittsburgh, kind of like Clifton is an OK NHL defenseman. Neither is nor was likely to be part of the future, nor was Belliveau, who has spent most of his minor league career at the ECHL level. This is not a great prospect. Advertisement The key to this trade was that the Penguins were able to attain a high second-round draft pick, which is no small thing. Then, the Penguins proceeded to take 6-6 defenseman Kettles, who is another in the line of large draft picks the Penguins are making in their desire to add organizational size. So, this is a great piece of business for the Penguins. They flip defensemen — and while Clifton does make $3.3 million, his contract expires after next season — and they landed a high second-round pick. (Photo of Connor Clifton: Kyle Ross / Imagn Images)
USA Today
23-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Maple Leafs vs. Blackhawks February 23: Injured players, inactives, latest updates
The Chicago Blackhawks (17-32-7) have two players on the injury report for their matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs (34-20-2) at United Center on Sunday, February 23 at 7:00 PM ET. Stream NHL games and originals all season long on ESPN+! Maple Leafs vs. Blackhawks game info Date: Sunday, February 23, 2025 Sunday, February 23, 2025 Time: 7:00 PM ET 7:00 PM ET TV channel: ESPN+ (Watch on ESPN+ or LIVE on Fubo) ESPN+ (Watch on ESPN+ or LIVE on Fubo) Location: Chicago, Illinois Chicago, Illinois Venue: United Center NHL odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Sunday at 12:37 AM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Favorite: Maple Leafs (-250) Maple Leafs (-250) Underdog: Blackhawks (+200) Blackhawks (+200) Total: 6 Maple Leafs injury report February 23 Jani Hakanpaa | D (Out) Injury: Knee Knee Games played: 2 2 Stats: 0 goals, 0 assists, 0 points Conor Timmins | D (Day-To-Day) Injury: Upper Body Upper Body Games played: 45 45 Stats: 1 goal, 6 assists, 7 points Calle Jarnkrok | C (Out) Injury: Groin Groin Games played: 0 0 Stats: 0 goals, 0 assists, 0 points Connor Dewar | C (Out) Injury: Upper Body Upper Body Games played: 29 29 Stats: 0 goals, 3 assists, 3 points Max Pacioretty | LW (Day-To-Day) Injury: Undisclosed Undisclosed Games played: 37 37 Stats: 5 goals, 8 assists, 13 points Blackhawks injury report February 23 Jason Dickinson | C (Out) Injury: Lower Body Lower Body Games played: 53 53 Stats: 7 goals, 9 assists, 16 points Laurent Brossoit | G (Out) Injury: Knee Knee Games played: 0 0 Stats: 0 saves, 0-0-0 record Watch the NHL on Fubo! Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside. We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. FTW operates independently, though, and this doesn't influence our coverage.
