Sabres Free Agents : Restricted Version

On Tuesday I listed all the Sabres upcoming unrestricted free agents, today I am going to share with you the restricted free agents.  Like the unrestricted guys, they will need to be re-signed after the season or the Sabres will lose the rights to that player.  The biggest difference is that the Sabres have an opportunity to match any offer the player receives.  Keep in mind that some of these players will be eligible for salary arbitration.

Restricted Free Agents

Two months ago, nobody in Buffalo would have complained about Drew Stafford skipping town and moving on to greener pastures.  All that has changed since he started playing on the Wing with Tim Connolly.  There are still plenty of questions surrounding Stafford but his value seems to be at an all time high.  If the Sabres decided they could not sign him, they could get a lot back in return for Stafford.

Trade Value: Very High

MacArthur seems to be an offensively talented player that is very streaky.  He has 12 goals and five power play goals which could probably force some teams to bite on him if the Sabres decide that he is not in their future plans.  MacArthur has been a decent player for the Sabres but could be used to bring in a rental player.

Trade Value: Moderate

Sekera has proven at a young age that he can play in the NHL.  He was among the teams ice-time leaders before he was injured.  He also has potential to become one of the top defensemen on the team, if not the entire league.  He is a smooth skater and has excellent vision.

Trade Value: High

Kaleta is a spark plug in the Sabres lineup.  He serves a valuable purpose in the regualr season but he could be a liability come playoff time.  Kaleta has proven that he isn't afraid to hit anyone on the ice and he recently proved that he will drop the gloves.  He seems to fit well with the Sabres but I'm not sure how well he would mesh in another uniform.

Trade Value: Low

Mark Mancari

#25 / Right Wing / Buffalo Sabres

Height: 6-4

Weight: 225

Born: Jul 11, 1985

Instead of listing his stats, I put up his profile.  Mancari has very little NHL experience despite being a two-time AHL All-Star.  He ha sproven at the AHL level that he can score goals but he has not received much of a chance at the AHL level.  He is guy that other teams might be happy to take because he can probably step in immediatley on some teams.

Trade Value: Moderate

Remember that the purpose of this post is not to tell you these players will be traded but just inform you of their impending free agency.  It seems that no matter where you look, the free agents are the first names mentioned around trade deadline time.  I have yet to share my thoughts on who will or won't be traded but I would love to hear your ideas.