Going into the offseason, the Buffalo Sabres had 12 RFA’s in their organization, and today, they’ve brought the first one back into the fold.
The very reliable folks at CapGeek are reporting that Nicolas Deslauriers has re-signed with the Sabres to the tune of two years, with an average cap hit of $637,500 per season. The contract is a one-way deal, so it seems that Deslauriers has earned himself a spot in Buffalo for the foreseeable future.
Acquired from the Los Angeles Kings this year via trade, Deslauriers spent 17 games with the Sabres, scoring just one goal. However, he made a big impression with his physical play, most memorably in his late-season beatdown on Scott Mayfield. The converted defenseman earned praise from Sabres coach Ted Nolan, saying, “The one thing I liked when I saw him on a different team was … his compassion for the game, his energy level. His physicality. He likes to hit. He likes to be aggressive. Those are the type of players we need here in Buffalo.”
The Sabres have a number or other RFA’s to deal with, most notably Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno. With a few more weeks until the hockey world shifts its focus from the playoffs to the draft, we’re likely to hear some rumblings about contract extensions for those two and others.
Deslauriers is here to stay, and another young player with plenty of potential will be in a Sabres uniform next season. Check out our Deslauriers report card if you haven’t already, and let us know what you think of the deal in the comments.