On the Buffalo Sabres …
Pierre LeBrun of ESPN: The draft will be held in Buffalo this year, but Sabres GM Tim Murray doesn’t feel like there will be extra pressure on him to make a big deal at the draft.
“I’ve talked about moving up, I’ve talked about moving down,” said Murray. “I haven’t really found anything solid or anything that I’m real fond of. So I’ll just continue to talk.”
Finding a defenseman that can play the left side is a priority for the Sabres.
The Sabres and Red Wings are two of the most talked about teams that could be suitors for Steven Stamkos if he hits the open market. Murray can’t mention names, but said …
“If the best free-agent defenseman and the best free-agent forward call me and say they’d like to play for us, we’ll make it happen, you know?” said Murray, generally speaking and not specifically addressing the Stamkos situation.
AP on ESPN: Jimmy Vesey’s agent, Peter Fish, said that the Sabres are on Vesey’s shortlist, but he wants to test free agency.
“No, I wouldn’t rule anything out at this point, absolutely not,” Fish said by phone a day after the Sabres acquired Vesey’s rights in a trade with Nashville.
The Sabres gave up a third round pick for Vesey. Tthey still have have three third round picks.
“His plan all along was to see it through,” Fish added. “And everything that he’s been through with the whole thing in Nashville would be kind of silly not to try to play it out as best as possible.”
GM Tim Murray said it’s unlikely they’ll trade up from the No. 8 slot based on the talks he’s had with the teams in front of them, including the Blue Jackets.
Chris Nichols of Today’s Slapshot: Darren Dreger on TSN 690 on the Buffalo Sabres, Steven Stamkos and Jimmy Vesey.
“There’s a lot of speculation that they’re going absolutely all-in on Steven Stamkos. I mean, some of the numbers being rumored – and I always hate throwing out or building off rumors, because as an Insider, our job is to separate fact from fiction. But Newport isn’t talking and neither is the Tampa Bay Lightning, so nothing has changed there. But some of the numbers being speculated on are upwards of $12 million per year coming out of Buffalo.
“I mean, if the Buffalo Sabres are going to spend that kind of dough in free agency on Steven Stamkos… if I’m Jimmy Vesey, and I’m looking at what we have in Jack Eichel, the aggressiveness if they’re able to land another piece like Stamkos, why wouldn’t I consider (Buffalo) as the real deal.”