On the Buffalo Sabres …
Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: Sabres forward Tyler Ennis only got into 23 games last season due to two concussions. The Sabres were looking for a defenseman at the draft and Ennis’ name came up as a potential trade chip.
With the Sabres missing out on Jimmy Vesey, Ennis could be back into their top-six. He has a cap hit $4.6 million for the next three years, but his salary is under $4 million. Ennis hopes he’ll be able to remain in Buffalo.
“It was the first time (he’s heard trade talk). I don’t have anything in my contract that says I can’t get moved. It’ll probably happen at some point … most players play on more than one team but my plan is to stay in Buffalo forever. It feels like home and I feel we’re close to winning. We were right around .500,” he said.
On the Edmonton Oilers …
Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: Three teams have made PTO offers to UFA defenseman Eric Gryba. The Oilers are likely wanting to see what some of their young defenseman can do before looking to add another veteran defenseman. Gryba would like to remain with the Oilers, but they aren’t offering him a contract yet.
The Oilers could be one of the teams interested in free agent defenseman Matt Benning. He is the nephew of Canucks GM Jim Benning, and was drafted by the Bruins in the fifth round of the 2012 draft.
On the Detroit Red Wings …
Ansar Khan of MLive: Red Wings forward Andreas Athanasiou has shown that he deserves a shot to be in their lineup. They are crowded up front and since he’s waiver except, he could be sent back to the AHL.
Ansar Khan of MLive: Red Wings forward Teemu Pulkkinen had offseason shoulder surgery and won’t be ready to return to the lineup until between late October to early December. When he’s ready to return, it could be hard for him to get back into their lineup with their depth up front. He needs to play in their top-nine.