Sabres Working On Extending Jordan Greenway?

With seven days until the NHL Trade Deadline, the Buffalo Sabres are likely fielding the highest volume of calls from contending clubs looking to make a roster upgrade in their pursuit of a Stanley Cup. GM Kevyn Adams indicated earlier this month that he is interested in re-signing pending unrestricted free-agent wingers Jason Zucker and Jordan Greenway, preferably before March 7.

According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in his 32 Thoughts column on Friday, the Sabres are trying to get Greenway signed to an extension. The 28-year-old has eight points (3 goals, 5 assists) in 23 games and returned to the Sabres lineup last Saturday against the NY Rangers after missing nearly two months.

Acquired for a pair of draft picks in March 2023, the 6’6”, 231 lb. winger had 28 points last season and started off this season under Lindy Ruff well before struggling with a middle-body injury in November. After missing over three weeks, he returned only to suffer a setback in Toronto on December 15 and underwent surgery to repair the issue.

In his seventh NHL season, Greenway has established himself as an excellent two-way forward and penalty killer and a big body in a Buffalo lineup short on size and defensive aptitude. With his career-high of 12 goals, Greenway’s salary demand from the Sabres or from other teams as a free agent this summer may not be significantly more than his current $3 million cap hit, but getting a deal done may come down to how much term Buffalo will give him and if he wants to remain with the Sabres.

Zucker, 32, signed with Buffalo last summer on a one-year, $5 million contract and indicated to Adams that he would like to re-sign with the club, but there have not been any indications of progress made between the two sides.

“I’ve connected with both of their agents. These are two guys that we think are important. We’d like to have both of them back,” Adams said. “(With) both of those guys, we’d like to move forward and try to find a way to get a deal done, and if we can’t, it has to work for both sides, but that’s why you start these conversations early, and hopefully we’ll be able to work something out, but if we can’t, then we’ll have to go from there.”

Adams has said that he is looking for players who can play for the club now and not future assets, but if he cannot get him to sign before the deadline, Buffalo will have no choice but to move their pending free agents for whatever assets (draft pick, player, prospect) they can get.

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