Buffalo Sabres GM Jason Botterill has claimed forward Jordan Nolan off waivers from the LA Kings.
With the June trade of tough to play against forward Marcus Foligno, the Sabres have added a hammer to protect their skilled guys Jack Eichel, Ryan O'Reilly, Kyle Okposo, Evander Kane, Samson Reinhart, Jason Pominville and others.
Nolan, 28, has won two Stanley Cups in his six year tenure with the Kings. This signing smacks of a Davis Payne wish list. Payne, in his first season with the Sabres as assistant coach to Phil Housley, served the previous five seasons as an assistant to head coaches Darly Sutter and John Stevens.
Nolan won't wow opponents with offensive skills, however, he will outwork opponents by leaning in them and wearing them down. Nolan disrupts opponent breakouts while skating like the wind and finishing his checks with gusto. For a 6'3" 220 lb. man, Nolan is fast and can chuck the knucks when situations arise. Nolan may end up in Rochester to start the season but he will be a valuable insurance policy who can be called up to protect the skilled guys against enemy transgressions.
"We're happy to bring Jordan into the mix," Jason Botterill told the Sabres team website. "His size and speed, along with his experience with such a successful organization like the Kings, make him an asset to the organization."
In 292 NHL regular season games, Nolan has scored 20 goals and has 22 assists. He has accumulated 264 career PIMs. Nolan has played an integral role in 30 career Stanley Cup playoff games. His experiences out west will serve him well in Buffalo.
Nolan, a Garden River, Ontario native, scored 4 goals and 4 assists (44 PIMs) last season.
He's a heavyweight fighter who plays both wing positions.
Nolan is a cheap insurance policy at $950K AAV. The question now is, who will Nolan be replacing in Buffalo? Nic Deslauriers perhaps?
Jordan is the youngest son of former Sabres head coach Ted Nolan.