The Buffalo Sabres shed themselves of the bulk of their veteran core during the 2013-14 season, trading goalie Ryan Miller, forwards Thomas Vanek, Matt Moulson and Steve Ott, but the exodus may not be complete, as GM Tim Murray may be looking to move defenseman Christian Ehrhoff during the summer.
According to John Vogl of the Buffalo News, the Sabres want to retain some experienced players to help a roster made up of predominantly rookies and prospects to grow and mature into effective NHL players, which could make winger Drew Stafford a keeper until next year’s trade deadline.
The organizational strength on the blueline, consisting of former first round picks Tyler Myers, Mark Pysyk, Ramsus Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov, may give the Sabres the liberty to shop the 10 year NHL veteran, who is under contract until the 2020-21 season but at a reasonable $4 Million salary.
Speculation rose about the Sabres willingness to move Ehrhoff before the trade deadline last March, when the Sabres asked the German-born defenseman to submit a list of teams that he would be will to go to, due to his limited no-trade clause.
Ehrhoff indicated in exit interviews after the season that he thought he would be back with the Sabres next season, but did not seem enthused at the prospect of going through the expected long rebuilding process.
At 31-year-old, Ehrhoff is in his prime and is valued around the NHL as a top-two pairing blueliner. He finished the season fourth in Sabres scoring with 33 points and led the club in average ice time at nearly 24 minutes per game, but was second to only fellow blueliner Mike Weber with a whopping -27 plus/minus rating.
Murray is well-positioned to make a killing on a deal involving Ehrhoff, especially from established teams looking to bolster their blueline with an experienced defenseman without having to break the bank.
The upcoming free-agent market for defenseman looks fairly thin and will make the likes of Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik rich men. In the wake of Andrew MacDonald signing with Philadelphia for $30 Million over six years, Dion Phaneuf’s $7 Million price tag in Toronto and the expected $8 Million salary demand of PK Subban, Ehrhoff at $4 Million would be a steal.
The Detroit Red Wings, still looking to fill the void left by future Hall of Famer Nicklas Lidstrom and possessing a bevy of quality young forwards, may be well positioned to make a bid for Ehrhoff, as are the Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks.
The Bruins in need of adding a veteran capable of eating minutes to decrease the burden on minute eaters Zdeno Chara and (fellow German) Dennis Seidenberg, while the Sharks know Ehrhoff from his previous four year stint in San Jose and need to replace veteran Dan Boyle, who will likely not be re-signed.
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