Buffalo Sabres Make Key Signings; Patrick Kane Rumors Heat Up

The Buffalo Sabres wrapped up their four-day development camp with an exciting three-on-three scrimmage on Thursday. While the opening day of free agency saw little action from GM Jarmo Kekalainen, he has since made several signings aimed at strengthening the AHL Rochester Americans. This comes alongside the trade of Anton Wahlberg to Anaheim and the expectation that young talents like Konsta Helenius and Noah Ostlund will be joining the Sabres full time next season.

Among the new signings, the Sabres inked big winger Aidan McDonough to a one-year, $850,000 contract and secured forward Matthew Peca on a two-year AHL deal. McDonough, 26, has a solid collegiate background, having played four years at Northeastern University. Over the past three seasons, he has suited up for three AHL teams, scoring 23 goals for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last season. Peca, 33, brings a wealth of experience, having played for four NHL clubs since starting his career with Tampa Bay in 2016, along with significant time in the AHL with Springfield and Syracuse.

Next season is set to bring considerable changes for the Amerks, as they welcome 2025 first-round pick Radim Mrtka, 2023 second-rounder Maxim Strbak, and 2022 sixth-rounder Jake Richard to the roster. Following the trade of Devon Levi to Edmonton on Wednesday, Topias Leinonen and Scott Ratzlaff are likely to share goaltending duties for the upcoming campaign.

In other Sabres news, the team has $8.6 million in cap space remaining after re-signing defenseman Olen Zellweger earlier this week. Forward Peyton Krebs remains a restricted free agent and is eligible for arbitration, suggesting that Kekalainen might still have room to add another player to fill the offensive void left by Alex Tuch’s departure.

As the free agency period continues, future Hall-of-Famer Patrick Kane remains unsigned. The three-time Stanley Cup champion has spent the last three seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, and with Dylan Larkin’s impending departure, the 37-year-old seems open to exploring new opportunities. Although there was speculation about Kane potentially joining the Toronto Maple Leafs to play alongside Auston Matthews, the team’s recent signings have left them constrained under the salary cap.

Rumors of the Buffalo native returning to his hometown team have circulated since his trade from the Blackhawks in 2023. Given the Sabres’ status as a playoff contender, adding Kane could provide valuable secondary offense and serve as a replacement for Tuch on the power play. With 79 assists over the past two seasons, Kane’s skills would be a significant asset, but the question remains: does he want to finish his career playing in Buffalo?

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Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.