30-year-old forward spent 10 seasons in Buffalo and was longest-tenured Sabre
The Buffalo Sabres will have a decidedly different look next season. The changes began with the trade of team captain Kyle Okposo and Casey Mittelstadt before the trade deadline and the switch from Don Granato to Lindy Ruff after missing the playoffs for the 13th consecutive season.
They continued with the buyout of winger Jeff Skinner (who was quickly grabbed up by the Edmonton Oilers on Monday), and on the opening day of free agency, the club saw veteran forward Zemgus Girgensons sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The 30-year-old was a 2012 first-round pick and the longest-tenured member of the Sabres, playing 688 games over 10 seasons, and scored 14 points (8 goals, 6 assists) in 63 games last season. GM Kevyn Adams indicated after the season that there was mutual interest in Girgensons coming back and as recently as Monday there was an open dialogue between the club and the veteran forward.
"We spoke last night again late and he knows that we put an offer on the table that he didn't accept," Adams said.. "You get to this point where he's earned it in his career (that) you want to see what's out there and I totally respect that."
It is likely that the Sabres wanted to bring Girgensons back on a one-year deal but at less than the $2.5 million he signed for last season. The contract with Tampa Bay was a three-year deal with an AAV of $850,000.
With the departure of Okposo, Skinner, and Girgensons, the title for the longest-tenured Sabre passes to 24-year-old Rasmus Dahlin, who was the first overall selection in 2018 and has played 436 games over six seasons.
