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Buffalo Sabres acquire Will Butcher, sign Vinnie Hinostroza & pair of goalies

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Wed, Jul 28th 2021 06:45 pm

Team signs Davidson, Malone, Pysyk, Schuldt, Dell & Anderson

The Buffalo Sabres made myriad moves on Wednesday.

It obtained defenseman Will Butcher and a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft from the New Jersey Devils.

Butcher led all New Jersey defensemen in assists (92) and ranks second among Devils blueliners in points (106) since entering the NHL in 2017-18. He was named to the NHL’s All-Rookie Team in 2017-18 after leading all first-year defensemen with 44 points (5 goals, 39 assists) in 81 games. Butcher won the 2017 Hobey Baker Award and captained the University of Denver to a victory at the 2017 NCAA men’s ice hockey National Championship. He has represented the U.S. at the IIHF World Championship (2018), IIHF World Junior Championship (2014 and 2015) and IIHF U18 World Championship (2012 and 2013).

The Buffalo Sabres signed forward Vinnie Hinostroza to a one-year contract worth $1.05 million.

Hinostroza recorded 12 points (4/8) in 17 games for Chicago last season after being acquired via trade from Florida on April 2. He established NHL career highs in games played (72), goals (16), assists (23) and points (39) for the Arizona Coyotes in 2018-19. Hinostroza represented the U.S. at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship and at the 2016 IIHF World Championship. He played two seasons for the University of Notre Dame and was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team (2013-14) and the Hockey East First All-Star Team (2014-15) during his collegiate career.

In addition, the Sabres signed defenseman Brandon Davidson to a one-year contract worth $750,000.

He averaged 15:20 of ice time in six games for the Sabres in 2020-21. Davidson led all Stockton defensemen in points per game (.59) in 2019-20 (min. five GP) while setting an AHL career high with 20 points (3/17) in 34 games. He tied his NHL career highs in games played (51) and goals (4) between the Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers and New York Islanders in 2017-18. Davidson was named to the WHL (East) Second All-Star Team in 2012 after a 49-point campaign as the captain of the Regina Pats in his last junior season.

Buffalo signed forward Sean Malone to a one-year contract worth $750,000.

He recorded his first career NHL point with a primary assist vs. Tampa Bay on Feb. 9. Malone spent the first four seasons of his pro career in Buffalo’s organization after being selected by the Sabres in the sixth round (159th overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft. He played four years of collegiate hockey at Harvard University, where he compiled 99 points (42/57) in 115 career games and was a member of two ECAC Championship teams (2015 and 2017).

The Sabres signed defenseman Mark Pysyk to a one-year contract worth $900,000.

He recorded four points (3/1) in 36 games for Dallas in 2020-21 and ranked second among Stars defensemen with a 55.7 shot-attempt percentage. Pysyk played in 125 games for the Sabres from 2012 to 2016 after being selected by Buffalo in the first round (23rd overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft. During his time in Buffalo, he notched 26 points (5/21) and averaged 17:24 of ice time. Pysyk captured a WHL championship with the Edmonton Oil Kings in his second season as the team’s captain (2011-12). He won a bronze medal with Team Canada at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Buffalo announced the signing of defenseman Jimmy Schuldt to a one-year contract worth $750,000.

He ranked second among Henderson defensemen with 14 points last season and paced the team’s blueliners with six goals. Schuldt played four years collegiately at St. Cloud State University (NCHC) from 2015 to 2019 and served as team captain in each of his last three seasons with the Huskies. Among his collegiate accolades, he was a Hobey Baker Award finalist and NCHC Player of the Year in 2018-19. Schuldt made his NHL debut and recorded his first NHL assist for the Vegas Golden Knights on April 6, 2019.

The Sabres also inked a pair of goaltenders, both for one year and $750,000.

Aaron Dell has a 49-39-12 career record with a .906 save percentage and a 2.83 goals-against average in 114 career NHL games for the San Jose Sharks and New Jersey Devils. He ranked fifth among qualified goaltenders in save percentage in each of his first two AHL seasons (2014-15 and 2015-16). Dell owns a 33-26-11 record with a .923 save percentage and 2.31 goals-against average in 73 career AHL contests. He played three years of collegiate hockey for the University of North Dakota, where he notched a 49-20-5 career record and was a part of teams that won three consecutive WCHA titles.

Craig Anderson ranks second among active NHL goaltenders in career saves (18,251) and fifth in career wins (291). He was the recipient of the Bill Masterton Trophy in 2017, an award given annually “to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.” Anderson played 10 of his 18 career seasons for the Ottawa Senators and ranks first among the franchise’s all-time goaltenders (min. 100 GP) in wins (202) and save percentage (.914).

More Deals

•On Thursday, the Sabres announced the signings of forward John Hayden and defenseman Ethan Prow, each for a one-year, $750,000 deal.

Hayden has compiled 31 points (13/18) in 185 career NHL games for the Chicago Blackhawks, New Jersey Devils and Arizona Coyotes. He tallied career highs in goals (4), assists (9) and points (13) in 47 games for the Blackhawks in 2017-18. Hayden won a silver medal with Team USA at the 2013 IIHF U18 World Championship and later represented the U.S. at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship. He played four seasons for Yale University (ECAC) and led the Bulldogs with 21 goals in 33 games as a senior in 2016-17.

Prow tallied 20 points (4/16) in 26 games with EHC München of Germany’s top pro league (DEL) in 2020-21. He played four seasons at St. Cloud State University, tallying 99 points (19/80) in 149 games and captaining the Huskies to an NCHC championship in 2015-16. Prow has appeared in 215 career AHL contests for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Springfield Thunderbirds, amassing 116 points (32/84). He was selected to the AHL All-Star Game in 2018-19, when he established career highs in goals (18), assists (32), and points (50) in 74 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

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