NHL Rumors: Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings, New York Islanders

Welcome to another edition of Full Press Hockey’s NHL Rumors! The 2022-23 season is over and players as well as front offices will be evaluated. Now, the focus shifts toward the new season.

In this Sunday’s edition of NHL Rumors, we will look at the Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings, and the New York Islanders.

NHL rumors in this edition include:

The Buffalo Sabres decided not to extend Victor Olofsson, and that could mean he gets dealt. Potential trade candidates for the Los Angeles Kings. Two trade targets for the New York Islanders.

Buffalo Sabres – Victor Olofsson

Rumor: Per – James Wilson – nhltraderumors.me. The Sabres have chosen not to pursue a contract extension with the sharpshooting forward.

Olofsson is signed through the 2023-24 season with a $4.75 million contract. He tallied 28 goals, 12 assists in 75 games last season. It seems the Sabres want to explore other forward options which could have Olofsson looking for a new home after the upcoming season.

Today is Victor Olofsson’s birthday? Gives me an excuse to post my favorite goal from him again pic.twitter.com/SZZmrDwbrz

— Devon Levi Truther (@Tommy_Dangles72) July 18, 2023

No doubt he will attempt to showcase his talents thereby increasing his chances of an elevated contract with a new team… if he isn’t traded first. A deadeye shooter like him could easily attract other teams who want to increase their offensive firepower. He is a skilled puck possession player, who doesn’t play a physical game. He only acquired four penalty minutes during the 2022-23 season. If a team is looking for a scorer who stays out of the penalty box, Olofsson could fit right in.

The Sabres will have eight restricted free agents and seven unrestricted free agents to deal with the same year that Olofsson’s contract expires. What they do with those players may determine if the team can get to the postseason for the first time since the 2010-11 campaign. They finished with 91 points last season, just one short of qualifying for the playoffs.

Los Angeles Kings – Potential trade candidates

Rumor: Per – Austin Stanovich – lahockeynow.com. These are good players, but potentially expendable. Their contracts could be an issue, or a younger player may be ready to move up the food chain.

• Trevor Moore – He was awarded with a five-year $21 million deal last December. He’s a reliable player who is defensively responsible but lacks the scoring ability that matches his contract. He has yet to break the 20-goal club or even the 50-point mark. He could, according to Stanovich be gone within a year.
• Viktor Arvidsson – He may become expendable with a young player like Arthur Kaliyev needing a roster spot. Then, there’s Arvidsson’s contract which calls for $4.25 million and a possible raise due to his success. He tallied 26 goals, 33 assists in 77 games.
• Matt Roy – When you factor in one-year remaining on his contract and both Brandt Clarke and Jordan Spence coming through the system it becomes reasonable to think he could be traded before next summer.

With Kaliyev, Jaret Anderson-Dolan, and Tobias Bjornfot all expecting to be regular NHL players, there’s only so much room on a roster. That is why GM Rob Blake may consider moving players going forward.

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New York Islanders – Two possible trade targets

Rumor: Per – Michael DeRosa – nhltraderumors.me. Now that the busiest part of free agency is over, trade talk is starting to pick up again. Here are two players who could become trade targets.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau: He has been in the NHL rumors mill since last offseason. The Islanders have an excess of centers and need a scoring winger, so it makes sense that Pageau is emerging as a possible trade target. He would be a solid middle-six addition for a team searching for secondary scoring along with excellent defensive skills. He tallied 13 goals and 27 assists with five power-play goals.

Oliver Wahlstrom:  The 11th overall selection by the Isles in 2018 just hasn’t developed into the player they had hoped for. He only has 32 goals, 29 assists in 161 NHL games. While he may still be viewed as a top-six winger, he may be better off with a change of scenery. Moving him may be difficult with his lowly stats, but a team may see his potential and acquire him. He has one year remaining on his $874,125 contract and will become a restricted free agent. He did have some injury issues and is currently on injured reserve. GM Lou Lamoriello who is a good judge of talent, may have lost his patience waiting for Wahlstrom’s game to improve.

That concludes this edition of NHL rumors. Be sure to catch our next article, and thanks for reading!