The Buffalo Sabres have locked up one of their pending unrestricted free agents, signing Casey Nelson to a two-year extension. The deal carries an average annual value of $812,500, giving Nelson a slight raise over the $650K he made this year.
Though he is just 25, Nelson was scheduled to become a Group VI UFA this summer and could have signed with any team. That’s likely what prompted an extension from the Sabres, despite playing in only 37 relatively unspectacular games this season. Nelson was an undrafted free agent signing out of college, but hasn’t quite developed into the full-time NHL defender they’d hoped for.
That chance may not come next season either, as the Sabres already have five NHL defensemen signed for next season and Rasmus Dahlin likely joining them as the first-overall pick. That doesn’t include Brendan Guhle or restricted free agent Victor Antipin, who should make it quite a crowded blue line for the club to decide from.
Though that’s not exactly a problem, it could mean some changes are coming this summer for the Sabres. The silver lining for Nelson might be his handedness, as he remains one of the few right-handed options the team has for next season.