In a move that can be filed under wholly expected paperwork, the Buffalo Sabres announced Monday morning they have extended qualifying offers to their four remaining restricted free agents.
Forwards Victor Olofsson, Arttu Ruotsalainen and Brett Murray and goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen all have received their one-year offers from the club.
Defenseman Jacob Bryson, the team's other restricted free agent, signed a two-year deal Sunday night with a cap hit of $1.85 million per season.
Olofsson's qualifying offer is for $3.25 million, equal to last year's base salary because he made more than $1 million. Ruotsalainen gets $874,125 while Luukkonen and Murray both get $787,500. The figures for the latter trio are their NHL salaries at a 5% raise from last season; they make much lower figures while playing in Rochester.
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Appearing Monday morning on WGR Radio, General Manager Kevyn Adams also confirmed Friday's report in The Buffalo News that the Sabres are interested in re-signing defenseman Lawrence Pilut. The GM said the team is waiting for release papers from his KHL team to become official.Â
Pilut, who last played for the Sabres and Rochester Amerks in the 2019-20 season, has spent the last two years with Chelyabinsk Traktor. He had no goals and 11 assists in 40 games this season, and the club announced Friday it had terminated his contract.
Adams told reporters Wednesday in Montreal at the NHL draft that getting a short-term deal done with Olofsson is "definitely at the top of our list." But while Olofsson's camp may be more interested in a four- or five-year contract, the Sabres are far more likely to be seeking a term of two to three years.
Olofsson had his second 20-goal season in 2021-22 and posted career highs in assists (29) and points (49). The former seventh-round pick in 2014 has 55 goals and 127 points in four NHL seasons.
Ruotsalainen, 24, exploded in the second half of the season and in the playoffs in Rochester and is an intriguing player to watch come training camp. After posting just two goals and two assists in 18 games with the Sabres, he had 51 points in 57 games in Rochester, with 18 goals and 33 assists.
In the postseason, Ruotsalainen was perhaps the Amerks' top forward in their 10-game run, leading the team with eight goals and tying for the club scoring lead with JJ Peterka at 12 points.
Murray posted career highs for the Amerks in goals, assists and points (15-17-32). He also had three goals and three assists in the playoffs, including the series-winning goal in overtime at Belleville in the first round. In 19 games with the Sabres, Murray cracked NHL scoresheets for the first time with two goals and four assists.
The Sabres' plan for Luukkonen this season remains up in the air, as the Sabres prefer to start him in Rochester and acquire another veteran goaltender to pair with Craig Anderson in Buffalo, either via trade or when free agency starts on Wednesday.Â
The 2017 second-round pick was 2-5-2 in nine games with the Sabres last season but had strong numbers with a 2.74 goals-against average and .917 save percentage. He was 15-14-6, 3.00/.900 in the regular season for Rochester but missed the entire playoff run after suffering a lower-body injury during the regular-season finale April 29 against Utica.
