Kekalainen said the pending free agent is expected to move on from the Buffalo Sabres, creating a clear roster decision for a team coming off an Atlantic Division title. Buffalo remains open to a sign-and-trade structure if it can recover value before the player reaches the open market.

What happened

The Sabres are preparing for the possibility that the contract expires without the player returning. Kekalainen’s comments frame the situation as one in which Buffalo is no longer operating from the expectation of a new deal.

A sign-and-trade remains on the table, but only if the right market develops before free agency opens. That would allow Buffalo to extract a return rather than watch the player leave without compensation.

Why it matters

The development moves Buffalo into asset-management mode at a key point in the offseason. A pending free agent with no expected return to the club forces management to weigh timing, leverage and whether another team sees enough value in acting early.

The sign-and-trade path depends on contract certainty. Another club would need to decide that securing the player before the open market is worth committing trade capital, rather than waiting for free agency and competing there.

By the numbers

Buffalo finished the 2025-26 regular season at 50-23-9 and won the Atlantic Division. That context matters because the Sabres are not approaching the decision as a rebuilding team looking for broad change.

The roster question instead lands on a division winner trying to protect value and manage the margins. Losing a pending free agent without a return would narrow Buffalo’s options as it moves from a strong regular season into offseason planning.

What to watch next

The next step is whether Buffalo can identify a trade partner before free agency opens. If a club wants the certainty of a signed contract, the Sabres could still turn an expected departure into a transaction that brings back value.

If that market does not form, Buffalo may simply let the contract expire. That would close the situation without a return and leave the Sabres to address the roster spot through other offseason avenues.