Although there will be many pieces that Buffalo Sabres general manager Tim Murray will need to consider this summer, one of the biggest should be defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.
Ristolainen has been a huge, key piece of the Sabres’ defense, and it’s important that the team brings him back.
He ate huge minutes and contributed both offensively and defensively, and overall, he’s developing into a great NHL defenseman.
As it stands right now, here’s what the Buffalo Sabres have locked up in terms of defensemen for the upcoming 2016-2017 NHL season:
Zach Bogosian is locked up for several more seasons, currently set to have a cap hit of $5.