The future of Victor Olofsson in Buffalo has been a topic of speculation for a few years now, but each time, the winger has stuck around. However, Olofsson told Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News earlier this week that he has approached GM Kevyn Adams about finding a new place for him to play:
"I’ve got to play hockey, and right now, I’m not doing it. You always have to think about yourself and your career. I’ve always had a great time here, and I love it here, but I’ve got to think about myself obviously. If there’s an opportunity to go somewhere and play, that would be the ideal thing."
The 28-year-old has been a frequent healthy scratch this season, and when he has been in the lineup, he hasn’t been able to produce at the level he has in the past. In 35 games, Olofsson has been limited to four goals and eight assists. Last season, he had 28 goals on his own and has hit the 20-goal mark in three of the last four years, a mark he’s unlikely to reach now in 2023-24.
Of course, while Olofsson may be hoping to find a new place to play, finding a team that can afford him will be trickier. He has a $4.75M cap hit and salary, a mark few contending teams can take on. Even with the maximum 50% retention, several playoff-bound squads still couldn’t take the remaining half of the contract on, nor would they want to cough up any return of significance and possibly take themselves out of the market for a more impactful player.
Accordingly, it’s quite possible that Olofsson’s best chance to leave the Sabres is to find a non-playoff team that can afford his contract. More specifically, a team with some injuries is looking for some players to fill out their roster or one with a similarly underachieving forward in a swap of expiring contracts. But even with that scenario, Olofsson’s request to be moved might not be able to be honored.
Instead of his platform free agent year being strong, it has been anything but. He hoped he’d be playing for a big contract this summer, but now, playing as a regular in a lineup somewhere appears to be Olofsson’s new goal.
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With the Dallas Stars finalizing a deal with Glen Gulutzan on July 1 to become their new head coach, all 32 teams have their man behind the bench for the 2025-26 season. Overall, nine teams hired new head coaches, but these four have the best chance of success this season: Adam Foote, Vancouver Canucks In his first NHL head-coaching job, Foote — who played in the league for 20 seasons — gets a team that endured plenty of disfunction last season. The good news for Foote is that his roster includes former Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes, former Vezina finalist Thatcher Demko and No. 1 center Elias Pettersson. Vancouver also re-signed winger Brock Boeser to a long-term deal. However, their center depth may be lacking a bit after its trade of J.T. Miller and the injury histories of Demko and Boeser. Vancouver will face an uphill climb in a tough Pacific Division that includes powers Edmonton, Vegas and Los Angeles. Foote must get the best out of his stars to get Vancouver back into the postseason. The Canucks have made the postseason only twice over the past 10 seasons. Rick Tocchet, Philadelphia Flyers The former Jack Adams Award winner (NHL Coach of Year) was fired by the Vancouver Canucks after a disappointing season and subsequently scooped up by the Flyers, who had fired John Tortorella. Tocchet brings a similar gritty, heavy forechecking approach as Tortorella that seems to fit for the Flyers. Philadelphia features solid, young talent, including budding superstar forward Matvei Michkov and newly acquired winger Trevor Zegras. The Flyers’ biggest issue is goaltending. Philadelphia finished last in team save percentage last season. Tocchet must get better play in the net. Mike Sullivan, New York Rangers The two-time Stanley Cup champion parted with the Pittsburgh Penguins after a third straight season out of the playoffs. New York, the 2024 President’s Trophy-winning team, faltered last season, missing the playoffs after three straight seasons in the postseason. New York traded young defenseman K’Andre Miller, 25, but it signed the top defensive free agent, Vladislav Gavrikov, who should form an elite pairing with former Norris winner Adam Fox. The Rangers also have center J.T. Miller (acquired last January) for a full season and former Vezina winner Igor Shesterkin in net. The Rangers have plenty of talent to compete in a wide-open Metropolitan Division, so Sullivan has a great chance at getting New York back into the playoffs. Glen Gulutzan, Dallas Stars Gulutzan, who coached Dallas from 2011-13, has one of the NHL’s most talented rosters. The Stars re-signed Matt Duchene and Jamie Benn for their forward group, which also includes stars Mikko Rantanen, Roope Hintz, Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson. It may be the best unit in the league. Dallas' defensive core features a star (Miro Heiskanen) and breakout youngster (23-year-old Thomas Harley). They’re backstopped in net by Jake Oettinger, who could start for Team USA at the 2026 Olympics. With all this talent, Gulutzan has the best chance of success of any new NHL coach.
Let the (preseason) games begin. With the Detroit Lions-Los Angeles Chargers Pro Football Hall of Fame Game kicking off 2025 action, Yardbarker NFL writers mulled a player — past or present — on each AFC team who merits enshrinement in Canton. AFC East BUFFALO BILLS | LB Von Miller | As the NFL’s active leader in sacks (129.5), Miller — who's now with the Commanders — is a sure bet for the Hall of Fame even though he missed 14 games in three years with Buffalo. In 10 seasons with Denver, Miller earned a Defensive Rookie of the Year award, made eight Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams and was named MVP of Super Bowl 50, the last defensive player to win the award. MIAMI DOLPHINS | WR Tyreek Hill | His subpar 2024 season aside (81 catches, 959 yards, six TD catches), the 31-year-old receiver boasts a Hall of Fame resume (eight Pro Bowls and five first-team All-Pro nods in nine years). Hill led NFL receivers with 1,799 yards in 2023 and has six 1,000-yard seasons in his career, two fewer than Cris Carter, who spent the last five games of his Hall of Fame career with Miami. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS | Kicker Adam Vinatieri | The NFL’s all-time leading scorer (2,673 points) narrowly missed induction as a finalist in 2025, his first year of eligibility, and will be an automatic finalist in 2026. Vinatieri, who retired in 2021, holds records for most field goals made in the regular season (599) and playoffs (56) and helped the Patriots win three Super Bowls before winning another with the Colts in 2007. NEW YORK JETS | QB Aaron Rodgers | The enigmatic passer disappointed as a Jet, but four first-team All-Pro honors, four NFL MVP awards and a Super Bowl MVP with the Green Bay Packers can’t be overlooked. Rodgers’ 62,952 passing yards are the seventh most in league history, and his 4.34 touchdown-to-interception ratio is the best of any quarterback, past or present. — Bruce Ewing AFC West DENVER BRONCOS | WR Rod Smith | Smith played a key role when the Broncos repeated as Super Bowl champions in the 1997 and 1998 seasons. The three-time Pro Bowler had 152 receiving yards in a 34-19 Super Bowl XXXIII win over the Atlanta Falcons, tied for the sixth most in a Super Bowl. The undrafted WR starred for Denver from 1995-2006, becoming the club’s career leader in receiving yards (11,389). KANSAS CITY CHIEFS | QB Patrick Mahomes | Star tight end Travis Kelce would be an excellent pick, too, but the Chiefs had won only one Super Bowl before Mahomes became the starter during the 2018 season. The 2017 first-round pick has won three Super Bowls and two MVPs in eight seasons with the Chiefs. Expect Mahomes, who turns 30 on Sept. 17, to keep bolstering his stellar resume. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS | QB Philip Rivers | Rivers, who retired as a Charger in July, never reached a Super Bowl during his career, but neither did former Chargers QB Dan Fouts. That didn’t prevent him from making the HOF in 1993. The same should go for eight-time Pro Bowler Rivers, who ranks sixth in career TD passes (421). LAS VEGAS RAIDERS | Guard Steve Wisniewski | It’s surprising Wisniewski isn’t in Canton already. Per Pro Football Reference, his HOF monitor score (76.58) is higher than that of HOF guard Mike Munchak (72.7). The former O-lineman is also a member of the HOF’s All-1990s team. — Clark Dalton AFC North BALTIMORE RAVENS | LB Terrell Suggs | Suggs, who played from 2003-19, and former Ravens guard Marshal Yanda were finalists for the 2025 class but missed out. Suggs was one of the more dominant pass-rushers of his era, accumulating 139 career sacks, earning seven Pro Bowl nods, one first-team All-Pro, a Defensive Player of the Year award and an NFL-record 202 tackles for loss. He was a key part of two Super Bowl winners. CINCINNATI BENGALS | QB Ken Anderson | The Bengals did not win a Super Bowl during Anderson’s career (1971-86), but that is pretty much the only thing separating him from other Hall of Fame quarterbacks, especially from his era in the 1970s. Anderson has an NFL MVP award and led the league in passing twice, completion percentage three times and passer rating four times. CLEVELAND BROWNS | Edge Myles Garrett | Garrett is still active, but it’s not hard to see the path his career is on. He has been the more dominant pass-rusher in the league from pretty much the day he arrived. He may not win a title in Cleveland, but he is going to finish as one of the best Browns players of all time and one of the best defenders of the modern era in the NFL. PITTSBURGH STEELERS | QB Ben Roethlisberger | Roethlisberger, who retired in 2022, does not have many individual accolades, but spending nearly two decades as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL and earning two Super Bowl rings will be more than enough to get him in. It is just a matter of how long he might have to wait for induction. — Adam Gretz AFC South HOUSTON TEXANS | DE J.J. Watt | Widely considered to be a first-ballot lock, Watt — who retired following the 2022 season — will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2028. His career could have been even better if not for several seasons being shortened by injury, but Watt is one of only three players to win three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards. Few players were capable of changing the game the way a healthy Watt could. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS | Kicker Adam Vinatieri | The three-time Pro Bowl selection made 29 game-winning kicks in his career, including two that won Super Bowls for the Patriots. Vinatieri has four Super Bowl rings and could be considered the most clutch kicker of all time. There are four kickers in the Hall of Fame, and it is almost impossible to argue against Vinatieri becoming the fifth. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS | RB Fred Taylor | The wait continued in 2025 for Taylor, a Hall of Fame finalist for the second straight year, but he did not get the nod. Taylor, who retired in 2011, ranks 17th in NFL history with 11,695 rushing yards and holds numerous Jaguars records. The only running back ahead of him on the all-time rushing list who is not in the Hall of Fame is Frank Gore, and he is likely to get into Canton eventually. TENNESSEE TITANS | RB Derrick Henry | Titans legends Eddie George and Steve McNair advanced in the Hall of Fame voting process for 2025, but there is a good chance neither will get into Canton. Henry, meanwhile, is already 19th on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with 11,423 yards and coming off a season in which he ran for 1,921 yards. Henry, who spent the majority of his career in Tennessee, should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. — Steve DelVecchio
The New York Yankees added seven impactful players before Thursday's whirlwind trade deadline. But they weren't done making major moves. On Friday, the team announced the release of 34-year-old starter Marcus Stroman to make room for the influx of three recently acquired bullpen arms. The 11-year MLB veteran had a 6.23 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 39 innings and the lowest strikeout-to-walk ratio (1.63) of his career. In April, the right-hander was sidelined by knee inflammation, limiting him to nine games this season. Stroman had much to prove this season. After posting a 4.31 ERA last season (his first with the Yankees), he was subject of trade rumors. This seemed to upset Stroman, who made a scene in spring training when asked about potentially losing his spot in the rotation and being moved to the bullpen. Stroman’s release is a strong endorsement of rookie right-hander Cam Schlittler, the team's No. 3 prospect, per MLB.com. The 24-year-old impressed in the minors this season (2.82 ERA in Class AA and AAA). He got a call-up this season in the wake of injuries to the rotation. In the majors, he has a 4.91 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 14.2 innings. RHP Luis Gil will assume Stroman’s spot in rotation and make his long-awaited return Sunday. Last season’s AL Rookie of the Year hasn't pitched in a regular-season game in 2025 because of a LAT injury he suffered in spring training. With Gil's return and the return to health of LHP Ryan Yarbrough (oblique), the Yankees will soon have six rotation options. They'll have help with the bullpen additions of David Bednar (acquired from the Pirates), Jake Bird (acquired from the Rockies) and Camilo Doval (acquired from the Giants). Each is under club control through at least 2026.
The Braves’ trade deadline has come and gone, with Alex Anthopoulos failing to make a single notable move. Atlanta’s President of Baseball Operations brought in Erick Fedde and Carlos Carrasco to eat some innings for the rotation, while also adding Tyler Kinley, who is an interesting bullpen arm. The Braves did somehow trade Rafael Montero, who the Tigers acquired in exchange for infield prospect Jim Jarvis. Despite boasting the fourth-worst record in baseball, Alex Anthopoulos didn’t trade any of the players many expected to be moved at the deadline. Marcell Ozuna was understandable. He had 10-and-5 rights, but more than that, Ozuna is a hurt DH that has struggled to hit .160 over the last two months. That’s pretty understandable, but none of the team’s relievers? That makes no sense. Anthopoulos didn’t have to move Pierce Johnson, Aaron Bummer, and Dylan Lee if the offers weren’t enticing enough because they’re under team control next season. But Iglesias? There’s no excuse not to trade him. It’s almost indefensible. Across his last 21 appearances, Iglesias owns a 2.29 ERA and 2.18 FIP. There’s no way a contender wasn’t interested in his services. Simply put, the Braves botched the trade deadline, and the only person to blame is Alex Anthopoulos, right? Wrong, I guess. Former Braves beat writer Justin Toscano, who parted ways with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution earlier this season, is pointing the finger at ownership, not Anthopoulos. His opinion: “This deadline reeks of Liberty Media not wanting the Braves to sell more and have fan interest — money — drop.” Any insinuation that the Braves’ ownership group forced Alex Anthopoulos not to trade away players because it would result in less revenue is pretty unbelievable. Braves fans are buying tickets to come see Marcell Ozuna, Raisel Iglesias, Pierce Johnson, and Aaron Bummer? That’s hilarious. Braves fans buy tickets to see Spencer Strider, Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Michael Harris II, Ozzie Albies, Sean Murphy, and Drake Baldwin. I can understand the bottom line in business. I’m not naive, but to believe Alex Anthopoulos didn’t trade Raisel Iglesias because of pressure from ownership, that’s just mental gymnastics. It’s okay to criticize Anthopoulos. But let’s just go along with Toscano’s theory. If Liberty Media is strong-arming Anthopoulos, we’ve got much bigger issues. An ownership group that is actively hindering an executive from doing his job is a recipe for disaster. Going from World Series contender to one of the worst teams in baseball could even be the result of it. It would also mean that Alex Anthopoulos is not only carrying out their wishes but is actively deceiving the fan base with the talk of payroll rising and money not being an issue. It would be one of the biggest stories in sports. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but I have to believe it’s unlikely.
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