News Report: Pengiush made Trade for Free-Agency after athletics injury blow….

The Buffalo Sabres have been engaged in contract-extension negotiations during the offseason with Rasmus Dahlin. The 23-year-old defenseman is in the final season of a three-year contract with an average annual value of $6 million. He is slated to become a restricted free agent next summer with arbitration rights.

A gifted puck-mover, Dahlin has emerged over the past two years among the NHL’s elite defensemen. He finished fourth last season among Sabres scorers, with 73 points, and sixth among the league’s blueliners.

On Sept. 14, Buffalo Hockey Now’s Michael Augello indicated the Sabres seemed close to signing Dahlin to a league-maximum eight-year contract extension with a rumored AAV in excess of $10 million. However, Augello cited Andrew Peters, co-host of WGR 550’s The Instigators, claiming the Dahlin camp seeks a five-year contract.

Seeking a shorter term would enable Dahlin to become eligible for unrestricted free-agent status at age 28 when he’ll still be in his playing prime. That would give him the opportunity to land another lucrative contract with the Sabres or from another club on the open market.

Verdict: Buy

Augello pointed out that the Dahlin camp could be taking a page from Auston Matthews’ playbook. The Toronto Maple Leafs star signed a four-year extension allowing him to become a UFA while still in his prime. It would be a shrewd move by the Sabres rearguard to ensure that he’ll still be eligible for another big-money deal down the road.