- Sabres are actively dangling Jack Quinn in trade talks this summer
- Quinn scored 20 goals and 51 points last season on a $3.75M cap hit
- Read below for why Buffalo wants to move the 24-year-old winger
The Buffalo Sabres are shopping Jack Quinn.
Buffalo has been dangling the winger in trade talks since before the draft, and the team is still working to move him, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. The Sabres want a roster upgrade back, not more draft capital.
That lines up with what they already tried. Quinn was reportedly part of the package Buffalo sent to Winnipeg for Connor Hellebuyck, alongside the No. 4 overall pick and goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, a deal that fell apart over the Jets’ asking price.
Production isn’t the issue. The 24-year-old scored 20 goals and 51 points last season and carries a $3.75 million cap hit.
Here’s every goal Quinn potted last season:
He’s still controllable, with one year left on his contract before he hits restricted free agency next summer. Young, productive, and cheap for another season is exactly the kind of player a contender wants, which makes Quinn Buffalo’s most movable asset.
Cap math is pushing things along too. Buffalo spent big this offseason, locking up Zach Benson and Beck Malenstyn to long-term extensions. Quinn will want a sizable raise next summer, and the Sabres might not have the space.
Moving him now would also open a bigger role for cheaper forwards like Konsta Helenius and Jiri Kulich.
Quinn can take over a game when he gets rolling:
A 20-goal scorer on a bargain deal won’t sit on the market long. What Buffalo gets back for him is the only real question.
