The Buffalo Sabres added a little bit of depth throughout the week by signing five players (two forwards, three defensemen) to help beef up their NHL and AHL rosters. Of the five signings, four were one-year contracts, and one was a two-year deal.
Here’s a brief look at each of the Sabres’ five new players:
Jason Akeson, Forward – Akeson has appeared in 15 games for the Flyers over the past three years and has tallied a goal and an assist while earning a plus-2 rating. He has also played with the Adirondack Phantoms of the AHL for four seasons, racking up 81 goals and 144 assists in 265 games with the Phantoms.
The Sabres are already pretty familiar with Akeson, since three of his four years with Adirondack were spent under the eye of Buffalo’s current assistant coach, Terry Murray.
Matt Donovan, Defenseman – Donovan, drafted by the Islanders in 2008, has appeared in 67 NHL games with Long Island. He played his first full season on the NHL roster last year, when the Edmond, Oklahoma native played in 12 games with the Isles.
Donovan has also appeared in 180 games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL over four seasons, tallying 32 goals and 87 assists while earning a plus-37 rating. Donovan also represented the United States at the 2014 World Championship and won gold with the United States at the 2010 World Junior Championship.
ICYMI: The #Sabres signed Jason Akeson & Matt Donovan to one-year deals yesterday. More >> http://t.co/GOazhgGanz pic.twitter.com/szzokfhDTa
— Rochester Americans (@AmerksHockey) July 2, 2015
Bobby Sanguinetti, Defenseman – Sanguinetti tallied a career-high of 16 goals in 61 games while serving as the alternate captain of the Utica Comets (AHL) last season. He totaled 40 points from the blue line, which led all Comets defenseman, and ranked ninth in the AHL among defensemen.
Meanwhile, his team-leading plus-24 rating was tied for eighth in the league, and he led all AHL defensemen with six game-winning goals. He has career totals of 50 goals and 160 assists in the AHL.
Sanguinetti has also appeared in 45 NHL games over three seasons with the New York Rangers and the Carolina Hurricanes. In his 45 games, Sanguinetti tallied six points.
NEWS: The #Sabres have signed D-man Bobby Sanguinetti (@Sangs2224) to a one-year, two-way contract. pic.twitter.com/iOcp04nfwd
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) July 2, 2015
Carlo Colaiacovo, Defenseman – Colaiacovo, a left-handed defenseman, could help fill the left-handed hole in the Sabres defensive scheme, if he can stay healthy. That has been a major problem for Colaiacovo in his 13-year career, as the 32-year-old has never played more than 67 games in a single season.
Last year, he appeared in 33 NHL games with the Philadelphia Flyers, tallying eight points (two goals, six assists) in the black and orange.
The veteran defenseman has also played for the St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs, and has notched 152 points in 434 NHL games.
The Toronto native represented Canada at the 2011 World Championship and won silver at both the 2002 and 2003 World Junior Championships.
Cal O’Reilly, Forward – Cal O’Reilly, Ryan O’Reilly’s brother, has played in 113 NHL games, netting 41 points with Nashville, Phoenix (now Arizona) and Pittsburgh.
Last season, O’Reilly appeared in 76 games while serving as captain of the Utica Comets, and led the team with 61 points (which ranked 10th in the AHL). O’Reilly’s 51 assists ranked second in the league.
He also registered a team-leading 19 points in 21 playoff games, helping Utica reach the Calder Cup Final.
O’Reilly is signed for two years and will likely spend that time in the AHL.