Will Jordan Nolan Be United with his Father in Buffalo?

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By the time Ted Nolan accepted the coaching position in Buffalo, his son had already won a Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2012. He solidified himself as a bottom-six checking forward who brought energy to the team as they went on their historic Cup run and continues in that role today.

With the Kings gaining additional cap space from the Slava Voynov ruling and their need for a top-four defenseman, many teams have called to inquire about the availability of Jordan Nolan. As reported by insider Bob MacKenzie, there is a lot of interest from Eastern Conference teams.

So far this season, Nolan has only scored one goal in 14 games with a rating of minus three. While he has never been known for his offense, Nolan has been underwhelming this season in other areas of his game and has found himself as a frequent healthy scratch. A change of scenery could possibly jump start his career and Buffalo would be an enticing destination for both player and club.

Not only is his father the head coach of the rebuilding Sabres, but Nolan was born in nearby St. Catherines, Ontario, only 40 minutes away from downtown Buffalo.

Making a deal work

If Nolan were to be traded to Buffalo, the next question would be what the Kings would receive in return. As the main piece of a trade, Nolan would not bring in significant assets by himself. However, as a package deal, he could possibly return a top player.

A name that has been thrown around is the 12th overall pick of the 2008 draft, Tyler Myers. Myers is an imposing defenseman who stands tall at 6’8 and 220 pounds. He plays a physical game with the ability to chip in offensively. Perfect for what the Kings need and with the talent developing in the Sabres’ farm system, he can be replaced in Buffalo.

Like Nolan, Myers is not playing up to expectations this year. Through 23 games, he has one goal and four assists for five points. Far from his 48 points in 82 games he scored in his rookie season when he won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie.

If a Myers trade were to become reality, the next order of business is to make it work with the Kings’ cap situation. They did receive relief when the NHL and NHLPA agreed to grant them the ability to go over the cap due to their unique circumstances involving Voynov, but Kings GM Dean Lombardi should use the exemption cautiously.

Myers’ caphit is $5.5m until the end of the 2018-19 season while Nolan, who is set to be a restricted free agent at the end of this season, has a cap hit of $700,000. In addition, adding Myers would only further complicate the logjam they have on the blueline especially when injured players return. Ideally, the Kings would use Nolan as part of a package deal that would include another depth defenseman and draft pick. The question is, who else could Lombardi send packing for Buffalo?

14 thoughts on “Will Jordan Nolan Be United with his Father in Buffalo?”

  2. Yeah, they will also give them Stafford (yawn) and those two clowns on defense they signed in the off season, who keep getting scratched because they are useless. Of course Buffalo will also go re Sign Ville Leino so they can put him in there as well, knowing LA has SOO much cap room for another loser.
    Don’t you think it would be a bit awkward for Teddy to be coaching his son in the NHL? If someone gets passed over in favor of him, you know they will be screaming favoritism.

  4. Hilarious is Myers being payed 5.5 million. In my opinion he has zero hockey sense and average talent. He pinches when he shouldn’t and doesn’t when he should. He refuses to use his body size to his advantage. He second guesses his passes resulting in missed opportunities or him have to turn back or give it away. As far as his rookie season, it easy to rack up the points when the guys up front are scoring and setting up scoring chances.

    Good players don’t always have to lead on the scoring sheet. Someone has to get in the corners. Someone has to do the dirty things that the prima donnas don’t want to do. The Sabres are and have been a blue collar hockey team. Ted is a blue collar coach. Inserting Jordan Nolan into the lineup probably would be best for the Sabres in the short term.

    • Yes but what’s in it for the Kings. Nolan is a good player and the only reason he doesn’t shine is because he’s surrounded by super stars who are playing with a hometown discount. The situation is similar with Richards, a very good player but its hard to shine with Kopi and Carts being super studs.

  5. LOL at people downgrading Nolan like that. People like Stephen obviously don’t know anything about the Kings or their players. Nolan isn’t a goal scorer and easily a bottom 6 player, but he has size, strength, is a actually a pretty good forechecker, oh and has these 2 pieces of jewelry called Stanley Cup Championship rings. If you even saw him play when the Kings won their first cup, he played amazing and had a big part in them winning. Of course him for Meyer is ridiculous and the author even said “as part of a piece”, but to call him a throw in shows your hockey knowledge.

  8. Yeah I’m sure a team in full rebuild is going to trade young assets or picks for a bottom six forward, solely because his father coaches the team. And giving up Myers for Nolan? That’s insane. The only way Myers is going to LA is if it involves one of their best prospects, like Toffoli, who the Kings wouldn’t give up either. Myers for Nolan is nonsense, and doesn’t help either team. It hurts LA’s cap situation, and hurts Buffalo’s goal to be great in 2-3 seasons.

    Hilarious.

    • A bottom 6 forward on a team of superstars isn’t that bad. Imagine getting a 2 time Cup winner who is very good but isn’t allowed to shine on a team of super stars working for pennies on the dollar. Besides, taking the $5.5 hit would be more than we could afford and your D man ain’t worth it from what I’m hearing.

  9. Well, though it saddens me to say this-and I can also imagine it might create a change of climate in the Kings’ locker room-half their forwards have been under-performing and are being paid well over $4 mil. a year. So for the Sabres to pick up a team leader while also getting another guy who might be jump-started with a shift of locations…o.k., so I don’t have the guts to say which player/s I am thinking about. But at least one of them-though considered the teams heart & soul-hasn’t been performing since last time they let slip a rumor about his being available back in the Winter of 2012? AND he was raised back there? And with 10/make that 11 now free agents coming up after this season, there simply isn’t even the slightly possibility of the Kings’ bringing all of them back!!! …see for yourselves…http://www.capgeek.com/kings

    • Home town discount. You want a million extra and play for another team, go for it. Just remember the bull’s eye comes with that extra $mil. Or you can have another Cup without the extra $mil.

      Most player’s don’t want to be the bull’s eye of every opposing team. You take less $$ and keep your health. Oh, and you get to live in Manhattan Beach, without mouthy fans who are on your jock anytime you have a bad set of games or are in a rut.

      So, yeah, I’m not to worried about the cap and neither are the Kings.

  11. Is this article serious? The Sabres aren’t giving away Myers for a 4th liner, depth d-man and a draft pick. Word is that Murray was asking Detroit for Mantha. Also, Myers does NOT play a physical game. Try watching him play some time. Finally, I can’t think of better way to cause problems in the locker room than to have a father-son combo. There’s always going to be friction related to dad giving his son too much ice time, not scratching him, etc…

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