The Buffalo Sabres are heading into the off-season knowing they have some money to spend on free agents -- not as much money as some teams, but right now, they have approximately $21.4 million in salary cap space to use.

Some of that cap space will go to RFA defenseman Bowen Byram, but even with a healthy raise for Byram and Buffalo's other free agents, Sabres GM Kevyn Adams can acquire a veteran or two to help his team's playoff chances next season. But the big question is, who do they spend it on?

Now, please don't answer "Mitch Marner" for that question. Even if Marner does leave Toronto -- and we're now of the opinion that he is going to leave the Maple Leafs -- it's highly-unlikely he'll choose the Sabres as his next home. When you don't make the Stanley Cup playoffs for nearly a decade-and-a-half, you fall down the wish list of most high-end free agents.

So, the question then is, "who is a reasonable target for Buffalo this off-season?" And there are many options for the Sabres to try and lure with a lucrative contract offer.

For instance, would Chicago Blackhawks center Ryan Donato be a fit? He's had a terrific season, with 31 goals and 62 points for the Hawks. And he's earned just $2 million this season, so Buffalo would have to pay him considerably more. But what about Ottawa Senators center Claude Giroux make sense? He's a relative greybeard at 37 years old, but for the right amount of money, he might be convinced to leave the Sens for the Sabres.

As well, there's Carolina Hurricanes center Jack Roslovic to consider; he's just 28 years old, but he's had a solid year and would get a significant raise on his current $2.8-million salary. Finally, perhaps native Western New Yorker Patrick Kane could be persuaded to come home for the remainder of his NHL career; he's making $4-million this season with the Detroit Red Wings, so he may be a less-costly alternative.

Sabres Will Be Looking For Hockey Deal In Potential Byram Trade There are no certainties when it comes to the Buffalo Sabres this summer, and the speculation regarding defenseman Bowen Byram may simply result in a short-term bridge deal and the 23-year-old walking to unrestricted free agency in 2027, but if that chatter regarding the Sabres potentially trading him is true, the question before GM Kevyn Adams is what do you get back for him.

We could go up and down the list of UFAs, but check for yourself, and feel free to suggest other free agent targets for Buffalo this summer in the comments section below. Some player or another has to take the Sabres' money, but the challenge for Adams is to sell the organization to NHLers, whether they're up-and-comers, players nearing the end of their playing days, or someone in-between.

In any case, it will be fascinating to see what Buffalo can do with their cap space, because the way they spend it could be the difference between ending or extending their playoff drought.

Sabres Summer Dilemmas - Bowen ByramThe Buffalo Sabres have a number of roster dilemmas to address this summer, and the players whose contracts are up pose the biggest problem for GM Kevyn Adams. Defenseman Bowen Byram, who scored a career-high 38 points playing a good chunk of the season with Rasmus Dahlin, is someone with the talent to be a #1 defenseman, but may see his path to that role blocked by Dahlin and Owen Power. 

Highly touted prospect Alexander Nikishin is set to make his NHL debut tonight for the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 against the Washington Capitals.

Defenseman Jalen Chatfield will miss tonight's game due to a lower-body injury.

Nikishin, 23, had long been considered one of the best prospects outside of the NHL, setting records and dominating the KHL.

The defenseman will have the chance to prove himself in a high-pressure situation as the Canes look to close out their second-round series in Washington.

The 2020 third-round pick is a towering figure and has all the tools to be successful.

Being paired alongside Dmitry Orlov should also help given the language barrier.

Let's see what the rookie's got.

Be sure to check out the Carolina Hurricanes 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Hub for all postseason stories!  

Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

As the postseason moves along, it seems as though the San Jose Sharks are focusing on getting some of their own things done this offseason as they look to improve on what was a rough 2024-25 campaign. In a recent report, it seems as though they will be signing Yegor Afanasyev for the 2025-26 season.

Per Artur Khairullin, Yegor Afanasyev will sign with @SanJoseSharks for the 2025-26 season.
His KHL contract was mutually terminated with CSKA.

— Hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) May 15, 2025

Afanasyev, who is 24 years old, was acquired from the Nashville Predators in June of 2024, but signed in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) after becoming a restricted free agent (RFA). This season with CSKA Moskva, he scored seven goals and added 14 assists for 21 points through 53 games. 

Afanasyev was drafted in the second round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft by the Predators at 45th overall after a strong showing in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Muskegon Lumberjacks, where he had 62 points in 58 games.

For the 2019-20 season, he joined the Windsor Spitfires in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), where he scored 31 goals and added 36 assists for 67 points through 62 games. He made the jump to the professional level in the 2021-22 season.

Through 19 games in the NHL over two seasons, he has one goal. Through 187 games in the American Hockey League (AHL), he scored 52 goals and added 61 assists for 113 points, which comes out to a 0.60 points-per-game average. 

There aren't any details on what a contract looks like for next season, but if the report is accurate, details should come out on his new contract soon.

Sharks Prospect Kasper Halttunen Dominating OHL PlayoffsSan Jose Sharks prospect Kasper Halttunen has been on fire during the OHL playoffs with the London Knights.

Sharks' Defense Prospect Breaks Another London Knights Record San Jose Sharks defenseman Sam Dickinson continues to break records in the OHL.

Sharks & Shakir Mukhamadullin Reportedly Close To Contract Extension AgreementWith the 2024-25 season gone and the San Jose Sharks having shifted their focus onto the

Sharks Prospect Carson Wetsch Flipped In Blockbuster WHL TradeThe 2025 WHL Prospects Draft has now come and gone, and while there weren't many surprises or much news to report from those couple of days, there was one massive trade that caught some attention.

Two years ago, former Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel and the Vegas Golden Knights eliminated the Edmonton Oilers in the second round on their way to their first Stanley Cup championship, but history did not repeat itself in the second-round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, as the Oilers turned the tables on Vegas and eliminated them in five games with a 1-0 overtime victory in Game 5.

Kasperi Kapanen scored at 7:19 of the extra frame to give Edmonton the win and advance them to their second straight Western Conference Final to face the winner of the Winnipeg-Dallas series, in which the Stars lead 3-1.  Eichel led the Golden Knights in scoring with 10 points (1 goal, 9 assists) in 11 games, while ex-Sabre Victor Olofsson finished his first post-season appearance with four points (2 goals, 2 assists), and Brayden McNabb had four assists in 11 games. 

Other Sabres Stories

Is Peterka In Prime Position For Big Payday?

Sabres Summer Dilemmas - Bowen Byram

Sabres Facing An Off-Season Of Change

How other Sabres did in the playoffs on Wednesday:

Evander Kane (EDM) 17:22 TOI, 3 SOG, 7 Hits

Jeff Skinner(EDM) Did Not Play

Florida - 6, Buffalo - 1, Panthers lead 3-2

Sam Reinhart(FLA) 2A,+2, 17:27 TOI, 6 SOG

Evan Rodrigues(FLA) Did Not Play

Dmitri Kulikov(FLA) 1G, +2, 17:57 TOI, 2 SOG, 2 Hits

Jake McCabe(TOR) -1, 19:00 TOI, 1 SOG, 1 Hits

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

What to know for the NHL conference finals: Matchups, schedule, where to watch originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Four teams are on the doorstep of the Stanley Cup Final.

The Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers will square off in a Western Conference Final rematch in the 2025 NHL playoffs, while the defending champion Florida Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes meet in the Eastern Conference Final for the second time in three years.

The Panthers, the Atlantic Division’s No. 3 seed, have reached the conference final for the third straight year, with a chance to make a third straight Cup Final. Florida has kept its repeat bid alive by beating the No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning in five games and the No. 1 Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games. The Panthers, who can join an exclusive group of back-to-back Cup winners, overcame a 2-0 series deficit against the Leafs and won Game 7 on the road in emphatic fashion.

The Hurricanes are looking to avoid a repeat of the 2023 conference final, when they were swept by Florida. Carolina, the Metro Division’s No. 2 seed, needed just five games to bounce both the No. 3 New Jersey Devils and the East-leading Washington Capitals. Frederik Andersen has been stellar between the pipes for Carolina, boasting a 1.36 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage in nine playoff starts.

Now, the Hurricanes need to get past the defending champs in order to reach their first Cup Final since the franchise’s lone championship triumph in 2006.

The Oilers, last year’s Stanley Cup runners-up, are also eyeing a return trip to the Cup Final in search of the franchise’s first championship since 1990. Connor McDavid and Co. dropped their first two games of this postseason, but have only suffered one loss since.

Edmonton, the Pacific Division’s No. 3 seed, overcame a 2-0 first-round series deficit against the No. 2 Los Angeles Kings with four straight comeback wins before taking down the No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights in five games. McDavid and co-star Leon Draisaitl have combined for eight goals and 25 assists across 11 playoff contests.

The Stars are playing in their third straight conference final and fourth since 2020. But Dallas has been eliminated from this round the last two postseasons, most recently falling to Edmonton in six games in 2024.

Dallas, the Central Division’s No. 2 seed, first outlasted the No. 3 Colorado Avalanche in a seven-game thriller and then bounced the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets in six games. Trade deadline acquisition Mikko Rantanen has racked up a playoff-high 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) as he attempts to help deliver the Stars their first title since 1999 and second overall.

So, when will the conference finals start and who has home-ice advantage? Here’s what to know:

What are the NHL Eastern, Western Conference Final matchups?

• Eastern Conference Final: Florida Panthers vs. Carolina Hurricanes
• Western Conference Final: Edmonton Oilers vs.Dallas Stars

When do the NHL Eastern, Western Conference Finals start?

The conference final round begins with Panthers-Hurricanes on Tuesday, May 20, followed by Game 1 of Oilers-Stars on Wednesday, May 21.

Who has home-ice advantage in the Eastern, Western Conference Finals?

Dallas and Carolina have home-ice advantage due to their superior regular-season records.

What is the Oilers vs. Stars Western Conference Final schedule?

• Game 1: Oilers at Stars — Wednesday, May 21, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
• Game 2: Oilers at Stars — Friday, May 23, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
• Game 3: Stars at Oilers — Sunday, May 25, 3 p.m. ET, ABC
• Game 4: Stars at Oilers — Tuesday, May 27, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
• Game 5 (if necessary): Oilers at Stars — Thursday, May 29, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
• Game 6 (if necessary): Stars at Oilers — Saturday, May 31, 8 p.m. ET, ABC
• Game 7 (if necessary): Oilers at Stars — Monday, June 2, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN

Where to watch, stream the Oilers vs. Stars Western Conference Final

The West Final will air across ESPN and ABC, and can be streamed live on ESPN.com and the ESPN app.

What is the Panthers vs. Hurricanes Eastern Conference Final schedule?

• Game 1: Panthers at Hurricanes — Tuesday, May 20, 8 p.m. ET, TNT/truTV
• Game 2: Panthers at Hurricanes — Thursday, May 22, 8 p.m. ET, TNT/truTV
• Game 3: Hurricanes at Panthers — Saturday, May 24, 8 p.m. ET, TNT/truTV
• Game 4: Hurricanes at Panthers — Monday, May 26, 8 p.m. ET, TNT/truTV
• Game 5 (if necessary): Panthers at Hurricanes — Wednesday, May 28, 8 p.m. ET, TNT/truTV
• Game 6 (if necessary): Hurricanes at Panthers — Friday, May 30, 8 p.m. ET, TNT/truTV
• Game 7 (if necessary): Panthers at Hurricanes — Sunday, June 1, 8 p.m. ET, TNT/truTV

Where to watch, stream the Panthers vs. Hurricanes Eastern Conference Final

Panthers-Hurricanes games will be shown on both TNT and truTV. They can also be streamed live on TNTDrama.com, the TNT app and Max.

Editor’s note: The original version of this story was published on May 15.