Earlier this off-season, the Pittsburgh Penguins traded defenseman Conor Timmins and prospect Isaac Belliveau to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for blueliner Connor Clifton and a second-round pick. 

Now, after being a restricted free agent (RFA) over the last few weeks, Timmins and the Sabres have come to terms on his new contract. The Sabres have announced that they have signed Timmins to a two-year, $4.4 million contract. With this, the former Penguins defenseman will carry a $2.2 million cap hit for the Sabres until the end of the 2026-27 season. 

Timmins and the Sabres were scheduled to go to arbitration soon, but they have now avoided it by getting this new contract finalized. 

Timmins appeared in 68 games this past season, split between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Penguins, where he posted three goals, 12 assists, 15 points, 55 hits, and a plus-11 rating. He notably improved his play after being traded to the Penguins, as he had one goal, six assists, seven points, and a plus-9 rating in just 17 games with the Metropolitan Division club. 

Now, Timmins will look to be a solid part of the Sabres' blueline after getting this nice two-year deal. There is no question that the Sabres need help on the right side of their defense, and it will be intriguing to see if the former Penguin can help them on that front from here. 

Exciting Penguins Prospect Is Big Player To WatchThe Pittsburgh Penguins have plenty of promising youngsters in their system as they focus on the future. One of them is defenseman Owen Pickering, as many believe that the 2022 first-round pick will emerge as a key part of the Penguins' blueline for many years to come. 

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