The Buffalo Sabres announced today that they have signed defenseman Conor Timmins to a two-year, $2.2M per year deal. Buffalo acquired Timmins and defenseman Isaac Belliveau from the Pittsburgh Penguins last month for a second-round pick and defenseman Connor Clifton.
Timmins played 68 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Penguins last season with three goals and 12 assists for 15 points. He averaged a career-high 18:43 in ice time after joining the Penguins last March.
“He’s a solid two-way player that is big, a right shot, and I think it just really solidifies our D corps moving forward,” general manager Kevyn Adams said. Timmins joins Rasmus Dahlin, Bowen Byram, Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson and newcomer Michael Kesselring to form the defensive corps.
Timmins A Strong Fit for Buffalo’s Core
Timmins fits the mold of defenseman the Sabres are looking to acquire. He’s a tough, two-way guy with a good eye for both ends of the ice. He’s played the majority of his career with playoff teams like the Colorado Avalanche and Maple Leafs.
Timmins should slot on the team’s bottom pairing alongside Mattias Samuelsson, anchoring one of the youngest defensive cores in the NHL. Timmins, 26, is the oldest defenseman on the roster behind Jacob Bryson, who will turn 28 this season.
When asked about the current defensive makeup, Adams spoke highly of the team’s outlook for next season. “We like where our group’s at in terms of the way the roster sits today, but we’ll always look to get better if there’s something that makes sense. But I think we’ve done a good job in terms of reshaping the look of our [defense].
“I think that’s something that was important. We’ve brought veteran guys in that are going to help us defensively and [be] hard to play against. We’ve brought in some character guys. So I think as it sits today, we like where our lineup is. But if there’s areas anywhere — forward, ‘D’ — to make a move that we think is good, we’ll do it.”
Sabres Focusing on Future
Buffalo’s top priority this offseason? Developing a winning culture. “Culture is earned, in terms of your daily habits and the things that you do,” Adams said in his postseason press conference. “And what I believe we need to probably reflect on and do a better job of – and I shared this with the players over the last couple days – is more of our players starting with looking in the mirror first. If we all do that across the organization… What can I do better? How can I be the best version of myself in my job as general manager? Coaches do the same thing, the players do the same thing.
“That starts to build a culture of accountability. If we do a better job of that, and then get positive results, better things start to happen. A better culture is built. And that’s something that we’ll continue to work on and talk about.”
The Sabres have just one restricted free agent left: goaltender Devon Levi.
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