NHL Rumors: Buffalo Sabres, and the St. Louis Blues

Buffalo Sabres Victor Olofsson looking towards free agency

Alexander Nilsson: Buffalo Sabres pending UFA forward Victor Olofsson confirms to Expressen.se that he’ll be testing the open market this offseason.

Olofsson said that last season was frustrating and a disappointment and that he feels he can still contribute to an NHL team.

St. Louis Blues GM will stick to the plan and continue to retool this offseason

Matthew DeFranks of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch: St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong is sticking to their plan and he believes they all need to be better.

“This was Year 1 of something that’s not going to be finished after Year 1,” said Armstrong, the Blues’ general manager. “We can look to be prudent in the free-agent market. We need internal growth. We need some of our veteran players to play a little bit better, some of our young players to grow a little bit. The coach has to get a little bit better. The manager has to get a little bit better. We’re not going to reinvent the wheel. There is a plan in place, and I’m willing to stick through that plan.”

Armstrong doesn’t want to go through a rebuild and is looking to stay competitive and building by finding good players and making good trades.

“I’m not in the position to think that that’s the direction the St. Louis Blues should go in,” Armstrong said. “Obviously, I make recommendations or a game plan, and I filter that upstairs (to owner Tom Stillman). I do show them the three different categories. One is to move our first-round picks, to move our top prospects to get into a market and get a player. Or the other one is to move anyone with any value, or high value, and replace them with American League players.”

Armstrong added that they need to spend their money wisely and not be a cap team just to be a cap team. They will stay the course of their retooling.