The Buffalo Sabres announced this afternoon that they have placed forward Riley Sheahan on unconditional waivers, meaning that the veteran’s contract is set to be terminated. Sheahan, who signed a one-year deal with Buffalo this summer, had already been placed on standard waivers, and cleared, back in October and bounced between the NHL and AHL several times.
It’s unclear what the next step for Sheahan will be, assuming he clears waivers and is granted his release, however an immediate NHL opportunity seems unlikely, especially considering he’s already cleared waivers just under a month ago. Buffalo signed Sheahan, 30, back in August to a one-year, two-way deal in the hopes he could provide a veteran presence in their bottom-six as their young team took it’s next step. That hasn’t necessarily gone as planned.
This season, Sheahan has played in just eight games total while shuffling between Buffalo and Rochester, where the Sabres’ AHL affiliate is located. With Buffalo, Sheahan skated in two games, not making much of an impact. With Rochester, the forward played in six games and tallied three assists.
A first-round pick in 2010, Sheahan has made a career as a respectable depth forward, providing a solid defensive game while chipping in modestly on offense. His best season came in 2014-15 as a member of the Detroit Red Wings, who drafted him, recording 36 points on 13 goals and 23 assists.