The Iowa Wild have a vacant captaincy, and all because the Buffalo Sabres have swooped in and signed former captain Drew Bagnall.
Bagnall signed the two-year deal with the Sabres shortly before the first day of free agency came to an end. Last season, the Oakbank, Man. product captained the Houston Aeros, the last season of their existence. The blueliner, who brings toughness and a steady presence to the back end, joins the Sabres on a two-way contract.
Bagnall stands a chance at cracking a Sabres D that isn’t the picture of depth, but there’s a strong chance he’ll end up in Rochester for stretches of the season.
In 382 career regular season AHL games, Bagnall has put up 52 points (6-46), and amassed 676 PIM.
Bagnall, 29, has never gotten a full-time shot in the NHL, and this could be his first real shot at sticking in the NHL. He could play a big role in developing the younger Buffalo defence in the minors, but it will likely come to a point where the Sabres need someone like Bagnall to slot in for more than just a handful of games.
American Hockey Blog 