The Buffalo Sabres seem to have defenseman Conor Timmins of St. Catharines, Ontario in their plans for the upcoming season. On June 28, the Sabres acquired Timmins and defenseman Isaac Belliveau of Fleurimont, Quebec in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins for defenseman Connor Clifton of Long Branch, New Jersey and a second round pick in the 2025 National Hockey League Entry Draft. (The Penguins selected defenseman Peyton Kettles of Winnipeg, Manitoba 39th overall).
Then on Sunday, the Sabres signed Timmins, a restricted free agent, to a two-year deal worth $4.4 million. The contract makes Timmins their fifth highest paid defenseman, behind 2018 NHL First Overall Pick Rasmus Dahlin of Lidkoping, Sweden, 2021 NHL First Overall Pick Owen Power of Mississauga, Sweden, Bowen Byram of Cranbrook, British Columbia, and Mattias Samuelsson of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (son of All-Star defenseman and Stanley Cup winner Kjell Samuelsson of Tingsryd, Sweden, who starred with the Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers).
Who has Timmins played for in the past?
Timmins is joining his fifth NHL franchise. He has played the last six seasons in the NHL. Timmins was with the Colorado Avalanche for two seasons from 2019 to 2021, the Arizona Coyotes for two seasons from 2021 to 2022, the Toronto Maple Leafs for three seasons from 2022 to 2025 and the Pittsburgh Penguins for one season in 2025.
Timmins’s statistics in 2024-25
Timmins had three goals and 12 assists for 15 points in 68 games with the Maple Leafs and Penguins. He was a +11 with 30 penalty minutes, 69 shots on goal, 90 blocked shots, 55 hits, 11 takeaways and 59 giveaways.
Timmins’s most notable game of the season came on March 15 in a 7-3 Penguins win over the New Jersey Devils. Timmins had two assists for two points as he had his only multi-point game of the season. He was also a very impressive +4. Â Timmins first set up Connor Dewar of Gilbert Plains, Manitoba with two minutes and 49 seconds left in the first period to tie the game at one. Timmins then set up Rickard Rackell of Stockholm, Sweden to put the Penguins up 3-1 at 4:24 of the second period.
What do the Sabres plan to do with Timmins?
Due to the fact Timmins has a NHL contract and is part of the Sabres nucleus when it comes to their defense, it is safe to say he is in Buffalo’s short term plans. Expect him to be part of the Sabres’s third defensive pairing for the upcoming season. At this time, Timmins is projected to play alongside Michael Kesselring of Florence, South Carolina, who the Sabres acquired in a deal with the Utah Mammoth on June 25.
