Sabres sign Eakin to 2-year pact with $2.25M AAV

The Buffalo Sabres added more depth down the middle, signing center Cody Eakin to a two-year contract carrying an average annual value of $2.25 million, the team announced Sunday.

New Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams already traded for Eric Staal earlier in the offseason to address the team's deficiencies down the middle. Eakin projects to serve as the club's third-line center behind Jack Eichel and Staal.

The moves give the Sabres the flexibility to play young pivots Casey Mittelstadt and Dylan Cozens on the wing - if they so desire - where there's less defensive responsibility.

Eakin is coming off a down year offensively with just five goals and 10 assists in 49 games split between the Winnipeg Jets and Vegas Golden Knights. But the 28-year-old averaged 15 goals and 17 assists per season in the six prior campaigns.