The Buffalo Sabres have extended qualifying offers to forwards Tyson Kozak and Ryan McLeod; defensemen Bowen Byram, Ryan Johnson, and Conor Timmins; and goaltender Devon Levi.
The deadline for NHL teams to extend qualifying offers to their own restricted free agents was Monday at 5 p.m. Players who do not receive qualifying offers before the deadline become unrestricted free agents.
By extending qualifying offers and maintaining their restricted free agent status, the Sabres retain the right to match offer sheets submitted by opposing teams for any of the six players after free agency opens at noon on July 1. Players can accept the Sabres' qualifying offer or continue to negotiate the terms of a new deal.
