Countdown to TradeCentre: Coyotes, Sabres to be...buyers?

The NHL's Mar. 21 Trade Deadline is approaching and teams are making decisions on whether to buy, sell and decide which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value. Check out today's trade rumours and speculation from around the NHL beat. And follow TradeCentre on TSN and TSN.ca through Deadline Day for all the updates.

The Buffalo Sabres and Arizona Coyotes have combined for just one playoff appearance in the past nine years and are set to take part in the draft lottery once again this season.

And while both teams are expected to ship off roster players this month, they may also look to do some buying of their own ahead of the trade deadline. 

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reported Thursday the Sabres are shopping for a top-end defenceman to pair with 2021 No. 1 pick Owen Power when he arrives from the University of Michigan next season.

"Kevyn Adams - the general manager for the Buffalo Sabres - has let other general managers know that he is in the market for a top-end defenceman, somebody who can partner with Owen Power in the NHL, but also a character player who can help mentor him along, show him some of the ropes," Dreger said on Insider Trading. "There's not a high level of urgency here. They'd like to get something done between now and the deadline, but if they don't, then they are comfortable testing the unrestricted free agent market in the summer.

In Arizona, meanwhile, the Coyotes may be shopping for a different reason. Dreger reports the Coyotes, with less than $38 million committed in salary for next season, are looking for deals to help them reach the cap floor for the 2022-23 season.

"The cap is always going to be a hindrance, that's just the norm this time of year. But there