Ville Leino played three seasons with the Sabres. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald

Bruins invite Sabres buyout Ville Leino to training camp

Mark your calendars, Sabres fans. When Boston visits Buffalo on Oct. 18, Ville Leino could be a member of the Bruins.

The Bruins, the 2011 Stanley Cup champions and one of the NHL’s elite teams for years, have invited Leino to training camp on a tryout.

The Sabres, of course, bought out the final three seasons of Leino’s six-year, $27 million contact in June. The Finn, who scored zero goals last season, is on Buffalo’s payroll until 2019-20.

By now, everyone knows Leino’s story. He’s been covered enough in this space. His contract could be the worst in NHL history.

But Leino scored 19 goals and 53 points in 2010-11, his last season in Philadelphia. He had 21 points in 19 games during the Flyers’ 2010 run to the Cup final. He’s only 30. In a different (winning) environment, the forward could be an asset again.

The Bruins have also invited former 40-goal scorer Simon Gagne, who didn’t play last season, to camp.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *