Ennis was one of seven forwards protected by the Sabres for the expansion draft.

EDGE Analysis

This is a surprising move by the Sabres, considering Ennis has scored just 24 points in 74 games over the past two seasons due to various injuries. His ice time has dipped in each of his past three seasons, and it's clear that he's no longer considered a core player as the team builds around Jack Eichel and Ryan O'Reilly instead. Still, the Sabres obviously see some value in Ennis, who is the longest tenured player and showed some intriguing chemistry with Eichel during Eichel's rookie season. Protecting Ennis is a sign that the Sabres still have some hope for Ennis, though he won't be guaranteed a top-six role. He has two years remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $4.6 million.