St. Louis Blues goalie Carter Hutton is expected to sign with the Buffalo Sabres once the NHL's free-agency period opens Sunday, according to multiple reports.
The two sides are close to having the framework of a deal in place after Hutton visited Buffalo this week, according to reports. Agreements cannot be announced until the signing period begins.
The 32-year-old Hutton has six seasons of NHL experience, including the past two with the Blues, where he split starting duties with Jake Allen. He finished with a 17-7-3 record and a 2.09 goals-against average in 32 games last year.
The Sabres have needs at goalie after electing not to re-sign third-year starter Robin Lehner and veteran backup Chad Johnson.
Hutton would form a tandem with Linus Ullmark, who is pegged to make the jump to the NHL level on a full-time basis after spending the past three years developing in the minors.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.