Agent for Vanek, Stafford optimistic they'll sign in 'next week or 2'

Thomas Vanek and Drew Stafford could both be on the verge of agreeing to new deals.

"Things have kind of heated up here in the last week or so," Steve Bartlett, who represents both free agents, told Andrew Peters and Craig Rivet on WGR 550 on Tuesday.

"I think we were kind of in the midsummer hibernation with some of the teams and now (as) they're starting to get closer to training camp, they look at where their holes may still be or where they're not sure about a young guy here or there," Bartlett added.

"I do feel optimistic that something will come through for both of these guys in the next week or two, and I think definitely the temperature has risen from teams around the league on both players."

Vanek is arguably the second-best unrestricted free agent left on the market behind Jaromir Jagr. The 33-year-old notched 17 goals and 48 points in 68 games this past season - 48 contests of which came with the Detroit Red Wings before they dealt him to the Florida Panthers at the deadline.

Stafford was limited to 58 games due to injury in 2016-17, and he split them between the Winnipeg Jets and the Boston Bruins, who acquired him on March 1, the same day Vanek was moved. Stafford collected only eight points in 18 regular-season games for the Bruins down the stretch, but he scored twice in six playoff contests.

Both players spent parts of nine seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, playing together from 2006-07 to 2013-14.

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