OTTAWA -- Brian Gionta knows he might be entering his final two weeks or so with the Buffalo Sabres. But the team's captain the last three seasons is definitely holding out hope that's not the case.

A pending unrestricted free agent, Gionta confirmed to The Buffalo News here Tuesday that he has told the Sabres he does not want to get traded by the March 1 NHL trade deadline.

Gionta said he hasn't had any detailed discussions with General Manager Tim Murray on the situation but he and his representatives from the Bartlett Group in suburban Rochester have made their intentions known.

"It's not really been a formal conversation but the team understands our intentions," Gionta said in Canadian Tire Centre, confirming a report first issued Tuesday by Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. "Absolutely, I want to stay. I've been here three years. I'd love to see this through and keep pushing in the right direction."