Buffalo Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has been steadfast in his desire to build a sustainable winning organization, even if it requires some tough decisions in the short term.
That's been on full display this offseason as the Sabres traded away Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram, two key members of last season's breakthrough roster, because neither one was going to end up signing a long-term contract extension with the franchise.
Tuch was sent to the Washington Capitals as part of a sign-and-trade deal that included an eight-year, $84 million contract ($10.5 million AAV), while Byram signed a six-year, $75 million extension ($12.5 million AAV) after being dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Lyle Richardson of Bleacher Report listed both former Sabres among the NHL players who will have "nightmare contracts" by the time 2030 rolls around.
"Tuch doesn't have many quality seasons left at this stage of his career," Richardson wrote. "He also has an injury history that hampered his production, and he could struggle with his new teammates. By 2030, he will likely be in decline, making his contract a long-term drain on the Capitals' cap payroll that could've been invested elsewhere."
Although Tuch and Byram were important pieces for Buffalo in recent years — they combined for 106 points in 2025-26 — their contract demands were sky high, even in a rising-cap environment.
"If Byram can't establish himself as a true No. 1 defenseman, it would be expensively disastrous for the Blackhawks by 2030," Richardson added. "Having top-pairing money tied up in a second-pairing blueliner could leave them with insufficient cap space by 2030 to properly address that issue should the right players become available."
Those departures have left the Sabres with $5.1 million in cap space ahead of the new season, and that number jumps to $36.7 million for the 2027-28 campaign, according to PuckPedia.
That's a far more favorable financial picture than the Blue and Gold faced when the summer began.
How the Buffalo Sabres will try to replace Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram in 2026-27
Kekalainen hasn't made any blockbuster additions to the roster this summer.
Rumors continue to linger about potential interest in Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck and the Sabres were among the contenders to sign Patrick Kane before he opted for a return to the Blackhawks. But, at least so far, that type of marquee move hasn't arrived.
Instead, Buffalo appears prepared to bet heavily on the improvement of young players.
Up front, the Sabres feature one of the league's most promising groups of U-25 players, including Zach Benson, Josh Doan, Jack Quinn, Noah Ostlund, Jiri Kulich and Konsta Helenius. They're joined by veterans Tage Thompson, Josh Norris, Ryan McLeod, Jason Zucker and Peyton Krebs in the battle for a top-nine spot in the lineup as training camp nears.
The question is whether they can offset the loss of a high-end, two-way contributor like Tuch through depth alone. They can't match up with the NHL's top Stanley Cup contenders when it comes to elite forwards, unless the likes of Benson and Doan take leaps toward superstardom this season.
On the blue line, the Sabres will have a couple new faces in Olen Zellweger and Louis Crevier who, along with Conor Timmins, are set to replace Byram in the aggregate.
Zellweger figures to spend a significant amount of time on the second pair alongside Owen Power. Head coach Lindy Ruff could opt for Timmins and Crevier to occupy that spot in more defensively focused situations, especially when it comes to protecting leads in the third period, though.
Ultimately, it creates some genuine uncertainty about what comes next for Buffalo, particularly given the level of competition in the Eastern Conference and the Atlantic Division.
Kekalainen may find himself in a situation where a sluggish start could necessitate an early move in order to keep pace in the East. Dropping back out of the playoffs after just one appearance following a 14-year postseason drought would be a frustrating setback.
That said, it's also possible his bet on the Sabres' emerging talent will pay off and the club will remain among the conference's top contenders, even without Tuch and Byram.
Add us as a preferred source on Google