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Buffalo Sabres Free Agency Needs – Defense

By Billy Weltzer

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There is no doubt the Buffalo Sabres improved this past weekend in Florida obtaining Ryan O’Reilly, Jamie McGinn, Robin Lehner, and David Legwand. Murray picked up O’Reilly as a top line center, McGinn and Legwand to join Gionta in a veteran filled bottom 6 tandem, and Robin Lehner who is in the control of his own destiny as a #1 goalie. While a right winger would be a nice addition to the Sabres, what is really needed is a defenseman.

The Sabres traded away a young, talented Nikita Zadorov to Colorado, so there is a gap that is needed to be filled. It is likely this player will come in and play in the top 4, but the most important thing for this player to possess: A left-handed shot. Zach Bogosian, Rasmus Ristolainen, Mark Pysyk, and Mike Weber are all right handed shots.

Josh Gorges and Jake McCabe are the only lefties on the back end, but I wouldn’t expect McCabe to be in the opening lineup for the Sabres. If McCabe is in the opening line up, look for him to be paired with Mark Pysyk on the third defensive pairing and Weber as a healthy scratch. It is more likely than not McCabe starts the year as the top defenseman, along with Chad Ruhwedel, in Rochester.

So, when it comes to left handed defenseman to play top 4 minutes, who should the Buffalo Sabres pursue? There are three options that I see possibly working for different reasons. Free agency start July 1, so look for these names to be linked to the Sabres in the next few days.

Paul Martin (6’1″, 200 lbs, 34 years-old, UFA)

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Martin would be a decent fit for the Sabres in a number of ways. First, he played under Bylsma before which would certainly help coming into a new franchise. He is an older player with plenty of experience (11 NHL seasons) and was on the 2014 USA Team in Sochi for the Olympics, a team that did not medal.  Martin was named to the 2006 Olympic team (did not see game action) and the 201o Team USA Olympic team, but missed the games due to injury.  Has to say something to be even considered for the Olympic squads however, as only a team full of players get named.

While Martin isn’t as offensive as I believe the Sabres need on the back end, he won’t get you into a lot of trouble on the defensive end – and having a stay at home defensive guy isn’t always a bad thing. You don’t want all your defenseman jumping into the play.

He is at his best when he is simply doing his job on the defensive end. He can contribute on the offensive side of the game, but that isn’t exactly where his strengths are.

Martin is aging a bit, but can still log solid minutes and can be looked upon as a leader on the back end with his experience along with Josh Gorges, and can round out the bottom portion of your defensive corps while being a voice of reason and wisdom for the younger guys on the blue line who are inexperienced.

Johnny Oduya (6’0″, 190 lbs, 33 years-old, UFA)

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Johnny Oduya will bring the right attitude and work ethic it takes to win it all to any team he signs with; he has been in Chicago for their past two Stanley Cup wins. Oduya is a defensive defenseman who has an above average skating ability and is very responsible in his own end.

By the way, he’s absolutely ripped, which gives him strength along the walls battling for the puck.

He will take a hit to make a play for his team, which can be infectious for his team. Players on the bench have a lot of respect for someone like Oduya who is a great teammate and his plenty of experience, especially in the playoffs. He could be a great addition for the young Sabres squad that looks as if winning will come sooner than fans likely expected.

Lastly, let’s not forget that Johnny played alongside Evander Kane and Zach Bogosian during his time in Atlanta.

Brendan Smith (6’2, 198 lbs, 25 years-old, RFA)

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While I would have liked to put Micahel Del Zotto here, he is not longer on the market for teams to offer sheet. The reasons why I wanted Del Zotto, but I’m settling for Smith is for a reasons opposite of Martin and Oduya. First, Smith is 25 years-old which is fitting the mold of Sabres who now have an abundance of players in the 23-26 age range.

He can grow as the team grows. Second, he is more of an offensive defenseman, which the Sabres do not have on the backend. While Smith had an off year and was often exposed on the defensive end, there have been flashes of great play from Smith, especially at the point.

He has a nice shot, decent puck skills, solid offensive hockey sense, and can skate very well. The reason I bring up Smith is I think Murray can take a chance on him with an offer sheet that the Red Wings wouldn’t feel the need to match. If Smith is put in the right situation and coached well, I believe he can be an impact player on the scoresheet, which is needed from the Sabres blue liners. This is probably the most unlikely scenario, but could be the most beneficial offensively for the Sabres out of the three.

All three players would be nice additions to the Sabres blue line, but none are home runs. The expectations on the defenseman brought in should not be overly high, but expect this player to give solid minutes and help contribute to the success of the Sabres on the back end whether it is strictly defensively or producing on the score sheet.

My prediction on who gets signed: Johnny Oduya.

Next: Buffalo Sabres Free Agency Round Table

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