Buffalo Sabres: Out With Zemgus, In With Brandon Pirri?

The Buffalo Sabres may have gotten better this offseason, but the team is still weak on the left wing. We toss out a solution.

If you are a Buffalo Sabres fan, you have to be excited about the 2016-17 season and beyond.

The amazing rookie tandem of Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart combined for 98 points last season, and you know hey are just getting started.

Ryan O’Reilly made his first All-Star game and had a great run with team Canada in the 2016 IIHF Worlds, establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with for many, many years.

And the Sabres made the biggest splash in free agency by signing Kyle Okposo, who brings his 50+ points per season – and maybe the playoffs? – to the 716.

More from Sabre Noise

The Buffalo Sabres are much, much closer to qualifying for the postseason, no doubt, but the team still has holes it needs to fill in order to become complete. Offensively, the Sabres rely heavily on their centers and right wingers to generate points, and desperately need someone besides Evander Kane to provide some consistent scoring from the left wing.

While Marcus Foligno enjoyed the best offensive season of his career in 2015-16, he’s not top-6 material. And unless you hope Nicolas Deslauriers is going to evolve into a scoring machine, or that Matt Moulson is going to find the fountain of youth, you probably are not looking forward to watching Dan Bylsma juggle his lines in order to find someone, anyone, who can help Eichel and Reinhart out.

It’s possible that the Sabres bring up Cole Schneider or Evan Rodrigues for 2016-17, especially if the team winds up moving Zemgus Girgensons, which appears more and more likely with each passing day.

However, there is an unsigned free agent out there who is at least worth a look: Brandon Pirri, who just enjoyed a short stint playing alongside Ryan Getzlaf with the Anaheim Ducks.

Let’s be realistic: Pirri would be a nice, temporary addition to the Sabres’ left wing. Basically, he’s the sort of player Buffalo would hold onto while Alexander Nylander is developing his game, and when (if, I suppose) Nylander becomes a threat to produce 40+ points per season in the NHL, GM Tim Murray can shake Pirri’s hand and tell him, “Thanks for the memories,and don’t let the door hit you on your ass on the way out.” In no way is Brandon Pirri a long-term option . . .

. . . but having said that, you might be a little surprised to see that playing on him on the second line alongside Eichel and Reinhart would not be a terrible idea. (HERO chart created at The Hockey Writers)

Hopefully, I don’t need to show you Deslauriers HERO chart in order to prove to you that Pirri is a better fit. Pirri’s offensive numbers have gone up every season, and even though 80 points in 166 career games is not an eye-popping number, that’s only 13 less points than Marcus Foligno has in his 267 games played, and Pirri has already scored more goals in his career than Foligno has. Furthermore, Pirri is actually tied with Brandon Saad and Sean Monahan at 27th in the league when it comes to 5v5 goals per 60 minutes with .95 (courtesy of Anaheim Calling) – again, an enormous increase over what the Buffalo Sabres currently have as their second- and third-line left wing options.

Next: 2016-17 Buffalo Sabres & NHL Predictions, Part 1

There is no one suggesting that the Buffalo Sabres should go out and sign Brandon Pirri to a long-term contract; a one- or two-year deal worth at most $2 million is all that Pirri is worth, especially since he will essentially just be keeping a spot on the bench warm for Alexander Nylander or another Sabres prospect. Still, Pirri could fill a void at the left wing on Buffalo’s second and third lines, so he’s definitely worth a look if the Sabres front office has not done so already.

Home / Free Agency