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Sabres have major question marks heading into the offseason

By Jacob LeBlanc

May 6, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Buffalo Sabres teammates congratulate center Drake Caggiula (91) on his second goal of the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
May 6, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Buffalo Sabres teammates congratulate center Drake Caggiula (91) on his second goal of the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
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And just like that, the season is officially over for the Buffalo Sabres. This was probably one of the more disappointing seasons in recent memory for the Sabres and their fans. Last offseason saw Buffalo make moves that they thought would have them competing in the playoffs this season, but obviously, that did not happen. Now we will enter another offseason full of questions in Buffalo.

The biggest question mark heading into this offseason for the Sabres is who will be the head coach once next season rolls around? Right now, the obvious, and I think the safest, choice for the job would be Don Granato. After Granato took over once Ralph Krueger was fired, Buffalo improved almost immediately. We saw players who struggled under Krueger play the best hockey of their career with Granato as the coach.

Although Granato seems like the most logical pick, he is not the one direction the Sabres can go. Other names that could surface during the coaching search for Buffalo could be Bruce Boudreau, Mike Babcock, or Gerard Gallant. But, since the offseason literally started yesterday for Buffalo, they have plenty of time to evaluate all the potential candidates for the job.

Another massive question that the Sabres having going into this offseason is who will they re-sign and who will they let walk? Buffalo has multiple high-impact players set to become free agents this offseason, and the Sabres will be tasked with making some big decisions about who they want to bring back to Buffalo.

Players such as Sam Reinhart, Linus Ullmark, and Casey Mittelstadt are some players that were big pieces of the Sabres that shined during the disappointing season. They are also set to become free agents this offseason, and they won’t be cheap to bring back. Buffalo will be forced to make some big decisions that will affect the roster over the coming months.

Next. Granato’s coaching style allowing young Sabres players to flourish. dark

This offseason will be filled with tough decisions for GM Kevyn Adams. If the right buttons are pushed, this team has the potential to be competitive over the next few years. The good thing is that the Sabres have time, and they will need to use it wisely if they want to avoid being bottom dwellers in the league for the foreseeable future.

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