3 Buffalo Sabres who must stick around for the rebuild
By Sion Fawkes
After winning three-straight games in overtime, it’s hard to say the Buffalo Sabres are still rebuilding
When you look at the Buffalo Sabres in March 2022, they are a far cry from the team that won just 11 games between November 2021 and February 2022. Add to the fact they won games against playoff teams and contenders, it gives the Sabres more credibility that they have entered building mode.
No, things won’t be so dandy all the time for this still-young NHL team. And it’s hard to call them a good hockey team just yet. They’re just having a good run and you can expect several of them between now and April 2023 (no, that’s not a typo). But we need to remember they remain a team in transition.
The Sabres will be letting several key veterans go this offseason and you can expect them to call up young talent from the Rochester Americans onto their lower lines. Perhaps some, like Jack Quinn, will see a larger role.
The Buffalo Sabres must keep a few veterans around for the rebuild
While the Sabres still need to get younger and free up cap space to pay all the young talent once their initial contracts expire – or if they decide to sign them to extensions – it would be foolish for them to release every key veteran. Some older players expressed interest in sticking around and they can provide exceptional leadership to a team that figures to be one of the NHL’s youngest.
Of course, the Sabres need to factor in things like player salaries and how much value they will get from these veterans. Odds are, they will be backups and placed onto lower lines, seeing limited ice time in eventual favor of the team’s younger talent.
So who should stick around for the long haul? Here are three players not only interested in returning, but three players who will also provide immense value to the Sabres.