Buffalo Sabres: 3 offseason moves that make perfect sense
Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams left a few clues over what kind of roster moves he plans on making in the offseason
The Buffalo Sabres have a lot to celebrate following their 2021-22 campaign. No, you can’t call a season without an eleventh straight playoff berth a successful one. But for the Sabres, who earned 35 points over their final two months of the season and finished with a 16-9-3 record in that span, it was a season of growth.
Especially when you consider the fact that the Sabres started the season 16-30-8, including an abysmal 11-28-7 run between November 2021 and February 2022. It was a period where just about everyone either contracted COVID-19 or found themselves on injured reserve.
But the Sabres bounced back and, once fully healthy, proved that despite their youth, that they really were capable of playing against and defeating some of the NHL’s best. They still struggled against the likes of the Florida Panthers, Boston Bruins, and Tampa Bay Lightning, three of the top four teams in the NHL Atlantic Division.
However, wins over the Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs (three times), Pittsburgh Penguins, and Calgary Flames further proved how dangerous of a hockey team the Sabres can be. And now that the offseason is among us, they need to fill in a few more gaps.
Their goaltender situation remains null, with not a single viable puzzle piece under contract for next season. They also have way too much youth at defenseman, and they would do well to re-sign one of their older players or look for experience in free agency.
Finally, they need to continue adding youth through the NHL Draft. Because as the Sabres learned this past season when COVID and the injury bug struck: You can never have too much depth in the organization. Let’s look at three moves that make perfect sense.
Find a bridge goaltender
All signs point to the Buffalo Sabres re-signing Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and giving him an opportunity to be the team’s starting goaltender. Despite inconsistencies, he played well over the final eight regular season games in Rochester, but unfortunately he is a no-go in the playoffs because of an injury.
And injuries have plagued Luukkonen for quite a while now. One of which occurred against the Tampa Bay Lightning when he saw time with the Buffalo Sabres earlier in the season. Luukkonen’s inability to stay healthy, coupled with the potential departures of Craig Anderson and Dustin Tokarski, means the Sabres need to find a bridge goaltender.
The Buffalo News reported that Adams will go after an overlooked veteran to pair with Luukkonen either via free agency or trade. This goalie will likely stick around for a season or two, as Adams also mentioned the possibility of Devon Levi joining the franchise in 2023-24.
While the Sabres faithful may want a franchise goaltender, they simply don’t need one with Luukkonen most likely sticking around and Levi possibly spending his final season in college. Even if Luukkonen doesn’t re-sign, acquiring a stopgap remains the best bet.
Sign (or re-sign) an experienced defenseman
In earlier articles, the idea of a youthful defensive unit fascinated me. And when Owen Power joined the team for the final eight games of the season, we caught a glimpse of an entire unit aged 25 or under.
However, the idea of a young unit for an 82-game stretch is not logistically feasible. During a recent news conference, Adams stressed the need for an “experienced partner” to pair with Power. And while Power and Henri Jokiharju made a good tandem for eight games, his development will go smoother if Adams adds experience to the second pairing.
Further, judging from the dynamic tandem we saw with Rasmus Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson constantly rotating between the right and left sides on the first pairing, Adams would do well to find a versatile defenseman comfortable with doing the same thing on the second pairing. This type of signing would make the Sabres top two defensive pairings even more dangerous.
While it is important for the team to remain young, expect Adams to dish out some money to land a prize free agent at defenseman. And in the end, look for Power to develop even faster when he lines up alongside someone with proven experience.
Keep those draft picks
Let’s face it: The Sabres were so good from March 2nd to April 29th that, if you took their average points total percentage per game during the time and multiplied it by 82, you would get 102 points. Not that the Sabres would have kept that up, but it would put them in serious playoff contention.
Which makes it tempting to trade some draft picks for more accomplished players. Especially for proven talent playing for bad hockey teams. Tempting, but foolish. The Sabres are still NOT a playoff hockey team, despite the good vibes in March and April. Therefore, it is wise for the team to retain their draft picks.
In 2022, the Sabres will most likely have two picks in the top fifteen, or at worst, the top sixteen. Giving them two more chances to add game-breaking talent to a roster full of young assets. This mentality would only make the Sabres a better hockey team moving forward. They also hold the Florida Panthers first round pick from the Sam Reinhart Trade.
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Overall, the offseason moves outlined above could catapult the Buffalo Sabres into legitimate contenders not just next season, but also for the next half-decade. A stopgap at goaltender provides a fine holdover for someone like a Devon Levi while an experienced defenseman would do wonders not just for Power, but for an entire group of young players.