Top 5 bold predictions for the Buffalo Sabres heading into free agency
The Buffalo Sabres are heading into free agency with a lot of money, but that doesn’t mean they will be big spenders. Instead, they will spend sensibly.
Yet at the same time, it also doesn’t mean we can’t go bold with what we believe the Buffalo Sabres may do. With just 75 points last season, it’s safe to say the team remains a work in progress. However, Adams also prefers the team to go through growing pains as opposed to going all in.
Which will be, in hindsight, the right move. Let’s build through the system and supplement in free agency. The theory is that the Sabres will have its own players working its way into and through the AHL, and finally, into the NHL. Meanwhile, another influx of the organization’s own players takes their spot in the AHL, and the process continues.
With that mentality in mind, here are five bold, but somewhat sensible predictions for the Buffalo Sabres in free agency. Some, you’ll love, others you might laugh at. Let’s get started.
Buffalo Sabres free agency 2022 – Bold Prediction #1: Sabres make a run at Campbell, Kuemper
Kuemper and Campbell are two bold yet realistic options for the Sabres. While I believe Braden Holtby will be the ultimate signee here, you can expect them to at least make a run at Campbell and Kuemper.
Kuemper earned $5.5 million this season, helping guide the Colorado Avalanche to their first Stanley Cup in over 20 seasons. So you can bet he will demand a hefty payday, and that might be out of general manager Kevyn Adams’ reach. Especially since it appears Adams just wants to hit the cap floor and keep cash on hand for next season to sign a few cornerstones to extensions.
Many in the Buffalo Sabres faithful are high on Campbell. He earned $1.8 million this past season in base salary and set a career-high in games started with 49. Since his NHL debut in 2013-14, Campbell only has 135 games of experience (125 starting). This lack of experience may pose as a red flag for some.
However, his numbers are great, with a career 0.916 save percentage and 2.53 goals allowed average. But the question remains: Can he start a full season? Plus, it’s likely he will demand more pay. So while the Sabres will make their run at Kuemper and Campbell, expect them to sign someone serviceable like Braden Holtby.
Sabres trade for Jake McCabe
It is no secret the Chicago Blackhawks are hosting a fire sale and given head coach Don Granato’s link to the franchise juxtaposed with McCabe’s link to Buffalo, this trade just makes sense.
On social media, the Buffalo Sabres faithful are mixed about McCabe – some want him back, others want the Sabres to look elsewhere. But here’s the truth: McCabe played well enough in The Windy City to warrant some trade interest.
Now, he has a lot of ties to Chicago from a personal standpoint, which factored into him wanting to be there in the first place. But the NHL is a business and the rebuilding Blackhawks want to start from scratch.
That makes McCabe vulnerable to a trade. I believe the Sabres will trade for at least one Blackhawk, even if it isn’t McCabe. And no, that Blackhawk won’t be Patrick Kane. So why does McCabe make sense? Well, it’s because Adams wants a veteran defenseman to pair with rookie Owen Power.
And who better to pair with Power than a familiar face like McCabe? He got off to a rough start last season, but he eventually panned out in Chicago, showing he remains a viable player in this league.
McCabe set career highs in points, assists, blocks, and hits – shattering his previous two career highs in the latter. He will be 29 when the season starts, young enough to man the second pairing for at least a couple of seasons.
Sabres trade Olofsson, Mittelstadt, Bjork to Detroit
Earlier in the week, I outlined a trade for Tyler Bertuzzi, thanks to an article by Evan Mead of Octopus Thrower. That article outlines one possible trade scenario for Bertuzzi, and I also wrote an article responding to the subject (link in the final slide) with two additional scenarios.
The scenario I believe is the most likely one to trade for Bertuzzi involves sending RFA Victor Olofsson, center Casey Mittelstadt, and winger Anders Bjork to the Detroit Red Wings. Olofsson played well enough to generate sound interest and teams will be calling while Mittelstadt has underachieved and Bjork did absolutely nothing.
While I’m high on Olofsson and would love to see Mittelstadt get one last chance in Buffalo, Bertuzzi is just too good to pass up. He scored a career-high 62 points (30 goals) in 2021-22 while enjoying a 16.7 shooting percentage.
You may ask why it’s a good idea to trade three forwards for one, and the answer is simple: J.J. Peterka and Jack Quinn. I also expect the Buffalo Sabres to snag a forward for depth in free agency, or even to re-sign Vinnie Hinostroza and John Haden.
Meanwhile in Detroit, the Red Wings will land a solid piece in Olofsson and provide a much-needed change of scenery for Mittelstadt. While Bjork did nothing in Buffalo, he has potential to be a decent defensive forward.
Sabres get even younger
While he wasn’t in my top ten list of Buffalo Sabres prospects, Brett Murray is one player worth watching. He turns 24 in July and, along with Quinn and Peterka, could wind up finding a spot on the main roster. Odds are, Murray is nothing more than a fourth-liner this season, but his physical nature could work him into the checking line, especially in 2023-24.
He is just one of a few reasons the Sabres shed some veterans and get even younger during free agency. If Arttu Ruotsalainen re-signs, then it’s a given that the team will get younger, especially with them figuring to let veterans like Cody Eakin walk.
The youth movement will continue, not just on the main roster, but also at the AHL level. And while we will see a veteran goaltender and defenseman coming to the Queen City, that’s about all the older the Sabres will get. Overall, they will make roster moves with the youngest players in their system in mind, which might just make room on the roster for players like Murray.
Free agency catapults the Buffalo Sabres into at least the wild card convo
The Buffalo Sabres were among the league’s best teams when healthy last season, posting a 16-9-3 record to close out the year. This shows us that they will use free agency to fill any potential roster hole with stopgaps.
But with so much talent coming through the AHL level and onto the main roster, plus the performance of key players last season, supplementing the roster with the right free agents will allow the Sabres to make a run toward at least a wild card spot. And this will catch the attention of NHL pundits across league spheres. So expect, when predictions are made, that the team will rank near the middle of both the league and the Eastern Conference.
Related Story. Outlining three trade proposals for Tyler Bertuzzi. light
You may see some so-so hockey for the first half of the season. But once the team builds chemistry with incoming players both through the system and via trade/free agency, they will get hot just like they did in March and April. Only this season, it will happen earlier.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)