Now that the 2022 Stanley Cup Final is in the books, it is time to talk about the offseason. What should the Buffalo Sabres do? Here is your ultimate guide.
The Buffalo Sabres are about to make some splashes this summer. Okay, let’s tone it down a bit. While it is true the Sabres will make a splash or two, let’s not expect anything big in the case of free agency. Instead, look for general manager Kevyn Adams to re-sign who he can and be rather conservative on who he brings into the Queen City.
Not that he won’t strive to make a big move. But even with $35 million in cap space, Adams isn’t going to go wild with free agency to hit the cap floor. Instead, he will most likely try to re-sign the likes of Victor Olofsson to a $5 million deal for a season or two and bring in bridge players like Braden Holtby at roughly $4 million per season.
But with the ninth and sixteenth overall draft picks, plus the 28th pick, it is a safe bet that Adams will turn a few heads with the talent that he can realistically acquire via the draft. So in regards to the NHL Draft, free agency, and where the team stands, let’s take a deeper look into the issues with the 2022 Ultimate Guide to the Buffalo Sabres Offseason.
Ultimate guide to the Buffalo Sabres offseason – What can the Sabres improve on?
Clearly, the Buffalo Sabres need to improve, despite posting some promising performances in March and April 2022. While they finished 16-8-3 (35 points) to finish the 2021-22 season, they still only put up 75 points.
So the question is this: How do the Sabres put themselves into contention for the wild card? They are an incredibly young team, and the best thing for them is to lean on experienced veterans when the playoff race heats up.
They also need to ensure they don’t suffer from a goaltending carousel like they did last season. But you also shouldn’t expect them to fork out money for a franchise goaltender, either. Instead, look for a timeshare in 2022-23.