The NHL Draft and free agency is just around the corner, meaning the Buffalo Sabres are ready to make some roster transactions.
Rumors aside, the straightforward route for the Buffalo Sabres is that they will use NHL free agency as a supplement to building their roster through the draft and the organizational pipeline. That said, I’m not expecting any big name free agents to sign with the team – though they are worth at least mentioning in passing. One free agent I am expecting the team to make a run at is Mason Marchment.
Last season, I was a huge fan of John Hayden, and Marchment displays a similar build and playing style. He is a physical player who has logged 190 career hits in 91 NHL games. The only difference between Marchment and Hayden is that the latter can score, recording 47 points, 18 goals, and 29 assists in 54 games. His 14.9 shooting percentage is also enticing.
Why Mason Marchment would be an upgrade for the Buffalo Sabres
Marchment wouldn’t just be an upgrade on the fourth line over Hayden, I also see him as an upgrade over Rasmus Asplund. Nothing against Asplund, who finished just one slot behind Marchment in the voting for the Selke Trophy, but Marchment is a more complete player.
Marchment also won’t break the bank, likely looking to sign for roughly $1 million per year, something the Sabres can most definitely afford. He also just turned 27, so there is a lot of hockey left in this towering forward.
Signing Marchment would, in turn, weaken a division rival in the Florida Panthers, a team that, to put it bluntly, manhandled the Sabres in every phase of the game last season. He also had a breakout campaign in 2021-22, as his numbers suggest, with his shooting percentage increasing by nearly 11 percent.
Overall, I like Hayden and if the Sabres don’t land Marchment or a player of a similar caliber, I would welcome him back into Buffalo. Asplund has also grown on me, but as mentioned, Marchment is a more complete player and he won’t cost the Sabres a fortune to sign.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)