Buffalo Sabres: Atlantic power rankings after first wave of free agency
The first wave of free agency is in the books, and the Buffalo Sabres resisted temptation and stuck to the plan while others in the Atlantic went all-in.
The Buffalo Sabres stayed the course during the first wave of 2022 NHL Free Agency. They held onto their own players like Victor Olofsson, Jacob Bryson, and Vinnie Hinostroza. The Sabres also brought in four defensemen, the most prominent of which being the enforcer, Ilya Lyubushkin. And of course, we cannot forget about goaltender Eric Comrie.
And while the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings dominated the headlines while the Sabres took the even-keel route, it doesn’t quite mean Ottawa and Detroit will surpass the blue and gold in the power rankings. Why? Ottawa’s and Detroit’s haul may be flashy, but the question remains: How quickly will the new puzzle pieces mesh?
That’s a tough call. And by retaining their own players and signing supplementary talent, it shows the Sabres are enjoying far more franchise stability these days. If it wasn’t the case, Adams would have never kept the likes of Olofsson, Bryson, and Hinostroza, among others, around. So, let’s dive deeper into the first edition of the Atlantic Division’s 2022-23 power rankings.
Ranking the Buffalo Sabres and the rest of the Atlantic: Team #8 – Montreal Canadiens
A team that is clearly in rebuilding mode, the Canadiens do not figure to contend in 2022-23 and their offseason shows it. And while there is still plenty of time to pull off a trade, it would be tough to convince a veteran to play for a team whose best acquisition (not including the draft) this offseason was center Kirby Dach.
The good news? The Canadiens signed first overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky to an entry-level deal. Slafkovsky poses a towering frame with the production to match, and he is a potentially franchise-changing player the Canadiens can build around.
While Montreal will pose no threat to the Buffalo Sabres this season, don’t be surprised if they end up winning more than a few games they otherwise wouldn’t if Slafkovsky catches on quickly. Even so, don’t expect them to spend too much time out of the Atlantic Division’s basement.
Team #7: Ottawa Senators
Fans of the Buffalo Sabres may have a grudge against Matt Murray after he refused to waive his no-movement clause to allow the team to acquire him. To add insult to injury, the Ottawa Senators shipped him to the Toronto Maple Leafs for future considerations.
But Sabres fans shouldn’t be too hung up, as Murray played second fiddle to Anton Forsberg last season. Joining Forsberg in a likely timeshare will be Cam Talbot, an aging goaltender who logged a 32-12-4 record in 2021-22. The Senators are going for the gold this season, having traded for winger Alex DeBrincat, signing winger Claude Giroux, and defenseman Jacob Larsson.
Many pundits will likely overrate the Senators given their splashy offseason. You can have the best team in the world on paper. But if they don’t mesh, then it doesn’t matter how good they look. Until the Senators prove they can win with this group, they will rank in the lower half of the Atlantic Division power ranking.
Team #6: Detroit Red Wings
Former Buffalo Sabres defenseman Mark Pysyk was just one addition hoping to return the Detroit Red Wings to relevancy. And like the Senators, the Red Wings had a busy July, trading for goaltender Ville Husso and signing their top pick, Marco Kasper. The Red Wings also signed center Andrew Copp and defenseman Olli Maatta.
But just like the Senators, there are many question marks surrounding the Red Wings from a chemistry standpoint. Can this team mesh? Will Ville Husso return to form after a horrendous playoff performance? And will Kasper make the roster, or will he need another season in the SHL before making his move to North America?
If there was one transaction I absolutely loved regarding the Red Wings, it was signing their 6’8, 250lb winger Elmer Soderblom to an entry-level contract. While he will most likely start off his professional hockey career with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, I also expect him to make a few cameos in the NHL in the foreseeable future.
Team #5: Buffalo Sabres
Organizational stability is what keeps the Buffalo Sabres ahead of the Red Wings and Senators. And while on paper, some may rank Detroit and Ottawa at #5 and #6, the Sabres showed that by keeping most of their own players while using free agency as supplementary means that they believe they can win with their current cast of talent.
And it was something they proved in March and April. When healthy, this is an exciting and somewhat dangerous hockey team. Now that they have a full season of experience playing under head coach Don Granato, what will an encore performance look like?
Well, we know how good they played over the last two months of the season, upsetting even some of the league’s best hockey teams. Therefore, despite the fact Detroit and Ottawa brought in a ransom, the Sabres proved they can slay any giant.
So until the Red Wings and Senators prove that their new talent is building chemistry and winning, there is no logical reason to rank them ahead of the Buffalo Sabres. Likewise, until the Sabres prove they can continue the winning ways they set up in March and April, I cannot logically rank them ahead of a team that may be taking a step back next season.
Team #4: Boston Bruins
Unlike the Buffalo Sabres, the Senators, and the Red Wings, the Boston Bruins will most likely take that infamous step back. But that doesn’t mean they won’t at least give teams trouble as they are just a few months removed from making a playoff appearance.
They also hired a new coach in Jim Montgomery, who boasts a 60-43-10 record. But Pavel Zacha served as their top acquisition in a trade that sent Erik Haula to the New Jersey Devils.
That said, the Bruins may also be the one team in the Atlantic Division to freefall if the Sabres continue to grow and both the Senators and Red Wings mesh. I personally expect the Bruins to rank among the worst teams in the Atlantic as they seek to rebuild.
However, if there is any hope out there for Bruins fans, it is that they still have Patrice Bergeron (assuming he returns) and Brad Marchand to help oversee this transition. At least in the short term.
Team #3: Toronto Maple Leafs
Goaltender is the obvious question regarding the Toronto Maple Leafs. And two of them – Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov had links to the Buffalo Sabres. Of course, we already covered Murray while Samsonov inked a one-year contract.
Further, neither Murray nor Samonsov were incredible last season. While the latter posted a decent record of 23-12-5, his 0.896 save percentage and 3.02 GAA are a cause for concern. At goaltender, the Maple Leafs also have Erik Kallgren, who posted an 8-4-1 record last season, but he struggled with a 0.888 save percentage and a 3.31 GAA.
The Maple Leafs, however, were a dangerous scoring team in 2021-22, averaging 3.8 goals per game. If they can keep up the high-scoring pace in 2022-23, it may negate a potential weakness at goaltender.
Team #2: Florida Panthers
One of the most dangerous teams in the NHL from a season ago, the Florida Panthers signed mainly depth-adding rentals in the offseason to fill their lower lines. Like the Maple Leafs, they figure to be a dangerous team again, despite losing the likes of Claude Giroux and Mason Marchment.
So there are question marks as to who will replace one of Florida’s top forwards in Giroux, who scored 23 times in 18 games with the franchise last season. Marchment also had a breakout season and signed with Dallas.
If the Panthers can have an answer, expect them to once again threaten to win the Atlantic Division. But if they are looking to win the Eastern Conference, the Panthers must prove they can best the top team on today’s list.
Team #1: Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning have won the Prince of Wales Trophy three times in a row and they are showing no signs of slowing down. In July, they re-signed the likes of Erik Cernak, Anthony Cirelli, and Mikhail Sergachev, and they also brought back an old face in Vladislav Namestnikov, among other transactions. They also inked longtime NHL defenseman Ian Cole.
Overall, the Lightning remained stacked and poised for another deep playoff, and potentially a Stanley Cup run. And while the Buffalo Sabres probably have no chance at one-upping the Lightning in 2022-23, they can certainly learn from the defending Eastern Conference Champion’s blueprint.
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You will notice the Lightning like to hang on to their own players. And this is exactly what the Buffalo Sabres need to do, in time, to maintain a sound level of success for an extended period.
(Transaction information courtesy of Puck Pedia)