Buffalo Sabres: Making sense out of Arttu Ruotsalainen’s move

As you know, Arttu Ruotsalainen signed in Switzerland, something that was implied to be on the horizon. But the Buffalo Sabres still hold his rights.

Well, the Buffalo Sabres faithful will need to make some special arrangements if they plan on watching Arttu Ruotsalainen play his 2022-23 campaign. A star forward for the Rochester Americans who also saw some time with the Sabres last season is headed to Switzerland in a move that shouldn’t be too surprising, since it had been rumored for months now.

The good news, however, is that the Sabres extended a qualifying offer to Ruotsalainen, which allows them to retain his rights. But you may be asking what exactly motivated Ruotsalainen to jump ship to Europe as opposed to playing, at worst, on the top scoring line in Rochester. Let’s break it down.

Why did Arttu Ruotsalainen spurn the Buffalo Sabres to sign a one-year deal with EHC Kloten?

Okay, so that’s kind of harsh. I’m not going to say Ruotsalainen spurned the Sabres, although it sure feels as though he did. But it would be unfair not to see things from Ruotsalainen’s perspective: The kid wanted to play in the NHL next season and he clearly didn’t see it was feasible. 

And while I do believe Ruotsalainen, under the right circumstances, could have supplanted someone on the Sabres roster when the inevitable injuries strike, I also believe he wanted to be playing in North America’s top level of hockey from the get-go. The Sabres could not grant him that wish, given their logjam at forward. Here is how I see the October 13th lineup looking like barring injuries:

First Line: Skinner – Thompson – Tuch

Second Line: Krebs – Mittelstadt – Olofsson

Third Line: Asplund – Cozens – Quinn

Fourth Line: Peterka – Girgensons – Okposo

Rotational: Hinostroza

No room for Ruotsalainen

Before you call me out, yes, I tweaked my centers, taking Mittelstadt to the second line while bumping both Cozens and Girgensons back a notch. Mainly because Cozens’ tenacity is best suited for the third line while Girgensons’ skill-set fits the fourth.

But that’s beside the point. You look at this lineup and it should be quick for you to realize there is simply no room for Ruotsalainen at the moment. Yes, injuries can happen, but again, it’s beside the point.

Peterka, Krebs, and Quinn all have priority over Ruotsalainen, making them shoo-ins for the main roster barring any catastrophic meltdown. Hinostroza acts as an excellent insurance policy. Okposo and Girgensons are in the final seasons of their respective contracts, so Ruotsalainen could always re-examine the situation this time next year.

Overall, he didn’t want to find himself stuck on the second rung full-time. Especially since he knew he was the odd-man-out compared to Krebs, Quinn, and Peterka. But this does not mean Ruotsalainen won’t come back.

Only this offseason, Lawrence Pilut signed a deal with the Buffalo Sabres after he left and spent two seasons in Russia. Maybe Ruotsalainen will end up back with the organization once the dust settles and he sees an opportunity to join the main roster.