3 reasons the Buffalo Sabres will not add new names to the roster

Cementing the cornerstones

Finally, the Buffalo Sabres need to cement their cornerstones. And the only way to do this is to see if they can repeat their success from last season. Can Rasmus Dahlin emulate last season’s production, especially the production he showed in those final two months? Can Tage Thompson repeat? That was a question we explored earlier in the week.

There are many examples of cementing cornerstones on the roster, but we need to see if they can do the same thing this season. Rasmus Asplund, who finished 19th for the Selke, is another one. Jeff Skinner had a rebound season. Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs came over from Vegas and won spots on the top two scoring lines.

By keeping the Buffalo Sabres intact and not bringing in another player to “help,” it will show whether they are capable of serving this team long-term.

This section ties in perfectly with Section One, when I said adding another established player could stagnate the growth of a roster that has gotten used to playing together. While it is true we don’t know if any of the above players can repeat or even improve upon their success from 2021-22, we do know that adding another chess piece could throw a wrench into that.

Suppose they add a top six winger. Where does that leave Krebs and/or Olofsson? Or even Tuch, for that matter? If you resist the temptation from adding a winger, or even a center for that matter, it lets us see whether Krebs is a long-term fixture on the second scoring line. Or if Olofsson was worth keeping around long-term.

Instead, that added talent will come in the way of players working their way into the system, like Jack Quinn and J.J. Peterka. But they will not suddenly find themselves on the top scoring lines. Instead, any new talent coming to Buffalo from the AHL level will be paying their dues on the lower lines.

Adding another established player from elsewhere will make those decisions tougher. And for a young team like the Buffalo Sabres that has built a solid foundation, that is something they can do without. So no, don’t expect Adams to add another piece to the rotation, neither at forward nor defenseman. And yes, that is a good thing as it pertains to the growth of a young hockey team.