Grading the Buffalo Sabres 2022 offseason (so far)
By Sion Fawkes
The Buffalo Sabres roster is practically set for the 2022-23 season, barring another chess piece or two. How did they fare during the pivotal offseason?
The Buffalo Sabres will most likely start the 2022-23 season behind the eight-ball. However, they are a much-improved hockey team as opposed to a season ago when many in NHL spheres projected them to be among the worst teams in hockey.
This past offseason, general manager Kevyn Adams stuck to his plan and continued to build his team through the NHL Draft and resisted the temptation to sign any big-name free agent or pull off any blockbuster trades.
Over here at Sabre Noise, we had some fun designing scenarios for big signings and projections, even if we knew the likelihood of them coming about rested between slim and none. Now that Adams proved us correct, did he do enough this offseason to keep the Sabres needle pointing north? Let’s discuss.
Grading the Buffalo Sabres offseason (so far): The 2022 NHL Draft
The Buffalo Sabres had what many believed was one of the best drafts. Especially since Adams held firm and did not trade his three picks in the first round for a ransom. Instead, he drafted one of the best offensive players out there in Matthew Savoie.
He then followed the Savoie pick with a good puck handler and play driver with Noah Ostlund. It was a pick that I wasn’t a fan of, but Ostlund’s on-ice awareness, hockey IQ, and ability to create scoring chances for teammates is bar-none.
Finally, he selected a tenacious one in Jiri Kulich, who has an outside chance to find himself playing in North America this season, though it is more likely he will play another year in Czechia. Kulich showed off speed and playmaking ability at development camp on multiple occasions.
Other notable picks included top goaltender Topias Leinonen, defenseman Mats Lindgren, and forward Jake Richard. He may have also landed an incredible scorer in Viktor Neuchev. Overall, Adams’ draft added much-needed names to the franchise’s prospect pool, which was already one of the NHL’s deepest.
Grade: B: I was a big fan of the Savoie and Kulich selections, but there were better prospects out there than Ostlund at #16. I was, however, fond of the Leinonen pick, even if some considered it to be a reach. Neuchev, Lindgren, and Richard are three mid-to-late round picks that I believe are brimming with potential. For more information on the Sabres 2022 draft grade, check out the following article.