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Why the Buffalo Sabres offseason approach beat Detroit’s, Ottawa’s

By Sion Fawkes

BUFFALO, NY - FEBRUARY 17: Austin Watson #16 of the Ottawa Senators scores the winning goal against Craig Anderson #41 as Casey Fitzgerald #45 and Anders Bjork #96 of the Buffalo Sabres defends during the third period at KeyBank Center on February 17, 2022 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images)
BUFFALO, NY - FEBRUARY 17: Austin Watson #16 of the Ottawa Senators scores the winning goal against Craig Anderson #41 as Casey Fitzgerald #45 and Anders Bjork #96 of the Buffalo Sabres defends during the third period at KeyBank Center on February 17, 2022 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images) /
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It is no secret the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators made strides in the offseason. But the Buffalo Sabres had a much smarter approach.

One needs to give Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams credit: Despite holding a large chunk of change, he did not give in and try to create the best one-year team. Meanwhile, the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators looked as though they were playing EA Sports NHL Hockey franchise mode and went on a spending and trading spree.

And I’m not going to lie: The Red Wings and Senators look good on paper. So much, that I feel they can string together decent and even a playoff-bound season. But all that instant gratification is not going to last once Adams’ plan comes into fruition. Let’s explore why that will be the case.

Buffalo Sabres
Jan 17, 2022; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Vinnie Hinostroza (29) watches his pass as Detroit Red Wings center Robby Fabbri (14) defends during the second period at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports /

Why the Buffalo Sabres enjoyed a better offseason than the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators – Paying homegrown talent with eventual long-term deals

Adams is using a tried-and-true method of drafting young talent, developing them in the system, and eventually letting that talent debut in the NHL. He also kept a lot of that talent from the Jason Botterill era, and rightfully so, as many of those players are already turning into legitimate staples on the Buffalo Sabres.

He believes in the likes of Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson, Jack Quinn, J.J. Peterka, Dylan Cozens, Rasmus Asplund, Victor Olofsson, Owen Power, Casey Fitzgerald, and Jacob Bryson to prove themselves and get paid the money they deserve. No, not all of them will be Sabres, but you get the point. There is a strong nucleus here. 

And that nucleus doesn’t even include players like Peyton Krebs, Henri Jokiharju, or Tage Thompson. Three players the Sabres didn’t draft, but instead, acquired in trades shortly after their NHL debuts.

As mentioned, it is impossible to keep all of the above, but that’s why you have a prospect pool. And as I have discussed in the past, many NHL pundits believe the Sabres have the best pool as of 2022.

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