The Buffalo Sabres enjoyed a relatively quiet offseason until the tail end of August 2022 when they made three major moves.
So much for a quiet end of an offseason. The Buffalo Sabres had an August to remember, especially that final week. It comprised signing center Tage Thompson to an extension, re-signing goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, and announcing a return to the legendary black and red goathead uniforms for 12 games (black jersey).
While each of the above moves had their critics, especially the Thompson signing, all three moved the Sabres in the right direction. They have a potential franchise cornerstone locked in for seven seasons, plus a possible franchise goaltender. As for the uniform, is there really anything better than seeing younger players wearing a classic throwback to a fine era?
The Buffalo Sabres receive passing grades for each of their moves in the final week of August 2022.
And it really isn’t even close. Thompson signed a seven-year, $50 million extension for a $7.1 million AAV. And while he does hold one-year wonder status, Thompson, like many others on the Sabres roster, benefited from head coach Don Granato. The proof? Tage scored 12 of his 14 points in 2020-21 after Granato became head coach.
In his 104 games under Granato, Tage has 45 goals, 35 assists, and 80 points. Call him a one-year wonder all you want, but look to Tage’s entire career with Granato, and that began in March 2021. When you do that, it is easy to see why they locked him in for seven seasons. Grade: A
For a second, I started to wonder whether Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen would even return to the organization. He has his critics, but given his performance over a brief stint in the NHL in 2021-22, he deserved another crack at it. It came on August 31st when he signed a two-year contract for an $837.5k AAV.
He struggled with injuries, which prompted his return to Rochester, where he barely eclipsed a 0.900 save percentage with a GAA of 3.28. Not great numbers, but considering his 0.917 save percentage and 2.74 GAA in Buffalo, this was an easy decision for Sabres management. Grade: A
And finally, the Sabres brought back the black and red, a color scheme I grew up with. Clearly, the younger generation always thinks major uniform changes are the coolest thing ever, and I was no exception in the 1990s when seemingly everyone was doing this. The nostalgia it brought prompted me to also give this one an A Grade.
Even better, they brought back the uniform with a modernized flair, something that lets it fit the mold of the 2020s while maintaining the spirit of the 1990s and early-2000s. So overall, the Buffalo Sabres made three fantastic moves in the last week of August. And now, it’s time to steamroll into a hopefully equally-unforgettable September.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference and Hockey DB)