Sticking to the plan! Buffalo Sabres final offseason grade for 2022

You can sum up the 2022 Buffalo Sabres offseason in one phrase: Sticking to the plan! And general manager Kevyn Adams deserves credit. 

The Buffalo Sabres had money to spend in July, yet they held firm and stuck to their initial plan of building the team from within. They were also frontrunners to pull off several trades, such as landing Patrick Kane or Matthew Tkachuk. And with so much cap space, they could have extended them to long-term deals.

But instead of taking the bait and running the risk of disrupting team chemistry, general manager Kevyn Adams ensured the younger core on this team and the prospects behind them would get a chance to become permanent fixtures on the roster. It was a genius move that gave Adams leeway to invest in his own players, as the Tage Thompson extension showed.

The Buffalo Sabres offseason may be categorized as boring and uneventful, but that was a good thing in 2022.

With three picks in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft, Adams again had an opportunity to pull off a big trade. But once again, he held firm and drafted three intriguing centers in Matthew Savoie, Jiri Kulich, and Noah Ostlund.

Instead of dumping millions for an injury-prone goaltender like Jack Campbell, 30-something talents like Darcy Kuemper, or one-year commodities like Ville Husso, Adams went with the unproven but intriguing Eric Comrie. Despite seeing time in just 19 games last season, Comrie’s 0.920 save percentage and 2.58 GAA is promising.

He also re-signed key veterans like Craig Anderson, who could serve as an excellent mentor to Comrie. Adams also brought back Vinnie Hinostroza, who will most likely be an extra skater this year, but one who can be an effective puzzle piece on the lower lines.

Defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin was the experience Adams wanted and he could wind up teaming with Owen Power on the second pairing. But he must beat out Henri Jokiharju to win the job. Lyubushkin, a hard-hitter and a stay-at-home player, complements well with Power’s two-way game.

Adams also added Riley Sheahan, who may enter the season as the fourth line center and take over the role Cody Eakin left vacant. But there is also a chance Sheahan becomes a second additional skater. At worst, he also serves as viable insurance.

Tage Thompson’s contract extension was a genius, and intriguing move. While the extension had its doubters, it gave us a first-hand look at what kind of splash Adams was looking to make for signing players: Literally keeping their own around for the long haul. 

Grading the Buffalo Sabres

In August, I gave the Sabres and Adams an A- in an article called Grading the Sabres Offseason (So Far). This occurred before the Sabres extended Thompson and re-signed goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

Considering the amount of depth Adams added, especially at defenseman with the signings of Kale Clague, Lawrence Pilut, Chase Priskie, and Jeremy Davies, plus his ability to withstand temptation and stick to his plan, I am bumping that A- up to an A. Adams showed all of us that he is an honest general manager who is going to see his plan through, and it is a trend that will continue this season and into the next.

Adams will have his detractors, even in Buffalo. But after what we saw from the Sabres late last season, it showed all of us there is something amazing brewing in Buffalo. Adams knows this, and it justifies why he didn’t go on a spending spree in free agency and the offseason.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)