Should the Buffalo Sabres look to bring back a familiar face?

The Buffalo Sabres have a few injuries at defensemen, and perhaps they could sway the Chicago Blackhawks into a trade for a familiar face. 

It’s no secret the Buffalo Sabres have been missing Mattias Samuelsson, Henri Jokiharju, and Ilya Lyubushkin. Lyubushkin to a lesser extent, since he has seen action on a part-time basis, but a lower-body injury has been nagging at him enough to be a healthy scratch on multiple occasions.

It’s also true Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams may look to add depth at the position. Adams did not make a big deal out of this, but as I’ve always said about professional sports: Expect the unexpected. 

So that brings me to the possibility of the Sabres perhaps pulling off a surprise here. One name I’ve heard fans talking about is Jake McCabe.

Now, let me first give you a disclaimer: I do not believe this trade will happen and there are no rumors circulating regarding McCabe.

However, if any of our above defensemen experience setbacks and cannot return to action as soon as we hope, then there is a possibility to warrant a replacement. One that can give more than what Casey Fitzgerald, Lawrence Pilut, and Kale Clague can bring.

Jake McCabe could be that answer if the Sabres remain in the thick of things over the next month, if the three injured defensemen suffer setbacks, and if the Chicago Blackhawks fall back to Earth. So here is why the Sabres should consider this, and also, why they should not.

Why the Buffalo Sabres should trade for McCabe

For one, the Sabres have the cap space to make this trade work. McCabe, whose average time on ice is roughly around that of Fitzgerald’s, Pilut’s, and Clague’s, has enjoyed far more production when his number is called, blocking 13 shots and standing up opponents 12 times. With one giveaway, he’s also taking better care of the puck.

The Blackhawks, if they do see a steady decline next month, could become an early seller, and that could put a player like McCabe on the trading block. They could look for prospects, and even some draft picks. The keyword, however, is could. Which leads me to why the Sabres shouldn’t consider a trade for McCabe if he becomes available.

Why they shouldn’t

Even if Jokiharju, Lyubushkin, and Samuelsson miss more time than they are projected to miss, a team like the Blackhawks could simply want too much in compensation. They did recently place McCabe on the first pairing, so that may drive up the asking price if he stays there.

And if that’s the case, Adams needs to stick to his overall plan and just pass on this trade. Suppose Chicago wants a player like Rasmus Asplund or Peyton Krebs, for example, or even a middle-tier prospect for the 29-year-old.

Despite McCabe’s recent promotion, nobody in the NHL needs to overvalue him. Could be produce better than the three defensemen currently rotating in for the Sabres? Of course. But he isn’t worth much more than a few draft picks and lower-tier prospects at his age.

Again, I don’t see a trade like this happening overall and this is nothing but talk in fan circles. The Blackhawks are currently playing well, and the Sabres shouldn’t see their injured defensemen miss an incredible amount of time. But if setbacks exist, or if the price is right, then McCabe would make a serviceable fit.

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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)