Sabre Noise
Fansided

5 moves the Buffalo Sabres will (and won’t) make in 2023 offseason

By Sion Fawkes

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - APRIL 11: Rasmus Dahlin #26 of the Buffalo Sabres against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on April 11, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - APRIL 11: Rasmus Dahlin #26 of the Buffalo Sabres against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on April 11, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Buffalo Sabres
TORONTO, CANADA – MARCH 13: Zemgus Girgensons #28 of the Buffalo Sabres skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on March 13, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Sabres defeated the Maple Leafs 4-3. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

3 – Sign a veteran defenseman

The Sabres defensive rotation has a few pieces that will remain in the Queen City for a long time. Besides Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson will also stick around.

But we saw this past season that the rotation needs a top four talent to pair with Power in 2023-24. Neither Ilya Lyubushkin nor Henri Jokiharju fit the mold, and a proven veteran will help take this team farther than they went this year.

Verdict: Kevyn Adams WILL sign a top-four caliber defenseman.

4 – Re-sign both Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons

We know Kevyn Adams wants to bring back both, but with an aging Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons’ limited skill-sets, would they even be worth it? Probably not, but of course, they do display remarkable leadership skills.

However, bringing them both back would also mean taking a potential spot from Matthew Savoie or Jiri Kulich, meaning there may only be room for one of them when the puck drops in October. While there would be value in bringing them back, the truth is, neither have helped the Blue and Gold get far during their time here, and the Sabres don’t need them both, regardless of what Adams claims.

Verdict: One will re-sign, the other will be either wearing uniform (Girgensons) or will retire (Okposo).

Home/Sabres News