Buffalo Sabres need a top four defenseman who can play hockey

The Buffalo Sabres are becoming a better team because general manager Kevyn Adams is doing one thing: He is acquiring hockey players. 

We know the Buffalo Sabres need a defenseman, but unfortunately, way too many people are trying to get too specific. “We need a defenseman, but we need an RHD,” is something I hear far too often, literally dating back to this time last year.

And while I see the definite benefits of acquiring an RHD, I also see the Sabres sitting at 91 points, finishing closer to the postseason than they’ve been in years. If they had a defenseman lining up alongside Owen Power capable of playing in the top four consistently, chances are, I’d be writing about a potential Game 6 vs. the Boston Bruins as opposed to writing an article like this one.

Note, that in the previous paragraph, I said “a defenseman,” not an RHD, though like I also said, I see the clear benefits. But the truth is that the Sabres need a hockey player who can put in top four minutes on the ice game in and game out. I don’t care if they’re an LHD or an RHD, and neither should you.

Buffalo Sabres need a D-man, and they don’t need to dive into the specifics

There’s a reason you don’t often hear about the biggest authorities covering the Buffalo Sabres say much about the RHD-LHD specifics; instead you’ll often see them writing about the importance of bringing in a top four defenseman.

Sure, there are outliers, like the source I linked below. But anyone with even the slightest ounce of logic would roll with an LHD over an RHD if the LHD had the more proven track record.

This is why I’m not a fan of and don’t often cite analytics. Far too often, I’ll see something like, “well the analytics say….so this is the direction the team must go in,” or something along those lines.

Listen, I got a few words for you: I don’t care about your analytics. Instead, I care about that player’s resume. Have they played top four minutes regularly in the past, and if so, did they play a significant role to help their team reach the playoffs, or at least help them maintain a respectable defensive rotation?

Excuse the old cliche, but this isn’t and shouldn’t be rocket science. Can the prospective top four defenseman inevitably coming in help the Buffalo Sabres make the playoffs in 2023-24? If the answer is yes, I want them on the team, and I couldn’t care less about their handedness, or what past analytics say. I want a hockey player who can help Buffalo reach the next rung. And so should you.

Source: Sabres mailbag part 2: Is Matt Dumba a fit? Does Buffalo have room for top prospects? by Matthew Fairburn, TheAthletic.com