The Buffalo Sabres have cap space and an agenda to improve their team this offseason. But there are a few moves some fans want that they won’t make.
The offseason is ripe with speculation, and since the Buffalo Sabres have money and will be making a few more moves to maximize the Blue and Gold’s chances at making the playoffs this season, there are a few transactions fans would love to see them make.
But these moves aren’t just unlikely, they’re not even worth talking about. Below, I have three that I’ve been hearing almost nonstop, and I’d like to debunk them before they hit any potential rumor mill.
Don’t expect the Buffalo Sabres to make these three offseason moves
1 – Signing Patrick Kane
At this point, it makes zero sense for Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams to sign Patrick Kane. It’s clear that Adams wants to bring back the aging Kyle Okposo and potentially Zemgus Girgensons to provide veteran depth at wing on the lower lines.
Further, Kane doesn’t fit into the Sabres plans. They want to give Matt Savoie, Jiri Kulich, and Lukas Rousek, among other prospects, an extended look in training camp, and Kane would just get in the way. There is a 0.0% chance of him signing in Buffalo.
2 – Trading Casey Mittelstadt
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the claim that Casey Mittelstadt “raised his trade value.” While that’s technically true, Mittelstadt just had the best season of his career, he developed a consistent game, and he built sound chemistry with more than a few teammates.
For a team that’s a top four defenseman away from earning a playoff berth, trading someone who became a pivotal part of the team’s core is outright foolish. Yeah, Mittelstadt was terrible until roughly December 2022, but he got it together. You don’t trade a player who could be on the cusp of even greater production next season with a playoff race looming.
3 – Acquiring another first round pick
And at one point, general manager Kevyn Adams would have gladly made a blockbuster trade for a first round pick. I mean, he made three of them just two years ago.
But building a team is like climbing a ladder. And while I know this is a talented draft class, the Buffalo Sabres have clearly climbed another rung or two since then. They are not making any trades for a first round pick in 2023. This team is looking to make the playoffs, so any big transaction they conduct will require an established defenseman.
Source: Sabres Mailbag: How will GM Kevyn Adams try to acquire another defenseman? by Lance Lysowski, BuffaloNews.com