Top 5 defensemen the Buffalo Sabres can trade for in 2023
By Sion Fawkes
3 – William Borgen, Seattle
A familiar face, right? William Borgen is a restricted free agent, so there would be a few more hoops to jump through if the Buffalo Sabres are interested in pursuing him. Borgen, however, saw time in a blue and gold uniform between 2019 and 2021. Plus, he is another RHD, and a physical one at that, having logged 203 hits this past season.
The only knock on Borgen at this point is that he’s never accumulated over 17 minutes per game, on average. Overall, of all the names on this list, I would say, at this point, Borgen is intriguing, but more of a longshot.
Besides, there is a good chance the Seattle Kraken will keep him, but you never know. And finally, there is also the assurance Borgen won’t break the bank. So while I see him more as a darkhorse candidate, he could wind up as a good fit.
4 – Matt Grzelcyk, Boston
Yet another option that fits well within the Buffalo Sabres budget with an AAV of $3.687 million and a total salary for 2023-24 of $4.25 million, Matt Grzelcyk isn’t the most physical blueliner on this list. But his game still reciprocates Owen Power’s enough for the Buffalo Sabres to have some interest.
The one downside here is that Grzelcyk would be a rental piece at the moment, since he’s only signed through 2023-24. You may not like Grzelcyk simply because he’s an LHD, but hey, the guy knows more than enough about winning, and helping his team win – the Boston Bruins on-ice save percentage was a ridiculous 94.5% with him on the ice at 5-on-5, and it never dipped below 92.2% in that same category over his time playing for the Sabres heated rival.