Buffalo Sabres fans get it right regarding Olofsson, Jost, and Girgensons

We still don’t know what will happen with Buffalo Sabres forwards Victor Olofsson, Tyson Jost, and Zemgus Girgensons. But fans voiced their opinions. 

If The Athletic’s recent survey tells us anything of note, it’s that fans of the Buffalo Sabres know their team back to front, as the sample size of 1,202 fans have clearly shown us regarding their opinions over the current regime, and what would make a successful 2023-24 season. And we can also see that with the way they feel about the following players:

• Victor Olofsson
• Tyson Jost
• Zemgus Girgensons

Of course, the future remains murky with this trio. And to foreshadow things, two of the players listed above are those fans of the Blue and Gold say the team could do without, while they did believe one of them was worth keeping around. Let’s look closer.

Buffalo Sabres fans want to move on from Olofsson, Girgensons, keep Jost

How many fans want to see general manager Kevyn Adams move Victor Olofsson? That number rested at roughly 89.4% in The Athletic’s survey. But wait, it gets better – that vast majority wants to see Adams move Olofsson in the coming weeks, while another 6.1% want to see him traded during the season, so if you do the math, 95.5% of fans in the sample size want Olofsson gone, they only disagree on when to move him.

Girgensons was a bit more polarizing, but 56% want the Sabres to move on. It’s clear that fans want to see the Blue and Gold get younger, and Girgensons, while a physical player who enjoyed a solid outing on the fourth line, doesn’t help that cause. Someone like Brett Murray or Lukas Rousek are younger options, while Jordan Greenway is also capable of taking over that role.

Most fans wanted to see Tyson Jost return, and I can see him coming back on something like a two-year deal. However, I don’t foresee him fitting into the team’s long-term plans, but he will most likely make for a decent stopgap while prospects like Tyson Kozak or Filip Cederqvist continue to develop their game in the AHL.

Overall, I’m in full agreement with the fans who voted to retain Jost, but to let Girgensons and Olofsson go elsewhere. The Buffalo Sabres have a few prospects who can take over for the duo, and the same will eventually occur regarding Jost. But with so much talent in the prospects pool, it makes no sense to keep two players who never helped the Sabres reach the playoffs.

Source: Sabres fan survey results: Casey Mittelstadt’s future, Devon Levi’s workload and more by Matthew Fairburn, TheAthletic.com