The Ultimate Offseason Guide for the 2023 Buffalo Sabres
In 2022, the Buffalo Sabres approached the offseason as a team still in transition. In 2023, they will be looking to punch a ticket into the playoffs.
When current general manager Kevyn Adams took over heading up operations for the Buffalo Sabres, he inherited a barren cupboard. There was hardly any reason to get excited about a team that was then approaching a decade without a single playoff appearance.
But since 2020, Adams has the Sabres trending north, and each season, they got progressively better. Last year, they nearly broke through to make their first playoff appearance in 12 seasons, but they fell just one point out of the final playoff spot.
Despite the disappointment, it gave Buffalo Sabres fans everywhere hope that 2023-24 will yield a different result. But the Blue and Gold still have some work to do. So let’s look at what must be done for the team to not only return to the playoffs for the first time since 2011, but to also continue their quest for long-term success.
Buffalo Sabres 2023 Offseason: The top priorities
- Decide who to re-sign
- Extend key players
- Find a top four defenseman
- Find a veteran goaltender at the right price
As it stands, the Buffalo Sabres have three forwards who were on the roster for most of last season needing to be re-signed in Tyson Jost, Vinnie Hinostroza, and Zemgus Girgensons. Hinostroza isn’t returning while it looks as though Girgensons will test the free agent market and see if he will have a better deal waiting for him.
Jost is a restricted free agent who Adams can easily bring back on a qualifying offer, then sign to a new deal. Kale Clague is also a restricted free agent who could return and become a fixture in Rochester, though he shouldn’t see anywhere near as much time in Buffalo.
Other restricted free agents in the system include Brett Murray, Matej Pekar, and Linus Weissbach, while Sean Malone is an unrestricted free agent. Lukas Rousek is a 10.2(c) player. Of the aforementioned players, it wouldn’t surprise me if Murray, Weissbach, Malone, and Rousek all returned, with Rousek and Murray perhaps getting a longer look to make the main roster in preseason.
Malcolm Subban and Michael Houser are both unrestricted free agents. But given Subban’s performance this past season, you will see the Buffalo Sabres make an effort to bring him back if he doesn’t see a chance to return to the NHL on at least a part-time basis.
Extend Key Players
Word has it that Rasmus Dahlin has already inked his new deal, and we are just waiting for an official word, which is why I’ve been rather silent about it lately. There is a purported salary and contract length, but I’m also not going to dive into the specifics until again, I get official confirmation on those details, which will occur when everyone else finds out.
I’ve talked extensively about a potential extension regarding Owen Power in a previous article, mentioning that he could go in several different directions that include a bridge deal or a long-term deal this summer. A third option would be that he waits to sign an extension during the season, or even shortly afterward.
Regardless, we can all agree that Kevyn Adams must extend Dahlin and Power. Other key players who will be eligible for an extension would include Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (if he sticks around, see next section), Casey Mittelstadt, and Peyton Krebs. However, don’t expect Adams to start handing out deal after deal this offseason, and it’s more likely players like Krebs and Mittelstadt will sign extensions during, or following the 2023-24 season.
This one is rather straightforward, as the Buffalo Sabres, more than anything else, must find a top four defenseman. Now they can go in a few different avenues here that include the following:
- Add a blueliner via trade
- Sign a top four defenseman to a lengthy deal, preferably a younger talent
- Sign a defenseman at or over age 30 who can man the position for a season or two
I can see general manager Kevyn Adams engaging in the latter, since we know he doesn’t want to put obstacles in the way of his top prospects. With Ryan Johnson and Nikita Novikov coming to Rochester next season, along with Vsevolod Komarov also signing, Adams most likely signs an older, more experienced stopgap to a bridge deal.
Finding a veteran goaltender at the right price
Obviously, fans want to see the Buffalo Sabres upgrade from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. And while I’m fine with a Levi-UPL combination, I also know it would be wise to look for experience.
Many would love to see Buffalo acquire Connor Hellebuyck, and if the price is right, by all means. But it makes zero sense for a young team looking for long-term success to trade for a 30-year-old goaltender with just a year left on his deal. Hellebuyck is also not the only option on the market, and you can expect Kevyn Adams to explore every possible option before he makes a decision.
In foresight, It wouldn’t surprise me if the Sabres signed or traded for a veteran goaltender with a proven track record. This could involve moving Luukkonen, and it would also most likely involve Eric Comrie, who signed in July 2022, going on waivers during the preseason, potentially ending up in Rochester.
2023 NHL Draft Targets
- Find the best player on the board at 13th overall
- Identify and draft for need with the remaining picks
The first priority on this list will come down to who Kevyn Adams has atop his draft board. Whoever that player is, though, should be the first one he takes two weeks from the time of this writing.
While the Buffalo Sabres need to draft defensemen, they also need to keep their prospect pool stocked with top talent, regardless if they’re in a better position to win this season than they have been since the early 2010s. Keeping the pool stocked with top-notch prospects is the key to the “long-term success” mentality, and that should apply to every single draft. Even if those prospects never play in Buffalo, they still make for good trade pieces.
However, with the remaining picks, there is nothing wrong with going the need route and stocking the pool with talent at the blue line and inside the crease. Look for Adams to embark on a defensive-heavy draft toward the end of the month, even if he rolls with a forward in the first round.
Victor Olofsson Trade
Yesterday, we talked extensively about a potential Victor Olofsson trade, and while it could be hard to find a buyer for the winger, this is a move you can expect the Buffalo Sabres to make if they believe someone like Jiri Kulich is ready to take the next step and would be an even better fit in the Queen City than the incumbent.
I’m projecting Kevyn Adams to make the trade here at some point, even if he doesn’t get much more than a late-round pick for Olofsson. His one-dimensional game hurt Buffalo far more often than it helped the Blue and Gold, but it doesn’t mean other NHL general managers wouldn’t be interested.
I’ve spoken about how potential contenders could use him to be a scoring/power play specialist that would come at a reduced rate on his current contract. Or, if a bottom-tier team’s general manager is in the middle of rebuilding their team and would like to find an established scorer who will simultaneously help them hit the cap floor, then Olofsson is a solid option to swap a late-round pick for.
2023-24 Outlook
If the Buffalo Sabres can hit all of the above priorities, then they will be more than just playoff contenders in 2023-24. This is a team that, although young, showed us last season they are more than capable of advancing to the postseason, so expect general manager Kevyn Adams to do all the can to get this team over the top.
There is no reason to believe the Sabres won’t top 91 points for the upcoming season, even if you see a prospect or two get the call up from Rochester. They are almost set at forward for the foreseeable future, and with another top four blueliner and/or a veteran goaltender, Buffalo could even threaten triple-digits in points.
However, it’s also wise not to make reckless trades to acquire potential short-term rentals, which would be uncharacteristic of Adams. Sure, you want to make the playoffs now, but you also want this team to have a system in place that will allow them to become perennial contenders. And that means refraining from mortgaging the future for a big-time player.
Related Story. Trading Victor Olofsson is the right thing to do. light
So now that you know who the Buffalo Sabres may re-sign, what they must do if they want to advance to the next level, and what they should do in the draft, when are we going to start dropping some more names? The answer is, toward the back half of June you will hear a lot about the 2023 NHL Draft, before we shift gears and talk about free agency and trades.