Buffalo Sabres division rivals’ 2023 offseasons Part VI: Yzerplan Take 5
By Sion Fawkes
Breaking down the Red Wings acquisitions
Alex DeBrincat was the obvious prize, but fortunately, the Buffalo Sabres are quite familiar with the winger following his brief stint with the Ottawa Senators. DeBrincat played in all 82 regular season games last season, and scored 66 points while he also compiled 109 hits and 44 takeaways.
Compher put up a career high 52 points last season with the Colorado Avalanche, and he also blocked a career high 82 shots. While DeBrincat was the prize, Compher was a sound consolation for Detroit.
The Wings also brought in a pair of goaltenders in Alex Lyon and James Reimer. Lyon is another name the Sabres are familiar with, having played against him last season. His 0.714 quality starts percentage jumps out, and Lyon could see some playing time as a backup following a decent regular season with the Florida Panthers.
Reimer wasn’t as effective last season with the San Jose Sharks, but they were a rebuilding team, so you can’t quite pin the blame on him. He allowed fewer than a 0.900 save percentage for the first time in his career. Reimer also amassed a 3.48 GAA, but again, he wasn’t playing for a great team.
Buffalo Sabres familiar with quite a few Red Wings
Justin Holl is yet another name Sabres fans are familiar with, as he spent six seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Holl gave the Leafs 139 blocks and 151 hits playing second pairing minutes. Shayne Gostisbehere is a blueliner who saw time with the Arizona Coyotes and Carolina Hurricanes, while Christian Fischer is another former Coyote and quite the physical defensive forward who should fuel the lower lines.
Klim Kostin was part of the Edmonton Oilers last year and he saw 57 games of action, while Daniel Sprong is yet another lower liner who logged a respectable 46 points a season ago. Overall, Detroit brought in a plethora of players who could help them out in all phases of the game. But the question, as always, remains in the Motor City: Can this lot build chemistry with the current players and as a unit?