The Buffalo Sabres have a trio of restricted free agents at the NHL level this offseason — winger Zach Benson, center Peyton Krebs and defenseman Michael Kesselring — and it sounds like there may be interest in all three of them on the league's offer-sheet market.
Rory Boylen of Sportsnet took a look at the most likely RFAs to become targets of an offer sheet in 2026, with Benson topping the list because other teams may see an opportunity to "squeeze" the Sabres if they first re-sign fellow winger Alex Tuch to a lucrative long-term contract extension.
"If not Benson out of Buffalo, we should also watch for Peyton Krebs' offer-sheet potential, or even Michael Kesselring, an arbitration-eligible defenseman on a stacked blue line," Boylen wrote.
Although it's rare for rival NHL front offices to make a serious push to sign another club's RFAs, mostly due to the fear of future retribution, a team with limited salary-cap space like the Sabres does face a little more concern in that regard.
It's something Buffalo general manager Jarmo Kekalainen will have to keep in the back of his mind as he decides whether to bring back Tuch or considers trade options for high-salary players.
Zach Benson isn't leaving Western New York
There's a 0% chance the Sabres lose Benson to an offer sheet this summer. Zero.
First, the only level of compensation that would even give Kekalainen a moment of pause is the top tier (four first-round draft picks on an offer sheet worth a shade under $12 million annually) and, despite the 21-year-old forward's impressive start to his NHL career, no team is going to make that level of commitment at this stage.
Second, Buffalo would surely let Tuch walk as an unrestricted free agent before putting themselves in a situation to lose Benson on a more modest offer sheet. Meeting the 30-year-old star's demands (estimated at around a $10.5 million AAV on an eight-year extension) would come with too much risk if the Sabres can't clear out cap space before July 1.
Benson posted a career-high 43 points (13 goals and 30 assists) in 65 games this season. He was also the club's most consistently impactful forward during its run to the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, tallying five goals and four helpers in 13 postseason appearances.
Signing the 2023 first-round pick to a long-term deal should be the next thing on Kekalainen's to-do list as the offseason activity ramps up around the NHL.
Peyton Krebs is a unique case for Buffalo
Krebs is coming off a campaign where he posted career-best totals in goals (12), assists (27), hits (201), blocked shots (41) and plus-minus rating (+13). It was a much-needed step in the right direction after his offensive development stalled out over the previous few campaigns.
Context matters, though. The 25-year-old forward was frequently thrust into a top-line role because of injuries, which put him in a far more favorable position to rack up points.
Moving ahead, there's still nothing to suggest Krebs is a future top-six solution. His overall skill set is far more suited for the bottom six, and likely the fourth line. His instincts in the offensive zone just aren't what you expect to see from a key cornerstone.
If another organization is more bullish on the Canadian's outlook and offers him a contract that pays him closer to a top-six player, the Sabres may not be willing to match it.
As it stands, Krebs is already set to battle Sam Carrick, Jordan Greenway, Justin Danforth and Tyson Kozak for playing time on the bottom line in 2026-27. It's possible impending UFA winger Beck Malenstyn is re-signed to fill one of those roles, too.
Sabres may welcome Michael Kesselring offer sheet
Hopes were high when Buffalo acquired Kesselring alongside Josh Doan in the blockbuster JJ Peterka trade last offseason. While Doan emerged as a key roster pillar for the Blue and Gold, the same couldn't be said for the 26-year-old right-shot defenseman.
He struggled with injuries for pretty much the entire campaign, including a high-ankle sprain that severely hindered his skating ability, and he'd fallen down head coach Lindy Ruff's preferred depth chart by the time he returned closer to full strength.
So, a player who was originally viewed as a potential second-pair partner for Owen Power instead ending up seeing the ice just once during the team's playoff run.
Kesselring is one year away from unrestricted free agency, so he'll likely want to end up in a situation where he's guaranteed to play when healthy in 2026-27. It's unclear whether the Sabres can offer him that lineup stability.
If another club delivered a strong offer sheet, letting the blueliner go for the draft pick compensation is probably something Kekalainen would consider. A trade is another potential solution.
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