The Buffalo Sabres made the playoffs for the first time in 14 seasons and won the Atlantic Division for the first time since the 2009-10 season. They were able to do it in what was already considered a tough division where five of the eight teams made the playoffs.
Surprisingly, one of those teams was not the Florida Panthers, who missed the playoffs for the first time in six seasons after back-to-back Stanley Cups. On Sunday, they made sure they did everything they could to ensure that they would be back in the Stanley Cup Playoffs after a blockbuster trade with the Ottawa Senators for Brady Tkachuk.
The Panthers now have a roster with both Tkachuk brothers, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Brad Marchand, and Sam Bennett to just name a few. If they bring back Sergei Bobrovsky or find another top tier goalie, they easily are one of the favorites to win a Stanley Cup.
Buffalo Sabres under even more pressure this offseason after the Panthers' trade for Brady Tkachuk
This can't be good news for general manager Jarmo Kekalainen and the Buffalo Sabres. They are entering a pivotal offseason where they are going to try to ensure they are not a one-hit wonder when it comes to the playoffs.
Obviously, bringing back Alex Tuch would help their case to remain a contender in the Atlantic Division, but they don't have the cap space right now, especially if they re-sign Zach Benson to a long-term deal. On top of that, rumors have emerged that Bowen Byram wants a contract with an AAV over $10 million, and the Sabres might look to trade him.
The question now for Jarmo Kekalainen is whether he will move some younger players like Jack Quinn, Noah Ostlund, Konsta Helenius, or Radim Mrtka to add a star to help them win now. There is an argument that some of these players, notably Ostlund and Helenius, can help now, but that isn't a guarantee.
Jarmo Kekalainen has already started to make some moves after trading Michael Kesselring and their 27th overall pick to the Seattle Kraken for the 20th overall pick in the upcoming NHL Draft. However, that hopefully is a precursor to a bigger move as a player drafted on Friday night won't be able to help much this season for the Buffalo Sabres.
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