I discussed this a little in an earlier piece, but I wanted to expand a little on it here. So, why should the Sabres start selling some of those underperforming players and over-30 veterans now, and even lower-liners like Sam Lafferty and bottom-pairing hard-hitters like Connor Clifton?
One reason is, with the season all but wrapped up even if it’s only early January, why not try to acquire some NHL-ready young talent from a contender? Hey, some of these teams are willing to go all-in, and the Sabres need to take advantage of it.
Another reason is, even if the Blue and Gold can’t acquire younger players who are ready to take the next step in their respective pro hockey careers, they can always call up younger talent from Rochester.
This was the case for most of the season with Jiri Kulich, who’s proving that he can be a future scorer on this hockey team, with seven goals in 30 games. But let’s not forget about Kulich’s teammate from Rochester, Isak Rosen. So far, Rosen is leading the Amerks with 27 points and is second on the team with 13 goals.
Sabres can sell now and give some young talent much-needed NHL experience
Ryan Johnson proved he could be a productive blueliner at the NHL level when he spent a half-season with the Sabres in 2023-24. He was a decent puck mover, and it seemed like his motor never stopped. Long-term, Johnson would provide more value to the Sabres than the likes of Connor Clifton or Henri Jokiharju.
I was ecstatic to see Tyson Kozak finally get a chance to show everyone what he could do in Buffalo, and so far, he’s been decent. Kozak recorded a goal already, has won 53.3 percent of his faceoffs and 16 total, and has shown potential as a high-energy fourth-liner.
Kozak won’t be much more than a lower-liner in the NHL, but still, he’s someone the Sabres could call on to win faceoffs in the defensive zone. He’s also shown how quickly he could adapt to the pro game as a role player in the AHL, and he’s not someone who possesses the need to be a big-time scorer or points producer.
And, of course, there’s Devon Levi, who has floated between Buffalo and Rochester. And the easier he makes things look with the Amerks, the faster you can expect to see him back in Buffalo for a few more games, considering he remains playoff-eligible with the Amerks.