With the NHL season about to wrap up and another Stanley Cup Champion to be crowned, the Sabres are anxiously waiting for free agency to open up. We discussed the Sabres' salary cap issues throughout the year and how they could impact the team's makeup going forward.
The Sabres had already re-signed the likes of Jacob Bryson, Jordan Greenway, and Jason Zucker. With the small amount of cap space they had left, mixed with the expiring contracts of this offseason, the Sabres sat right around 15 million.
With the salary cap increasing by another seven million, and the Sabres releasing a few minor league players, they now sit around 23-24 million. The Sabres need to re-sign the likes of JJ Peterka, Bowen Byram, and Ryan McLeod.
With Byram likely on his way out of Buffalo, the Sabres can establish making JJ Peterka and Ryan McLeod their main priority. With this increase in the salary cap, it will allow the Sabres to go after another all-star caliber player.
Who can the Sabres acquire?
The Sabres will have plenty of options, whether it's on the defensive end or the offensive end of the puck. If you have taken a look at any of our previous free agency articles, the Sabres can go after several guys.
Brock Boeser and Marco Rossi are among the younger stars who can continue their impressive careers with the Sabres and help solidify their offense as one of the top ones in the league. They could go after a savvy vet like Mikael Granlund, who can continue the revival of his career on the Sabres' second or third line.
In the same way that Jason Zucker made an impact this year. Defensively, Adam Larsson could be the missing defensive piece, a playoff tenured veteran, chasing his first Stanley Cup. Larsson would be a great mentor to the other defenseman, all while giving the Sabres the boost they need to improve.
Whether it's an up-and-coming star or a veteran looking to make a cup run, the Sabres have plenty of options this offseason. The increase in cap space could be the one thing the Sabres need to push them into the playoffs and end their historic drought.