It would be great to see the Sabres pull off a fantastic trade later this year, and doing so would immediately invigorate the fans into at least saying there would be a lot of hope heading into the near future.
But what if there was a chance that the Sabres will nonetheless be the team to watch as the deadline approaches and on Deadline Day? Hey, there are quite a few members of the Blue and Gold who should be on their way out, so whether the Sabres start winning a few more hockey games and buy or if they keep losing and sell (presumably), keep an eye on what Kevyn Adams and Company are doing.
Joe Yerdon of Bleacher Report may have penciled the Sabres in as that team in part of his ‘early bold predictions’ piece, but I’m here to tell you it’s not so lofty of an expectation. One reason is that the seat’s got to be hot for Kevyn Adams, and Lindy Ruff won’t be behind the bench forever. So, urgency should be at its absolute highest in the City of Good Neighbors.
Add in the fact that, with a new coach this season came a dramatically different system, and it’s natural to move a few players who just didn’t seem to fit the mold. Dylan Cozens is the first one who comes to mind, and maybe Jack Quinn, even if the latter may’ve gotten a reprieve.
Make sure to watch the Sabres at the deadline; their moves won’t surprise you
I also wouldn’t mind seeing at least one prospect snag more ice time following the deadline. Note that for all prospects to be playoff eligible, they must be assigned to Rochester by the deadline, but it also doesn’t mean they won’t find themselves back in Buffalo for a few games.
I’d also like to talk about a potential third option for the Blue and Gold, and that one involves moving a top-six player for another top-six player. Is this far-fetched? Eh, it might be. But you’ll always find someone wanting out of their current predicament, so Buffalo could wind up as a hot landing spot despite the perpetual losing.
What would the selling points be? Well, playing alongside a young core of talented players like Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, JJ Peterka, and Rasmus Dahlin is a good place to start.
Plus, while getting a chance to reinvigorate a dormant franchise isn’t for the faint-hearted, that might not be the case for others. The latter would be the type of players we’d want in Buffalo regardless, especially if they’d embrace, and not run, from the challenge.