There are often four types of teams at the NHL trade deadline: Buyers, sellers, buyers and sellers, and teams that stand idle. While it’s hard to see the Sabres buying at the deadline, considering the current circumstances, it leaves them with the remaining three options: selling, buying and selling, and standing idle.
Selling would mean the team’s given up on the season, and since the Blue and Gold are the only team in the Eastern Conference that’s garnered fewer than 50 points, nobody will think twice if they ultimately wave the white flag.
And doing so may not be the worst idea in the world. No, it’s not ideal, but at least they’d get something for Jason Zucker, potentially Jordan Greenway, and, before their value decreases, Dylan Cozens and maybe even Jack Quinn. And they can use that compensation to start building for a 2025-26 campaign that will finally end the playoff drought.
Buying is out of the question for the Sabres, selling is okay…
Buying and selling might be the best way to jumpstart the 2025-26 season late in the current epoch. For one, this would allow the Blue and Gold to build chemistry early, and it would be something to carry into next season.
That said, buying and selling, especially with the low points total the Sabres have, isn’t the easiest endeavor, and it’s a pipe dream. Yeah, maybe Elias Pettersson is still on the table here, but would it surprise any of us if and when he either stays in Vancouver or goes elsewhere?
Buying and selling is a long shot, so what about option No. 4, standing idle? Honestly, this would be the absolute worst option of the four and you wouldn’t hear the end of it from me if Kevyn Adams allowed such a blunder to occur.
What would it mean? It would be Adams pretending that everything’s fine in Buffalo and that this team is just “right around the corner,” or something equally as vague. Listen, the results speak for themselves, and this isn’t 2022-23 anymore.
Standing idle would be an awful idea and the Sabres would be in shambles
While I’ll concede and point out that if the Sabres weren’t hit hard with injuries during that 13-game losing streak that things would be different, the truth is they'd still be a middle-of-the-pack team. Sure, it would change the trajectory of the season and, by extension, the trade deadline.
But still, that didn’t stop Bleacher Report’s Lyle Richardson from declaring this would be in the Sabres best interests. Richardson wrote, “General manager Kevyn Adams has been stymied in his efforts to bolster his roster by adding a scoring forward. It's doubtful he'll have better luck by the trade deadline as teams try to pry away young players like center Dylan Cozens and defenseman Bowen Byram for pennies on the dollar.”
While it may not be easy to snag a first-round pick for either player, they’d get more than “pennies on the dollar” if they traded Cozens or Byram. No, neither player is outstanding and you can argue that they’ve underperformed, but opposing executives want to win a Stanley Cup this year, not build for next season. And there’s value Cozens and Byram would bring elsewhere.
Sabres would get a solid deal for Dylan Cozens and/or Bowen Byram
Dylan Cozens would improve weaker teams at the faceoff dot and he’d help them outmuscle opponents with his aggressive style. And it’s not like he’s awful with the puck, given his 11 goals this season. Not top-six numbers, but it’s also not so bad as to believe teams would underestimate Cozens’ ability to score on preferably the third line.
As for Byram, he’s still a solid two-way player who could pitch in for a half-point per game. He plays top-four minutes and he’s been part of winning organizations in the past. He can also bring an aggressive game, which is required reading in March and April for just about everyone joining a contender.
I’ll agree that neither Cozens nor Byram would command a hefty price tag, but it doesn’t mean teams won’t undercut Adams or the Sabres. Cozens has also enjoyed a stint in this league as an above-average scorer, and teams looking to acquire him will remember that.