Breaking down the Sabres current salary cap numbers in July 2024
Despite making quite a few acquisitions in July, the Sabres still have some substantial salary cap space to make another move.
The Buffalo Sabres will still have some decisions to make this summer, starting with the looming extension for restricted free agents Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Peyton Krebs, and Beck Malenstyn, and we still shouldn’t rule out another trade at the moment or even a contract extension for someone like JJ Peterka at some point during the season.
If they play everything correctly, the Sabres can still afford all of the above; as per SpoTrac, the Blue and Gold rank a resounding sixth in the NHL in cap space with a little over $13.7 million to spend as of July 10th. Not bad, considering the number of long-term extensions general manager Kevyn Adams has signed his players to over the previous two seasons, and it’s something that will be nothing new this year.
So how could the Sabres make all of the above work - extend Luukkonen and Peterka, and make a big trade? For one, since Peterka’s contract doesn’t expire until the end of the 2024-25 season, they don’t need to do anything with him just yet - simply letting him play his game and enjoy a repeat performance, at minimum, so he can work for this new deal is the best approach.
Sabres will prioritize extensions before exploring trade options
And even then, Adams wouldn’t need to rush into anything long-term as he can always sign Peterka and a few other youngsters like Jack Quinn, Ryan McLeod, Devon Levi, and Bowen Byram to bridge deals.
After he showed off franchise goaltender potential last season, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s extension, as well as that of Peyton Krebs and Beck Malenstyn, will be the top priorities. Once Adams inks new deals for the trio, he’ll get an even better visual for how much money is left over before he starts exploring another trade - if he’s considering one at this point.
If so, kindly expect more organizational reshuffling, but if not, then our eyes might turn to the prospects pool to see if anyone is interested in joining the big club at forward to be that top-six scorer. Jiri Kulich jumps out more than anyone else at the moment, but at this point, most fans probably want to see a forward with a more proven track record in town.
feed