5 Buffalo Sabres players who won’t be back next season
The Buffalo Sabres should go through a bit of retooling this offseason to finally end their drought and make the playoffs in 2024-25.
The Sabres have at least 10 players who will be either pending restricted free agents or unrestricted free agents heading into the 2024 offseason. Since there must be more roster turnover this offseason as opposed to what we have seen over the past two years, expect a few more players currently in a blue and gold uniform to be playing either for a different NHL team or even in the AHL.
While 2022-23 was a step forward, 2023-24 served as an unacceptable step back, and it will give everyone in the front office and on the coaching staff more urgency than they have seen during their tenures as they head into 2024-25 this coming October.
There could even be turnover on head coach Don Granato’s staff regardless, as his seat will grow hot quickly next season if there isn’t any improvement in October and November 2024.
Sabres 2024 offseason will see an exodus of a few familiar faces
Players who are under contract for 2024-25 should be safe, as most are relatively young and have shown too much big-play potential to be moved in a trade. That said, this piece will only focus on those whose contracts are expiring either as an unrestricted free agent or as a restricted free agent - as bringing back everyone in the latter group could inevitably create an unnecessary logjam reminiscent of what we saw this year.
Two players who nearly didn’t make the cut to return got a reprieve, and you will learn why they are likely to surprise us and stay with the big club for at least a portion of 2024-25. There are also a few listed who you probably knew since October wouldn’t be likely to return, and if Adams re-signed them, doing so would shock the entire fan base.
So, which Sabres players are currently playing their final handful of games in the blue and gold uniform? Keep reading to learn who they are and why they won’t be returning for another year.
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We have known for a while it will be Victor Olofsson’s last season in Buffalo
No one on the Sabres took a bigger step back in points production than Victor Olofsson, but it’s more thanks to the fact he was an odd man out for most of the season. Lately, Olofsson has seen more ice time, but he still only has 15 points and seven goals in 45 games, and that’s by far a career low for a player who was once an upper-echelon scorer for this team.
This time, two years ago, there was talk Olofsson could even open the 2022-23 season as the top-line winger, but his limited game hurt his stock. In 2023-24, his ice time dropped two-and-a-half minutes, and Olofsson’s part-time status further indicated he was no longer in this team’s plans.
In a way, Sabres fans should be glad to see Olofsson most likely headed elsewhere following what has been his most turbulent season. He was valuable at times, but never to the same extent as those whom general manager Kevyn Adams signed long-term, like Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens.
Letting Olofsson walk in free agency further shows that the Sabres organization is, despite its inability to take a step forward in 2023-24, in a better place. If Olofsson’s replacement (preferably a prospect) proves to be a better fit next season, that alone will help this team take a step forward.
Tyson Jost has the bright future of a journeyman in the NHL
When Adams picked up Tyson Jost on waivers last season, he provided value regardless of which situation they put him in. This year, that value tanked to the point that we saw Jost gearing up for a stint in Rochester while the Sabres tried to salvage their season.
While he was never a scorer at the NHL level, four points and two goals in 36 games so far this season also didn’t help Jost’s cause. He also never managed to win many faceoffs, posting a current 39.9 faceoff win percentage.
Like Olofsson, Jost saw a drop-off in ice time, which had gone from 13.21 through 59 games in a blue and gold uniform last year to just 10:48. He’s still a physical player, but Jost hasn’t provided much value in stealing pucks with just nine takeaways.
Jost has provided value when given the chance with 26.6 short-handed minutes, but he’s shown little improvement and even regression at 5-on-5. This may be true across the board for the Sabres this year, but Jost’s 43.3 Corsi For percentage is his lowest since the Minnesota Wild placed him on waivers, which led to him coming to Buffalo.
Overall, he’s a high-end AHL talent and someone who can fill the lower lines in the NHL when injuries strike or via player movement, similar to what he gave the Sabres this season.
Eric Robinson doesn’t bring as much value as other lower-liners
The Sabres will bring back either Zemgus Girgensons or Eric Robinson, but the question was, “Who?” Girgensons has been a fan favorite, but the Robinson trade turned out to be better than we thought. But, when looking at basic and advanced numbers, Girgensons wins out.
While Robinson is leading Girgensons in points per game, the latter holds the edge in just about everything else. Girgensons is more physical, he can win faceoffs (77 faceoff wins this season), he’s willing to block shots, and he provides far more special teams value. He’s also plus-50 percent in the Corsi at 5-on-5, and in the same situation, the Sabres are logging an incredible 93.9 on-ice save percentage.
It’s also easy to claim nobody is more valuable to the Sabres since Girgensons is the best “glue player” for the entire team, thanks to his longevity. Should, or when he returns, you can also expect Girgensons to factor in as an alternate captain once more.
While Robinson has also been plus-50 in the Corsi at 5-on-5 and has a solid 92.7 on-ice save percentage, he’s also not as valuable on special teams with just 12.0 minutes at 4-on-5. Robinson has been more serviceable than everyone figured, but he also hasn’t given us much of a reason to keep him around for another year, or at least at the NHL level.
Eric Comrie showed value later in the season
This isn’t saying Devon Levi is ready to join the NHL ranks full-time next in 2024-25. We made the mistake thinking that was the case after his solid seven-game sample size, so Kevyn Adams should think about investing in another veteran goaltender this offseason. But Eric Comrie shouldn’t be that player, given his continued regression this year.
While Comrie only has seen action in nine games this season, it’s large enough of a sample size since he also saw 19 contests last year to conclude his future is most likely as a full-time AHLer starting next season. His 3.91 GAA is currently the ninth-highest in the league and the third-highest of all goaltenders who have appeared in at least nine games.
His save percentage of 0.864 is tied for the eighth-lowest alongside Calvin Petersen and the eighth-lowest among all netminders who appeared in nine or more contests. Thanks to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s emergence and Devon Levi’s average play, the Sabres defense isn’t the issue, so it’s time for this team to find a more reliable player to provide organizational depth.
They could consider bringing back Dustin Tokarski for another season, or they can look at the talent available in the free agent pool - even if the 2024 goaltender class doesn’t look appealing.
Jacob Bryson isn’t signing an offer sheet this summer
Okay, let’s give Jacob Bryson credit: He’s played much better this season following what was an awful 2022-23 campaign. Time in Rochester undoubtedly helped, and he probably salvaged his future in the NHL, given his recent performances in Buffalo.
But the Sabres also have to be honest with themselves and ask the following question: “Where would they put him?” Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson, Bowen Byram, Ryan Johnson, and Connor Clifton are the top-six heading into 2024-25, and while the Sabres need a seventh blueliner, Bryson hasn’t shown the consistency necessary to make us believe he's the guy.
Henri Jokiharju and Kale Clague are also pending restricted free agents, but Clague could return simply because he would be a clear-cut AHLer next year should the Sabres bring him back. Jokiharju has proven to be the more reliable player for a while, and he’s given the Sabres career-highs in plus-minus, hits, blocks, and don’t be surprised if he also snags a career-best in takeaways.
Jokiharju has registered short-handed minutes, a Corsi For of nearly 50 percent, plus a 92.3 on-ice save percentage. The latter isn’t as good as what we saw from Bryson, but Jokiharju has also appeared in nearly three times more contests.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)