3 depth centers the Sabres must target in NHL free agency
Alexander Wennberg would bring a defense-first mindset
The downsides regarding Alexander Wennberg is that he isn’t a scorer nor will he win faceoffs the same way as Sean Monahan. So he most likely wouldn’t be a player to adequately swap roles with Dylan Cozens should the latter’s inconsistencies continue into 2024-25.
But he’s also incredible defensively, and nothing drives that fact home than his 84 takeaways in 2022-23, his last full season with the Seattle Kraken. Wennberg’s ice time dropped substantially following his trade to the New York Rangers, but he was on pace to snag another 54 or 55 takeaways this season had he stayed in Seattle and continued to log 18:49 of average total ice time.
His efficacy in the offensive zone also waned when he went to the Rangers, but Wennberg’s on-ice shooting percentage at even strength hit the double-digits at 10.5, and he helped the Kraken put up 40 goals in the same situation despite an xGF of 31.7.
The above shows us that Wennberg’s contributions offensively may not show up in the statistics, but the way he plays defensively - including an on-ice save percentage at even strength of 91.3 while in Seattle - would make him an ultra-valuable depth center in Buffalo.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)