One dream, one realistic, and one bargain player for the Sabres to target in NHL Free Agency
NHL free agency will be a big deal for the Sabres this July, but not all free agents come at the same price. Let’s explore three players for the Blue and Gold.
While signing Sam Reinhart in July would make a sensational story for the Sabres, it’s not the likeliest scenario to occur. So, let’s instead talk about a few sequences that would be more realistic for general manager Kevyn Adams to implement when NHL free agency arrives.
The players listed below don’t have Reinhart’s caliber, but you can make the case that they would all make the Blue and Gold better if they came to Western New York. And yes, even the “bargain” player listed who won’t break the bank would also fare well in a Sabres uniform come October if Adams lures them to the organization.
Now, I’ve covered numerous potential free agents already, so the one “dream name” may not be as glamorous as you may think. That said, he’s also coming off of a solid regular season with his current team, and one he could parlay into something more, regardless of where he plays.
Dream Free Agent: Warren Foegele, Edmonton Oilers
Warren Foegele may not have a place on the top-six in Buffalo, and we know that’s what Kevyn Adams may likely target in free agency. But Foegele wouldn’t be a bad signing following what has been an epic season in Edmonton, or at least that’s the case by Warren Foegele standards.
Through Game 1 of the 2023-24 season and playoffs, Foegele has been solid, playing in 98 games and posting 44 points and 21 goals. While he hasn’t been a half-point-per-game player in the playoffs that he was during the regular season, with just three points and one goal in his first 16 contests, Foegele is averaging two hits per game, and he has an eye-popping 12 takeaways.
Both attributes would make Foegele a dream free agent for the Blue and Gold. We know the Sabres forwards have struggled defensively, and Foegele would immediately upgrade the Sabres when they don’t have the puck while still providing a supplement to what can still be a high-scoring unit even if they don’t add anyone of worth on the outside other than a defense-first forward.
If you want more fun, look no further than Foegele’s Corsi For numbers at even strength, which sat at 56.4 percent despite just 51.6 percent of his starts in the offensive zone in the regular season. Further, that number has stayed rather consistent in the playoffs, with a 52.3 percent Corsi For despite an offensive zone starting percentage of 48.4.
Realistic Free Agent: Max Domi, Toronto Maple Leafs
Max Domi has been a one-year rental lately with an AAV of $3 million over his previous two contracts, and that could be the same this season if he ends up in a new city. Currently, Domi is keeping all options open, including potentially playing at least another season for the Toronto Maple Leafs. But if talks break down and he’s available on July 1st, he would help the Sabres in so many ways.
For one, he’s a top-six-caliber player, and while that wasn’t always the case this past season, if injuries struck the Sabres again, Domi could step up. He’s also figured out how to win faceoffs over the past two seasons, and even if he finished the year with just a 50.0 percent win percentage in the regular season, breaking even would benefit the Sabres more than anyone else has at the dot over the past two seasons.
No, Domi doesn’t convert many shots into goals, with a career shooting percentage of just 9.9. But he knows where the open man is who can then convert a shot into a goal, evidenced by his 74 assists over the past two seasons.
One downside is that Domi wouldn’t be a game-changing player, but again, we’re talking about one of the more realistic signings for the Sabres. Yet, as in Toronto, he made for a great supplement to the star players, and as implied in the previous section, let’s not assume just yet that the Sabres wouldn’t rebound from a down year offensively if they brought on a good complementary player in Domi.
Bargain Free Agent: Jordan Martinook, Carolina Hurricanes
An older player who may also see middle-six minutes but most likely on the lower lines, Jordan Martinook wouldn’t sign on for such a high price with the Sabres and he, like the other two on this list, brings playoff experience. And also like Warren Foegele and Max Domi, Martinook possesses supplemental points productivity who could add between 11 and 15 goals a season.
He boasts a fair amount of physicality, even if it’s nowhere near the degree it was earlier in his career, but to help the Sabres, he doesn’t need to become the big hitter he once was. Looking at Martinook’s possession metrics from the regular season, he logged a Corsi For of 61.3 percent at even strength, even with a paltry 44.7 percent of offensive zone starts. That says a lot, even if he was playing for an outstanding team this past season.
Even if Martinook isn’t the one converting shots into goals or even logging primary or secondary helpers, it shouldn’t matter. He’s still pitching in by helping his team create opportunities when he’s on the ice, and the Sabres didn’t have anywhere near enough of that last season.
Like the other two free agents on this list, Martinook won’t provide jaw-dropping output, but again, I can’t stress enough that the Sabres could either a) see a renaissance in their top-six or b) they will sign someone for the top-six and someone like Martinook, Domi, or Foegele would slide in as supplements if any of the three found their way to Western New York.
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