Sabre Noise
Fansided

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.

By Todd Matthews

Mar 21, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers forward Warren Foegele (37) gets a shot away in front of Buffalo Sabres defensemen Bowen Byron (4) during the first period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 21, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers forward Warren Foegele (37) gets a shot away in front of Buffalo Sabres defensemen Bowen Byron (4) during the first period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports / Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next

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. 

Home/Free Agency