3 former Sabres who Kevyn Adams should not bring back in 2024-25

Fans of the Buffalo Sabres should have a blast projecting who Kevyn Adams will sign in NHL free agency, but they shouldn’t support the potential return of a few players.

Apr 4, 2023; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Dylan Cozens (24) attempts to skate past
Apr 4, 2023; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Dylan Cozens (24) attempts to skate past | Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
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Tyler Myers, D

As mentioned earlier, the Sabres probably wouldn’t roll with a blueliner in free agency unless they wanted to snag one more with experience. Like Brandon Montour, Tyler Myers brings not just experience but 16 seasons worth. And recently, he’s been part of one of the NHL’s finest teams, the Vancouver Canucks, so he would also bring a winning mentality to the Queen City. 

Heading into his age-34 season, Myers also wouldn’t mind playing exclusively third-pairing minutes, most likely alongside Connor Clifton, where they would forge a hard-hitting duo. That would work well for a team that still needs to add an edge to their overall game, but as with Montour, it’s not worth bringing someone like Myers on at the expense of most likely Ryan Johnson. 

While Myers would do an excellent job at blocking pucks, landing body checks, moving the puck, and creating plays - the latter of which Johnson does well - Myers would give the Sabres between one and two seasons of service, and that would likely be it. 

Meanwhile, Johnson, while not the same physical player as Myers, already developed well this past season. From the first time he stepped onto NHL ice against the Toronto Maple Leafs, he proved he was ready. If he regressed, leaving Johnson in the AHL and bringing in someone like Myers would be a good idea, but that hasn’t been the case. 

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)

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