3 former Sabres players playing for division rivals whom we would love to see return

Jake McCabe would add a prime veteran presence to the blue line

Jake McCabe has spent the last season-and-a-half with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and wow, would he bring even more physicality to the Sabres? Rasmus Dahlin, Bowen Byram, and Mattias Samuelsson are a trio of players in the rotation who can already bring an edge to the top-four, allowing Ryan Johnson (should be back in Buffalo next year) and Owen Power to showcase their more finesse games. 

But what if McCabe rotated with Connor Clifton on the bottom-pairing, so that there was always an ultra-physical presence? McCabe would immediately take over a role Erik Johnson was supposed to have but did a mediocre job with this season before Kevyn Adams dealt him to Philadelphia.

McCabe has also shown the ability to contribute offensively this season in Toronto, with seven goals and 25 points, implying he would be more than just another physical presence. 

Like a pair of players on this list, McCabe is not a free agent, so the Sabres would have to acquire him. It wouldn’t be the easiest endeavor if they were on McCabe’s seven-team no-trade list, but he would be well worth bringing back to the City of Good Neighbors. The Sabres need more hard-hitters, and McCabe is more than able to bring such play every time he’s on the ice.