3 recently traded pending free agents who would ignite the Buffalo Sabres in 2024-25

Sean Walker would make a great partner for Owen Power, others

Should general manager Kevyn Adams find a way to convince Sean Walker to call the Eastern Conference home again, pairing him with Owen Power would be a great strategy to parlay that of a former first-overall pick who must make a leap next season. While there are a lot of young blueliners that Power could fare well playing alongside, Walker’s veteran presence and ability to play top-four minutes would fit better than anyone else. 

But, notice that the subheading above said: “Owen Power, others.” This means Power wouldn’t be the only youngster to benefit from one of the league’s better blueliners. Perhaps Walker signs with the Sabres in this scenario, pairs with Power for a while, then lines up alongside other young players like Ryan Johnson and Bowen Byram. 

The only real concern here would be another potential logjam in the rotation that Kevyn Adams dealt with last offseason when he signed Connor Clifton and Erik Johnson (has since been traded). We also need to remember Mattias Samuelsson will be back, so if a move like this were to happen, every pending restricted free agent on the blue line this summer won’t return. 

There would also be a real chance Adams would try to move someone - most likely Clifton - in such a scenario. While signing a player like Walker, assuming he doesn’t stay in Denver, would be a great move, the logistics wouldn’t be so easy.