Stealing Steven Stamkos from the Lightning
I would have put Patrick Kane here, but I spoke about him in a previous piece. Stealing Kane from Detroit, now that we know he can play following hip resurfacing, would give the Blue and Gold numerous benefits, but so would finding a way to pry Steven Stamkos from the Tampa Bay Lighting.
To be real, I’m 99.9 percent sure Stamkos returns to and retires as a member of the Lightning, and that re-signing him to an extension will be announced soon. But strange things can happen in the NHL and if by any chance Stamkos is there for the taking, the Sabres need to make a move.
There wouldn’t be many options out there better than the 16-year veteran to finally help the Sabres bust through their seemingly unbreakable playoff drought. He’s won two Stanley Cups in Tampa, and he’s also been part of one of the NHL’s winningest and most consistent teams since 2008-09.
A young team like the Sabres can learn a lot from Stamkos, who is still showing no signs of slowing down despite entering his age-34 season. Over each of the past three years, Stamkos continues to put up 81-plus points and 34-plus goals per season, he can win faceoffs, and he’s still a rather physical forward.
Plus, at this stage of his career, he’s also not breaking the bank, so Kevyn Adams could sign him to a more reasonable deal. Imagine placing him on the third line as a “depth center,” or even swapping him with Dylan Cozens, given Stamkos’ ability to play top-six minutes with ease, even these days while Cozens drops to the third line.