5 seemingly unreasonable offseason moves that would actually make sense for the Sabres

It’s long past overdue for Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams to start making some serious moves and to even take a few counterintuitive steps to do all he can to ensure the Blue and Gold are in position to leapfrog someone like Toronto, Detroit, Florida, Boston, or Tampa Bay. 

He needs to assume none of the above are going away this season and the only way to get the best of them is to put a better team onto the ice. Luckily, Adams has cap space and assets to land more established talent this offseason and acquire some names you wouldn’t ordinarily think of. 

Below, we’re talking about five moves that, if Adams made them, may look unreasonable on the surface but would actually make sense if he pulled them off, starting with trading away a rather high-end future asset or two. 

Trading high-end prospects for established talents

There are a couple of routes the Sabres can take to acquire established talent, and not all of what would make sense in this article will happen. This is just one of two avenues they can take in the trade realm, and for teams looking for high-end prospects over draft picks, it’s the ideal road the organization must take. 

We already know that the Sabres are facing a good problem - several elite prospects, but not all of them will ever realistically fit into the lineup. This means Kevyn Adams must move at least one if not more prospects at some point, either this summer or, and this would be welcoming to all Sabres fans, at March’s trade deadline in 2025. 

But assuming Adams is looking to put together a strong unit months before the season begins, it makes far more sense to move assets around this summer to land either a top-six winger or a center that will make them deep at the position. 

Later in this piece, I’ll list a few trade candidates, different from the ones I’ve discussed in previous articles, who would fit well on the Blue and Gold if and when Adams decides to trade some high-end names like Jiri Kulich, Isak Rosen, Matt Savoie, or even a high-potential name, or high-end draft picks for a player who has already established himself in the NHL. 

Signing Ilya Samsonov to a one-year deal

This one might make zero sense, thanks to Devon Levi’s strong development in the AHL, but if the Blue and Gold had a chance to keep Levi grounded in Rochester for a full season, it’s benefiting all parties and hurting none of them. At 22, Levi doesn’t need to be in the NHL just yet, and someone familiar like Ilya Samsonov would make for an outstanding placeholder. 

I would list a few options at goaltender to sign to a one-year deal, but assuming the Sabres would roll with something closer to a 1A and 1B as opposed to (presumably) making Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen a clear-cut No. 1, means there are few reliable players to sign in this season’s free agency class. 

Sure, Samsonov fell back to Earth this past season in Toronto, where he ended the year with nine ‘really bad starts,’ and put up just a 0.475 quality starts percentage, resembling the player we saw struggle with the Washington Capitals than the one who enjoyed a stellar 2022-23 campaign, and things didn’t get much better for the much-maligned goaltender in the playoffs. 

But it’s also worth noting how hot Samsonov got for a time in the 2023-24 season following an ultra-rough start. Between January 14th and April 8th, Samsonov appeared in 23 games, logging an 18-4-1 record, with two shutouts, a 0.913 save percentage, and 57 goals allowed on 658 shot attempts, allowing just 2.47 goals per game - not his overall GAA, but simply a per game average. 

Samsonov has shown he can be a solid 1B, and in a place like Buffalo that should have a clear-cut 1A and a future star in the making in Rochester, signing the veteran goaltender works here. 

Trading their first-round picks in 2024 AND 2025 to land a star winger

The Sabres can afford to sacrifice a year or two when it comes to their prospects pool, especially if they can land a star winger who will help them win this season. But the question bodes: Who would trade an established talent for (at least) a pair of first-round picks?

The Sabres must find someone who won’t be competing for a while and entice them with the deal. Unfortunately, the bottom two teams, the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks, have nobody, but what about Frank Vatrano from the Anaheim Ducks?

Vatrano is heading into his age-30 season, so he’s not exactly young, but he also put up 37 goals on a terrible hockey team. He also brought in a career-high 18:21 of average total ice time, logged 78 blocks, and 156 hits - the latter of which the Sabres can definitely use among their forward group. 

Few have been forced into such a poor situation like Johnny Gaudreau, who has more than made the most of his time with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He scored just 12 goals last season, but he also accounted for 48 helpers. He’s not physical in the same way Vatrano is, but Gaudreau is either making plays or putting others in a position to make them. He may not be worth a pair of first-rounders, but if the Sabres hypothetically traded for him, they would likely give up a first.

Earlier in the month, we also discussed Pavel Buchnevich, plus a trio of youngsters Kevyn Adams would be wise to consider acquiring, so there is a plethora of options at the helm if the general manager is cool about parting ways with a few picks. 

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.