As it stands, the Buffalo Sabres will be depending heavily on internal growth to replace winger Alex Tuch and defenseman Bowen Byram, who were both traded this offseason after it became clear they weren't going to sign long-term contract extensions with the organization.
Even if the Sabres don't make another marquee move before next season, the front office may have to adjust of the fly if it's group of emerging forward contributors, led by Konsta Helenius, Noah Ostlund and Jiri Kulich, don't take the expected step forward in 2026-27.
If that's the case, Lyle Richardson of Bleacher Report named Detroit Red Wings winger Alex DeBrincat as a potential target for Buffalo at some point before the 2027 NHL trade deadline.
"DeBrincat has only one postseason under his belt, as do most of the Sabres' core players," Richardson wrote Friday. "The chance to play for a contender in his contract year could push his game to new heights. He could become a good fit in Buffalo, provided they're not on his 16-team no-trade list."
The 28-year-old Michigan native is coming off a season where he posted a career-high 85 points (41 goals and 44 assists) while playing in all 82 regular-season games for the fifth straight year. He's now hit the 40-goal plateau on three occasions and has lit the lamp 294 times in 696 appearances across stints with the Wings, Chicago Blackhawks and Ottawa Senators.
DeBrincat, a 2016 second-round draft pick of the Hawks, has also overcome concerns about his undersized 5-foot-8 frame to earn a pair of All-Star Game selections.
The Sabres have already made a series of acquisitions this summer (Olen Zellweger, Louis Crevier and Dennis Gilbert) in an effort to replace Byram in the aggregate but, at least so far, the only notable outside addition to the forward group is veteran winger Conor Sheary, who's tentatively penciled in to open next season with the AHL's Rochester Americans.
Now the question is whether Buffalo has done enough to avoid taking a step back in 2026-27 after finally ending their NHL-record 14-year playoff drought last season.
Why the Buffalo Sabres may wait to add Alex DeBrincat (or another star forward)
The Sabres have been consistently linked to Patrick Kane, a Buffalo native who was another member of the Red Wings roster last season, since free agency began July 1. The buzz around that possible move has died down considerably in recent days, though.
It felt like the Blue and Gold's pursuit of a high-profile forward was directly tied to their efforts to land Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, a blockbuster move that would have probably helped clear out some of the team's logjam up front.
For now, the Sabres already have an overabundance of options:
Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
Zach Benson | Josh Norris | Tage Thompson |
Noah Ostlund | Konsta Helenius | Josh Doan |
Jiri Kulich | Ryan McLeod | Jack Quinn |
Jason Zucker | Sam Carrick | Beck Malenstyn |
Tyson Kozak | Peyton Krebs | Justin Danforth |
There are obviously some problems with how that depth chart is shaping up a few months out from training camp.
First, it's not an ideal allocation of resources to have a top-nine player like Zucker, Ostlund or Kulich skating on the fourth line.
Second, Buffalo is likely heading toward giving Krebs a decent salary increase as a restricted free agent who's filed for arbitration. AFP Analytics projects he'll receive an AAV around $3.5 million, so he won't get that type of deal and then serve as a healthy scratch.
Finally, the team is only planning to keep 13 forwards since it's going to maintain a three-goalie rotation, so two players from that list could head to waivers if no trades are made.
That's why, without something like sending two or three roster players to Winnipeg in the Hellebuyck trade, adding DeBrincat or Kane is more in the wait-and-see category.
While players of that caliber could surely help replace the offensive production lost when Tuch was sent to the Washington Capitals in a sign-and-trade deal, there's just no space at the moment.
The Sabres appear willing to enter the new campaign with the current group unless the Jets drop their Hellebuyck asking price, or another prominent trade opportunity arises. If that doesn't happen soon, Kane will probably decide to sign elsewhere as a free agent.
Meanwhile, the remainder of the Wings' offseason is dependent on whether center Dylan Larkin is traded, which could trigger a domino effect that includes a DeBrincat deal. Otherwise, Detroit may try to compete early in the season before reassessing the situation ahead of the deadline.
If it's the latter, and Buffalo is struggling to generate offense without Tuch, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Sabres make a serious offer for DeBrincat at that time.
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