Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams is someone who loves to hang onto his prospects, and it’s something we’ve seen not play out so well in the City of Good Neighbors. Looking at the Sabres numbers from the previous season, some of those prospects have shown growth, and others, not so much.
J.J. Peterka and Owen Power look like keepers, despite a contingent of fans looking at Power as an underperformer. But I don’t believe it. Not after Power finished the year with seven goals and 40 points, He also took way more chances offensively and it signified growth, even if he’s still a work in progress.
But if the Sabres want to get better, some of Adams’ former prospects need to be shown the door and head off to teams who are building for the future. If they can’t land a top-tier star player and it would be hard at this point, then the next-best option is to bring in one more veteran who can put up between 60 and 70 points per season.
2 Sabres players who wore out their welcome need to go
Jack Quinn and Zach Benson didn’t see the growth we expected. Quinn is a restricted free agent, so putting him into something similar to a Kaapo Kakko situation could work well. Sign him, then trade him, but do so during the summer.
Ditto for Benson, who impressed me far less than the up-and-coming Jiri Kulich. Had Kulich played the same number of games as Benson, he’d have threatened 20 goals, but 15 in 62 contests isn’t bad, and it was all but a guarantee he’d have hit 20 through an 82-game schedule.
Yeah, it would bring in some controversy for sure, as Quinn struggled through a down season after showing promise in 2022-23 and 2023-24 when he was healthy enough to play. As for Benson, he hasn’t caught on well and you can argue that the Sabres mishandled him, despite flashes he’s shown at times. Still, if you want the Sabres to win now, change is needed.
Where to send Quinn and Benson and who to acquire?
The Anaheim Ducks aren’t done making moves just yet. And while they finished with more points than the Sabres, you can argue there’s less urgency in Southern California than there is in Buffalo. That said, the Ducks could be open to trading someone like Frank Vatrano, who despite putting up just 45 points and 21 goals this season, was part of a team that struggled as a unit offensively.
Vatrano will be heading into his age-31 season, but the Sabres prospects pool is deep enough still to where they can move a couple of ineffective youngsters for the veteran and still be in good shape. Plus, Vatrano plays a good two-way game, getting in front of shots and regularly landing body checks.
If the Sabres want another reliable scorer who doesn’t mind taking shots at the net and one who can add more edge, go out and get Vatrano. Yeah, it may be counterintuitive, with a team in perpetual rebuilding mode seeking an older veteran at the expense of two young players, but they’re also in win-now mode. The only downside is that Vatrano will have a modified no-trade clause.