In this series, Heavy Sports is looking at what every NHL team has done over the offseason. Next up is the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres are coming off of a successful season, in which they finally broke a 15 year postseason drought dating back to 2011. The prospects of returning to the playoffs will be challenging for them after a summer that has resulted in the loss of some key core players.
Who are Buffalo’s Additions?
Key additions: Louis Crevier, Dennis Gilbert, Conor Sheary, Owen Zellweger
Buffalo have been quiet on the adding front. The two main additions have been on the defensive end with Louis Crevier and Owen Zellweger. Crevier was a part of their return package in the Bowen Byram trade with the Chicago Blackhawks. They used the second round pick they got in that deal and extra assets in order to acquire Zellweger from Anaheim. The hope is that these two promising defensemen will make up for the loss of Byram. In terms of the forward core, not much has been done yet to address the loss of Alex Tuch. There could still be a future move when it comes to bringing in a top-six forward. There has been smoke connecting top free agent Patrick Kane to a potential hometown return, but nothing has materialized yet. The Sabres have had to be careful with how they manage their cap. They handed out a long term extension to Zach Benson worth $52.5 million across seven seasons. They also used up a good chunk of their remaining space today by extending Peyton Krebs to a four year $4.5 million deal. They still have over $5 million left in the bank if they wish to use it.
Who are Buffalo’s Subtractions?
Key subtractions: Bowen Byram, Jordan Greenway, Zac Jones, Michael Kesselring, Devon Levi, Tanner Pearson, Luke Schenn, Alex Tuch
The Sabres have had a couple major losses this summer. The two big ones are Byram and Tuch. With first overall picks Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power leading the defensive rotation, they are hoping the loss of Byram won’t hurt too much. Tuch was moved to the Washington Capitals in a sign-and-trade maneuver. That is a significant loss for the forward group; he has been able to develop nice chemistry with Tage Thompson and company. That is a void left in the lineup that they have yet to fill; it remains to be seen if they will. Jordan Greenway was the sweetener in the Byram trade. They also lost a couple depth pieces on their back-end with Michael Kesselring and Luke Schenn. They could lose more than that as defenseman Logan Stanley is a free agent they may not be able to extend.
It will be interesting to see if this young Sabres team can keep this strong form going and return to the playoffs next season. That task will be a challenge after an offseason that has resulted in a few impact players going on the move elsewhere. They will need to see continued progression from the youth in order to remain in contention next year.
All transactions are available via Puck Pedia.
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