BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — On Tuesday, Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams spoke with reporters for the first time since his end-of-season press conference. Adams and his staff are preparing for what should be a busy few weeks for the organization with the NHL Draft and free agency on the horizon.
So, this is my attempt at pretending to be the Sabres GM. I want to make it clear, that this is not what I think they WILL do, but what I think they SHOULD do, while keeping this somewhat within reason.
I also want to give some love to Expected Buffalo and Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic for some of the inspiration for these hypothetical moves. For contract numbers, we're using the numbers from the fine folks at AFPAnalytics in Rochester. Their projections are a very useful tool, especially during this part of the summer.
Let's start with the RFAs:
Ryan McLeod - 5 years x $5M per season.
Jacob Bernard-Docker - 3 years x $2.75M per season.
Devon Levi - 2 years x $1.25M per season.
Tyson Kozak - 2 years x $925K per season.
Trades:
Mattias Samuelsson to Seattle for a seventh-round pick:
This is quite simply a salary dump for the Sabres. Adams was adamant he's never discussed a buyout for Samuelsson, but getting his contract off the books would be a win for the Sabres. Samuelsson hasn't stayed healthy and has been inconsistent when he's in the lineup.
JJ Peterka to Calgary for Rasmus Andersson:
Andersson is a player who could immediately make an impact on the Sabres blue line. He played through a broken fibula last season. How insane is that? It doesn't get much grittier than playing on a broken leg.
Moving on from Peterka is not something I believe the Sabres want to do, but after Adams danced around whether or not his 23-year-old winger has asked for a trade, it feels like he's on his way out.
Andersson has just one year before hitting free agency, so getting a new deal done would be a top priority for the Sabres if they're giving up a premium asset like Peterka.
Bowen Byram to San Jose for Timothy Liljegren and 30th overall pick:
It feels like a foregone conclusion that Byram has played his last game in Buffalo. The Sabres add another right-shot defenseman for their top four to finally give Dahlin and Power partners that should add much-needed stability on the back end. For San Jose, Byram has a chance to be their top defenseman and they have plenty of cap space to give him a big contract. Shout out to the Expected Buffalo podcast for this proposal on their mock offseason episode. I thought it made so much sense that I included it in this exercise.
30th Overall Pick (acquired from Sharks), Jack Quinn, & Connor Clifton to Pittsburgh Penguins for Bryan Rust
Rust is reportedly available and would help the Sabres immediately improve at both ends of the ice. He's a reliable veteran for a team that needs to win now. It's not the flashiest return for a first-round pick going the other way, but adding Clifton's contract to the deal clears up some needed cap space for what's next.
Rights to Ryan Johnson and Anthon Wahlberg to Vegas Golden Knights for rights to Nicolas Hague
If the Golden Knights want to get Mitch Marner, they may not be able to give Hague a new deal. The Sabres send a promising prospect in Anton Wahlberg to Vegas paired with Johnson, who is also an RFA but can be a cheap depth defender in the desert. The addition of Hague would solidify the Sabres blue line with three legitimate pairs. As part of the deal, the Sabres signed Hague to a two-year deal worth $3 million per season (about $400K more than he's projected at according to AFP).
Free Agency:
Dennis Gilbert - 1 year x $800K
Gilbert was beloved in the Sabres locker room and was reliable when needed. This seems like an obvious reunion for the Sabres if he's interested in returning home.
Cuts:
Sam Lafferty sent to Rochester
Projected lineup:
Final thoughts:
Admittedly, I don't love the forward group staying mostly the same and riding with UPL and Levi into the season. But I wanted to focus more on the blue line because that's what I think is the most likely outcome. This defensive group is exceptional on paper and would allow Dahlin to thrive while giving Power a legitimate partner for the first time in his career. With Andersson and Liljegren both needing new deals in the future this scenario might not be the most likely outcome but I'll never knock a roster built on the blue line. For what it's worth, this roster leaves the Sabres with just under $5M in cap space heading into the season. I didn't spend all the way up to the cap because, well, they probably won't either.
