New Additions: D Michael Kesselring (from UTA), F Josh Doan (from UTA), D Conor Timmins (from PIT), G Alex Lyon (2yr x $1.5M AAV), F Justin Danforth (2yr x $1.8M AAV), D Zac Jones (1yr x $900k), G Alexandar Georgiev (1yr x $825k)

Subtractions: F JJ Peterka (to UTA), D Connor Clifton (to PIT), F Sam Lafferty (to CHI), G James Reimer (FA)

Retentions/Extensions: F Jack Quinn (2yr x $3.375M AAV), D Ryan Johnson (3yr x $775k AAV), F Tyson Kozak (3yr x $775k AAV), F Ryan McLeod (4yr x $5M AAV), D Bowen Byram (2yr $6.25M AAV), D Conor Timmins (2yr x $2.2M AAV), G Devon Levi (2yr x $812.5k AAV)

It has been rough in Buffalo for over a decade, the last time they made the playoffs their captain Rasmus Dahlin was eleven years old. Fans were teased with what could be in 2022-23 when the team had a top offense, elite powerplay, and 91 points. They still missed the playoffs but with a fun team and a young core, it felt like they were finally headed in the right direction. They then had 84 points and 79 points over the last two seasons, appearing to have reverted to their old ways. Fans’ patience has run out, they deserve better.

It feels as though Buffalo is stuck. Stuck in mediocrity, stuck in a rebuild, and unfortunately stuck in the deepest division in the league. It does not help that two rebuilding teams within their division got a taste of the playoffs last year, in Montreal and Ottawa. If they hope to end the drought they are going to have to leapfrog at the very least one of those two teams. Until proven otherwise I believe the Leafs, Panthers and Lightning (in no particular order) are all locks atop the Atlantic.

The biggest move of the offseason was trading winger JJ Peterka to Utah in exchange for Mammoth defenceman (no not the team name, the guy is 6’5”) Michael Kesselring, and forward Josh Doan. Peterka requested a trade amid contract negotiations and frustration with the team. Utah was willing to pay him what he wanted, rewarding his career year (68 points in 77 games) by signing him to a 5 year contract with an AAV of $7.7M. That will be discussed more in Utah’s preview, but he will be missed in Buffalo. Kesselring is the main piece coming over, a right handed, top four defenceman. Doan, the son of Coyotes legend, will be a welcome addition to the forward group, having shown potential in 62 career games, at the very least he can be a hard working two-way player in the bottom six.

Another offseason story was what the team was going to do with Bowen Byram. Rumours of him being offer sheeted, or even traded made it look like his time in Buffalo was up, but the two sides settled on a 2 year deal worth $12.5M ($6.25 AAV). Byram was taken 4th overall in 2019 by Colorado, and has shown his elite ability in flashes. Unfortunately for him, he has been behind Cale Makar and Rasmus Dahlin throughout his career and has not been given the chance to prove himself as a number one defenceman. Keeping him in addition to Dahlin and Power, gives the Sabres three talented puck moving defencemen, but they will need to be more responsible in their own end if this team wants to be competitive.

The strength of this team is their ability to generate offense. They bounced back last season and scored the eighth most goals across the league. Powered by Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch who scored 44 and 36 goals respectively, two players that the casual fan might not understand how impactful they truly are. The Sabres had 11 skaters record double digit goals last season, which includes Peterka who is now gone, and Dylan Cozens who was shipped at the deadline. Nonetheless, the Sabres got goals from up and down the lineup including the back end, as Dahlin had 17 goals, and Byram and Power had 7 each. 

It would be unfair to bring up Dylan Cozens without mentioning the player who was acquired in exchange for him, Josh Norris. Unfortunately for Sabres fans, Norris was only able to appear in 3 games last season after the trade, recording a goal and an assist. He was shut down for the remainder of the season with an injury, and with the Sabres outside the playoff picture. Injuries have been a recurring theme in his young career, as he has not been able to log more than 66 games played in five full seasons in the NHL. When he is on the ice however, he is a legitimate top six forward, scoring at a 30 goal pace, with a career high of 35 goals in 2021-22. If he is able to stay healthy, put in a position to succeed, Norris might have a career season across all categories. He is an X-Factor in deciding how far this team will go.

In addition to Norris, the Sabres have many other young players who the team is looking for consistent production from. Jack Quinn, was taken 8th overall in 2020 in hopes of becoming an elite scoring winger, but his career highs set last season leave a lot to be desired (15 goals and 39 points in 74 games). He signed a two year bridge deal worth just a little over $3.3M per season, and is looking to breakout before his next contract is due. Fans are excited for Czech forward Juri Kulich, another former first rounder (28th overall in 2022) who has produced in the AHL (94 points in 123 games), and showed flashes last year scoring 15 goals in the NHL. He should be a full time player this year and everyone around the organization has high expectations for the 21 year old. There’s a handful of others that could take that next step, including Zach Benson, Peyton Krebs and Isak Rosen.

Goaltending is a bit of a question mark for Buffalo. Starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (or UPL) signed a fairly reasonable contract last offseason worth $4.75M per year, certainly on the lower end of starter salaries. He earned every bit of it after posting a .910 SV% and 2.52 GAA in 2023-24, handling the starter role. Last season his numbers dropped off significantly, with a career worst .887 SV% and his GAA spiked back up above 3 per game (3.20). If he struggles as the starter again this season, Buffalo has brought in some depth at the goaltending position, signing both Alex Lyon and Alexandar Georgiev. Lyon was mostly a backup throughout his career but appeared in 74 games with Detroit over the last two seasons, he holds a career SV% of .902 and a sub 3 GAA (2.98). Georgiev was an excellent backup for the Rangers in his first five seasons, and excelled when given the chance to start in Colorado in 2022-23, reaching 40 wins, while putting up a .919 SV% and 2.51 GAA. The year after that, the wins were still there, but his numbers declined, suggesting that he was a product of playing behind one of the league’s best teams. Last year the Avs traded him in early December, replacing him as the team starter. In San Jose, he had atrocious numbers, and it looked like his career in North America could be done. But just this past week, Buffalo signed him to a low risk, high reward deal worth $825k for one season.

The Sabres are a team comprised of what-ifs. What if some of their young players breakout? What if Tage Thompson can score 50? Norris stays healthy? Dahlin wins the Norris? Perhaps some of those things come true, and if they all do, I believe the Sabres could be a really sneaky competitive team. Unfortunately, I cannot say I am confident in this team until I see it. My expectations for this team are about how their 2022-23 season went, an exciting season with flashes of potential, but ultimately another season outside the playoffs. I hope I am wrong, because the city of Buffalo deserves playoff hockey.