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Buffalo Sabres: NHL Free Agency, Draft Preview

By Ryan Ritchie |
Mar 31, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel (15) skates with the puck against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period at First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 31, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel (15) skates with the puck against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period at First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Buffalo Sabres Expected to be Big Spenders in Free Agency?

NHL Free Agency is just around the corner as we inch closer to July 1st. There’s still time for teams to get key players re-signed, and we should expect to see player movement at the draft – whether it be players locked into contracts, or RFA’s where contract negotiations have stalled.

At this point, it sounds as though next season’s salary cap may see little or no movement. Certain teams such as Los Angeles, Tampa Bay, and Chicago are already pushed up against the cap, while others have to spend upwards of $20 to $30 million just to hit the cap floor.

One team that has a lot of money to spend this offseason is the Buffalo Sabres.

Lyle Richardson of Bleacher Report recently released his list of top 10 free agency spenders in 2016. Ranking fourth in his countdown, the Buffalo Sabres with over $25 million dollars (approximately) to spend.

Unrestricted Free Agents:

Chad Johnson, David Legwand, Carlo Colaiacovo, Bobby Sanguinetti, Tim Schaller (UFA IV), Chad Ruhwedel (UFA IV)

Restricted Free Agents:

Rasmus Ristolainen, Marcus Foligno, Zemgus Girgensons, Nicolas Deslauriers, Jake McCabe, Jason Kasdorf, Casey Nelson, Nathan Lieuwen, Andrey Makarov

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Between Ristolainen, Foligno, Girgensons, McCabe, and any other free agents re-signed, the Buffalo Sabres could be spending anywhere between $10-15 million dollars (estimation).

This should leave them enough money to sign an impact LW and D, plus a few other secondary pieces (if necessary).

Matt Moulson still earns $5 million dollars against the cap for three more seasons. If he can’t find his game in 2016-17, the Buffalo Sabres will be forced to think about a buy-out. His presence off the ice/in the dressing room isn’t enough to warrant keeping such a lucrative cap hit for so little production.

Buffalo Sabres “Free Agent Targets” via Lyle Richardson of Bleacher Report,

Milan Lucic of the Los Angeles Kings could be on Murray’s radar to fill that left-wing spot. Other options could include the Colorado Avalanche’s Mikkel Boedker or the Boston Bruins’ Loui Eriksson. Suitable replacements for Johnson could include the Florida Panthers’ Al Montoya or the Nashville Predators’ Carter Hutton.

A new backup is certainly a possibility, although GM Tim Murray might feel comfortable moving forward with his Swedish duo (Robin Lehner/Linus Ullmark). It never hurts to have a little depth though.

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The Sabres can follow the Kings lead to sign a veteran netminder with past NHL experience – Peter Budaj put up solid numbers for AHL Ontario in 2015-16. Similar options might include: Ben Scrivens, Anton Khudobin, Alex Stalock, Justin Peters, or Jason Labarbera

To add to Lyle’s list, here are a few more possibilities for the Buffalo Sabres (it’s important to remember that even re-building teams will sign an aging veteran from time to time if the short-term fit makes sense), which includes filling that LW void, bottom six role players, and defensive options:

Andrew Ladd, Sam Gagner, Kris Versteeg, David Jones, David Perron, Michael Grabner, Nathan Gerbe, Brandon Prust, Dan Hamhuis, Kyle Quincey, Luke Schenn, Nicklas Grossmann, Roman Polak, and Kris Russell.

More puck prose: Aly's Mock Draft: 1st Round - Pre-Draft Day Edition

These rebuilding teams face tough decisions during the offseason. When teams draft and develop, they face a lot of uncertainty heading into training camp.

Sure, you could go sign three or four quality free agents, but what happens if a prospect has a great offseason in the gym and is NHL ready come September? You don’t want to take potential spots away from players, but at the same time it’s a delicate balance to make sure you leave enough room for prospects to emerge.

Look at the Buffalo Sabres right-wing position for example. Tyler Ennis missed extended time in 2015-16, and the RW struggled. Center’s continue to slide over to play the right side with Brian Gionta the only natural top-six RW.

Oddly enough, the right side could be a strength of this team. If Ennis can play 70+ games, and Hudson Fasching reaches his potential (he’s impressed thus far at the World Hockey Championships), all of a sudden you’ve got scoring depth at RW.

The last potential form of help is June’s draft. Buffalo Sabres are set to make the 8th overall selection in a very deep draft. As we know, the top three are expected to be in NHL lineup’s in the Fall, but what GM’s/Scouts aren’t telling fans; that group between 4-12 also has a few prospects who could make an immediate impact.

Next: Buffalo Sabres End of Year Review, Grades

Top Draft Targets (if they fall):

1. D Olli Juolevi – How about securing the top pair for the next 15 years? LH Finnish defender Juolevi actually plays a similar style to Ristolainen, except Olli’s development is much further ahead at 18 years old.

2. D Jakob Chychrun – Another defender with top pairing potential, although Juolevi has a better chance to be a no.1 d-man.

3. LW Pierre-Luc Dubois – Versatile forward who can play anywhere. He has a lot of offensive upside, but also plays a complete game in all three zones.

4. LW Matthew Tkachuk – Plays a similar style to his father with his gritty, physical nature. Matthew might even have more offensive upside than Keith.

5. LW/RW Alex Nylander – Brother William is said to be a little more creative with an ability to move east to west with his slick stick-handling. Alex is known as more of a playmaker in comparison to William. He also plays a more direct north-to-south style game. Imagine the Nylander brothers facing-off head-to-head in a good ol’ Sabres-Maple Leafs rivalry for the foreseeable future?

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