Buffalo Sabres: Top 3 ways to fix the team in 2020
The Buffalo Sabres have been struggling for the past decade. Here’s what they need to do to get back on track this summer.
For the ninth consecutive season, the Buffalo Sabres will not be making the Stanley Cup Playoffs, unless there’s some weird bracket that allows the 25th-best team in the NHL to make the postseason. They will exit the 2010s with zero postseason series wins.
When the Pegulas bought the Sabres in February of 2011, Terry Pegula promised to bring a Stanley Cup to Buffalo. Instead, he has seen his team make just one postseason (2010-11). The Pegulas have owned the Sabres during their lowest of lows.
If the Sabres want to contend next season, they’re going to have to make some significant changes. Here are three changes they need to make.
Hire A President Of Hockey Operations
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The Sabres haven’t had a President of Hockey Operations since March 2014, when Pat Lafontaine stepped down. Since then, their 182 wins are the second-fewest in the NHL, trailing only the Vegas Golden Knights, who have 133. There’s just one problem – the Golden Knights didn’t exist until the 2017-18 season.
A President of Hockey Operations is an advisor who acts as a liaison between the ownership group and the general manager. It has become painfully obvious that the Sabres need one. The Pegulas simply don’t have much interest in the Sabres. If they did, there would be more changes after nearly a decade of not making the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Hiring a PoHO would create some much-needed accountability within the Sabres organization. Ironically, the best candidate for the job might already be on the ownership’s payroll. That would be their current head coach, Ralph Krueger. Now, Krueger is a perfectly capable coach. However, most of his experience has come in an advisory role. Krueger would be an ideal candidate for the job.
Move On From Jason Botterill
The Buffalo Sabres were optimistic former Pittsburgh Penguins assistant GM Jason Botterill could help take the Sabres out of the darkness when they hired him back in 2017. However, he hasn’t done much to inspire confidence since being hired.
It seems the Ryan O’Reilly looks worse everyday, as the St. Louis Blues won the Stanley Cup and O’Reilly won the Conn Smythe the season after the Sabres traded him to the Blues. Since the trade, O’Reilly has 138 points in 153 games. Meanwhile, the three players the Sabres got for him (Vladimir Sobotka, Tage Thompson, and Patrik Berglund) have combined for 32 points in 174 games.
Botterill’s list of good moves is not long. The Henri Jokiharju for Alex Nylander trade was good. Trading a first-round pick for Brandon Montour didn’t go as well as planned, but it was still a decent move. The Jeff Skinner trade was brilliant and even though the extension hasn’t paid off yet, the Sabres had to re-sign him, so it makes sense.
However, Botterill also went into this season with way too many defensemen despite having opportunities to trade one. This led to the Sabres getting a terrible return for Marco Scandella, who wound up netting the Montreal Canadiens a second-round pick at the trade deadline. He also went into the 2017-18 season content with having Casey Mittelstadt as his second-line center, which didn’t work out.
Botterill has been given time to improve the Sabres, and he has failed to do so. It’s time for Buffalo to part ways with him and get someone else in charge.
Get A Second-Line Center
Jack Eichel is a franchise cornerstone. It’s downright embarrassing the Buffalo Sabres haven’t given him too much help. He has 77 points so far this season. The rest of the Sabres centers (min. 200 face-offs taken) have combined for 67 points.
Marcus Johansson has 30 points, but honestly, he should be a wing, not a center. He’s a decent option down the middle, but if you look at his career, his greatest successes have come at the wing. Ergo, that’s where he should play.
The top priority for the Sabres as far as their roster this summer has to be adding a real second-line center. Unfortunately, the free agent options aren’t that great. The only remotely interesting option is Mikael Granlund.
There are, however, some interesting RFA options. Ryan Strome of the New York Rangers could be had for the right price, though his numbers are likely unsustainable. If they decide to be aggressive, signing Anthony Cirelli to an offer sheet would help solve their second-line center issues.
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It’s likely the Sabres will have to trade for one. But if they want to win next season, getting a second-line center is a must. This season has proven the Sabres can get an outstanding, borderline Hart Trophy-worthy season from Eichel and they’re still not good enough to make the postseason.