Is There Anything Left For Sabres To Pick Up In Free Agency?
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The NHL's free-agent frenzy has colmed down considerably, with most of the available talent now off the market. And the Buffalo Sabres still have approximately $13.6 million in salary cap space to utilize. So, is there anything left for Buffalo to spend on the open market, or is the only road to improvement via trades?
From this writer's perspective, it's a no-brainer — there's next-to-nothing left in free agency. Sure, the Sabres can take a run at center Jack Roslovic, who posted 22 goals for the Carolina Hurricanes this past season. Or perhaps Buffalo can offer former Vegas Golden Knights winger Victor Olofsson a second stint with the Sabres; Olofsson had 15 goals and 29 points with Vegas last season, and who knows — he might get back to the 28-goal form he had with Buffalo in 2022-23.
Otherwise, Sabres GM Kevyn Adams is looking at a whole lot of slim pickings in free-agency. And that means it's almost certainly going to be trades Adams makes that remodels Buffalo's lineup for next season.
Of course, everyone and their know-it-all neighbor is expecting the Sabres to trade RFA defenseman Bowen Byram. Adams came out after free-agency began and stated plainly that he's going to match any offer sheet a team would present to Byram, but let's remember that GMs are always playing a long game of chicken with their counterparts. We're not suggesting Buffalo won't match a Byram offer sheet, but we are saying Byram is the biggest trade chip Adams is likely to use in the coming days and weeks, and that's not going to change anytime soon.
Personally, it's our opinion that Adams should be prepared to trade other Sabres veterans, but for argument's sake, let's presume that Buffalo trading Byram is the Sabres' biggest move before training camp begins in the fall. You'd better believe that Adams has to hit a home run with a Byram trade — we're talking an experienced forward who can contribute meaningfully right away next year — to justify parting ways with Byram.
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