The Buffalo Sabres Are Having An Interesting Offseason.
Another year has gone by where the Sabres missed the playoffs and the fanbase is hoping for a good offseason to get to said playoffs. After years of swinging for the fences on players like Kyle Okposo, Matt Moulson, and Jeff Skinner, the Sabres seem to have taken a back seat this year. At least so far.
The Sabres' front office is banking on development from the top six forwards and young defenders. The fourth line is redone as Kyle Okposo got traded last season and long-time fourth-liner Zemgus Girgensons left in free agency. Before we get into free agency, let's discuss the draft.
The 2024 Sabres Draft Class
The Sabres' draft class has some interesting players in it and some interesting decisions made. They started with the 11th overall pick but traded back to pick 14 with San Jose. That wasn't the only draft night trade, but more on that later. With the 14th pick, the Sabres chose Konsta Helenius, a center who has one of the safer floors in the draft.
Helenius is regarded as one of the players in this draft closest to the NHL as he is intelligent and plays above his age. This was a great pick for the Sabres as their center depth is problematic. It might take a couple of years for him to get up to the Sabres, but he has a shot to be a quick riser in the system.
The second pick the Sabres made has mixed reviews from fans. Adam Kleber was selected with pick 42 and he is a big defenseman. Kleber has the size at 6-foot-6, 215 pounds, and already has a floor to be a good defensive defender. He needs to work on his offense a little more, but he isn't a raw offensive prospect. The issue is that there were higher potential players at the wings available like Ryder Richie and Tanner Howe.
Kleber is a good pick for a team that desperately needs defensive depth in the system, however. The next pick the Sabres had was pick 71. They picked a winger with some upside in Brodie Ziemer. A USNTP guy coming off a silver medal at the U18 World Championship is known for being a good scorer and having a high motor. He might not be a top liner in the NHL, but he could be a spark plug for the Sabres down the road.
As noted earlier, the Sabres needed defensemen in the system and picked three in a row in rounds four and six. The first fourth-round pick was Luke Osburn, a defensive-minded player who could pan out as a solid player. The second fourth-round pick was Simon-Pier Brunet who is similar to Osburn but has a touch more potential if his offensive sense can develop.
The sixth-round pick was Patrick Geary, the hometown kid. Geary is an aggressive defender who is regarded to have a "mean streak." He is a decent defender who is physical and racked up penalty minutes. Similar to Osburn and Brunet, it could be a bit before he shows up on the Sabres, but it would be a fun story if he does since he is a former Buffalo Jr. Sabre and a native of Northern New York.
With two picks left in the draft, the Sabres picked up Vasily Zelenov whose ceiling is a bottom-six forward, and Ryerson Leenders to add to the intriguing goalie depth. Overall, it is a solid draft class, but there was an interesting move. The Sabres traded the 43rd pick for Beck Malenstyn to start rebuilding the fourth line. Personally, this writer would've liked another draftee, but whatever. Now we go into what has happened in free agency.
Sabres Free Agency Moves
The first big move from the Sabres was buying out Jeff Skinner, which is an interesting move. He has had some up-and-down seasons with the Sabres and buying him out gives them some salary cap savings. It is just interesting what happens next as the Sabres need some scoring and Skinner, while inconsistent, could provide that.
The move to replace Skinner was made quickly as Jason Zucker signed a one-year pact for $5 million with the Sabres. He has had good stretches in his career with the Minnesota Wild, but recently he has had some down years. Zucker right now is a cheaper and less volatile Skinner, in terms of being boom or bust. He won't be a 30-goal scorer, but if he is a 20+ goal scorer it will be a good signing.
The next signing signaled a retooling of the fourth line. The Sabres traded for Beck Malenstyn and signed Sam Lafferty to a 2-year deal. Lafferty is a quick and gritty player who has some scoring touch to pair with Malenstyn. To round out the fourth line, the Sabres also signed Nicolas Aube-Kubel. The fourth line got a lot faster and more physical with these signings, but it doesn't fully move the needle.
So far, that sums up all the major moves for the Sabres, however, they did bring in some depth defenders who could be on the third pairing. The Buffalo Sabres are 13 years into a playoff drought and fans are not feeling great about these moves. While the Atlantic division gets stronger, the Sabres stood pat in hopes that the top-six can develop or replicate the 2022-23 season that saw the Sabres just miss the playoffs. This offseason doesn't spark confidence and the roster is relying on players who have potential and haven't put it together fully.
EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS:
Order your favorite whiskey or spirit for the big game right to your doorstep and use code STADIUMRANT10 for a 10% discount at Caskers
Use code STADIUMRANT20 for a 20% discount at Bulletproof Coffee, SwingJuice and Performix.
If you love to shotgun beers, use code STADIUMRANT10 at Wild Man Drinking Company.
MORE FROM STADIUM RANT:
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to our newsletter here. Check out Stadium Rant Original shows on our Youtube channel and subscribe! Give our socials Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok a follow for more great content!