Buffalo Sabers free agency plans: Players to avoid – The Hockey Writers – Buffalo Sabers

We haven’t even hoisted the Stanley Cup, but it looks like the dog days of summer have arrived. For every other team outside of the final two, eyes are on the future. While the NHL Draft gets the most attention, free agency is also key. For the Buffalo Sabres, what they do (or don’t do) will have an impact.

While the focus will be on which players the Sabers should target, a few names have been discussed that may not be the best fit. That said, they should definitely avoid researching these names, whether or not there is mutual interest.

4 players to avoid for the Sabers in free agency

Finding consensus on the best unrestricted free agents available can be a bit difficult, but the same names are popping up somewhere. When it comes to the Sabres, the first two players on the list are most often referenced by Sabers fans but should be avoided like the plague.

Steven Stamkos, center/winger

Let’s get this out of the way immediately: Steven Stamkos has never been, Never I’m going to sign with the Sabres. This makes no sense, even though some Sabers fans wish the team was in the running for all the big names to hit the market.

Related: Buffalo Sabers 2024 NHL Free Agent Goals

Stamkos has been a very good, elite player for most of his career. He struggled with leg injuries during the pandemic, but bounced back with 106 points in 2021-22 and has been a point-per-game player ever since.

That said, there are two reasons why the Sabers shouldn’t even think about it. For starters, the 34-year-old is undoubtedly looking to finish his career in Tampa Bay. He’s been there since day one and won’t leave unless the team doesn’t live up to his expectations.

Speaking of which, he just signed an eight-year deal that paid him $8.5 million in average annual value (AAV). He could take advantage of the discount in his hometown and accept something similar or slightly higher to stay in Tampa. Elsewhere, he’s probably a player worth at least $10 million. For a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since Stamkos’ second NHL season, this kind of investment will be damaging in the long run.

Patrick Kane, winger

When talking about possible landing spots for Kane, the Sabers come up frequently. Which begs the question: “If Patrick Kane wasn’t from Buffalo, would they have come at all?” » The hometown connection is certainly something, but it’s not enough to take this step.

Kane’s name has been linked to Buffalo for a long time now and until that happens, count on it not happening. He wants to win another title and Buffalo isn’t even close. More importantly, this move makes no sense for the Sabres.

For starters, Kane will likely sign a multi-year deal worth $5-6 million per year, a big increase from the one-year, $2.75 million deal he signed with the Reds Detroit Wings. At 35 years old, he’s not even the Kane of 2021-22 (92 points in 78 games). He’s a very good player and the Sabers were horrible offensively last season. But they expect bounce-back years from Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch and Dylan Cozens, and already have their two best right wings.

This decision makes no sense and the hometown connection seems to be the only real one. He will sign elsewhere and hopefully the Sabers can finally stop being linked to the aging winger.

Elias Lindholm, center/winger

On paper, this move makes a lot of sense for the Sabres. Elias Lindholm has a solid frame at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds. He is good on faceoffs and has shown his ability to be a high-level offensive player (42 goals, 82 points in 2021-2022).

That said, this decision is very scary for several reasons. For starters, Lindholm has had his ups and downs as an offensive player. He took a step forward with the Calgary Flames compared to his time with the Carolina Hurricanes. Then again, he’s only scored 15 goals in 75 games this season between the Flames and Vancouver Canucks.

Another thing that should deter the Sabers is the cost of bringing in Lindholm. It is very likely that he has a 6-8 year contract at around $7.5 million per season. This is a big commitment to make to someone who will be 30 at the end of the year. Considering the core of this team, that’s too big an investment to make in a guy who has been anything but reliable and consistent.

Jonathan Marchessault, winger

Jonathan Marchessault has been a focal point for the Vegas Golden Knights, a key part of the team’s Stanley Cup championship a year ago as a Conn Smythe Trophy winner. He has also been a consistently productive winger despite his small size.

After having a career-best 42-goal season, Marchessault will get an increase in his AAV of $5 million. At 33, it’s hard to believe that his best days are ahead of him, especially since he had never scored more than 30 goals before.

Although it would be nice to add his competitiveness and fire to the second line, the cost would be too high. He might not get a huge raise over the $5 million mark, but more than that makes it a tough sell for the Sabres. If they could get rid of Jeff Skinner, maybe, but two-plus years of Marchessault seems like a bad move for whoever signs this deal.

Final thoughts on free agency

In all likelihood, the Sabers won’t do much in the way of free agency. They can draft a bottom-six forward who can win faceoffs and add something defensively, but the team will be looking for bounce-back seasons from much of its core.

Taking a big step forward in free agency may seem dramatic, but it can set a negative tone for years to come. After moving on from the horrible Kyle Okposo deal, the Sabers will want to build on their current core and be smart about the contracts they hand out.