The Sabres would hit a home run if they signed this under-the-radar forward

In some recent articles, I’ve argued that the Sabres should make another trade for a top-six forward or, if they feel a prospect like Jiri Kulich is ready to step up, call one up. But there’s another option on the table, and it involves signing another free agent who, one way or another, is still available Monday morning.

Daniel Sprong, someone I said a few months ago that Kevyn Adams should sign, is still on the roster, waiting to be worked out. While it may be a stretch for some to call Sprong a “top six” talent since he’s only averaged 11:44 of total ice time over the last two seasons, he’s still scored 39 goals in those 142 games.

If the Sabres were to sign someone like Sprong, there’s a good chance he’d end up in the middle of the Blue and Gold’s line if Zach Benson plays well enough in camp and preseason to earn a spot in the top-six. Still, imagine a team with such scoring depth that someone like Sprong would bring to the third line alongside Jason Zucker (or Benson) and Ryan McLeod.

I’ve long been impressed with Sprong, though his 21-goal season with the Seattle Kraken in 2022-23 made me skeptical. It could be a fluke if Sprong has a good year, as countless NHL players have done the same thing.

But he arrived in the Motor City in 2023-24 and repeated the feat, finishing the year with 18 goals, 25 assists and 43 points in 12 minutes of average total ice time. Signing someone like Sprong at this point in the summer would give the Sabres three solid lines with scoring potential along with an impactful fourth line that will be the opposite of what we’ve seen of late.

Whether the Sabres add another forward via trade, promotion or signing is something we’ll find out as the 2024-25 season approaches. While there’s no wrong answer here, if Adams were to acquire a legitimate top-six scorer from another team, think Kulich can reach the next level or sign someone like Sprong in anticipation, he’d ideally be making one last move to improve the team’s forward position. The only wrong answer is to do nothing.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)