Off-Season Checklist: Buffalo Sabers

The offseason has arrived for all but a handful of teams still making the playoffs. So it’s time to look at what they need to accomplish over the next few months. Next up is a look at Buffalo.

It looked like this could be the year the Sabers were going to take a step forward and reach the playoffs. They returned most of one of the most successful groups in the league and with Devon Levi, they hoped to achieve some stability between the pipes. However, things did not go as planned. Levi was overmatched from the start and while he is still a part of their long-term future, he has played more games in the AHL than the NHL. Meanwhile, they lost 50 goals from their 2022-23 total, falling from the top three to outside the top 20 in that regard, causing them to miss the playoffs again. General manager Kevyn Adams acted quickly, bringing back Lindy Ruff as head coach to replace Don Granato who was fired after the season. However, a lot of work also needs to be done at the roster level in the coming months.

Extension talks

Before we get into what additions need to be made, let’s look a little further. The Sabers have three key players who will become extension eligible on July 1 as they enter the final year of their respective contracts.

In the front, JJ Peterka was one of the few players to take a step forward offensively this season, going from 12 goals in his first year to 28 while also reaching the 50-point mark. If the Sabers believe he can move up a gear in 2024-25, it would be worth exploring what an early extension would cost. In anticipation of further improvement in supply, a long-term deal is expected to cost at least $5.5 million and likely more. Adams has been aggressive when it comes to making some of these types of deals and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him explore what a long-term pact with the 22-year-old would cost.

Jack Quinn is the other attacker to note in this situation but his case is different. Injuries have limited him to just 27 games this season, although he has been productive in those, putting up 19 points while significantly improving his per-game rates. With only 104 games under his belt, a long-term extension wouldn’t necessarily be viable. However, they could look to strike an early transition deal, which would give Quinn some security after an injury-riddled campaign, while potentially giving Buffalo a team-friendly price tag if Quinn has a breakout year. It might take a price starting with three for Quinn to sign now.

Then there is Bowen Byram. He managed to stay healthy for the most part this season and responded with a career year, scoring 29 points in 73 games and logging nearly 22 minutes a night after being acquired from Colorado at the deadline. Casey Mittelstadt. Considering what they gave up to get him, it’s fair to say he’s part of Buffalo’s long-term plans, so he’s someone they’ll likely want to lock up as soon as possible. With his injury history, it shouldn’t be as high as Owen PowerThe new deal is ($8.35 million) but it should easily cross the $6 million mark. Notably, he’s owed a $4.62 million qualifying offer next summer with arbitration rights, so they’ll need to make an attractive offer to get him to put pen to paper early.

While all three are unlikely to sign new deals over the summer, Adams will at least want to get an idea of ​​what each player will be looking for as early as possible, as that information should help them when it comes to the remainder of their planned expenses. this summer.

Re-sign Luukkonen

Although Levi failed to land the number one job, it wasn’t all bad news between the pipes for Buffalo this season. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen overcame a rough start to the season to become a true starter in the second half, posting an SV% of 0.919 after January 1, over a span of 36 games. This performance kept the Sabers within striking distance of the playoffs longer than initially thought.

The timing for his improvement was certainly good for Luukkonen as he is eligible for restricted free agency this summer with arbitration eligibility. By mid-season, it looked like he wouldn’t be able to pull off a major deal as a backup with some question marks. Now, after the second half, the 25-year-old at least has some leverage heading into negotiations.

This negotiation could take place in different ways. Considering he only has 100 games of NHL experience under his belt, it would be difficult to reach a satisfactory long-term deal. And if Levi is still their projected starter for the future, they probably wouldn’t want Luukkonen locked up that long either. It’s also worth noting at this point that he has two years left before he is UFA eligible.

Assuming the Sabers don’t want to sign him to a contract that takes him straight to the open market, that means the options are a one-year deal or a mid-term pact that buys an additional year or two of club control. If it is the first case, the contract should be around $3.5 million. On this last point, it is likely that Minnesota Filip GustavssonThe three-year, $3.75 million deal would be used as a starting point in negotiations with the price tag falling in the $4 million range. Even if Levi gets more expensive in 2025-26 when he needs a new contract, they should be able to afford both goalies in this price range with their salary structure.

Since we’re talking goaltenders, the Sabers will also need to add a veteran goaltender this summer. While Levi is still on waivers, there could come a time where they decide to give him a series of starts with AHL Rochester, necessitating the need to have a quality third option in the fold. There will be several of these players available in free agency, but bringing in someone they can play with in a pinch with some confidence would be beneficial.

Add a top-six winger

While there is reason to not panic due to the considerable drop in scoring this season and hope that Ruff can help revive his offense, there is still a definite need to add, especially on the wing. Yes, players like Jiri Kulich, Matthew SavoieAnd Isaac Rosen are on the rise and aren’t too far away, but they can still benefit from time in the minors or an introduction to the NHL level.

As of right now, they have about $65.5 million in commitments for next season, according to CapFriendly, assuming Levi is back full time. With the remaining funds, they need to recruit more than six attackers, a few defenders (including Henri Jokiharju who is owed a qualifying bid of $2.6 million) and Luukkonen. As far as cap situations go, this is one of the most optimal in the league and Adams will have plenty of space to make a splash if he wants to.

Knowing some of the upcoming contracts – this is where knowledge from early extension negotiations comes in – a move to the high end of the market might not make the most sense, as their tenders for 2025 will become much more expensive. pressed, this could cause a slight tightening of the ceilings. However, there are many options at a lower level, including short-term veterans like Jonathan Marchessault if he doesn’t re-sign in Vegas, Vladimir Tarasenko, Tyler Toffolior even Patrick Kane who has been a speculative target of Buffalo for some time now. If they want a longer term piece, someone like Teuvo Teravainen, Tyler BertuzziOr Jake DeBrusk logic.

All of these players should fit into their long-term salary structure while giving their forward group a boost. That, coupled with at least some internal improvements offensively, could give the Sabers a big boost next season.

Add Center Depth

Through the first three quarters of this season, Buffalo had strong center depth with Mittelstadt joining Tage Thompson And Dylan Cozens. They were comfortable enough to handle this by using Mittelstadt to get Byram, but now they need to fill that slot. Peyton Krebs got a deep look at the middle after the trade, but didn’t really make the most of it scoring just four goals all season. A pending RFA, he’s worth keeping around to see if Ruff can help revive that part of his game after being an impactful scorer in junior.

Meanwhile, longtime Saber Zemgus Girgensons it is unlikely to come back as is Tyson Jost; both players have spent time in the middle this season. So done Kyle Okposo before being traded to Florida at the trade deadline. Internally, there are also no Rochester centers likely to push for a training camp spot (assuming Savoie needs some time in the minors to start). So there remains at least one place to fill, and probably two.

Again, ample space in the ceiling will give them plenty of options. Depending on what they do on the wing, they might have enough money to go after someone like Sean Monahan to give them that third quality option that they had when Mittelstadt was still there. Chandler Stephenson would cost a little more but the same idea would apply to him. Alexander Wennberg could also fit well into that third role as someone who could step up in a pinch in case of injuries.

It wouldn’t be shocking to see the Sabers target a fourth-line veteran. Due to a long-term rebuild and playoff drought, there aren’t many veterans on this team. Adding experienced players seems like something they will try to do, even on the wing if they choose to tap into free agency or the trade market to add a piece or two in the shorter term. But at a minimum, there’s a need to replenish their center depth, so expect them to be aggressive on that front over the next few months.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.