Why the Sabres need to add another center this summer

Why the Sabres need to add another center this summer

I’m Lance lowski the Sabers beat wrer from the Buffalo News the Stanley Cup Final starts Saturday night the Florida Panthers and of course the Edmonton Oilers all sorts of Sabers connections on both sides of it we won’t get into that right no need to to make everybody relive uh that fact I’m sure that it’ll be in your face for the next few weeks as we prepare for the actual offseason to start but some of it is already underway this scouting combine was in Buffalo this past week general managers agents roaming the halls of not only KeyBank Center but Harbor Center and this is where a lot of business begins it sets the stage for the offseason contract talks either continue or they begin you have trade talks there’s a lot that goes on here in addition to the prospect interviews the fitness testing and all the other preparations as teams get ready for the NHL draft on June 28th and 29th in Las Vegas but this is where we start to discuss which direction the Sabers are going to be going in the weeks and months to come we know that Kevin Adams wants to upgrade this roster he’s expressed a willingness at this point to finally part with Draft Picks and Prospects so with that in mind I brought to you my annual GM for a day column now this is not going this isn’t me predicting what direction the Sabers are going to go in the weeks this is how I would handle the situation given the realities the the challenges of free agency in the trade trade market whether it be the higher prices for an unrestricted free agent the no trade Clauses the Sabers are going to have to navigate as they decide whom they want to bring in to better position this team to make the playoffs in 2024 2025 under Lindy Ruff now all the details you will find in that story every move that that I would do to fit the fit this team under the salary cap with enough wiggle room to where you account for end to season roster bonuses so you avoid an overage overage maintaining flexibility so you can make other moves throughout the season for example I opted not to trade any of the top prospects in the scenario that I laid out the reason or I guess the overall topic of this video though is to explain to you why I chose to Target a third line Center as opposed to using assets to go out and get a top six Winger now the latest reporting from National voices across the league is that the Sabres are going after a top six forward now this does make sense it would protect them from the possibility of an injury you know you will you would it would enable you to move Zack Benson and Jack Quinn down but I see this team being pretty strong on the wing and in the scenario of my GM for a day column I chose to go out and sign Patrick Kane as opposed to spending top assets on a Winger I think there’s more value and using those to get a center and I also don’t want to blow all the assets this summer remember there is a trade deadline at M midseason and to be honest with you I think this team is better positioned moving forward to go out and get a third line Center because let’s face it I think that they are much stronger on the wing in the prospect pipeline than they are down the middle now you look at Yuri kulle isuk rosan Matt seavoy Anton wallberg we can keep going down the list I think a l most of those players and that includes seavoy project better long term on the wing than they do at Center Noah in my opinion is this team’s best true Center Prospect but he just arrived in Rochester he still needs time to get stronger to learn the North American Pro game there’s going to be at least in my opinion at least a season of development in Rochester for Noah aand the first round pick in 2022 so I went ahead and I know that and I wrote this in my piece Boon Jenner of the Columbus Blue Jackets would be my preferred Target if I were able to go out and acquire anyone the contract is perfect the age is perfect the experience is perfect he fits everything I would want in that spot but I am not convinced that Columbus Blue Jackets are going to trade him and I approach this exercise as real as realistically as I possibly can get if I don’t think a player A team’s going to trade a player I’m not going to go ahead and and act like that’s a possibility it would be to see it it wouldn’t be truthful to the readers it it gets hopes up it it it creates expectations that don’t actually exist in my opinion so I like to approach this from an angle to where this is a player the Sabres could realistically acquire he fits with their team it fits in the salary cap and here’s how we go ahead and do it and for me that player who’s not perfect by any means but I feel would really fit here is Scott lton of the Philadelphia Flyers now the scenario that I laid out in my column which you would be able to read in in the Buffalo News and in print and online is a pick swap in the first round plus the rights of Henry Yoki Haru now realistically you’re probably going to have to add a prospect onto this deal to make it work for both sides but given where the Flyers are at they need a defenseman in a very bad way and unrestricted free agency is going to be a difficult path for them to do that Yoki Haru is C effective only turns he hasn’t even turned 25 years old yet already has a relationship with Ras toan would fit very well with the way that John Toro wants him to play and jumping from possibly the 32nd pick all the way to the 21st is Extreme value in my opinion going from that Prospect in that tier to the prospects and where the Sabres are supposed to pick the Flyers need prospects in a bad way after losing cutter goer Matt Bay meof might not be coming anytime soon this makes sense for both sides in my opinion lton has two years left on his deal didn’t really seem to fit there under John Torell the the way that that lton did in the past average time on Ice went down the underlying metrics oddly enough went down but this is a player who’s 30 years old with bring playoff experience could absorb those defensive Zone starts that were given to Dylan cousins like last year and doing this would allow cousins to be in more positions to succeed now of course cousins is going to grow immensely from the experience that he gained the last two years absorbing all these dzone faceoffs in my opinion but he would you getting more value from that contract by making sure that Dylan cousins is in positions to where he could put the puck in the back of the net that’s what he’s really good at he is a dynamic offensive player now we want to the Sabres are going to want to continue to work with him on growing that defensive game but it’s very important in my opinion to have somebody to take some of that birden off his shoulder so he doesn’t feel like he has to do it and you don’t feel as a Coach lendy Ruff in this case to where you have to push him to do it you have to push Tage Thompson to do it now I feel that Scott lton would help on the penalty Kill Center your third line which allows pton Krebs to remain on the fourth which there’s still value in having a fourth line Center and you’ll read in my piece how I would use Krebs the players I would want to surround him with and to get more out of him in that sense I think you could really build a formidable fourth line around Payton Krebs and guess what I would sign a two-year contract so where like we can EV eventually Elevate pton Krebs but for right now I don’t think he’s ready on a playoff team to play in that role Scott lton could do that it would allow you in other terms to move other players you know in this case it would be I would be open to mov moving Jordan Greenway to get a different skill set to get more speed in your bottom six to get more physicality in your bottom six and to cut some salary I’m not paying $3 million to a fourth line Winger and in this scenario that I laid it out there’s no real sense in doing that so Scott lton by no means is this somebody that I think they’re absolutely going to go out and get but he definitely fits in what not only what the acquisition cost would be but what the contract is 2 years 3 million per fits very well for the Sabers this year and next it buys them time for a young Senator like osen to become NHL ready it’s much cheaper than what they would have had to pay Casey middle stat so not only are they did they end up getting a top four defenseman in Bow and byon that fits more of the the mold that Kevin Adams looks for in a defenseman long term but it also sets you up to where you could pay less for a third line Center fits in your window of competitiveness buys you time for prospects to be ready you don’t want to get give up too much you’re not paying big dollar amounts for for somebody it’s too soon for that you’re not going out and getting a a second line Center I wouldn’t I don’t think you need that Dylan cousins showed in 2022 2023 that he can play that second line role and score in bunches it just when he was slowed by Personnel supporting Tas usage you got quite the dip that I think we the neighbors would be able to avoid by better positioning themselves in the future now again Boon Jenner would be my preference I know fans want John tarez too expensive are the leavs really going to return H retain half the salary on John tarez to trade him to Buffalo not a scenario I see happening fans want Steven stos again why would Steven stos if he leaves Tampa Bay agree to sign in a place as a 13-year playoff drought when he he’s trying to maximize the last few years of his career right like if he takes a one-year deal he’s POS positioning himself for not only that next contract but to be in the best case to not just make the playoffs but to win the Stanley Cup again this is what these these players are they sign up to do that’s the ultimate goal um especially somebody who’s as accomplished as St Coast is so much can change between now and late June when we begin to have conversations about potential targets what how the Sabers are going to approach the draft players we may not expect to be available can become available players we think are available maybe pull off pull it off the market that’s the way this time of year Works EV so much changes from day to day but what I really try to accomplish with this story is to give you a realistic picture of what I expect them to do or what they can do now I’m not suggesting I expect them to automatically do this or that based on what I wrote but this fits within the parameters curious to hear your thoughts always appreciate the feedback email me l l Ys o wski at buff news.com always appreciate questions feedback your thoughts um and we’ve got this is just the beginning it’s going to get busier and busier in terms of off season talk we’ll have a better picture a clearer picture of of what’s ahead but Scott lton and my opinion checks a lot of boxes for the Sabers when it in terms of the third line Center rle that they’ll have to fill for this team to have a shot at the playoffs next season in my opinion I’m lancei the Buffalo News take care

Scott Laughton of the Philadelphia Flyers is a realistic trade option for the Sabres.