Top 6 Forward, Top 4 Defenseman Still a Need
The Sabres used opening day of free agency to shore up the goaltending and sign bottom 6 and defensive depth. They also added several players headed to Rochester. I’m not sure if much more help can come via free agency for them. The few big fish left will be very expensive and probably don’t view Buffalo as a premier destination.
The good news? The Sabres do have the ammunition of defender Bo Byram. Trading Bo means at least one of those needs can be met through him. More might be required from Buffalo for a top forward though. Or the Sabres could hand Byram the Uno Reverse Card and overpay him handsomely for a season or two. Or match an offer sheet if one comes. Convince him no deal can be reached at this time. Sign short term and the Sabres will readdress this in the future. See where the team is in a year or two, Bo could change his mind by then. That sounds like a long shot now but you never know.
Meanwhile, more players are still signing out there and more trades will roll in I’m sure. We probably have a solid week or two of moderate NHL activity before the league really slows down for summer break. As of this writing, the Sabres still need to sign two of their own, Devon Levi and Conor Timmins. Three if you count Bo Byram but most are not.