Mad at Ads and Short on Grit Issue is Back
Hello fellow DBTBers, just a little Jedi Council to hopefully brighten your day. A new article for you to digest as we near the end of July, 2026 already. The poor kids here in Florida go back to school in just three weeks. I remember somewhere around September 7th for the start of the school year in Buffalo. I would have dreaded having to go back to school in the middle of August.
So away we go with a few topics of interest to me and hopefully you as well.
1. Casinos and Ironman Sponsorship?
As you may have heard, the Buffalo Sabres have joined most of the NHL by adding corporate advertising to their home and away jerseys. Color me disappointed to see our hometown team finally succumb to the almighty dollar. It wasn’t unexpected, but it’s still a little disheartening. I liked being one of the last hold outs on that commercialization nonsense. It was a point of pride that their sweaters remained untouched. Unfortunately, that’s no longer the case.
Former NHL Chief Operating Officer John Collins first brought the concept to the forefront in 2014, arguing that uniform sponsorships were inevitable. Unfortunately, he was right. Ads on NHL jerseys first originated as a league-wide initiative proposed by NHL executives and approved by the Board of Governors in August 2021 to generate massive new revenue streams.
Five years later, only two NHL teams (the Dallas Stars and the San Jose Sharks) do not have corporate jersey ad sponsors heading into the 2026-27 season. All other 30 teams have active jersey patch agreements. The Sabres will feature Seneca Resort and Casino on their home uniforms and Stark Tech on their road duds. Both will be small patches on the upper left side of the hockey jersey. That is Stark TECH by the way, not Stark Industries. No Avengers will be affiliated with the organization, sorry Marvel fans.
Another company, Stark Naked, was turned down for obvious reasons.
Every NHL team now features an advertisement on their helmet, and most fans don’t seem to mind. Ads on jerseys, however, are a different story. To many hockey purists, they’re a blemish on the traditional beauty of a team’s sweater. I’m firmly in that camp as well.
With that in mind, here’s what the Sabres are presenting us with.
I know some people around here are not fond of the gambling industry that has really infiltrated the sports world in the last ten years. So the Seneca Resort and Casino sponsorship will never be appreciated by some. Visually speaking, at least the patch is also royal blue like the jersey and the lettering and logo are only white. There is thankfully no color mismatch between the two. A few NHL clubs out there sport colors on their ads in contrast to their team colors and it’s a real eyesore.
As far as the Stark Tech sponsorship on the road uniforms, the logo appears a little smaller than the Seneca home patch. The wording is a darker blue than the Sabres’ royal blue but barely noticeable from a distance. There is also some faint light blue and light green in the logo but the smaller size makes it hard to see. All in all, it could have been a lot worse. Neither patch is jarringly offensive, and eventually we will learn to live with them. I’m still going to bitch about it though, every chance I get. I absolutely loath the whole cash grab of having ads on hockey jerseys.
But if it’s going to be forced upon us, at least ours isn’t too obnoxious or embarrassing. No Chico’s Bail Bonds to be had.
2. True Grit
The Sabres have enough players who are willing to compete, but this offseason has left them with a shortage of players who consistently make opponents pay physically. The team dealt away size, strength and toughness in Jordan Greenway and Alex Tuch and also lost physical scrapper Josh Dunne to free agency. Buffalo added the monstrous Louis Crevier on the backend but no enhancement has been made to the forward ranks to replace that grit.
For years, Buffalo was viewed as a team that could be pushed around. Management recognized that and made a point of adding heavier, more abrasive players to the bottom of the lineup. They specifically targeted players who would forecheck, finish checks, and make the team harder to play against. Along with an occasional bout thrown in when needed. Last season’s Sabres were a team based on speed but they could throw their weight around too and answer the bell when needed. On paper, this year’s team may be even faster, but they don’t have as much muscle up front anymore. I worry that will cost them eventually, with the ‘roid rage goons of Tampa, always physical Boston and the newly hulked up Panthers just waiting to take cheap shots at them.
The 4th line of Krebs, Malenstyn and Carrick have tenacity and willingness to use the body on their opponents. All three will stick up for teammates but none of them are known for being a true protector on the ice. Beck is tough hombre’ but Krebs and Carrick don’t have the size to match their spirit. If the gloves come off, I say a quick prayer that neither player is going to get hurt and miss 20 games. Krebs in particular has a pattern of barely hanging on in his fights.
So where am I going with this? I believe the team is short at least one more physical forward. Somebody who forechecks hard, hits harder and is willing to throw down at a moment’s notice. A physical, go-to player the other team is always wary off. But the Sabres could also use a top-six forward to help replace Alex Tuch’s production too. Or at least a good portion of it. It’s highly doubtful they can bring in a 60-65 point player at this stage of the summer. But what about a 45 point one who also fills the grit and toughness aspect I’ve been going on about?
Enter the idea for Buffalo to aquire Utah’s Lawson Crouse. (yes, I’m still on this player for like 4 years now) The Sabres would be killing two birds with one stone trading for the big winger. He has all the traits I’ve been talking about that Buffalo is now short on. Crouse is a premier physical forward in the NHL, standing 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds. He is known for policing the ice and protecting his teammates, while dishing out heavy hits along the way. He can forecheck hard and obviously handle himself in a fight. He is the perfect addition for what the team lacks.
Crouse is not without skill or offensive ability, though, and that’s where the “two-for-one” value of acquiring him comes into play. Lawson has scored 20 or more goals in four of the past five seasons. Last year, he found the back of the net 24 times while adding 20 assists for 44 points, all while posting an NHL career-best +20 rating. He’s not the offensive dynamo that some of the fantasy trade proposals involving Buffalo have envisioned over the past several months. Realistically, Crouse is probably a middle-six forward on most NHL teams. That said, I believe the Sabres could utilize him very effectively on their second line. Surrounded by Buffalo’s high-end offensive talent, there’s even a chance his production could take another step forward.
Where Crouse really separates himself, however, is with the intangibles. He would instantly inject a much needed dose of size, toughness, and physicality into Buffalo’s top six while also serving as a protector for the team’s skilled players. Adding a forward who can contribute offensively while filling that role would address two major needs with one acquisition.
Lawson is also a regular and significant contributor on the penalty-killing unit, an area depleted by the departure of Alex Tuch. He frequently averages nearly three minutes of ice time per game while shorthanded.
The 29 year old’s current contract pays him an expected annual salary (AAV) of $4.3 million. His multi-year deal is set to expire at the end of the 2026-27 season, at which point he is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. His actual cap hit this year is only $3.9 million which the Sabres could easily finagle into the lineup. Any deal would likely involve Crouse signing an extension. I imagine he would be looking for something along the lines of $6-7 million per season and at least a five year deal which Buffalo could afford with extra cap space next year. He would be worth it in my opinion.
I feel most of us would like to add a goal scorer while also bringing in a banger to replace what we have lost. Crouse does that with one move from GMJK. I won’t speculate on what it would take to acquire him. Most trade ideas are shot down anyways as either too much or not enough to give up. If I’m the Sabres’ brass however, I’m considering what some goofy “writer” from this forum is pushing. Or even some intern named T. McGee. Buffalo has taken a hit this offseason both in toughness and offense. The young talent of Kulich, Ostlund and Helenius could certainly be a fill-in factor from within. But adding an experienced, physical forward and a proven goal scorer would add an extra layer of protection to the defending Atlantic Division Champions.
So will this actually come to fruition? Like most hopeful deals made by fans, probably not. Buffalo’s GM may be off parasailing right now or on his 5th cocktail in Aruba. But I feel that this move would address both problems the Sabres’ face amongst the forward ranks. To me, they are still short an experienced scoring forward and some overall heavy sandpaper. This would be a great option to fill both those needs.
If you made it this far, I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. The NHL regular season kicks off in only about 9 more weeks…