Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
After a lot of hype and a lot of patience, the Buffalo Sabers are this close to making the playoffs in the very competitive Atlantic Division.
At the crucial U.S. Thanksgiving juncture in the current regular season, the Sabers sit in fifth place in the Atlantic Division, just one point behind fourth-place Tampa Bay and two points behind third-place Boston, with Buffalo having two games in hand. Bruins.
Despite stumbling out of the door, the Sabers are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games. They are still masters of their destiny, with 60 games remaining to do what they have been trying to do for 13 years. According to PuckPedia, they have approximately $8.46 million in cap space. to improve their workforce. It’s time to enjoy it.
Buffalo general manager Kevyn Adams is under intense pressure to get the Sabers into the playoffs for the first time since 2010-11, and he needs to acquire a high-impact offensive player. Buffalo currently ranks 15th overall in the NHL with an average of 3.09 goals per game.
When the Sabers reacquired left winger Jeff Skinner last summer after he scored 24 goals and 46 points in 2023-24, they were essentially sending a message to their fans and players: the time has come for this team to make the leap the course of the competition. and become a legitimate playoff team. They didn’t just take six years of buyout penalties for not using all of the cleared cap space for what would have been the final three years of Skinner’s contract worth $9 million per year.
This is why there is so much pressure on Adams right now. He needs to add talent, and there are no buts.
While second-line center Dylan Cozens is currently struggling to score points – he has just four goals and eight points in 22 games – the Sabers could make a move for someone like Flyers center Morgan Frost or Scott Laughton and still have plenty of room to bolster their defense corps with an experienced veteran.
Alternatively, Buffalo could target a high-end player like Penguins right wing Bryan Rust, a two-time Stanley Cup winner who has three more years after this season with an annual cap hit of $5.125 million. Rust, 32, has a full no-movement clause in his contract this season, but the chance to join a promising team and get out of Pittsburgh’s current predicament might be reason enough for Rust to agree to a deal. to the Sabres.
Michael DeRosa of Hockey News left winger Chris Kreider of the New York Rangers also suggested. If they want a scorer whose ceiling isn’t as high as Skinner’s, it’s him. He’s scored nine goals this season, he’s had three straight seasons of 35 or more goals and he’s making a ton of shots.
Related: Three potential trade destinations for Rangers’ Chris Kreider
No matter who he recruits, Adams needs to make at least one or two moves to improve his roster. Buffalo has no excuses in its battle for a playoff spot, which means the Sabers must be in buyer’s mode on the trade market.
They are so close to moving into a playoff position and have three-quarters of the season to get there. They simply can’t finish in fifth place and find themselves one or two spots away from the wild-card mix at the end of the season. Adams can’t accept the status quo because Buffalo will find itself at a major crossroads again if it doesn’t secure at least one wild card spot this year.
It’s make-it-or-shut-up time in Buffalo, and nothing less than a playoff berth will be acceptable for this franchise. Adding a player who can help them get there now is a must.
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