Hopefully the Sabres savored the much needed rest offered by the Olympic break, because there will be no room for relaxation over the next five weeks.
Buffalo’s run into the Olympic break was no easy lift, playing 14 games in 26 days with virtually every one of them carrying significant stakes in the jam packed Eastern Conference playoff race. The Sabres will play 18 games between Wednesday and March 31 and they will only get more than one day off between games four times over the course of the month. The schedule includes back-to-back games in Florida this coming weekend in addition to a home set at the end of March against Detroit and Seattle. In the middle will be a Meaningful Games in March edition of Sabres After Dark as the team takes a western swing to Vegas and California.
That’s a long way of saying things won’t be any easier for the Sabres as they try and snap their 14-year playoff drought. For as much attention will be on the teams as they jump back into action, more will be on Jarmo Kekäläinen with the NHL trade deadline just over a week away.
A three week break in the middle of the year should have been a godsend for a team with a healthy injury list, but the Sabres are still dealing with a few notable injuries. Zach Benson will miss this opening road trip as he continues to recover from the injury he sustained in Florida. Giving him until next week would mark four weeks of recovery which is probably in line with whatever needed to heal in his shoulder and arm. Justin Danforth, Jordan Greenway and Conor Timminos also remain out, as does Jiri Kulich. However, Kulich deserves a different category from the others as his recovery from blood clots still requires at least one more re-evaluation. On the bright side, the time off has allowed Josh Dunne, Michael Kesselring, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Josh Norris to rejoin the team. Hopefully Kesselring and Norris are at 100%
Both Danforth and Timmins will return to the Sabres at some point and it seems as if Kulich will as well. Greenway’s future appears to be much cloudier, meaning the needs of the roster are much more apparent. Can Kekäläinen find a forward who can supplement Buffalo’s top nine? Is there a defenseman available who can be trusted more in a depth role than Jacob Bryson or Zach Metsa?
One of the most notable developments of this year’s push up the standings has been the play of Buffalo’s top four. Bowen Byram, Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power and Mattias Samuelsson have really driven the bus for the Sabres and have, perhaps, been the most valuable unit on the roster. However, the group has been ridden hard, particularly in the weeks leading up to the Olympic break when they each played 23, 24 or 25 minutes a night. Kesselring’s health will be a factor here, as his availability has forced Bryson and Metsa into the lineup more than I would think anyone had expected in the offseason. Kesselring would be step one towards reducing some of the workload and stress on that top four group, but the stark drop in icetime given to Bryson and Metsa when they have played indicates the need to give Lindy Ruff another reliable defenseman.
Yes, Timmins will return in the coming days or weeks. His precise timeline hasn’t been made public as of yet, but he will be back eventually. Adding one more body to this group would create a choice of three players to round out Buffalo’s bottom pair. Bryson or Metsa could remain as emergency options, but one more viable option for the blueline is as pressing as any other addition Kekäläinen can make.
Who that could be remains in flux. Plenty of names are floating around the rumor mill. Including, but not limited to Logan Stanley, Connor Murphy and, just this week, Mackenzie Weegar. Trade protection may still be a hurdle for the Sabres. Handedness could be as well. It’s a bit ironic that there are so many right handed defensemen on trade boards after the Sabres expended so much energy bringing in righties to help balance their defensive corps. There was a lot of time spent discussing how the Sabres could strengthen their depth on the right side (and striving for a righty-lefty balance), only for the group that cemented themselves as the top four options all to shoot left, thus relegating the two right handed summer additions to the third pair.
That wouldn’t preclude the Sabres from seeking another righty in a deadline trade, but if the goal is for that player to rotate with Kesselring and Timmins, a lefty is probably the preferable option.
Stanley would fit that bill, especially if their goal is to add a heavier player, as would Jamie Oleksiak. Other lefties who could be worth consideration: Dmitry Orlov and Brenden Dillon. Both have term beyond this season in addition to trade protection. I also fear that father time could be catching up to the pair who were previously strong analytical players. Dillon’s edge makes me think he has the type of profile the Sabres would be seeking. If handedness isn’t an issue, blog favorite Zach Whitecloud is said to be available, though he also has term on his contract. His Flames teammate Brayden Pachal has carved out surprisingly good underlying numbers on a middling roster and Nick Blankenburg has been mentioned by Chad DeDominicis.
More targets could come available if the next week sees any teams fall out of their respective races.
What choice is made up front will be fascinating. Is Jack Quinn’s spot in flux? Is a center capable of eating matchups and winning faceoffs more valuable than a winger? I’ve wanted to see Jared McCann in a Sabres jersey for years. He’s long been a play driver with good offensive numbers. He’s pacing for 20 goals once again this year and he’d make an excellent addition to the middle of the lineup. I’ll admit to having tunnel vision when it comes to McCann (in spite of his trade protection) but there are plenty worthy names floating around trade boards. Vincent Trocheck would help resolve Buffalo’s faceoff issues, Warren Foegele would be a reclamation project but that could also mean a lower acquisition cost. Boone Jenner has the connections to the GM while Robert Thomas is more of a summer target but is representative of a team that is Going For It.
The countdown is on for Kekäläinen. The deadline is a week from Friday, his roster is getting healthy and they’re in the thick of a playoff race. He’s bided his time thus far but now is the time to strike.
Two in the Box 