Sabres Should Start Thinking About Moves to Make This Year
Plus, a look into the Sabres' stars' struggles.
Welcome to The Hockey Writers Buffalo Sabres newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Sabres writers.
In today’s edition, we look at a few trade deadline targets for Kevyn Adams and the Sabres, what Casey Mittelstadt’s next contract might look like, and the struggles of the Sabres’ star power. It would be great if you’d share the THW Substack with your friends and family so that they can subscribe and enjoy all the latest.
Sabres’ 5 Biggest Trade Deadline Targets
January 13, 2024 by Matthew Morris
Not many things have gone the Buffalo Sabres’ way this season. They’ve been ravaged by a host of injuries, have massively underperformed at times and haven’t been able to find any kind of consistency. But fortunately for them, not all is lost. A number of teams will have a hard time at the upcoming trade deadline because they either don’t have the salary cap space to make trades or the assets needed to make them happen.
If their struggles continue, they’ll likely end up being sellers on March 8 and will try to clear out space that they’ll need going forward. But if they can turn it around and rise a bit through the standings, there’s a good chance that they’ll look to make an upgrade. Several players that fit the team’s needs will reportedly be available going forward, some being realistic options and some being more farfetched. Let’s start with the former.
Predicting Sabres’ Casey Mittelstadt’s Next Contract
January 13, 2024 by JP Gambatese
For much of the season, Buffalo Sabres’ center Casey Mittelstadt has been among their best players. His play has struggled of late, resulting in his dropping down to a third-line center role, but for the first 30 or so games, he played like the dominant player we saw at the end of last season. As it stands, he is one of three players (Owen Power and JJ Peterka) to play in all 42 games, and he leads the team in assists (24), points (35), and for those who value the statistic, plus/minus (plus-9). He plays the second most per-game of any Sabres forward and is a presence on the team’s first power-play unit.
Mittelstadt has earned a substantial raise from his three-year, $2.5 million average annual value (AAV) bridge deal that he signed in September 2021. When he signed the contract, he had never surpassed 25 points in a single season; since then, he’s posted a 59-point campaign in 2022-23 and is on pace to score 66 points this season. His establishment as a top-six caliber player on a team that’s struggled to score this year is well worthy of a shiny new extension.
Sabres’ Star Players Need to Have More Impact
January 7, 2024 by Jacob D. Strozyk
The Buffalo Sabres have had a rough go around this season, and there are plenty of reasons for why that is. One in particular that stands out is the fact that their two star players Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin have not been as impactful as they have needed to be. Of the two, Dahlin has been better, but there is still a lot more that is expected of both of them. If Buffalo wants to shed their season slump and continue winning in 2024, it is going to take some massive performances from now until April. Thankfully, with the talent they possess, there is a good chance that they can perform up to a higher standard to bring home some more wins.