The Buffalo Sabres currently hold the longest NHL playoff drought, spanning 14 seasons. They last made the playoffs in 2011 and have not been back since. Further, they have regressed over the last two seasons, winning fewer games and having fewer points in each of the last two years than the prior year. Still, the Sabres look to turn around their fortunes. It would take a solid offseason, but this summer could also be a disaster. We look at the nightmare scenario for the Sabres in this 2025 NHL Free Agency period.
The Sabres need to make changes to break their long playoff drought. They are in a position to do just that. Buffalo has plenty of cap space coming into this offseason. They are projected to have over $24 million in cap space this offseason, according to Cap Wages. They also have just six free agents, with five of them being restricted free agents.
The Sabres do have plenty of needs this offseason. They need to take care of their homegrown talent while adding scoring depth. Further, they have to fix their goaltending situation while not adding more dead cap space like they have with Jeff Skinner.
JJ Peterka leaves Buffalo
The most pressing need for the Sabres is the future of JJ Peterka. While they have other restricted free agents, such as Jack Quinn, Ryan McLeod, and Bowen Byram, Peterka is the one they need to focus on. Peterka was second on the team in points this year, having 27 goals and 41 assists, good for 68 total points. Further, he was a major player on the powerplay, with six goals and 12 assists.
He is also coming off his best season as a professional. His 27 goals were just one behind his career high of 28, achieved the prior year. That year, he played in all 82 games, while he played in 77 this year. He also set a career high in assists with 41 while also having his most powerplay goals and power play assists of his career. Peterka just had his best season on the powerplay as well, creating more goals and high-danger scoring chances on the powerplay than at any point in his NHL career.
The 34th overall selection in the 2020 NHL draft will also turn just 24 years old this year, and is already on the top line for the Sabres. Buffalo will also have options on how to sign him. They could opt for a short-term deal worth $4.6 million per year, or they could sign a long-term deal worth $7.8 million per year. Regardless, this young core is currently set up to grow together. Only Alex Tuch is an unrestricted free agent after this season, and they need to keep this group together. Losing Peterka for draft pick compensation with a young team would be a disaster for the Sabres.
Sabres fail to add another scoring option
Four of the top six forwards are under contract for the Sabres this upcoming season, with Peterka and McLeod both being restricted free agents. The Sabres need to bring both of them back, but also need to add top-level scoring to their top lines. Tage Thompson led the team in scoring this past year, having 44 goals and 28 assists. That gave him a team high of 72 points. He was followed by Peterka and blue-liner Rasmus Dahlin. Still, the second line needs help. The best solution would be to move Josh Norris down.
Norris finished the season playing on the top line, but due to injuries, he played just three games for the Sabres after being acquired from the Senators. In those three games, he had a goal and an assist. Still, Norris does not have the scoring production to warrant top-line minutes, and potentially not even second-line minutes. His career high in points is 55 points in the 2021-22 season, but in most seasons, he scored an average of 34 points.
The Sabres have the salary cap room to bring in a top-level player. They could go after Brock Boeser. Boeser is a right winger, which would require Thompson, most likely, to move to center on the top line. Regardless, Boeser is a top-flight forward. He is coming off a down year in which he scored just 25 goals and 25 assists. This would allow Norris or McLeod to lead the third line, giving the Sabres scoring depth on three lines. Further, Boeser has been a 40-goal scorer in his career, and adding another player who can put up goals is necessary for the Sabres.
Boeser is projected to cost $8.5 million per year, a number that the Sabres can handle long term. He is not the only top-level scoring option, as well. Sam Bennett and Nikolaj Ehlers are both available to add to the top line. The only thing the Sabres cannot do is stand pat. That would just continue the futility in Western New York.
Buffalo continues goaltending woes
The Sabres were 29th in the NHL this year in goals against per game while also sitting 30th in the NHL in save percentage. James Reimer is a free agent, but he was the best of the three goaltenders this past year. In Buffalo, he went 10-8-2 with a 2.90 goals against average and a .901 save percentage after coming over from Anaheim. Still, he will be turning 38 years old this year, and for a team built around youth, he may not be a long-term solution in Buffalo.
Devon Levi is a restricted free agent, but so far in his NHL career, he has not shown himself to be an NHL-level goaltender. He has a career 3.29 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage. Meanwhile, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has regressed. He had a 3.20 goals-against average this year with a .887 save percentage. That was the worst save percentage of his career. Further, his career goals-against average is at 3.06 with a .898 save percentage.
Buffalo can go after free agents such as Jake Allen or Anton Forsberg and have money to spare. Further, they could keep Luukkonen on as a backup. They could also do a buyout of Luukkonen, but that would just create more dead cap space similar to Skinner. Regardless, standing pat is not an option for Buffalo. This offseason needs to be an aggressive one for the Sabres. If they let players such as Peterka walk, while also not adding scoring depth and addressing goaltending, this offseason will be a nightmare.
The post Sabres’ nightmare scenario in 2025 NHL Free Agency appeared first on ClutchPoints.
