With the Buffalo Sabres’ 2023-24 season inching ever closer to a free-fall status, it’s becoming less and less likely each day that they’ll be looking to upgrade in any way at the upcoming trade deadline, even though they could definitely stand to.
It’s far more likely that the Sabres will be sellers as March 8 approaches and try to clear out space that they’ll need going forward. The following four players, in particular, are approaching the end of their contracts and stand little to no chance of returning next season. As such, it would make perfect sense for Buffalo to deal them away and get something in return rather than have them walk away for nothing over the summer.
Jacob Bryson
Jacob Bryson has virtually disappeared this season, and many fans may have forgotten that he exists. He’s played just three games this season and was even demoted to Rochester of the AHL after spending nearly the entire first half as a spectator. The Sabres now have eight men in the mix on defense after Ryan Johnson made his debut on Nov. 4 (not so coincidentally Bryson’s last appearance), and it begs the question of why they are keeping the 26-year-old around when they so clearly have no intention of using him.
Buffalo will need as much salary cap space as it can get going forward, and there’s simply no need to have so many defensemen on the roster. Bryson will be a restricted free agent (RFA) this summer with the expiration of the two-year contract he signed in 2022, and it’s become glaringly obvious that he won’t receive a qualifying offer. As a depth defenseman, he wouldn’t command very much in return, but he is good enough to catch the attention of a contending team needing just that. And with just a $1.9 million cap hit, he’d be easily affordable.
A mid-level draft pick might not seem like much of a return, but it can always get packaged into a future deal to make it more palatable. Bryson might be a mid-level player, but the Sabres would be foolish to not move him if the price is right.
Eric Comrie
Suffice to say, the Eric Comrie experiment in Buffalo did not work out, even though it was always going to be a gamble. The Sabres signed the journeyman in July 2022 with the hope that he could emerge as a number-one goaltender after never receiving the opportunity elsewhere. It might have been wishful thinking, but it didn’t happen, and after a season and a half of middling results, it’s time to cut losses.
Like Bryson, Comrie has seen very limited time this season (just seven games) and was even demoted to Rochester for a period. The three-goaltender system worked for the Sabres over the previous two seasons because Craig Anderson was so valuable as a fringe starter, but Comrie has been unable to excel in the same way, and the team can no longer afford to have an extra roster spot occupied by a goaltender they so rarely use.
General manager Kevyn Adams and head coach Don Granato are hellbent on forcing Devon Levi along as the top guy and have routinely ignored the evidence that he’s clearly not ready for such. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen still struggles with consistency at times but has been the Sabres’ best netminder this season and seems to finally be receiving the increased playing time he deserves. They simply no longer need Comrie, and they’d be doing both sides a favor by trading him.
Related: Sabres Have Mismanaged Their Goalies This Season
Though he’s underwhelmed in Buffalo, the 28-year-old could still be valuable to a team with a more stable goaltending situation. After all, his struggles have been partly due to the incompetence of those in front of him; if given a better supporting cast, he could turn things around. He also wouldn’t cost much with just a $1.8 million cap hit.
Victor Olofsson
Why Victor Olofsson is still wearing the Buffalo blue and gold is a question that fans have undoubtedly been asking for quite a while now. He’s become a shadow of his former self and such a non-factor for the Sabres that he’s averaging less than 12 minutes per game. His continued presence in the lineup may be a testament to how far his team has fallen (and how much they’ve underwhelmed).
Like the previous entries, it’s a mystery why the Sabres have kept the winger around when he’s so clearly fallen out of favor. The team’s offense as a whole has regressed significantly and looks nothing like the high-voltage attack that torched opponents last season. Though he’s far from the only example, Olofsson may be the worst offender, as he has just four goals through 33 games. He’d be an easy starting point when it comes time to clear out dead weight.
Unlike Bryson and Comrie, Olofsson could command a decent return piece. As lifeless and lethargic as he can be at times, his raw offensive talent still makes him lethal, and Buffalo can easily sell him to a top-tier team looking to stack up even more firepower. His $4.75 million cap hit is admittedly expensive for a rental piece and might pose an issue, but the Sabres could retain a portion of that if needed since his contract will be off the books after the season.
Fans have been losing patience with the inconsistent Swede for a while now, and the writing is on the wall that his time in Buffalo will be over after this year. But the Sabres would be foolish to let him go for free. Even if just for a third-round pick, it’s better than nothing.
Kyle Okposo
Now, this might seem a bit out of left field, but there stands a pretty good chance that this season will be Kyle Okposo’s last in Buffalo. The captain re-signed for one year to return for the 2023-24 campaign, which led to speculation that it may be his swan song. Okposo’s play has declined over the last year and a half, and with his best days behind him, the Sabres may no longer be able to justify keeping him around.
After a renaissance 2021-22 season in which he rediscovered himself and looked like the player of old, Okposo’s scoring has once again tailed off, and it’s clear that his age and the numerous injuries he’s sustained are beginning to catch up with him. He’ll turn 36 the day after the conclusion of the regular season, and if he opted to retire, no one would blame him, especially with a wife and four children to speak of.
Since signing with the Sabres in 2016, the Minnesotan has been the consummate professional and has preserved through numerous setbacks to emerge as a bona fide leader respected by teammates and fans alike, reaching his 1000th career game in November. He stepped up at a time when they couldn’t have needed it more, but the once-young team is growing up, and his presence isn’t as necessary as it once was.
If this season is to be the last of Okposo’s career, the Sabres should do right by him and send him to a Stanley Cup frontrunner to give him one last chance at winning it all. He’s done Buffalo an invaluable service, and the team is infinitely better off for having him. Even the most cynical of fans can’t deny his contributions.
In a season that hasn’t gone to plan for the Sabres, they’ll have a plethora of options available as the March 8 trade deadline approaches. Will any of these players actually be on the table? Who else do you think could be dealt?
