In this edition of Buffalo Sabres News & Rumors, I’ll take a look at the Sabres’ signing of Zach Benson, their 2023 first-round pick, to a three-year entry-level contract (ELC). He had an impressive season in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with 98 points (36 goals, 62 assists) playing for the Winnipeg ICE. Scouts praised his skills, heart, and willingness to compete despite his smaller size. He is considered a top-six forward and will return to the WHL for further development.
Second, looking far ahead for the Sabres, the team is projected to be buyers at the 2024 Trade Deadline so they can make a deeper playoff run. That, for the first time in a long time, changes the team’s motivations. They might explore selling high-end prospects to support a trade. Who could be traded and who shouldn’t be traded?
Third, I’ll take a look at young Sabres goalie Devon Levi. He’s been impressive since joining the team and made a quick and easy (it seems), transition from college to the NHL. Why will he continue to thrive during the upcoming season?
Finally, I’ll briefly look at a recent mid-offseason power ranking and suggest where hockey pundits might place the team.
Item One: Sabres Sign Zach Benson to 3-Year ELC
This past week, the Sabres signed Zach Benson, their 2023 first-round pick in the NHL Entry Draft to a three-year ELC. He put up an impressive performance in the WHL, totalling 98 points (with 36 goals and 62 assists) in 60 games for the ICE last season. With the ICE, he also often played with Matthew Savoie, the Sabres’ top pick from the 2022 Draft.
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What makes Benson such a strong potential NHL player is the combination of his skills, heart, and willingness to battle. He does all that despite his smaller stature. He’s currently only 5-foot-9 and 163 pounds.
Sabres general manager (GM) Kevyn Adams made a point to laud Benson’s intelligence and fearlessness on the ice. He will attend Sabres training camp; however, he’s set to return to the WHL to play for the Wenatchee Wild when it concludes. He’s projected to be a top-six forward in the NHL; however, he might need a few seasons to develop.
Item Two: Sabres’ Writers Are Looking at Potential Trade Bait
The Sabres are in a unique position – for them. While it hasn’t happened in a long time, the team is already looking toward the 2024 Trade Deadline – this time as buyers. The organization expects this to be the season when the team makes its first of many deep playoff runs.
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That expectation has generated a lot of projections about who, in the pool of prospects, won’t be with the team when the 2024-25 season rolls around. Sabres’ writers from different venues are wondering together which high-end or mid-tier prospects could be used as trade fodder to bolster the team’s roster. My Hockey Writers colleague Matthew Morris has projected that prospects Noah Ostlund, Topias Leinonen, and Isak Rosen might be traded.
In a post yesterday, Sabres’ writer Sion Fawkes (Sabre Noise) also weighed in to note some of the prospects who might be considered as candidates. He saw Ostlund as the most likely candidate because the team has a number of good young centers, which creates a bit of a logjam at that position.
But one who isn’t likely to be traded is Rosen. Instead, Fawkes noted that “Rosen is the kind of player the Buffalo Sabres will hang onto and develop thanks to his steady improvement in the AHL last season. This isn’t to say they won’t eventually trade him, but for the foreseeable future, it’s not happening until his body gets closer to maturing and when he further hones his game. At which point, the Blue and Gold have a decision to make – promote him to the NHL as a winger, or trade him to a team for a potential playoff piece.”
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That these conversations are already starting to pop up suggests how different this season is expected to look.
Item Three: Devon Levi Expected to Be a Huge Part of Sabres’ Move Upward
Levi has been nothing but impressive since he joined the team straight out of Northeastern University. Although he was drafted in the seventh round, he made a quick transition from college to the NHL. It didn’t take him long to get fans excited with his solid play last season when the Sabres were pushing hard to end the team’s playoff drought.
The question is whether Levi can continue to play with such reliability. Adam Proteau of The Hockey News notes that Levi doesn’t need to be exceptional every game. However, he should be expected to provide dependable performances that allow the Sabres’ offense to carry the team.
While there’s a lot of pressure among NHL starting goalies to produce at a consistently high level, Levi’s history suggests he can handle pressure. He’s shown that during his performances in college and Buffalo’s late-season playoff push.
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If Levi can become a reliable goalie, the team will do well enough. If, by any good fortune, he continues to thrive in the upcoming season, watch out for the Sabres.
Given his resume of maintaining his composure in the crease, fans should expect him to deliver solid play despite the pressure that his youth and inexperience might suggest. Levi could be Sabres’ x-factor in the goaltending situation. He could be a key to the team’s success in the future.
What’s Next for the Sabres?
Not two weeks ago, Sportsnet did their power rankings for the NHL. The Sabres were close to the middle of the pack (at No. 14), but ahead of teams like the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In his rankings, Ryan Dixon said that it was a bit “unnerving” to bet on a team with youthful goalies like Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. However, the team seemed to be loaded. He noted that Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin anchor the defensive unit and the team’s forward group is both talented and promising.
It promises to be an interesting season for Sabres fans.
