The Buffalo Sabres could make a deal with a divisional rival in the coming weeks. The Hockey News recently reported that the Boston Bruins have expressed interest in both Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons, two-thirds of the Sabres’ on-ice leadership group.
Whether or not anything will come of this, it raises an interesting question: with the Sabres in transition and looking to further incorporate their many young talents, will this season be it for the veteran stalwarts in Buffalo? The 2023-24 campaign was expected to be a big one for the Sabres but has not gone to plan, and it’s safe to assume changes will be coming over the summer. Will the team start by moving on from its two longest-serving players?
Sabres Need Roster Space
The Sabres have an embarrassment of riches in promising young players cultivated over the past few years, and their pipeline is one of the best in the NHL. Conversely, roster space will have to be cleared out to accommodate the up-and-comers, and that’s a predicament management will be facing this offseason. It’s possible that a couple of lower-end players at the end of their contracts will not be retained. There are even rumblings that Casey Mittelstadt won’t be re-signed, and he’s been Buffalo’s best forward this season by a country mile.
A host of injuries opened the door for 2023 first-round pick Zach Benson to permanently join the NHL ranks even though he won’t turn 19 until May, and the Sabres could be planning on moving a few players up the pipeline in the fall. Isak Rosen and Jiri Kulich are the top candidates, and Matthew Savoie isn’t far behind them. To do so, the team will be forced to make cuts, and Okposo and Girgensons would be an unfortunately logical starting point.
It would be difficult for even the most cynical Sabres fans to see either one depart. Girgensons, 30, is the longest-serving member of the team, having joined in 2013, while Okposo, 35, came along three years later. They serve as co-elder statesmen and have guided their numerous young teammates through some very trying times over the years. The loyalty both have shown to Buffalo despite the unending tumult is commendable, and the team is undeniably better off for having them.
While both are invaluable for the intangibles they bring, neither contributes much in terms of offense, and they both serve as fourth-line role-players. Considering the team needs the former more than anything right now, that could make them expendable. Both are unrestricted free agents to-be, and the front office will be faced with a decision if both are destined to leave. Wait until the season is over and let one or both of them depart on their terms, or take the Bruins up on their interest and get something in return while they can?
What Sabres Might Get in Return
Not much, if we’re being honest. As important as the two are to the Sabres, their trade value isn’t very high, and general manager Kevyn Adams would simply not be able to ask for much in exchange other than a mid to low-level draft pick, and even that depends on how much their suitors are willing to spend.
Boston once again sits atop the Eastern Conference, albeit with a much smaller lead than they had at this time last year. Despite losing several big pieces last summer, the Bruins have continued their excellence and will undoubtedly be looking for redemption after their historic 2022-23 campaign came to an embarrassing end against the Cinderella Florida Panthers in the opening round of the playoffs. GM Don Sweeney‘s team already has an abundance of talent, led by standard bearers Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. His interest in Girgensons and Okposo would indicate that he is looking to add character and presence this time around rather than stacking up on big names like last season.
As the younger of the two, Girgensons would ostensibly command a bigger return. His scoring has regressed, but he continues to be a leader by example with his persistent hustle and work ethic. An intelligent penalty-killer and back-checker who never shies away from physical battles, he would be an ideal option for a team looking for depth at both center and on special teams.
Okposo is trickier to assess. Although he’s older and with the end of his career potentially in sight, he still has value. The captain has quietly turned in a solid season, playing to a plus-one rating and contributing 11 goals – no small feat given how starved the Sabres have been for offense. He also still plays a hardnosed style and doesn’t let his age and numerous injuries over the years stop him from doing so. Like his longtime teammate, he’s a consistent presence in the dirty areas and is never reluctant to throw his weight around.
Related: Sabres News & Rumors: Cozens, Jokiharju, Luukkonen & Clague
How much Boston offers in exchange for Okposo would depend on what angle Sweeney takes. Does he look at more than just the scoring and see where his true value lies, or does he choose to see him simply as a roster filler?
Would It Be Wise for Buffalo to Part Ways With Okposo and Girgensons?
Though moving on from Girgensons and Okposo would be a logical move to make room for the future, that doesn’t necessarily mean it would be a wise path to take altogether.
The Sabres are a different team this season compared to 2022-23, that much is glaringly evident by now. The team of yesteryear had its faults but was coherent and collected for the most part, but the current team has done a 180. Most of the Sabres’ top players have looked lost throughout the season, including but not limited to Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin. The confidence and poise they seemed to possess a year ago has vanished, and the results are markedly different.
In a way, this makes the veteran duo all the more important to the team, and there’s a chance they could get worse without them. The Sabres were thought to be a mature team, but a few players haven’t made as big a jump as expected, and it’s obvious there’s still a lot more growing to do. Girgensons and Okposo have been looked to for guidance and direction in the past, and that seems to have doubled this season. Would the bottom fall out without the two providing that stability, or would the team not miss a beat and continue on the same mediocre path it’s been on all season?
Regardless of what option you prefer, the sight of either of the two wearing the Bruins’ black and yellow would be a tough one for fans to accept. The writing could be on the wall for the Sabres’ two biggest stalwarts, and there’s a growing chance that neither of them will be back next season. Would you trade either of them?
