Getting a bit stronger

you saw exactly one game and now know exactly what the sabres need, detroit should hire you! (kidding all in good fun)

Yes they need buchnevich. Its not skilled wingers they need, but they also dont need heavy hitters. They had a terrible time generating offense that wasnt off the rush once teams took notice.

They need more two way talent, thats what buchnevich is.

I know that the back end needs more shut down ability, not more puck movement. Joki is softer than hot butter.

Buch is pretty solid defensively, but you're going to have to dip way into your prospect pool, more than you'd probably want to, to acquire him (this is also because STL likely has no real interest in trading him). Not to mention, when his contract is up, it'll cost a pretty penny. I don't think another top 6 forward is a need. You're hoping guys like JJ, Benson, Kulich, Savoie, Quinn,,, will all eventually take that leap forward. JJ has already started to

I think getting bigger and stronger on the back end, as well as building a better bottom 6 is what the focus should be in the offseason.

I didn't really include it here, but maybe adding a decent bottom 6 vet presence will help as well. The team has the scoring, it just needs the rest.

This is where your opinion might have changed if you saw more of them throughout the year. people say defense is the issue but its kind of a misnomer. The biggest issue all year was that Granato did not know how to coach his forwards to be more structured in his own end without totally caving offensively. His solution was essentially to stop rushing, and take no risks. This is partly cause he was probably in over his head, but its also because most of the Sabres forwards aren't particularly good in their own end. Thats one of the driving factors for Benson making the team at 18. He was un ironically one of their better defensive forwards at 5v5 lol

The blue line isnt perfect, but power and dahlin are going to carry. I would be thrilled to upgrade on the right side especially over samuelsson and clifton. But they need their forward group to find a way to both play with more structure in their own end and turn the defense into offense when they retrieve the puck. Speaking of which, they are also a horrible cycling team lol. Benson was also one of their best forwards there. So it wouldnt hurt to add one or two guys that can do that.

Sabres are not going to be trading young players for draft picks - that's the opposite of the 'win now' urgency they're now endorsing.

If anything, given that the AGM in Seattle (Botterill) traded for Jokiharju when he was Sabres' GM, there's a better chance of the Kraken possibly considering him in a swap for Borgen, given the similar age and career trajectory each has had. I'm not sure what kind of 'shake-up' that Francis is rumored to be considering but if the Sabres could land Gourde as a possible 3C in a deal, that'd certainly fill several of their needs (2-way agitator with Cup experience and leadership qualities).

Getting better on the right side would help alleviate some of the defensive mishaps from your less defensively minded forwards.

During that game, there were multiple defensive collapses on the rush because Detroit played the puck with the body and guys like Power and Joki didn't know what to do. Adding players like Borgen and Chatfield can help solidify that back end (or any players LIKE them) and not have Samuelsson be the ONLY DFD on that back end. He doesn't have to do it all. It adds better penalty killers as well.

Instead of paying Clifton 3.3m this past offseason, give 4 to Gudas. He's been lights out in ANH and is exactly the kind of RD Buffalo needed.

The year prior, BUF was one of the better offensive teams in the league. They just had 0 help from goaltending or defense. This season, a lot of their offensive mishaps can be chalked up to Granato being a doorknob. The team has plenty of offensive talent. Building a better supporting cast on the right side and bottom 6 will help take pressure from the guys in the top 6 from having to do it all.

Sending a massive package for Buch is the last thing Buffalo should consider doing when their issues can be fixed with much cheaper additions, ones you can make without clogging your pipeline of extremely gifted young forwards.