I like your thinking, as you are not including any UFA’s. Betterall is sort of stuck. He has at least 6 (Nylander, Olofsson, Pilut, Asplund, Thompson and Ruotsalainen) who will either make the team or be gone in the next year. If they make the team what does Buffalo do with the recently signed UFA?
TBH, it could be as soon as 2020-21. Please consider the following:
Cozens to #2 center. I love RHD because there are so many LH wingers who like to play the off wing (Rodrigues is the obvious Sabre).
Move Rodrigues to wing to play with Sheary and Mittelstadt.
IMO McCabe will be the #3 LHD once Pilut recovers from surgery,
I have not seen Borgen play so until I do, I also think Ristolainen will still be a RHD.
Finally, Ullmark will be not Hutton Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s back up.
Over all a great job and saved me the trouble to do a post as this.
Quoting: Shibbal18
How far in the future you thinking?
Quoting: Skyraider112
Risto likely will be, so will Nylander. Botterill doesn't give up on players
Quoting: sabres1108
maybe 2022-23 season realistically