Quoting: RoyalBlueSabres
I mean I don't see it, actually I think losing asplund hurts playoff contention more than upgrading lybushkin or joki, with Weegar. ...
Buffalo made some really good moves thus far this off season.
But losing Asplund and adding Weegar would not make them playoff team.
After watching the playoffs, Buffalo does not have the Star power of the other teams.
Presuming Boston cannot over come a bad start with McAvoy, Marchand and Grzelcyk expected to miss half of the season, Ottawa has made the moves that will allow them to jump over Buffalo.
Ottawa finished only two points behind the Sabres and added Talbot in goal, Giroux, and DeBrincat up front.
Who on Buffalo will drive a line as well as Giroux, Norris or Tkachuk can?
This not to say Buffalo could not make the playoffs, but there are a lot of
IFS for it to happen.
Okposo, Skinner, Thompson, Olofsson, Tuch, Girgensons all need to match or exceed last year.
Mittelstadt, Cozens, Krebs all need to take that next step and demonstrate that they are ready to play a 200 foot game.
Dahlin needs to be a Norris finalist while Power and Quinn are Calder finalists.
Finally, Comrie has to have a career year.
One more item, no one can have a devastating injury.
Last season the opening line up included Bjork, Caggiula, Eakin, Hagg, Miller and Pysyk.
Replacing them with Quinn, Tuch, Krebs, Power, Lyubushkin, and Fitzgerald will certainly make the team significantly better.