Team: 2023-24 Buffalo Sabres

Initial Creation Date: Apr. 22, 2023

Published: Apr. 22, 2023

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Offseason objectives:
-Give Dahlin and Power contract extensions
-Bring back Okposo and Girgensons on 1 year mutual-friendly deals
-resign Jost
-Acquire Top-4 RHD
-Add more size and competition to defensive unit
-Deepen defensive prospect pool (draft D in 1st round)
-Trade Olofsson
-sign young defensemen to ELCs
-bring in another goalie


2023 Draft:
-Trade: LAK are looking to move one of their RHD (that have 1-year left in their deals) and get some type of assets in return. Ryan Johnson who is looking to sign in SoCAL is a fit and will slot in on the left side on an ELC, an early second round pick (PHI) in the 2nd round of the 2023 draft, and a 25-year old C/LW prospect who scored over a point per game in ROC this past season and had nearly a point-per-game production the year before. BUF needs a Top-4 RHD to play on the right side next to Owen Power. Matt Roy is an underrated TWD defensemen who moves the puck very well and has the ability to hold onto pucks on both ends of the ice. Roy should slot into the #1 RHD role in Buffalo and will fill in nicely next to OP and Dahlin for certain matchups.

-"With the 13th pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Buffalo Sabres select: David Reinbacher, Defensemen from Kloten. Reinbacher is a top defensive prospect in this draft class, a 6'2 Austrian defensemen who has had great production in the Swiss professional league. Look for Buffalo to select a defensemen with this pick as Buffalo is arguably thin at defense in their prospect pool relative to their forwards.
--Reinbacher signs 3 Year ELC


Entry-Level Contracts:
-Buffalo signs 4 players off their reserve list to ELC:
2 Russian defenders - Nikita Novikov, a 6'4 LHD from the '21 draft whose looking to make the jump from the Russian leagues to the AHL and Vsevolod Komarov, 6'2 RHD from the '22 draft whose had good production in the QMJHL this past year and is ready to develop in Rochester.
-Another defender from the 2022 draft signs as Mats Lindgren, a talented skater who's had a quality season in the WHL this past season in Red Deer. Mats Lindgren brings a flashy offensive style of play and will look to grow his game in Roch.
-The last signing is Viljami Marjala who signs after putting up 51 points in 32 games in the Finnish league. Marjala has been consistent the past few seasons continually growing his game.


Trade: Buffalo Trades Victor Olofsson to Nashville for a 2024 2nd Round Pick (TBL); NSH was bottom 5 PP this past season and Olofsson will slot in nicely. Only has 1 year left on his contract and NSH has cap coming into the offseason with about $18M of cap space. Buffalo is just looking to recoup assets on Olofsson before his contract ends because Buffalo will not be renewing. Olofsson will give NSH a goal-scoring left winger who is still relatively young (27) and could bring an offensive style to a power heavy team.

Free Agency:
-Sabres bring back the Captain and re-sign Kyle Okposo to a 1 YR x $1.5M, most likely his farewell year.
-Sabres also bring back the long-tenured Zemgus Girgensons to a 1 YR x $1.8M contract.
-Sabres re-sign Tyson Jost to a 2 YR x $2.25M
-Sabres also re-sign Brett Murray, Lukas Rousek, Linus Weissbach, Matej Pekar, Joe Cecconi, Michael Houser, and Sean Malone back to Rochester

-Sabres give Kale Clague the qualifying offer and settles in arbitration


-Sabres sign Nick Wolff, LHD to a 3 YR x $1.25M contract. Wolff is a big 6'5 defensemen who's been blocked by a strong Bruins defense over the last few years. Wolff is a cost-effective and underrated signing who will provide Buffalo a defensive piece to slot in the bottom 6 and bring a nasty style of defensive play Buffalo desperately needs. This is a low risk, high reward signing as Wolff is still younger (26) and should improve areas of his game under different coaching and staff around him.

-Sabres sign another LHD, Gustav Olofsson to a 2 YR x $900k contract, where Olofsson, like Wolff will have an opportunity to compete for a job on the left side on the third pair with Nick Wolff, Riley Stillman, Jacob Bryson, and Kale Clague.

-Buffalo also signs Alex Nedeljkovic to a 2 YR x $950k deal after having a tough season player in Detroit but having decent play in the minors. Nedeljkovic is familiar with goalie coach Mike Bales from their time in Carolina together and sees Buff as a potential revival opportunity with a young goalie room with Levi and Luukkonen. ; This should give Buffalo a deeper competition in net with the talented, young Devon Levi, the big Finnish netminder in Luukkonen, Eric Comrie and now Nedeljkovic.



Contract Extension:

Dahlin: 8 YR x $10M
Power: 7 YR x $7.5M

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