Published by hockeybuzz.com, 5-4-2019
For as much as we in Sabreland might hate it, the Carolina Hurricanes advanced to the Eastern Conference finals of the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs and props should be given to owner Tom Dundon and the entire 'Canes team. Carolina beat the defending Stanley Cup champs in a tough seven-game series in Round-1 then beat Barry Trotz, the defending Stanley Cup champion coach in a four-game sweep of the NY Islanders. Why the Capitals let Trotz walk after their first ever Cup is still a great mystery as the 20 yr. coaching veteran has proven time and again that he knows how to get the most out of his players.
However, that's neither here nor there for those of us in Sabreland but what that quick exit did is add other players of interest to Buffalo's free agent board.
What Sabres general manager Jason Botterill has up his sleeve on the trade front is as guarded as the Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe but it hasn't kept many fans in Buffalo from speculating as to which players might be a welcome addition. Sure, there's that little thing called hiring a coach to take care of right now, but Botterill will be headed to Slovakia as one of three GM's for Team Canada and he'll have ample opportunity to talk with Team Sweden head coach Rickard Grönborg and also see his team in action. Gronborg's name has been popping up ever since last year when his name was tied to Buffalo.
And that's a good thing.
The coaching pool right now is very thin whether you want to go with a veteran coach like Dave Tippett, who's already been interviewed by the Sabres, or a young up-and-comer like Sheldon Keefe of the Toronto Marlies. Grönborg might represent somewhat of a bridge for the club as he's had plenty of coaching experience and is respected on the world stage but has yet to bring his talents across the pond to North America. The NHL is a totally different beast as it's loaded with best players in the world some of whom also have the biggest egos in the sport and managing players in Buffalo from the overtness of Jack Eichel to a loner like Rasmus Ristolainen or vets like Zach Bogosian and Kyle Okposo playing mentor to youngins like Rasmus Dahlin and Casey Mittelstadt could represent a high-wire act. It would seem as if Grönborg has as good a chance as any other candidate to make it work with the Sabres.
Enhancing what the new coach has to work with on the roster falls on the shoulders of Botterill and his management team. As of now they have Eichel, Ristolainen, Dahlin, Mittelstadt and Sam Reinhart make up the young nucleus of the team and they have exclusive negotiating rights to 40-goal scorer Jeff Skinner who could become and unrestricted free agent on July 1. Add in a Brandon Montour along with a couple solid role players and some youngins who look to be legit NHL'ers and you can come up with a good group to build upon. What they build with is the next step.
On the trade market, who wouldn't want Winnipeg Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba on the blueline to help solidify a top-four that could use another talent and who wouldn't want a three-time Cup champion in 32 yr. old center Evgeni Malkin from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Both players would be great additions to the club and for those who'd like to take a bolder approach, offer-sheeting talented Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner to a long-term contract at $11+ million AAV would be a big-time move, although it might not be in Botterill's DNA.
However, what the GM can do is add top-nine talent to a group of forwards that relied way too much on their top-line. Here are a few names to look at minus a bona fide two-way No. 2 center which is very hard to come by unless you wish to overpay come July 1 or are willing to give up a good haul of picks and prospects to land.
As for the Islanders, they've got a lot of talent that needs to be re-signed and they might have their eyes on other prizes come July 1. Word on the street has winger Jordan Eberle is all but gone from the team as the 28 yr. old will hit free agency looking for his last big long-term deal. Eberle wasn't all that impressive this past season with only 37 points (19+18) in 78 games but he does have top-six skill that probably wasn't maximize in Trotz's system. After making $6 million per season for the last six years, inflation along with supply and demand might put him in the $6.5-$7 million range.
If Buffalo's gonna blow that kind of money, they might as well go after Isles center Brock Nelson who signed a one-year, $4.25 million deal with the club last year. The 27 yr. old forward can play either center or wing and is solid in all three zones. He can work the corners or the front of the net and really came into his own last season with 53 points (25+28) in 82 games. That full season of games played by Nelson was his third in the last five years while only missing one game in each of the other two.
The Sabres really don't need any fourth-liner/bottom-six players but 34 yr. old forward Brian Boyle should be on anyone's list for a veteran presence to be a role model for on-ice play. No doubt Boyle is well travelled but he's made an impact wherever he's played and he might just be the right player to get everyone pulling strong in the right direction. The 6'5" 245 lb. native of Hingham, MA is very mobile for his size, is versatile enough to play any position and relishes his role as a checking forward who can contribute offensively. He's coming off of a 2yr./$5.1 million contract and the Sabres might be able to offer a similar deal to get him to sign.
Two players that are still playing that might be of interest to Buffalo are Boston Bruins forward Marcus Johansson and Dallas Stars right winger Mats Zuccarello.
Johansson is a former first round pick of Washington (2009, 24th-overall) and is on his third team since breaking into the league in 2010. The Bruins traded for Johansson knowing that he can play anywhere in the top-nine and be effective. A native of Sweden, Johansson is a quick skater who plays a smooth, two-way game. He can score but is more of a playmaking winger with a high hockey IQ.
Zuccarello has been around the block as well. The 31 yr. old native of Oslo, Norway is an extremely fast skater who was having a great season (37 points in 46 games) with the NY Rangers before they traded the pending free agent. Although he doesn't have close to ideal size (5'8" 179 lbs.) he's gotten the job done throughout his nine-year NHL career. Zuccarello is finishing up a 4yr./$18 million deal and might be had by Buffalo for either a shorter term at close to what he's making or less dollars on a bit longer term.
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