The Buffalo Sabres could go a number of different ways as the NHL is in the midst of trade season following the NHL Draft and the opening of free agency on July 1. With the departure of winger Alex Tuch and defenseman Bowen Byram, GM Jarmo Kekalainen is expected to seek out offensive reinforcements to make up for the 44 goals lost by their departures.
We are continuing to look at potential options for the Sabres, now that veteran Patrick Kane has returned with Chicago. Some of the possibilities are not going to match Tuch’s stats, but any additions could provide some relief to the pressure that youngsters Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich, or Noah Ostlund will be under to make up the deficit.
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Kekalainen ideally is looking for someone who could make up as much of the 60-to-70 point production that he lost with Tuch, or someone who can fill the leadership gap and/or add some snarl and sandpaper to the middle-six, either before the start of the season or before the NHL Trade Deadline.
Veteran Mats Zuccarello was surprisingly not brought back by Minnesota last season, after playing seven seasons with the Wild. The 39-year-old has remained remarkably productive when most of his contemporaries are retiring. Playing alongside Kirill Kaprizov, the diminutive winger has averaged 63 points over the last five seasons and last season posted 54 points (15 goals, 39 assists) in 59 games, along with nine points in eight playoff games.
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Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff is familiar with the winger, as he was an assistant in New York from 2017-19 while Zuccarello was with the Rangers. He signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Kings on July 1, with a $1 million base salary, $5.5 million in performance bonuses, and a full no-trade clause.
The Kings are considered a club that will challenge for a wild card spot in the Western Conference, but if they struggle, it is possible that GM Ken Holland will shop his rentals (Corey Perry, Joel Armia, Darcy Kuemper, and possibly Drew Doughty) before the trade deadline.
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