Locked On Sabres - Daily Podcast On The Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres should be searching for help on their powerplay this offseason and there are a few ideas in free agency. One of which is Patrik Laine, who Jarmo Kekäläinen made a big swing trade to get back in his Columbus days. Laine is horrible defensively, isn't very good at 5-on-5 anymore, and cannot stay healthy. Sooo, why should the Sabres sign him? Two reasons. Powerplay. Bonus laden contract. Laine could really help the Sabres man advantage. And because he missed all of last year with an injury, he's eligible to a performance bonus heavy contract, meaning the Sabres could get him for a minimal cap hit on a one year deal. But would Lindy Ruff pull his hair out coaching this guy? Plus, the Sabres and Zach Benson sound close to a long-term 7-year extension.

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Jarmo Kekäläinen said at the end of the season that he wants to get Bo Byram on a long-term contract extension. That doesn't appear to be on the way to happening. Darren Dreger reports that multiple teams are in trade talks with the Sabres about acquiring Byram. The indication is that Byram is being non-committal about staying in Buffalo on another deal, as he will never get the opportunity to be a top-defenseman. It makes sense that after a career of being behind Cale Makar and Rasmus Dahlin, Byram would want to go to a place to be a #1 defenseman. The Sabres should act proactively and trade Byram before another Alex Tuch situation presents itself and it sounds like that is what they're doing.

A return package for Byram should entail getting a legit top-six forward that can replace Alex Tuch in the lineup. Matthew Knies? The Toronto Maple Leafs winger has been surrounded by trade rumors, and there's plenty of reason to believe he's not a fan of the new Leafs GM. Knies is the exact time of player the Sabres should be looking to get for Byram.

Plus, a weird Devon Levi rumor that makes little to no sense.

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The Buffalo Sabres first trade of the offseason is sending Michael Kesselring to the San Jose Sharks for a trade-up in the 1st round! Jarmo Kekäläinen moves up from the 27th pick to the 20th pick of the 1st round. It sounds like something valuable, but a closer look at the history of the end of the 1st round shows it's a marginal difference between the two. The trade is more about not wanting to pay Kesselring or go to arbitration with him this offseason. Both Josh Doan in the trade, and Mattias Samuelsson in the role made Kesselring expendable. What went wrong for Kesselring? Injuries are a huge story of his season and it felt like he never fully recovered before losing the trust of Lindy Ruff and his role to several depth defensemen. There is good reason to believe that Kesselring will play far better in San Jose.

Plus, an update on Connor Hellebuyck points to Winnipeg's willingness to trade him, and trade demands that fit almost perfect for what the Sabres would have to offer. If the Jets want a second line center, which one fits in the deal?

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Jarmo Kekäläinen's former captain in Columbus, Boone Jenner, is slated to become a free agent in a couple weeks. Does it make sense for Jarmo to pursue his guy? Jenner provides faceoffs, goals, and veteran leadership at a likely reasonable contract. At 33 years old, and wanting some term on his next deal, the Sabres may have to give out a three year contract to get Jenner. Is it worth it? Jenner is a great faceoff man, but the Sabres already have a surplus at the center position. Plus, celebrating 10 years of the Locked On Podcast Network, Sneaky Joe has his Top-10 Sabres moments in Locked On Sabres history!

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Buffalo Sabres fans have wondered for years if Patrick Kane would ever play for his hometown team. Now at 37 years old, it feels like it's now or never. It's a very polarizing idea. Some would run out to buy his jersey immediately, while likely more want nothing to do with it. Is there any merit to signing Kane for on-ice reasons at this point in his career? Kane's ability on the powerplay is still there and that's one of the things the Sabres will be looking to get better at this offseason. Kane might just fit that need, but is there enough left at 5-on-5 to warrant the signing?

A look at what Kane's contract would be on his next team shows a cheap deal that the Sabres would be able to fit into their cap picture. It doesn't seem like the worst idea in the world, if the Sabres need to dip into a very weak free agency class.

Plus, what's new on the NHL rumor mill, including where we're at with Connor Hellebuyck.

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Many Buffalo Sabres fans have wondered about trading Owen Power over the years, but after a stellar playoff campaign, fewer and fewer of them are as into the idea. Power played through an ankle sprain in Game 7 against the Canadiens and played fantastic in over 28 minutes of action, setting up Rasmus Dahlin for the game tying goal in the 3rd period, despite playing through an injury. Sneaky Joe believes Power deserves enough respect to pretty much be considered untouchable in a trade.

HOWEVER, there are a select few players in the league that the Sabres would have to consider trading Power for, if they are even available. Brady Tkachuk in Ottawa and Jason Robertson in Dallas.

Plus, Nikita Kucherov winning the Hart Trophy makes the Jon Cooper Jack Adams win look even more pathetic.

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Not Dylan Larkin, not Jordan Kyrou, but is Nico Hischier the best trade target for the Buffalo Sabres? The New Jersey Devils captain is having trouble locking down a contract extension with his team and could be on the move. Would the Sabres be in the market for a 60+ point center that plays powerplay, penalty kill, and excels at faceoffs? Hischier would become the Sabres #1 center, and could be an incredible duo with Tage Thompson. And no one knows Hischier better than Lindy Ruff, who oversaw Hischier becoming a Selke level center at the NHL level, and named him captain while coach of the Devils.

Hischier does need a contract, so the extension would be a big price to pay for the Sabres. Something north of $11 million per year is likely for whatever team trades for him. With that piece coming back, it would be a hefty price to pay to send elite young pieces, and dish out a contract like that, but Hischier might just be worth it.

Indeed

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The biggest trade in the NHL this offseason is likely going to be a Dylan Larkin trade, if the Red Wings honor his request and send him to a contender. The Buffalo Sabres are not on Larkin's original trade request list, but could they bully their way onto it? Steve Yzerman being stubborn about Larkin's trade could actually play into the Sabres advantage. But it will take having the best offer and maybe by a lot. No way that happens without Noah Östlund in the deal, at least. Is Larkin still a good enough player to warrant a massive package? He might just be the perfect player for Lindy Ruff's system. Former Sabres coach Don Granato had some glowing things to say about Larkin as a leader as well. 

Larkin would figure in to play on a top-line and could be a perfect combo with Tage Thompson, who would move to the wing.

Indeed

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Many Sabres fans are beginning to get on board with the idea of letting Alex Tuch walk away in free agency and not pay him the giant contract extension. Sneaky Joe believes there is a very real circumstance in which the Sabres should pay Tuch that big contract. If in the next month, Jarmo Kekäläinen cannot secure a younger, better replacement for Tuch on their top line, they should step up and keep him around. The long-term consequences of paying Tuch have been grossly overstated. By looking at percentage of the growing cap, Tuch's potential deal begins to look much more favorable.

Paying Tuch may cause the Sabres to say goodbye to good players at the bottom of the depth chart, but Joe believes that is the way to build in the new cap world. Could Peyton Krebs and Beck Malenstyn be the first cuts using that type of strategy? With the Sabres already having Sam Carrick, Tyson Kozak, Justin Danforth, and Jordan Greenway under contract for the fourth line, does paying Malenstyn and Krebs really make sense? There's some chatter that there hasn't been progress on either player.

Indeed

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It is INCREDIBLE, but somehow Jon Cooper is your 2026 Jack Adams Award winner over Lindy Ruff and all the other top coach candidates and there is no intelligent argument for it. There's no doubt in anyone's mind, and voters aren't even hiding from it, that Cooper simply won because he had never won the award before. Lindy gets the award stolen away because of a pre-meditated vote by at least 36 voters from the Broadcasters Association. Call it a participation trophy, call it a pity award, call it whatever you want, but Cooper wins the award despite a losing record to the Sabres, not winning the division, a team that was totally undisciplined, and constant blaming others in the media. It's one of the biggest farces in sports awards ever.

Plus, Dylan Larkin wants out of Detroit! The Sabres should be very interested in the idea. Larkin has a 30-goal season streak going and has a very reasonable contract, despite turning 30-years old next month.

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Indeed

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