The Sabres are in the midst of figuring out how to take the next steps in pursuit of ending the longest playoffs appearance drought in the history of the NHL. There is some room for optimism after missing out by a single point: Tage Thompson scored 98 points, Rasmus Dahlin added an impressive 58 assists and 2021 NHL Entry Draft #1 selection Owen Power showed promise, as demonstrated by stats such as his on-ice Goals For % of 55.3 and leading all rookie blueliners in scoring with 39 points. In general, the core, which has many vital years ahead of them, is giving Buffalo hockey fans something to be excited about. Let us examine how the team is starting off in its next moves after coming extremely close to tasting the experience of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 12 years.

So far, the signings have been pretty scarce for Buffalo. Kyle Okposo will be returning on a one-year, $2.5 million deal. Longtime Colorado Avalanche blueline fixture and Stanley Cup champion Erik Johnson (curiously, alongside Power, one of only four NCAA products to be drafted first overall) was added to the defensive core. Connor Clifton joined from the Bruins in free agency to mark another defensive addition. Long-time fan favorite and classic meme figure Zemgus Girgensons will be returning on a one-year deal. An assortment of small-time depth and minor league signings have been made in addition to these moves, but nothing earth-shattering. This is a sad situation for Buffalo. As Bleacher Report notes in their own assessment of the NHL offseason, this team entered the offseason with a fair amount of cap space. It doesn’t appear that they have put having been in that situation to much use. According to CapFriendly, they now sit with a projected cap space of $6,026,430 and still have to make one final roster cut, and don’t seem to be in a significantly better place than they were before. Perhaps Bleacher Report is correct to suggest that the team is resting on their laurels and banking on their young core improving a bit, but it does seem like a missed opportunity, as they also say in so many words. Fortunately, the team at least did not waste much time in giving first round pick Zach Benson his ELC. More on him in just a matter of sentences.

The performance of Buffalo in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft is a different story. I would say that Kevyn Adams & co. put in an aggressive and satisfactory performance. Zach Benson was the 3rd highest scorer in the WHL this past season behind only Conor Bedard and Chase Wheatcroft, putting up 98 points in 60 games with the Winnipeg Ice. He is a certified top 10 talent that, in a situation similar to them getting Matthew Savoie at #9 in 2022, serendipitously fell to them at #13, a process aided by the Coyotes passing on him at #12 in favor of Daniil But. A true steal, Benson is DEFINITELY top 10 caliber, even in a draft class as stacked as this one was. The acquisitions of C Anton Wahlberg, D Maxim Strbak, D Gavin McCarthy, and G Scott Ratzlaff (another WHL product who put up a very good statline of 25 wins and 8 losses accompanied by 5 shutouts, a 2.15 GAA and a SV% of .918 with the Seattle Thunderbirds in 2022-23) also make for more impact selections. The team already had one of the best prospect pools in the NHL, this only cements it further (especially in light of this being the second year in a row where they had an absolute steal in the first round).

There is much to be pleased with regarding the direction of the Buffalo Sabres. However, Kevyn Adams and the front office have done a questionable job in bolstering the roster to take the next step and make the postseason. I am going to be generous towards their efforts at building a machine to be reckoned with and give them a B- overall, but in terms of prep for the next year, it’s probably more like a C-. There is a good chance Sabres fans will be disappointed again next year as the drought ends up continuing, but the direction that the team continues to go in is excellent and should provide very many satisfying seasons in the years to come. I would not be surprised if this pipeline produces the franchise’s first ever Stanley Cup down the road. It just may be more of a war of attrition requiring some executive creativity to get there.