The focus this offseason for the Buffalo Sabres has been to push for the playoffs. Push all of the chips into the middle and go. There’s nothing wrong with this approach, and it logically makes sense for an organization that has missed the playoffs 14 years in a row.

What if the Sabres took a different approach to this offseason? What if they went down the path of a silent retooling of their roster? Instead of burning through assets and trades to make a handful of win-now swings, they focus on acquiring pieces that set them up long-term to find success.

Silent Retool

To be clear, this is not a rebuild. I’m not advocating that the Sabres move veteran key players such as Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin. This plan I’m going to lay out is moving the same players they’re already intending to do so with, but the targeted return changes.

In the Expected Buffalo discord, we call this team “one more in me.” The essence of this offseason philosophy is that the Sabres once again are going to chase win-now moves that could put them in a poor spot moving forward if they miss the playoffs again.

There’s no evidence that they can make those moves and put a successful team on the ice, so why bother running into the wall again?

The silent rebuild approach shifts from the belief that “futures” are useless to them. For example, let’s look at the Bowen Byram trade that’ll likely take place in the next week. The Vancouver Canucks appears desperate to do something to convince Quinn Hughes to remain with the club.

Instead of targeting a right-shot defenseman such as Filip Hronek, what if the Canucks were willing to offer Tom Willander? He’s a 20-year-old right-shot defenseman who was selected 11th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft. Willander and another smaller asset would be a futures move. However, the long-term impact may be better than, and there’s even a possibility in the short term that he’s just as good as any forced defense move that’s realistic.

On top of that, let’s say that the Sabres finally decide they’ll move on from JJ Peterka and team, such as the Chicago Blackhawks or Utah Mammoth, looking for a splash at forward, offer the third or fourth overall pick to the Sabres. If the rumors are true that Anton Frondell could go to the San Jose Sharks with the second pick, they could have a shot at grabbing Michael Misa third overall.

A full deal looks like third overall and Connor Murphy in exchange for Peterka and ninth overall. Misa is the key piece in that deal, and Murphy is a veteran on an expiring contract that covers the retooling that is occurring.

The Sell

Peterka and Byram are the two players who are getting the most trade attention. While it may still be unlikely that Peterka is dealt, if he is, they could have this type of offer on the table. As I said, I’m not advocating for trading anyone else that likely wouldn’t move already.

The concern for some people on this approach may be how it would play to the key veterans on the roster, such as Dahlin and Thompson. Both may be nearing the end of their patience with putting a winner on the ice. That’s why going down this road would require the front office to sell it to these players properly. It may even involve Jarmo Kekalainen being the face of these moves to convince the players that an experienced and new voice is of significant influence.

The other way they go about it is by hiding these future acquisitions behind one or two veteran additions. As I mentioned above in the Blackhawks scenario, Murphy is a respectable defender to add to this group. There’s no long-term commitment, but you add a piece that can help win now.

On top of that, they could target another veteran free agent forward to replace Peterka. Someone who legitimately can still have an impact, but again, on a short-term deal. It doesn’t lock them into any major mistakes and provides flexibility moving forward.

I’m also of the belief that if Dahlin and Thompson request a move that the Sabres don’t have to accommodate it. They signed long-term contracts and truly have no leverage on forcing the club to move them. Of course, you don’t want unhappy players in your locker room. Having said that, you can force them to at least see how your plan goes through for a season or two.

These trade scenarios I went through are just hypothetical examples to make my point. You can replace those two teams with any other one that makes sense for a similar return.

The entire premise here is that the Sabres don’t push all in moving out significant assets that put them in a bad spot to restart if they have to restart after missing the playoffs. Instead, they rip the band-aid off now and use this opportunity to quietly retool with new cost-controlled assets that grow with the major core of the roster that is still relatively young.

As far as this upcoming season goes, they may be just as good as they would have been burning through assets for veteran additions on the back half of their career, just to chase breaking a playoff drought.

In joining team “one more in me” or the “silent retool” the Sabres would have the opportunity to set into place a few new core pieces that can join the talent on the roster that is about to enter the prime of their career. Such players as Owen Power, Zach Benson, Jiri Kulich, and even Dahlin, to an extent. They’d have young prospects in Noah Ostlund and Konsta Helenius hitting at a similar point.

There would also be solid veterans in place to guide this young wave through this time, such as Alex Tuch, Thompson, and, if Josh Norris can prove to be a positive asset.

Admittedly, this plan that I went through is not something the Sabres front office is considering right now. They feel the pressure and are likely going to push everything into the middle or at least try to. Sometimes forcing something ends up just as bad as doing nothing. Taking an opportunity to quickly shift on a group that hasn’t been able to succeed isn’t the worst idea.