With the 2021-22 NHL regular season in the books, fans of the Buffalo Sabres are setting their sights on what should be an eventful offseason for the blue-and-gold. As Chad DeDominicis eloquently put it earlier this week, this offseason truly is the “Summer of the Goalie” in Western New York.

That being said, there is another pressing need on the roster, though perhaps not as dire as previously thought. As recently as mid-March, the Sabres appeared to have a gaping hole (or two) on the right side of their defense heading into next season. Some repositioning that took place at the end of the 2021-22 campaign (which we’ll touch on shortly), has reduced the urgency and severity of that issue.

Let’s take a look at the current state of the Buffalo blue line, and examine how Kevyn Adams can put the final touch(es) on a young group that impressed, particularly toward the end of the season.

Dahlin’s Switch to the Right

Don Granato’s decision to flip Rasmus Dahlin (a left-shot defenseman) to the right side didn’t come until late in the year. Regardless, the 22-year-old’s transition to his off-hand was seamless. It also went a certain way toward addressing the Sabres’ most pressing need outside of goaltending.

There is often uncertainty when it comes to how defensemen perform when shifted to their off-hand. In Dahlin’s case, there was no discernible drop-off in performance. In a way, that positional change could end up being the team’s biggest “roster addition” for next year. 

The sample is small, but in the eight games he played on the right to close out the season, he shined, posting a five-on-five xGF rate of 53.02% while averaging over 24 minutes of ice time per game. His presence next to an already mature rookie blueliner in Mattias Samuelsson made for a solid pairing at the top of the roster.

Now that the coaching staff has a player capable of playing top-pair minutes on the right side (and a well-stocked cupboard of up-and-comers on the left), Adams no longer needs to pursue a significant expenditure in that area.

The Sabres still need another right-hander, preferably capable of playing on the second pair. Between Dahlin, and fellow defensive youngsters in Samuelsson, Owen Power, Henri Jokiharju, Jacob Bryson, and Casey Fitzgerald, the Sabres’ average age on the blue line is 22.5 years old.

That’s a good thing, as the team should have a formidable unit on the back-end for a long time. Still, with so many young assets, it would make sense to add a short-term veteran entity to serve as a reliable guiding hand for a group that is still very much developing.  

Current Depth Chart

If the 2022-23 season started tomorrow, here is what the Sabres’ defensive depth chart would probably resemble.

The left side of the defense is pretty much set for next season. While I’m certainly not the biggest Bryson supporter, I can live with him as the third-pairing LHD for another year. Unless Adams can acquire a cost-effective player via UFA to replace him (or if he must package Bryson in a trade for reinforcements in another area), it’s probably not worth creating another roster hole simply for the sake of it.

Some depth on the left is needed in the form of an AHL veteran who can be called up in a pinch, but Casey Fitzgerald is capable of serving as the seventh defender on the roster. As for Oskari Laaksonen, he’s almost certainly earmarked for another year with the Rochester Americans.

As previously stated, an upgrade is needed somewhere on the right side. I would prefer to see Adams pursue a veteran player who can serve as a complement to Owen Power on the de facto second pair. This would effectively push Jokiharju to the third pair, where I feel he would be better suited.

The organization seems to like Jokiharju and may very well see him as the guy to play next to Power moving forward. I would disagree with that stance, but I do have to acknowledge that this exercise is at least a bit presumptuous. Regardless, there are a lot of conceivably available defensemen on my not-so-short shortlist who could be worth pursuing this summer.

Short-Term UFA Solutions

Kris Letang

We’ll start by acknowledging the fact that Letang is probably a lofty target. While the Sabres are in a position to overpay him on a 1-2 year deal, this might not be the situation he’s looking for. It depends on if he’s more interested in further financial assurance before retirement, or if he wants to chase one more cup.

Still, I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least mention him as an option. The thought of one of the best, longest-tenured right-shot defensemen in the league serving alongside an up-and-coming Owen Power is intriguing, to say the least.

At age 34, he’s experiencing a downward trajectory in his play, but he’s still an extremely useful player. In a reduced role (and limited special teams usage) the Sabres could probably squeeze out a couple more years of productive contributions.

P.K. Subban

Subban is a bit of a divisive player among Sabres fans, but I’m not sure why. While he’s certainly past his prime, he did produce an impressive bounce-back campaign with the New Jersey Devils this season.

On paper, the thought of a Power-Subban pairing might seem counter-productive. Ideally, one might prefer more of a defensively-focused blueliner to partner with a developing asset like Power. That being said, you would have a tough time finding a better veteran mentor on the UFA market (aside from Letang).

As a 12-year NHL veteran with a longstanding history of success, Subban would be more than just a guiding hand for the Sabres’ young defensive corps. For starters, signing a household name would go a certain way toward repairing Buffalo’s reputation around the league. While the team has won back a portion of the local fan base, the league-wide perception of the organization is likely still poor.

In addition, he might jump at the opportunity to play in the same organization as his brother Malcolm (assuming he’s retained as an AHL body for next season).

Jan Rutta

If Adams is in the market for someone to exclusively play third-pairing minutes, Rutta is a cost-effective, low-risk option. After spending the last few seasons as the de facto seventh-defenseman with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the 31-year-old found himself as a roster regular in 2021-22, posting 18 points in 76 games (his highest total in both categories since his rookie season with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2017-18).

In terms of underlying metrics, Rutta is the first true “defensive defenseman” to appear on this list. His xGA/60 rate of 2.25 was the best mark on the Lightning blueline this season. While he doesn’t offer up much in terms of transition or offensive contribution, he’s a steady, stay-at-home defenseman who does a good job of mitigating danger in his own end.

At his age and production rate, Rutta is a low-term, low-cost UFA candidate who has been part of two Stanley Cup-winning teams. There’s something there to be gained beyond what he provides on the ice.

Cautiously Intrigued (UFA)

While the Sabres’ defense is full of young, inexpensive pieces, for now, it isn’t going to stay that way. It’s the sole reason why the front office should be cautious on the UFA market, despite all of the cap space at their disposal this summer.

With this in mind, I would be reluctant to sign any free-agent blueliner to anything beyond a three-year deal (and even that might be pushing it). I would be remiss, however, if I didn’t at least mention some viable veteran options whom Adams could pursue, should he see things differently.

Ilya Lyubushkin

Lyubushkin’s career is an interesting case study. The 2021-22 season is the first time he has experienced consistent NHL action. Before that, the most games he’s ever played in a year was 51 for the Arizona Coyotes in 2019-20. Even as recently as this February, he was a healthy scratch a couple of times for Arizona before ultimately being dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs before the NHL Trade Deadline.

In a lot of ways he’s similar to Connor Murphy of the Chicago Blackhawks (another defender in his late-20’s who signed a four-year in-season extension). Lyubushkin isn’t going to give you anything more than solid chance-prevention minutes. Analytically, they’re extremely similar players. At age 28, the fact that Lyubushkin is a one-dimensional entity who has struggled to establish himself as a permanent roster player in the NHL is a concern.

The only other peripheral benefit to signing him is that he could serve as a Russian liaison of sorts for the Sabres’ recently drafted KHL prospects. Considering that they’re all likely 2-to 4 years away from coming to North America, that probably isn’t a relevant consideration at this point.

Proceed With Extreme Caution

John Klingberg

In terms of the names I’ve seen most frequently mentioned by Sabres fans on social media, Klingberg tops the list. As perhaps the most offensively-capable defenseman on the UFA market, he has value, but I would be extremely apprehensive about pursuing him.

Here we have another player in his late-20s, so the aging curve drop-off could occur at any moment (you could argue it already has). Klingberg is also historically unreliable in his end. As stated above, the Sabres should be looking for some defensive-zone reliability. This is especially the case if they plan to offer a longer-term deal (something Klingberg will almost certainly command).

Justin Schultz

Frankly, Schultz has been living off his name recognition since leaving the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2020. His two-year stint as a member of the Washington Capitals has been lackluster at best. Whether his statistical drop-off occurred as a result of that change of scenery, aging curve, or both doesn’t matter.

The 32-year-old still produces decent base statistics, and that alone should help him garner interest on the open market. Despite his age, I wouldn’t be surprised if a team looking for a veteran presence offers him something in the 3-4 year range. That type of contract (relative to his underlying statistical regression) wouldn’t make a lot of sense for the Sabres.

Josh Manson

I waffled as to where Manson belonged on this list. I like him a bit more than Klingberg and Schultz, but I’m not sure there is a riskier option on this list. Similar to Murphy, Manson has missed a lot of time over the past four years (80 games to be exact).

As a 30-year-old player who doesn’t produce points, I’m not sure what his market value will be as a UFA. Either way, we’re talking about a player whose metrics have experienced a sharp decline, hovering around replacement-level since 2018-19.

Trade Options

Including this section does feel at least a little repetitive since we’ve discussed all the following players already whether it be in separate articles, or on the Expected Buffalo Podcast. We’ll recap them anyway, for those who perhaps haven’t seen or heard our past musings on this topic.

Ethan Bear

Talk about a polarizing player. Despite pristine underlying production, Bear is now on his second coach (and organization) who doesn’t seem to want him in the defensive top-six. I don’t understand it. Unless there is a major issue with him behind the scenes, he appears to be a young, top-four caliber player on the right side.

Given his status on the Carolina Hurricanes’ healthy-scratch list to start the postseason, I can’t imagine the acquisition cost would be high. If Adams does his research to confirm that Bear isn’t some toxic demon in the locker room, he’s an excellent “buy low” trade target.

Radko Gudas

C’mon. You didn’t think I’d write a defensive article and not mention Gudas, did you? By my estimation, he is the ideal candidate to pair alongside Power for the short-term future. A physical defenseman to serve as a steady presence alongside a young defender, and a bodyguard to help dissuade opposing teams from trying to physically impose themselves on the Sabres’ young forwards.

The only thing about Gudas that I’m unsure of is his availability. On paper, the Florida Panthers will be in a cap crunch this summer. His $2.5 million AAV salary doesn’t move the needle all that much, especially if they can find a way to rid themselves of Patric Hornqvist’s deal.

Still, Adams would be remiss if he didn’t at least pick up the phone and gauge his availability and return price.

Damon Severson

Before Dahlin’s emergence on the right side, I was all aboard the Severson hype train. His name has come up in trade conversations all season, and he was one of the few reportedly available options who I’d have been fine with offering a long-term extension (his current deal expires after the 2022-23 season).

Depending on his AAV ask, I might still be open to the idea. He’s in the prime of his career, and you would be hard-pressed to find a right-hander with better underlying numbers. Dougie Hamilton’s presence on the Devils’ top-pairing has made him expendable in New Jersey. Their loss will be another team’s gain.

Scott Mayfield

This one is pretty straightforward. The New York Islanders need to shed some salary, and Mayfield is an easy target. He’s a relatively mediocre defenseman overall, but his size and positive defensive impacts would be an outstanding complement for Bryson on the Sabres’ third-pairing.

Similar to Gudas’ situation in Florida, I’m not sure how much removing Mayfield’s $1.45 million AAV cap hit would help the Islanders. Given the fact that three of their current starting defensemen are set to hit the UFA market this summer, I don’t understand why they would trade an affordable player and exacerbate the issue.

His name is out there, however, and if he truly is on the trade block, Adams could pounce at the opportunity to acquire him if the cost is reasonable.

Charts courtesy of Evolving Hockey, Hockeyviz, CapFriendly and JFresh Hockey

Advanced stats courtesy of Evolving Hockey and Natural Stat Trick

Photo Credit: Patrick Smith/Getty Images