Sabres focus on depth on day one of free agency and wait for decisions Uncategorized by Chad DeDominicis - October 10, 2020October 10, 20204 It was a relatively quiet first day of free agency for the Buffalo Sabres and general manager Kevyn Adams. They did make three signings in total, but all were depth acquisitions that could be tagged for the AHL. Although these were the signings the Sabres made on the first day of free agency; it doesn’t mean they were not in on other players. A lot of big names remain on the market. Top free agents such as Taylor Hall, Tyler Toffoli, Jesper Fast, Mikael Granlund, Erik Haula, Craig Smith, Mike Hoffman, Evgeny Dadonov, and Alex Pietrangelo have not picked their home for next season. Depth Signings The Sabres signed two defensemen and one forward to league minimum contracts yesterday. Matt Irwin and Brandon Davidson were the two pickups on the blue line. Irwin is a potential candidate to fill the seventh defenseman role for the club next season. He played 36 games in total in that role for the Nashville Predators and Anaheim Ducks last season. The left-shot defender is a fine cheap depth addition for the role he’ll be asked to play. Davidson is likely a straight AHL defender. He’s another left-handed defenseman and will add some experience to a young blue line in the minors. The forward addition of Tobias Rieder may be the only one that has a shot at seeing a lot of NHL time. He could be the option as the 13th forward on the roster and play the role that Curtis Lazar was in last season. Rieder is a speedy forward that can get to quality scoring areas on the ice at 5 on 5. According to Moneypuck, he led the Flames in individual shot quality per 60 minutes. The issue is that Rieder is a poor finisher. Moneypuck shows he shot 6.2 goals below expected last season and 7.1 goals below expected for the Edmonton Oilers in the 2018-19 season. Awaiting Decisions As I mentioned, the Sabres were and remain in on a few big-name players as we enter day two of free agency. Here are some quick notes, according to sources: It sounds as though at least 10 teams inquired with Tyler Toffoli’s camp. The Sabres were among them and remain a viable option as I’m typing this now. Things can change quickly this time of the year. Jesper Fast is another player that the Sabres were involved in. They felt good about their chances early in the day. Along with the Sabres, the Nashville Predators, and Boston Bruins were three clubs that are in the mix here. They have kept in contact with secondary targets such as Erik Haula As I reported, they reached out to the Alex Pietrangelo camp. It appears Pietrangelo is leaving the St. Louis Blues after the signing of Torey Krug. However, the belief among many on is that he’s headed to the Vegas Golden Knight. The secondary trade market remains an option for them if they miss out on landing a top-six forward in free agency. We’ll see what day two of free agency is going to give us, but I expect to see some big names start to make decisions today. Data via: Moneypuck, Evolving Hockey, and Hockeyviz.com Photo Credit: Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images This content is available exclusively to members of Expected's Patreon at $5 or more.
This was a missed opportunity to sneak in additional mayo and mustard content. You know, what the patrons REALLY want. Good stuff here Chad, hope day 2 shakes out in their favor. Mustard is good. Chad, I’d agree with you if you were right. Mayo is fine, there’s usually too much of it when you encounter it in the wild. Good day.
not sure why they wouldnt take fleury off of vegas for half the salary and a second coming from vegas, thats what i heard they were willing to give up to get him off their roster