The Buffalo Sabres haven’t officially announced any dates, but we’re likely about two weeks out from the start of training camp. There are still a few holes on the roster that we expected to get fulfilled with a Jack Eichel trade. As that continues to drag out, they need to move forward as if nothing is going to happen on that front.

Looking at the club as it’s currently constructed the biggest need appears to be down the middle. Casey Mittelstadt and Dylan Cozens are centermen that are certainties on the roster. The other two center positions are up in the air at this point. Cody Eakin is still around but does Don Granato trust him after scratching him for an extended period at the end of last season?

Even if those three players are utilized at center, the Sabres are short one to round out their lineup. Are they going to move Vinnie Hinostroza or Zemgus Girgensons to the middle? It would make sense for the Sabres to bring in some players on a professional try-out (PTO) contract to see if they can earn a spot on the team.

Tyler Bozak

One veteran center that is still on the market is 35-year-old Tyler Bozak. He has spent the last few years with the St. Louis Blues, but he may be more well-known to Sabres fans from his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

He only appeared in 31 games for the Blues last season and isn’t the productive player that he was with the Leafs. He has been on a declining trend since 2017 in Evolving Hockey’s goals above replacement model. He had a blip in the 2019-20 season with the Blues but fell below replacement level last season.

This type of decline isn’t surprising for a player of his age based on what we know about aging curves. The Sabres are not looking for someone to come in and be a real impact player for them. They need veteran experience, someone to play some bottom-six minutes and be a leader for the young players on the roster. In Micah McCurdy’s isolated impact model, he grades out as a player that can give you replacement level defensive impacts but doesn’t generate much offensive ability outside of slight upside in finishing talent.

The benefit for Bozak is this is an opportunity in Buffalo where he could get some important minutes and be moved at the trade deadline for another opportunity to play for a Cup contender.

Ryan Donato

The last player that I feel is worth consideration isn’t a player to fill that void at center. Ryan Donato is someone that the Sabres could take a chance on to see if they can catch any upside in a season that is going to be a development year.

The 25-year-old has bounced around the last few years. He spent last season with the San Jose Sharks and did not receive a qualifying offer from the club back in July. He’ll never live up to the hype he was receiving when he was coming up with the Boston Bruins.

Donato is a player that can provide some offense to the Sabres. He gets to the quality scoring areas on the ice at 5 on 5. He lead the Minnesota Wild in individual shot quality during the 2019-20 season and he did the same on the Sharks last season.

The question is what is his finishing ability? He has been up and down during his brief career and may be why he hasn’t stuck around with a team. He shot four goals over expected in his best season with the Wild two years ago and then shot 3.7 below expected with the Sharks last season, according to Moneypuck.

One interesting thing about Donato I caught in Corey Sznjader’s tracking data is that he likes to generate offense on the rush. That could be a good fit in Don Granto’s offensive system. If you recall, the Sabres rush offense took a 180 under Granato. They played faster and pushed the play in transition.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Sabres bring in anyone else to compete for a spot in camp. I know that they want to give their young players an opportunity to play at the NHL level, but they still have needs to fill.

Data via: Moneypuck, Corey Sznajder, Evolving Hockey, and Micah McCurdy

Photo Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports