What Will the Buffalo Sabres Offseason Look Like?

It’s been dysfunctional for the Buffalo Sabres over the past 14 years. They have not made the playoffs since 2010. Numerous players have been traded out of Buffalo, most recently Dylan Cozens to divisional rival Ottawa. Sabres GM Kevyn Adams did himself no favors with his comments about Palm Trees and State Tax.

There is a culture problem with the Buffalo Sabres. They accept losing. Add in the rumours of Rasmus Dahlin wanting out of Buffalo, which they adamantly denied. Dahlin told the media he wanted to be there and be a part of the solution. But something is not working in Buffalo right now. Lindy Ruff was not the answer as the coach. So, where do the Buffalo Sabres go from here?

NHL Rumors: Rasmus Dahlin Is Not Looking to Get Out of Buffalo

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio Morning Skate with Gord Stellick and Scott Laughlin and was asked about the Buffalo Sabres and what the offseason will hold.

NHLRumors.com Transcriptions

Scott Laughlin: “What are your thoughts on Buffalo and what the offseason is going to look like with the Sabres? Any sort of handle you got on another off-season, I would think of some sort of uncertainty. We were talking earlier about the fact that, hey, if they win the draft lottery, and this is me that said it yesterday, if they win the draft lottery and have the right to select first overall, would Buffalo even do it this time around?

They’ve been down that road so many times, and still you’re going on, what, 14 years now, without the playoffs, how do you sell that to your fan base? What are the next couple of weeks, couple of months, going to look like, as far as the Sabres are concerned?”

Elliotte Friedman: “Well, I think if you win the lottery, you get a chance at the number one pick, someone’s got to give you a real reason to leave there. It shouldn’t be your philosophy to leave there, and should be someone gives you a real reason to leave there.

Like, I think number one is Lindy Ruff the coach next year. Number two, what’s Kevyn Adams future? At the beginning of the season, he made it pretty clearly internally that if they didn’t make the playoffs, there was going to be trouble. Number three, I mean, aside from Dylan Cozens, who they’ve already moved out, is there anybody else there you’re saying, okay, like, we’ve got to move this player out.

NHL Rumors: The Buffalo Sabres Have Lots to Consider

What’s Bowen Byram‘s future going to be? He’s going to need a new contract soon. So, I mean, like, to me, those are the questions they obviously decided they hit the end of the road with Cozens. And if you’ve heard him talk, he felt it, and he was ready for it, and he wanted it. So who else is like that?

I think those to me, so Coach, management, roster, all three of those things are questions.

It will be interesting to see what the Buffalo Sabres do, as teams were calling about other players besides Cozens at the trade deadline. Do those trades get revisited? Do they hire a President of Hockey Operations? There are so many questions surrounding the Sabres and their off-season.”

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