The Buffalo Sabres could go a number of different ways as the NHL is in the midst of trade season following the NHL Draft and the opening of free agency on July 1. With the departure of winger Alex Tuch and defenseman Bowen Byram, GM Jarmo Kekalainen is expected to seek out offensive reinforcements to make up for the 44 goals lost by their departures.
Over the next few weeks, we will continue to look at potential options for the Sabres, now that veteran Patrick Kane has returned with Chicago. Some of the possibilities are not going to match Tuch’s stats, but any additions could provide some relief to the pressure that youngsters Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich, or Noah Ostlund will be under to make up the deficit.
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Who will the Sabres bring in to provide some offensive jump?
Kekalainen ideally would like to make up as much of the 60-to-70 point production that he lost with Tuch, or someone who can fill the leadership gap and/or add some snarl and sandpaper to the middle-six.
Someone who became a free agent on July 1 and has extensive experience playing in the Atlantic Division is veteran winger James van Riemsdyk. The 37-year-old was a second overall selection after Patrick Kane in the 2007 NHL Draft, and spent his first 14 seasons with Philadelphia and Toronto. The last three seasons, the New Jersey native has become a journeyman, signing one-year deals with Boston, Columbus, and Detroit for just under or right at a $1 million AAV.
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JVR’s skating has decreased significantly in his latter years, but he can still put the puck in the net, especially playing on the power play. With the Wings last season, van Riemsdyk 15 goals averaging under 12 minutes per game, and seven of those goals were on the man advantage. Similar to Patrik Laine, the veteran winger would slot in as a middle-six winger and specialist, and someone that Lindy Ruff would have to avoid using late in games, but he would be able to fill some of the offensive gap created by the departure of Tuch, especially on the power play.
If Kekalainen is reserving his available cap space for a potential Connor Hellebuyck deal, someone like van Riemsdyk, who would likely be willing to sign for a year around $1 million might be all that the Sabres could afford to sign.
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