Sabres mailbag: Trade deadline needs, three goalie conundrum, other players Don Granato could help

The Buffalo Sabres are on their bye week, but Kevyn Adams stayed busy. On Tuesday, the team announced it signed center Dylan Cozens to a seven-year, 49.7 million contract that ties him to Buffalo through the 2029-30 season. The Sabres now have their top two centers locked in on seven-year contracts for a combined cap hit of just over $14 million.

The Sabres’ core is coming together. On Thursday, the team returned to practice as it gets set for a playoff push that begins with a home game against Calgary on Saturday before a trip to California. Before the Sabres get back underway, let’s clean out the rest of the bye-week mailbag.

Which prospects do you think have a chance to be on the big club in 2023-24? — Joel M.

Jiri Kulich seems to have the best chance. His game is the most NHL-ready, and he’s scoring at a decent rate in the AHL. The Sabres will need to find room for him, though. If Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons return, there won’t be much room in the lineup unless the team makes a trade. That’s why it’s tougher to envision a spot for someone like Matt Savoie or Isak Rosen in 2023-24. That’s not to say it’s not possible if the Sabres are pleased with their development. But they’ll need to make moves to open up space.

We also got a few questions about which prospects might be considered untouchable. Given Buffalo’s deep prospect pool, I don’t know that any players would be completely off-limits in conversations. They are going to end up having a logjam for ice time at some point. But Adams values the depth and flexibility the young players provide, so he’s not going to sell at a discount. If there’s an untouchable prospect, it might be Devon Levi because developing goalies is a challenge and he looks promising.

Relating to Portillo and Johnson, why does the drafting team get no compensation when a college player signs with another team, if they were drafted after the second round? Losing Johnson and getting the 31st pick in the second round is bad enough, but they will get nothing when Portillo goes somewhere else. Shouldn’t a team be rewarded for finding a “gem” in a later round that is desirable to other teams? I am not against players choosing their destination but the ice seems tilted toward bigger market teams when it comes to college free agents (off the top of my head, it seems like a lot choose Chicago and NYR). — Ryan P.

I tend to agree that something should be done to the rules in this regard. A player being able to choose their destination isn’t a bad thing, but it’s not fair to see a team invest a lot of time and money into a player’s development only for that player to never play in their organization. Player development coaches spend a lot of time on the road meeting with these players. I think something as simple as the team getting a corresponding compensatory pick back in the same round would ease the sting of losing that player in free agency.

I feel like the Sabres should be focused on trading for a second or third-pair defenseman right now but everyone is focused on people like Timo Meier. Do you think we need a forward or should we be more focused on defense? — Benjamin W.

In my opinion, the most immediate need on the roster is for defensive depth. They could upgrade the forward group, but there is also an upside to letting players like JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn continue to develop in their current roles. If they could add a second- or third-pairing defenseman at the deadline, that could have a noticeable impact on the team without sacrificing much in the way of the long-term plan. One name I find appealing for Buffalo is Vancouver’s Luke Schenn. He’s an experienced and physical right-shot defenseman who has gone deep into the playoffs multiple times in his career. He brings a few qualities the Sabres don’t have a ton of in their current lineup.

Is the 3 goalie rotation sustainable for the rest of the season? Comrie looked good against Winnipeg but shouldn’t he be moved to the AHL so he can play more often and find consistency in his game? — Michael D.

The three-goalie rotation isn’t an ideal setup for the Sabres, but they’ve already waived two players to avoid subjecting Eric Comrie to waivers. He could get more consistent ice time next season, so the Sabres aren’t ready to risk losing him. In an ideal world, he would get time in the AHL to stay sharp, but there’s a decent chance he would get claimed on waivers. So for now, the team has to figure out a way to manage the roster with three goalies.

Will the Sabres be legit buyers? Feels like a playoff team right now. — Michael O.

I think the Sabres are, at the very least, going to explore a lot of options when it comes to improving the roster before the trade deadline. I don’t think Adams has to make a move, nor do I think he feels that way. But if the right opportunity presents itself, I think they’ll do it. What does that look like? It could be a younger player with term and upside who could impact the lineup right away. It could also be an experienced player who can add depth at a manageable cost. What I wouldn’t expect is for the Sabres to trade their first-round pick or any of their top prospects for a rental player. This absolutely feels like a team capable of making the playoffs, and I think team leadership senses that. But they aren’t ready to mortgage future assets for a player who will only help for the next few months. They’re trying to become a perennial Stanley Cup contender, not a team that makes the playoffs once.

Any chance the Sabres return to the goatheads permanently? I know I watch them every time they wear them! — David P.

The black and reds have been a huge hit this season both in terms of sales and fan interest. The players love them and have also played extremely well when wearing them. I haven’t gotten the sense that switching to them permanently is being considered. The royal blue jersey is a classic and popular design. It would be risky to move away from that. I do think we’ll see the goatheads back as a permanent alternate going forward, though. They’ve been too popular for them to not work them back into the rotation. Maybe they can wear them a few more times next season if the reverse retro is shown the door.

What would Victor Olofsson fetch with a trade? Looking for a second- or third-pair right-handed defenseman that would add depth. — Ronald A.

Victor Olofsson’s trade value is tough to nail down. On one hand, he’s having a great season and already has a career-high with 23 goals. But he makes $4.75 million, and the salary cap situation across the NHL is tight right now for a lot of top teams. The fact that he only has one year after this one left on that deal makes it manageable, but it might make him tough to move at the deadline. He’s also playing well enough at both ends of the ice that the Sabres shouldn’t feel too eager to move him just for the sake of it. They could always move him in the offseason or at the deadline next season if one of their prospects is ready to jump into that spot in the lineup.

One of Don Granato’s major strengths as a coach is his ability to help struggling players find their game. Thompson, Dahlin, Krebs, Jost etc. are all players who floundered mightily under previous coaches and emerged as stars or solid contributors for Buffalo.With that in mind, who are some players you think the Sabres should target that might thrive under Granato’s guidance and leadership? — Tim H.

Jordan Greenway comes to mind here. The Athletic’s Michael Russo recently noted that he’s fallen out of favor a bit in Minnesota after oversleeping and missing a team meeting. He’s No. 17 on our trade board, and Russo notes he’s thought of highly around the league, including by Don Granato, who coached him with the development program. His $3 million salary for two seasons after this one isn’t too cost-prohibitive to the point where he’d prevent the Sabres from making other moves. The only issue I see is where someone like Greenway would fit into the forward group without a corresponding move. Maybe this is a better idea in the offseason.

Do the “underlying numbers” show that it’s time to shake up the kids line? They disappear far too often it seems. — James M.

The underlying numbers on the kids line have been solid actually. The production hasn’t been there for JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn, but the Sabres have 57 percent of the high-danger scoring chances when that group is on the ice this season. And since the new year, that line only has four games with an expected goal share under 50 percent. Quinn and Peterka also have strong numbers away from Cozens, so it’s not a matter of Cozens carrying the group by himself. The Sabres may mix up that line at some point, but I think the hope is that the rookies can break through this plateau they’ve hit and find another level of production down the stretch.

(Photo: Terrence Lee / USA TODAY Sports)