Which Sabres are staying? Who may be leaving? 5 players to watch this offseason
The Buffalo Sabres' offseason will be defined by how they handle Alex Tuch, Bowen Byram, JJ Peterka, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Ryan McLeod this summer.
Lindy Ruff’s knowledge of the Buffalo Sabres’ players was limited to video study, secondhand information and one-on-one conversations.
The Sabres acquired defenseman Bowen Byram in a trade that sent center Casey Mittelstadt to the Avalanche in March 2023. Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
The coach didn’t know their personalities − including how they’d react to adversity − or whether each player would be able to execute the changes that he planned to implement to their 5-on-5 systems.
Gradually, Ruff, 65, learned who could help the Sabres win and who was expendable. Dylan Cozens was traded for Josh Norris. Jason Zucker, Jordan Greenway and Jacob Bryson received contract extensions because of Ruff’s endorsement.
Ruff’s influence has grown since his return in April 2024, and he’ll have a say on how the Sabres use the approximately $21.4 million available in salary-cap space for next season. Defensemen Mattias Samuelsson and Connor Clifton may be on the hot seat. Jack Quinn’s status may also be uncertain as Buffalo tries to snap a 14-year playoff drought. He will need to earn a spot in training camp if he sticks around.
However, the Sabres’ offseason will be defined by how they handle these five players this summer. Here’s a glance at each one, their latest quote about their contract status or performance, and general manager Kevyn Adams’ thoughts on where they fit in the future:
Sabres right wing Alex Tuch tied his career high in goals (36) while producing 67 points this season. Joed Viera, Buffalo News
Alex Tuch
What he said: “I haven’t given it too much thought, honestly. I was really focused on this year. I mean, I had some goals in mind for this year, playing 82 games, and I try to grow as a player each and every day. But I haven’t given too much thought (to my contract).”What Adams said: “He’s typically a guy that leads our forwards in minutes, plays in every situation. ... I thought he had a tremendous season, and he loves Buffalo and wants to be here. So, he’s a priority. He’s a guy that we certainly hope to have for a long time.”
What’s next: The Sabres are eager to give Tuch the lucrative long-term contract that he deserves, but does he want to stay? Is he convinced that he can win here? The winger, 28, wasn’t ready to commit to Buffalo after another disappointing season, and his value is at an all-time high after he tied his career high in goals (36) while producing 67 points and averaging 19:15 of ice time in 82 games.
Tuch has one year remaining on his contract, and he is eligible to sign an extension July 1. There is time for the Sabres to show Tuch that he can achieve his dreams down the road from his hometown of Baldwinsville.
Bowen Byram
What he said: “We’ll regroup and come back next season ready to go. And in terms of my contract, I think I’ll talk to my camp and talk to Kevyn, and we’ll figure out what the next step is. I’m excited for that process. Kevyn’s great to work with, and very communicative of what he wants and what he thinks is best for myself and the team.”What Adams said: “I think Bo had an excellent season. He’s a Stanley Cup champion at a very young age and extremely talented, and when we traded for him, we didn’t exactly know how he’d fit. We were willing to kind of make that bet and say, ‘Let’s bring in a really, really good hockey player and see how it shakes out.’ ... Did a lot of good things for us, and we’re going to start to talk about that now as we get into the offseason. What makes the most sense for our team, just the way our roster sits, long-term versus short-term contracts, and, obviously, salaries. It’s a hard question to answer, but I guess what I would say is he’s a really good player and we’ll be open to anything.”
What’s next: Byram is a good, high-upside left-handed defenseman with a Stanley Cup ring and he’s only 23 years old, but does he fit on the Sabres’ depth chart? It seems unlikely based on how much they’re paying Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power, as well as their need for a different skill set to play with those No. 1 draft picks. They aren’t in a position to give Byram a long-term contract and, though his status as a pending restricted free agent may impact his trade value, Buffalo can move him in a deal for a veteran, right-shot defenseman. Among the players on this list, Byram is the most likely to leave this offseason.
JJ Peterka
What he said: “I have my agent taking care of this. I worry about having a good offseason. I’m excited to be in Munich this summer again. I work hard and I fully trust him to handle all that stuff. I stay away from that.”
What Adams said: “We’re going to sit down after the season. We’ll get to his agent immediately and say, ‘OK, where do we go from here?’ I just think he’s one of our core, young guys, and we need to continue to get better, and we need to make sure we’re explaining to him how we’re going to make the team better.”
What’s next: The Sabres’ contract negotiation with the pending restricted free agent would be simple if the threat of an offer sheet didn’t loom. But teams may target Peterka because of his age (23), production (55 goals over the past two seasons) and the perception that Buffalo may not want to give him a long-term contract yet. The Sabres are not going to let him leave for a haul of draft picks, though. The team will take steps to sign Peterka to a contract extension, but he is another player who will want to hear what the Sabres plan to do to build around him. Teams inquired about Peterka’s availability at the trade deadline, and Adams had no interest in moving the 2020 second-round draft pick.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
What he said: “I don’t want to hide behind the fact that our team game hasn’t been where we wanted, but I’ve got to be better, too. I feel like that’s what kind of helps me through those moments is to focus on my own game, knowing that I had to be better, rather than just finding excuses somewhere else.”What Adams said: “From my perspective, I think about it, how Lindy’s talking about what we need to be better in front of him, we need to clean up some of that, for sure. But also, we’ll look at everything. Like, if we think there’s an opportunity to upgrade and make our team better at any position, we’re going to be open to that. I’m certainly not scared about going into the season with UPL and Devon, because I believe in both of them.”
What’s next: Ruff and Adams acknowledged their team defense was mostly responsible for the Sabres ranking 30th in the league in goals allowed per game, but the general manager didn’t give his 26-year-old goalie a vote of confidence, either. Of the 30 NHL goalies to play at least 40 games, Luukkonen ranked 27th in goals saved above expected, according to MoneyPuck.com. His .887 save percentage was 28th.
The regression happened after the Sabres gave Luukkonen a five-year contract. They’ll have trouble finding an upgrade, though. The best pending unrestricted free agents are backups Jake Allen, Vitak Vanecek and Dan Vladar. The trade market is also thin. Would the Sabres take a risk on an aging, injury-prone veteran like Thatcher Demko? The most likely scenario is Buffalo keeps Luukkonen and focuses its efforts on improving the defense.
Ryan McLeod
What he said: “All those guys in that locker room, it’s obviously fresh faces, but I think it’s kind of fun. It’s obviously good relationships, and I’d love to be back here and be here for a while and help us take that next step to make the playoffs and do something special here. Yeah, I love it here.”What Adams said: “I think Ryan McLeod took a big step this year just in terms of his overall game. We knew we were getting a really solid center that could be a top penalty killer and could play up and down the lineup. But he really took a step in terms of just his overall game, his offensive production. I think he’s even got another step he could potentially take.”
What’s next: Canadian media harshly criticized the Sabres for trading one of their top prospects, Matt Savoie, for McLeod, who was viewed as a defensive-minded, replacement-level center during the Oilers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final last season.
McLeod proved them wrong with a breakout season in Buffalo. He had career highs in goals (20), assists (33), points (53), average time on ice (16:50) and faceoff win percentage (52.3). McLeod was also one of the Sabres’ best penalty-killers and defenders. He is only 25 years old and proved that he can play anywhere from the first to the third line.
The trade gave them an upgrade over Casey Mittelstadt and another veteran player, rather than an unproven prospect. McLeod will receive a substantial raise − perhaps as high as a $5 million average annual value − on a contract extension this summer. The Sabres will move quickly to sign the pending restricted free agent. Their forward depth chart will be almost set if they retain McLeod, Peterka and Tuch, but the defense needs to be overhauled around Dahlin and Power.
