The Sabres have a pivotal off-season ahead of them.
After finishing 24th this year and showing a decent amount of promise under rookie head coach Don Granato, expectations have been raised to a bar we haven’t seen since perhaps 2011, when making the heroic march to 8th place in the conference was expected. This is a team that - dare I say it – is expected to play Meaningful Games in March™ (all rights reserved: Jason Botterill, 2018).
While last week’s fantasy article highlighted some high-profile free agents and players who may find a new team ahead of the 2022-23 season, this week’s article is a touch closer to reality. These are second-and-third tier acquisitions the Sabres could conceivably target – and perhaps more importantly – these are players that are for Kevyn Adams and Co. have a more realistic chance of landing. That said, these players are by no means the favorites to find themselves in the Blue and Gold next season; part three of this series will explore the players who are likeliest to play at KeyBank center in October. Our targets for today are sleeper candidates who, for one reason or another, make sense as a possible fit in Western New York.
Let’s get to it:
John Klingberg, RD, Dallas Stars
There is more than a little trepidation to put this man on the list because he’s likely viewed as too high-profile for the lean, mean Sabres machine, but we’re going to do it anyway because management has made certain comments indicating a veteran right-handed defenseman is the stated goal this off-season. Someone has to make some serious money to get the team to the cap floor, even after the Sabres acquired the $5m spectral visage of Ben Bishop on Friday.
The Sabres have long-term solutions at the left defense spot with Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin positioned to lead the charge (sorry) for years to come. On the right side, though? It’s thinner. The club has Henri Jokiharju who – although solid – has not solidified himself as an absolute top-4 lock on the right side. While he undoubtedly can play second-pair minutes, he doesn’t have the physical attributes that lend themselves to a first-pairing defender, and he might ideally be positioned as a third-pairing defenseman on a championship-caliber squad. Mattias Samuelsson has the physical gifts to play in the top-4, but he’s a left-shot defenseman that the Sabres are trying to accommodate by having him and Rasmus Dahlin rotate on the right side.
This is a long-winded way of saying the Sabres are still in need of a natural right-shot defenseman to play in their top-4, and Kevyn Adams himself has said as much.
“Is there the right person that fits what we’re doing here that can be added to all parts of the culture and their on-ice play?” Adams asked earlier this year. “For sure, we’re going to look at that. But probably (we’re) more comfortable with the right type of fit than (a certain player).”
Klingberg is a natural fit on a couple fronts. Firstly, he plays the right-side and the Sabres could desperately use someone of his caliber who has the NHL experience he possesses. He’s also a native of Sweden like Dahlin, and that kinship cannot be understated. Finding a natural righty and a Swedish native to help Dahlin patrol the blue line would allow Owen power slot into a second-pairing role with Jokiharju, and it would further allow Samuelsson to form the foundation of an incredibly solid third pairing with someone like Casey Fitzgerald or Mark Pysyk. Adding a veteran like Klingberg just makes the pieces fit together better. The Sabres could also use an elder statesman similar to the role Teppo Numminen occupied nearly two decades ago. Granted, Numminen was more of a defensive presence, but the role of elder statesman – regardless of role – is still an important one.
As for Klingberg’s on ice play?
He’s an absolute rollercoaster analytically. He has been elite offensively, and he has been porous defensively. He’s definitely not a shut-down defenseman, which is maybe the ideal partner for Dahlin. On the other hand, Don Granato is all gas and no brakes, so maybe it’s a perfect fit. Even if he’s perhaps not a fit with Dahlin, he could fit nicely with Samuelsson and give the Sabres three real defensive pairings.
Now for the negatives. He’s about to be 30 years old in August and he’s undoubtedly looking for one final pay day, so you’re not getting him for under 5 years. That reality is why he’s seen as a sleeper pick for the Sabres. It’s unlikely they go for that kind of term on a player about to cross the 30-year-old Rubicon.
It’s unlikely the Sabres pursue him. Still, the possibility exists and that’s why he’s a sleeper.
Josh Manson, RD, Colorado Avalanche
The appeal of American players to the current Sabres staff tends to go underreported. Both Kevyn Adams and Don Granato are American, and their recent list of free agent/trade acquisitions have skewed toward Americans as well: Anders Bjork, Craig Anderson, Vinnie Hinostroza, Will Butcher and John Hayden were all acquired within the last year and a half. Granted, that list is not a who’s who of terrific players. It still undoubtedly shows a proclivity toward American players, perhaps due to Granato’s history in the US National Development Program.
Back to the topic at hand, if Klingberg is the flashy offensive player, Manson is the steady defensive one. Below are Manson’s 2021-2022 player card as well as his 3-year player average player card.
He’s a solid defensive defenseman who likely won’t break the bank and likely the market won’t provide a long-term deal for him. He very well could make logical sense as a Mark Pysyk replacement while filling the void left by the departure of stay-at-home defenseman Jake McCabe.
Charlie Lindgren, G, St. Louis Blues
Lindgren could be a sneaky good depth pick up for the Buffalo Sabres. He, like Manson, is an American which current management tends to favor when it comes to free-agent acquisitions. The Sabres currently have two openings in goal in Rochester for the 2022-23 season with at least one opening in goal in Buffalo as well. If the Sabres are dead-set on giving UPL one of those spots, it could very well come down to a training camp battle for the other spot.
The Sabres seem keen to keep noted good guy Malcolm Subban in the fold for one of those spots, but a camp battle could help elevate the game of either Lindgren or Subban. Lindgren posted a stellar .925 save percentage for Springfield in the AHL this season and if the Sabres offered the potential for a split starter gig in the NHL, Lindgren would likely jump on the chance.
A guaranteed salary of $950,000 at both the NHL and AHL level likely gets a deal done. He’s fighting for his career at 28-years-old, and the Sabres don’t want to tie up the crease long term, so a one-year deal makes a lot of sense. It fits with ownership's desire to run a lean program, and it gives Lindgren a terrific AHL salary. Is he as fun of an idea as Jack Campbell or John Gibson? Absolutely not.
He also could be the perfect fit for Kevyn Adams.
Buffalo Sabres Blogger • 
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