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After missing the playoffs by one point in 2022-2023, the Buffalo Sabres regressed to 84 points in 2023-2024. A roster makeover started at the trade deadline, as the Sabres acquired defenseman Bowen Byram for forward Casey Mittelstadt to reallocate their assets. Sabres General Manager Kevyn Adams set out to replace Mittelstadt this offseason with a third-line center, add a top-six scorer, and restock defense and goaltending depth.
So how did he do? It’s time to grade each phase of Buffalo’s offseason, starting with the draft.
Sabres Draft
For all of the talk of fireworks and potential trades on Day One of the NHL Draft, the Sabres, along with every other team, did not make a pick for player trade. Instead, Buffalo drafted 14th overall after a trade-down from 11 and selected center Konsta Helenius.
Helenius impressed immediately at development camp, and his long-term outlook looks promising. He ranks among the top tier of prospects in Buffalo’s pipeline.
The second-round draft pick acquired in the trade-down gave the Sabres two, which resulted in a trade for forward Beck Malenstyn. Malenstyn was the first addition of speed and physicality that foreshadowed upcoming moves. Trading a second-rounder for a fourth-line player eliminates the chance for upside, but Buffalo needed roster players more than more NHL hopefuls.
As for the rest of the draft picks, time will tell. Brodie Ziemer showed he could put the puck in the net against his peers, and Adam Kleber and Luke Osburn are solid big blueline prospects. The draft class adds to an already overstocked group of prospects, turning it into a “quantity over quality” situation.
Draft Grade: B-
More Draft Analysis: Sabres 2024 NHL Draft Summary
Jeff Skinner Buyout
The rumors of Jeff Skinner not being a part of the Sabres’ plans rooted back to the trade deadline. The Sabres couldn’t move his $9 million cap hit in-season of course, but his regression was worrisome. By then, Skinner had already been demoted from the top line and wasn’t clicking with any others.
The Sabres did finally initiate the buyout process after the draft. The presumed intention was to allocate the money saved to pay a top-six forward and a third-line center. Losing Skinner’s scoring talent hurts, but his poor defensive play and misplaced role hurt the team even more.
At this point, it doesn’t appear the Sabres will use close to all the cap space they created. They’ve failed to pull off a trade for another top-tier scorer, which many believe to be the last missing piece to a true playoff team.
Buyout Grade: D+
More Skinner: Report: Sabres to Buyout Jeff Skinner
Sabres Free Agency
Veteran Jason Zucker was the highlight of the slew of free agents the Sabres signed. He’s a former 30-goal scorer in the league coming off of a 14-goal season. He’s two years removed from 27 goals in Pittsburgh, which hints that he can still produce with the right linemates.
The rest of Buffalo’s signings addressed the fourth line and depth on defense and at goalie. Sam Lafferty and Nicolas Aube-Kubel bring more speed and physicality to the team to join forces with Malenstyn. Dennis Gilbert and the re-signing of Jacob Bryson takes the pressure off Ryan Johnson, who is entering his second professional season.
James Reimer and Felix Sandstrom make the Sabres four deep at the goaltending position with NHL experience. Reimer began last season as the backup in Detroit and Sandstrom did the same in Philadelphia at points throughout the season.
The big free-agent names all signed deals early, with the Sabres never really in contention for any of them. Free-agent contracts are known to be regrettable towards the end of them, so not getting coerced into a bad long-term deal is a good thing.
The Sabres offseason to this point filled needs, addressed the depth, and gave themselves a new identity. However, they still had two major holes after announcing their new additions.
Free Agency Grade: B-
Free Agent Analysis: Reports: Sabres Sign Zucker, Lafferty in Free Agency
Ryan McLeod Trade
The talk the entire offseason was that the Sabres were willing to part with a prospect for a player who can help the team next season. Still, when the Sabres made that prospect Matthew Savoie, it came as a bit of a shock. Savoie was Buffalo’s highest-drafted player not in the NHL.
Buffalo’s return for Savoie from the Edmonton Oilers was the third-line center they needed, Ryan McLeod. The Sabres also acquired prospect Tyler Tullio, who seems like a longshot to reach the NHL at this point.
McLeod adds essential elements to the Sabres’ third line, fits in with the age group of the team, and has offensive upside. He’ll remain under team control after the season as well. Losing a top prospect for a third-line center does appear ideal at its core, but, given Buffalo’s situation, this trade made a lot of sense.
Trade Grade: B+
Total Offseason Grade
It was a busy offseason for Kevyn Adams and Buffalo’s front office, but there’s still one glaring hole. The Sabres failed to add a top-six forward and are leaving unnecessary cap space on the table because of it.
There’s still plenty of time to swing another trade, but it takes two willing participants. The 31 other NHL teams have essentially completed their roster construction and parting with a big piece would leave them with a hole to be filled as well.
There are teams in cap trouble, which could illuminate a trade opportunity. The other option would be a position swap, flipping a defenseman for a forward.
Until then the Sabres offseason grade is incomplete. If this is the final roster, then the grade is much less flattering than it could be with a top-six forward added.
Offseason Grade: C+
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TODAY'S BEST
Rangers give the rest of the NHL reason to take notice
The New York Rangers marched into Boston and authored a statement victory over the Bruins that reverberates beyond a single game. They won 6-2 on Black Friday and notched their third consecutive victory. The Blueshirts controlled the match from start to finish. Without a doubt, it was their best performance of the season. Context matters. They were coming off a road win against the Carolina Hurricanes, while some analyses downplayed the achievement by focusing on the shot differential. At five-on-five, the Rangers had been more efficient at generating quality chances, and the team showed discipline to avoid costly penalties. All of that resurfaced in Boston, and this time, the execution was reflected in the box score. Artemi Panarin recorded four points with the serenity of someone conducting an orchestra. Mika Zibanejad rediscovered his scoring touch on the power play with the one-timer everyone knows by heart, and he did it twice in less than a minute, with Panarin and Adam Fox on the sequence. Fox added three assists and extended his point streak. Vincent Trocheck continued his near point-per-game production. Alexis Lafrenière battled for his space and was rewarded with the story-sealing empty-net goal. The narrative of an aging core loses steam when the main characters remind you who they are. Rangers showed signs of the depth that wins games The real difference was in the depth. A commitment to rolling four lines paid dividends, with each unit establishing a clear advantage in five-on-five shot battles. That confidence did not come from nowhere. It comes from weeks of progress from the bottom six, with Noah Laba, Brett Berard, Sam Carrick, Adam Edstrom and Jonny Brodzinski appearing near the crease and creating clear chances. Having the third and fourth units push the play forward is what separates a competitive team from a dominant one. There were also tactical details. More discipline. A greater ability to draw penalties. Less time handed to the opponent for free. When the game is played at five-on-five and your offensive efficiency holds, the ice tilts in your favor. That's how it was in Boston. That's how it's starting to look during this streak. The good hockey was always there, but luck and some tactical nuances had obscured it. Now it's visible. Three straight wins, a producing core, a responding depth and a game plan that balances play.
Jerry Jones claims Jets turned down absurd trade offer involving Micah Parsons, Quinnen Williams
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently revealed that he offered Micah Parsons plus a first-round pick to the New York Jets in exchange for Quinnen Williams during training camp. Jerry Jones says Jets turned out incredible trade offer for Quinnen Williams “I wanted a one and Parsons for Williams,” Jones said on 103.5 The Fan. That seems like an absurd offer, but Jones left little up to interpretation. “A one and Parsons for Williams,” he repeated. Later, he added that the deal did not go through because the Jets “did not have the cap room to pay [Parsons].” Jones also said something similar to WFAA’s Ed Werder: “We tried at training camp with the Jets to basically make an exchange that was ready to go, heads up, with Quinnen and Micah and a one, and we didn’t get it done.” Parsons, of course, was instead sent to the Packers for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks. The Cowboys later acquired Williams before the trade deadline for a package including a 2027 first-rounder, a 2026 second-rounder and defensive tackle Mazi Smith. Jones has slowly revealed more and more information about the Parsons trade since it was completed. During a September radio appearances on ESPN New York, Jones said that called the Jets regarding Williams when he was shopping Parsons before the season. The Jets were not interested, he claimed, because they “didn’t have the resources to entertain [the] conversation,” similar to his pronouncement on 103.5. If true, Jets made a big mistake If Jones’ latest revelation is true, that means two things. First, he was willing to sacrifice a massive amount of value to move Parsons and acquire Williams. Second, the Jets made a huge mistake in not accepting the deal. Although Williams is an excellent defensive tackle, Parsons is undoubtedly a better and more valuable player, even at a higher price point. This year, Williams has 2.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss this season; per Pro Football Focus, he ranks fifth among interior defenders with 40 pressures but 38th with a 12.1% pass-rush win rate. Parsons, meanwhile, has 12.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss, plus 67 pressures and a 24.3% pass-rush win rate, both top-three marks among NFL edge-rushers. In his career, he has averaged 0.89 sacks and one tackle for loss per game; Williams’ per-game numbers are 0.41 sacks and 0.60 tackles for loss. Those numbers may not tell the complete story of either player, but it seems like the Jets should have taken Jones’ offer. Sure, they would have had to pony up for Parsons’ mega-extension, but they were already prepared to move on from Williams. Adding an extra first-round pick on top would also give the Jets an opportunity to add another starter — if not a star — on a rookie contract. That would help to offset the financial cost of acquiring Parsons. How realistic is Jerry Jones' claim? But Jones’ words should also be taken with a grain of salt. He has spent a lot of time trying to retroactively justify trading away Parsons, especially after using some of the resulting draft capital to acquire Williams. Claiming that the Jets were not interested in Parsons and a first-rounder for Williams serves to downplay the former’s value and boost the latter’s. The idea that the Jets could not afford to pay Parsons does not hold water, either. After his extension, the All-Pro edge-rusher’s cap hit in 2025 is just $9.97M. New York certainly could have designed a similar contract structure and absorbed Perhaps the Jets didn't want to commit so much money to Parsons as they were clearly contemplating a rebuild. Parsons would still be a cornerstone for that effort, but he may not have wanted to weather any losing seasons in the hopes of a future turnaround. But again, adding another first-round pick would have accelerated that process, and a core of Parsons, cornerback Sauce Gardner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson seems like a solid foundation for the Jets to build from. That is an expensive trio, but having elite players at three of the sport’s most important positions is a good problem to have. Instead, the Jets declined the Cowboys’ initial offer for Williams before moving him and Gardner at the deadline as part of what appears to be a full-on franchise reset.
Arch Manning has defining performance of college career in win over Texas A&M
In the biggest game of his college football career so far, Texas quarterback Arch Manning grew into the superstar he was touted to be with the nation watching. No. 16 Texas (9-3) earned a huge rivalry win over No. 3 Texas A M (11-1) in Austin on Friday in large part thanks to the second-half play of Manning. Manning was only 8-of-21 for 51 yards in the first half, and the Longhorns trailed the Aggies 10-3 at the break. Texas had an opportunity to kick a field goal and cut the A M lead to four at the break, but an intentional grounding penalty incurred by Manning took that opportunity away. Arch Manning lights up the scoreboard in second half But with the help of a Texas defense that rattled TAMU QB Marcel Reed in the second half, Manning and the 'Horns scored 24 second-half points in a winning effort. Texas' first drive of the second half netted three points, but a strike from Manning to Ryan Wingo on the next UT possession gave the Longhorns the lead and gave Manning some confidence. After another defensive stop, Manning led a six-play, 83-yard TD drive to put the Longhorns up by 10. After Texas A M responded, Manning did as well, running away from the Aggie defense on a 35-yard scoring sprint that ultimately served as the deciding blow. In the end, it was Reed — the more experienced and consistent of the two quarterbacks — that made the back-breaking mistake, throwing an interception deep in Texas territory on a drive that looked poised to end with points. The victory was a team effort for Texas, which will await Saturday's slate of games and beg for several playoff contenders to lose to have a shot at the 12-team playoff field. But it was Manning who would be the face of it. Manning went 14-of-29 for 179 yards and a touchdown through the air and added 53 yards and a score on the ground. The win serves as the biggest moment of Manning's young UT career. Going into Saturday, Manning's sophomore season was marred by inconsistent play. A career day against Arkansas was contrasted by middling performances against Ohio State and Georgia. Standout efforts in wins over Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Oklahoma were overshadowed by no-shows against UTEP, Kentucky and Florida. But Manning rose to his greatest challenge on Saturday, delivering a win in a rivalry game that nobody in the state of Texas — whether they wear burnt orange or maroon — will soon forget.
Frank Ragnow update fits troubling 2025 Lions pattern
The Detroit Lions can't catch a break. On Saturday, the Lions announced that center Frank Ragnow, who earlier this week came out of retirement to rejoin the team for the stretch run, failed a physical and won't be returning this season after all. Per Detroit's social media account, Ragnow's medical check-up revealed a Grade 3 hamstring strain, eliminating the possibility of the four-time Pro Bowler playing this season. Ragnow, 29, left the game with seemingly plenty left in the tank, and his injury setback is another brutal blow for a Lions team that is starting to look cursed. Frank Ragnow's hamstring injury halts comeback before it even begins Detroit has been dealing with several injuries up front along the offensive line, and Ragnow's potential return would have provided stability to a unit that that's become the team's weak link. In Thursday's 31-24 home loss to the Green Bay Packers (8-3-1), Lions quarterback Jared Goff was pressured on 36.7 percent of his drop-backs and sacked three times, via Pro Football Focus. Graham Glasgow, who replaced Ragnow at center this offseason, missed the game with a knee injury. The Lions are also without left guard Christian Mahogany (leg), further depleting the team's depth. Without Ragnow, Detroit must get more creative in figuring out a way to mask its weakness up front if it's to reach the playoffs in a third consecutive season for just the second time in the Super Bowl era. At 7-5, the Lions are a game behind the San Francisco 49ers (8-4) for the NFC's final wild-card spot. On Thursday, they host the Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1) in a potential elimination game for the loser. Ragnow's return would have provided a huge boost at the perfect time, fortifying Detroit in the interior of the line of scrimmage. It was the perfect solution to a growing problem. But as has often been the case this season, when it comes to the Lions, it's never that easy.
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