Sabres’ Biggest Questions Heading into the Offseason

Byram is a pending restricted free agent (RFA) this offseason, and there have been multiple reports that the 25-year-old would like to be a number one defenseman at some point, and from what it sounds like, he might get that opportunity next season.

At this point, the fans and media are waiting for Byram to get traded and what the return will be. I want to think that Adams would go out and acquire a right-handed defenseman as part of the return, thereby getting Power a good partner on the second defensive pair, but who knows? Either way, complete the Byram move when the deal is right and move on.

How Much of an Impact Will Jarmo Kekalainen Have?

The Sabres ended up hiring Jarmo Kekalainen as the team’s senior advisor to the GM and will be involved in all hockey departments. Previously the Columbus Blue Jackets GM from 2013-2024, he led the Blue Jackets to their best stretch of hockey in franchise history, which also included sweeping the (at the time) best NHL regular season of all time, Tampa Bay Lightning, in the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

He was a very aggressive GM for the Blue Jackets as he traded Seth Jones and acquired Sergei Bobrovsky, Artemi Panarin, and Matt Duchene, to name a few. Of course, he won’t be the one making the moves for the Sabres, but he will be providing his input on trades that the front office is working on.

Adams is not known to make aggressive trades. His only ones were made when his hand was forced, with the trades of Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart. There’s one other aggressive trade that has helped the Sabres: trading a top prospect, Matthew Savoie, to the Edmonton Oilers for Ryan McLeod. I believe that if Adams is on the fence about an aggressive trade that he usually would back out of, Kekalainen will tell him to pull the trigger.

Will J.J. Peterka Sign a Long-Term Contract?

J.J. Peterka is a pending RFA this offseason, and with Byram’s tenure in Buffalo all but over, the team needs to figure out what their plan is with Peterka. Of course, they’re going to do everything in their power to keep him around. Even if the deal is only a three-year deal, which would take him to free agency, the Sabres need to do it. Players like Peterka don’t grow on trees. I know, he is a defensive liability, but he’s in the top four percent in the league in offensive production, according to evolvinghockey.com.

Peterka set career highs in assists (41) and points (68) while also scoring 27 goals this season. He has an 80-point player written all over him, and his ceiling is an 85-point player with 35 goals in multiple seasons. He’s only 23 years old and is on the cusp of becoming an elite offensive player in the league. Whatever he wants in terms of money and contract length, I say give it to him.

A fair deal for both parties is an eight-year contract worth an average annual value of $8 million. The only reason I don’t have it at $9 million is simply because of his defense. Ranking in the second percentile in overall defense throughout the league is horrendous. Even if it were in the 30s, I’d give him the extra million. The Sabres struggle defensively, so if they want to make the playoffs, I do believe Peterka will need to be much better in his own zone.

The offseason for the Sabres is expected to be an interesting one, with numerous questions surrounding the team, and they have a lot of work to do. Adams is on the hot seat, but now, with guidance, it seems that the entire organization is becoming frustrated with the team’s performance. We’ll see what the Sabres will end up doing and if Adams can answer some very early questions surrounding Byram and Peterka to start the offseason.