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Isak Rosen and Jiri Kulich of the Rochester Americans (Photo by Micheline Veluvolu)

Sabres Failing to Trade 9th Overall Pick Would Be Massive Failure

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Ryan Womeldorf | Last updated Jun 10, 2025 9:35 AM ET

Though the Stanley Cup Final is underway, most other teams are already gearing up for the offseason. The Buffalo Sabres have already made moves, adding former Columbus Blue Jackets general manager (GM) Jarmo Kekalainen as a senior advisor to GM Kevyn Adams.

The embattled regime has arguably its most important offseason ahead. The Sabres can no longer tolerate a rebuild effort and must make a flashy move, even if it means overpaying. Normally, slow and steady development of picks and prospects would be the goal, but this franchise is beyond that. The team surely has draft targets in mind for the ninth overall pick, but failing to include it in a major trade package would be an incredible failure.

The Prospect Pool Has Limited Room for Advancement

Ignoring the pressure that comes with not making the playoffs for 14 straight seasons, there is a bigger reason why the ninth overall pick is something the Sabres should be leveraging. Simply put, the youngsters are running out of places to go once they look ready to move on from the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Jiri Kulich graduated from a successful stint in the AHL, claiming a full-time roster spot in 2024-25. Devon Levi has been dominant at the AHL level and looks ready to move up in the very near future. Isak Rosen, Noah Ostlund, and Konsta Helenius all look ready as well.

Garnering young, talented prospects is fine and well, but they have to contribute to make their selections worthwhile. If they have nowhere to go, the franchise has an inherent issue that leads to wasting talent. Adding another prospect, even a highly talented one, at ninth overall would just exacerbate the issue.

The Sabres Need Action

The Sabres aren’t going to be able to sign a big free agent to get them over the hump. Buffalo itself isn’t the problem – free agents sign with the Buffalo Bills all the time and rave about the team’s culture and success. The Sabres are the problem, and free agents aren’t going to sign there because the team is a tire fire, not because of palm trees or taxes.

The course for any other GM would be to make smart decisions, find trades of value, and continue the slow build. That possibility should be out the door. Adams showed that taking a swing can work out, like when he dealt top prospect Matt Savoie to the Edmonton Oilers for Ryan McLeod. That was unequivocally a success, but it wouldn’t have happened if Adams weren’t willing to take a chance.

The same has to be the case this offseason. The Sabres face additional problems with certain players not wanting to come here, making some trades simply not possible. But the ones that are on the table need to be pursued aggressively. The Sabres already have among the lowest attendance numbers in the league and continue to alienate the franchise. A timid approach simply cannot happen this offseason.

The Sabres’ Needs are Big

It would be one thing if this team were largely set, and a few complementary pieces were needed (like we all thought last offseason). The reality of the situation is that the Sabres have major needs in terms of a top-six forward and a top-four defenseman.

Making a move, however, has more implications than just adding talent to the lineup. There have been rumblings that core players like J.J. Peterka and Alex Tuch, among others, are unhappy with the direction of the team and may want out. Making a move would go a long way toward showing the key players on this team that management is invested in making a difference.

Alex Tuch, Buffalo Sabres (Evan Sabourin / The Hockey Writers)

Unfortunately, Sabres fans have become all too accustomed to being disappointed. The Sabres have been collectively $60 million under the cap over the past five seasons, indicating an unwillingness to go big. With the cap rising, that space could be invaluable to make a difference now.

The Future Is Grim if Inaction Is the Plan

The simple fact of the matter is that the Sabres are teetering on completely alienating the fan base. For a long time, the general feeling has been that if the Sabres could finally get over the hump and into the playoffs, fans would come back with the tenacity and vigor that makes them one of the best fan bases in the league.

Now, fans are pessimistic to the point that even a playoff appearance may not be enough. They have been given red herring after red herring, promise after promise, only to be met with complete and utter failure and disappointment. A 15^th consecutive losing season may lose some for the foreseeable future.