Bleacher Report has floated a wild idea for the Buffalo Sabres, and it starts with Connor McDavid.
That alone tells you how far out on the branch this one is. McDavid is still the league’s standard-bearer, and even with two seasons left on his current contract, the notion of Edmonton ever seriously listening on him remains a massive long shot. But Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report still took the swing, naming the Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning as possible landing spots if the Oilers ever opened the door.
For Buffalo, the appeal is obvious. The Sabres owned the best odds at 20% to win the first pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, the one that featured McDavid at the top. Instead, the lottery broke Edmonton’s way, Buffalo slid to No. 2 and selected Jack Eichel, who later won a Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Gretz’s mock deal between Buffalo and Edmonton had the Sabres sending Tage Thompson, Mattias Samuelsson and a first-round pick, but the reaction to that package was simple: it likely would not be enough.
Thompson is a dangerous scorer, but he does not match McDavid’s all-around impact. Samuelsson has just finished a breakout season, though his earlier work left him looking like a fairly average defenseman. And a first-round pick attached to a team sitting at No. 97 on the roster would not carry much weight on its own.
To get into real range, Buffalo would probably have to add more. That could mean a young NHL forward such as Jiri Kulich or Noah Ostlund, while doing everything possible to keep Konsta Helenius, plus a premium prospect like Radim Mrtka to build a five-asset offer.
Even at 29, McDavid’s production still sits in the elite tier. He posted 138 points in 82 games last season, and there is no sign of a major decline coming soon. Sidney Crosby is still producing at better than a point per game in his late 30s, after all.
For Sabres fans, especially the many who used to travel down the 90 to watch the Ontario native with the OHL’s Erie Otters, the idea of McDavid in Buffalo would be the ultimate what-if coming full circle more than a decade after the “McEichel” heartbreak.
The fit on paper is obvious because the Sabres still need a true No. 1 center. Buffalo ended the longest playoff drought in NHL history, a 14-year run, last season, and the organization has a deep pool of young talent both on the roster and in the system. But since Eichel left, that top-line center spot has remained a void.
The search has continued since Jarmo Kekalainen replaced Kevyn Adams as general manager in December. He already made a push for St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas before last season’s trade deadline, and that attempt came up empty.
McDavid would erase that weakness in a hurry and turn it into a strength that changes the whole shape of the lineup. In a fun exercise, a first line with McDavid in the middle would look awfully strong.
Still, this is fantasy more than forecast. Calling McDavid-to-Buffalo a pipe dream might actually undersell how unlikely it is. The odds of the six-time Art Ross Trophy winner ever wearing blue and gold are probably about as good as the Vancouver Canucks winning the Stanley Cup this season.
And yet, as the saying goes: "If Josh Allen succeeds, the Bills will have outsmarted basically all regular humans and the entirety of math itself." Now he’s the best player in the NFL.
In Other News...
Sabres Opener Brought Real Promise And One Early Concern
The Sabres preseason opener against Columbus offered plenty of reasons for optimism, even if the scoreboard will matter less in September than the habits behind it. Buffalo rolled to a 5-1 win, with Noah Ostlund scoring twice, Owen Power logging more than 25 minutes and finishing with three points, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen looking sharp by turning aside all 13 shots he faced through the first two periods.
For a team trying to set a tone early, the bigger takeaway may have been the way the night unfolded physically. Mattias Samuelsson and Olen Zellweger both had to leave early, and Jiri Kulich was shaken up before coming back to finish, leaving Buffalo with at least one concern to sort through after a night that otherwise read like a strong opening statement. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Suddenly Face A Blue-Line Problem They Couldn't Afford
Buffalos blue line took a hit during the game when Mattias Samuelsson and Olen Zellweger both left with injuries and did not return for the third period. Samuelsson came out after blocking a shot and briefly came back for one shift before his night was done, while Zellweger was forced out after taking a hit and needed assistance getting to the locker room.
For a team already working with limited depth on defense, losing two regulars in the same game quickly changes the look of the lineup. The Sabres had to get through the final period short-handed on the back end, and the bigger concern now is whether either player will be available if this carries beyond one night and forces another adjustment. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres May Have Found A Blue Line Piece Nobody Saw Coming
Louis Creviers first appearance in a Sabres sweater offered a quick look at why Buffalo thought he was worth adding to the blue line mix. The defenseman, acquired from Chicago, stepped into preseason action and talked afterward about the work it took to settle his nerves early in his career, crediting the Blackhawks mental coach for helping him handle the pressure that comes with trying to stick in the NHL. He described himself as a defense-first player, but one with some offensive upside, which is exactly the sort of blend teams like to find in camp.
Lindy Ruff seemed to notice the same thing. The Sabres coach praised Creviers abilities and pointed to the role he has been carving out during training camp as Buffalo keeps sorting through its defensive options. For a player who did not arrive with much fanfare, every practice rep and preseason shift matters, and Crevier has at least given the coaching staff a reason to keep watching closely as the roster picture comes into focus. [Read more 🡒]