The Buffalo Sabres are in the thick of the NHL’s quiet summer stretch, with the draft behind them and free agency mostly cooled off. Even so, there are still a few names left on the board who could fit in Buffalo as the club looks ahead to a potential back-to-back playoff run in 2026-27.
One of the most intriguing possibilities is Patrick Kane. The Buffalo native has been linked to the idea of a return home, and the fit is easy to see.
He is no longer the same scorer he was in his prime, but he remains one of the stronger winger options still available. With Alex Tuch now headed to Washington, the Sabres’ wing depth has become a question, and Kane could help stabilize that group right away.
A third-line role could make sense, with Noah Ostlund moving to center and Josh Doan shifting to the left side to make room for “Showtime” on the right.
Anthony Mantha is another name worth watching. At 31, he still has plenty of prime years left, and among the remaining free agents, he may offer the best blend of skill and upside.
He scored 33 goals last season, though his playoff disappearance has left him unsigned. For Buffalo, the appeal is straightforward: the Sabres need offense, and Mantha could give them another weapon as they try to get back into the postseason.
The catch is cost, since he would likely command the biggest contract of the three.
Vladimir Tarasenko rounds out the list as the most affordable option. Since being traded to the New York Rangers from the St.
Louis Blues, he has bounced around the market, signing with Detroit, Minnesota, Ottawa, and Florida in recent years, with the Wild as his latest stop. He produced 23 goals and 24 assists for 47 points in the 2025-26 season and already has two Stanley Cups on his resume.
For a Sabres team looking for depth, Tarasenko presents a straightforward case as a lower-cost addition who could still bring real value.
In Other News...
New Sabres Defenseman Shares Wild Trade Night Moment
Louis Crevier is already giving the Sabres a little more to think about on the back end after arriving in the Bowen Byram-Jordan Greenway deal with Chicago. The 7th-round pick from the Blackhawks has seen his ice time climb there, and Buffalo is bringing him in with a real opportunity to stick on the blue line next season, which is exactly the kind of low-cost swing a team trying to deepen its defense can use.
The fit matters because the Sabres are not just adding another body, they are looking for someone who can actually push for a role. Crevier is expected to compete for a spot on the roster and could end up filling an opening left by Logan Stanley if the veteran does not return, giving Buffalo a bigger, more established option than a pure depth add. For a player whose path has already included a meaningful jump in responsibility, this could be the moment where he turns a change of scenery into a real NHL foothold. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Linked To Proven Scoring Help As Pressure Builds In Buffalo
The Sabres are still sorting through how to replace the offense they lost when Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram moved on, and the search has pushed the front office toward a familiar kind of summer dilemma: trust the kids, or add a proven scorer who can help right away. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen is reportedly weighing outside options while also keeping an eye on internal development, but the need for more production is hard to ignore for a team that wants to take a step forward.
Seattle winger Jared McCann has surfaced in the broader conversation as the kind of player Buffalo would have interest in if the Kraken decide to listen, and his situation makes him one to watch as the season moves along. He is in the final year of his contract, has been part of trade chatter before, and his track record as a reliable goal source only adds to the appeal. The complication, as always, is whether a deal like that can actually get traction once the details start to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Suddenly Have A Colten Ellis Dilemma They Cannot Mismanage
Colten Ellis arrived in Buffalo as a waiver claim before last season, and he made the kind of early impression that forces a front office to pay attention. He got into 16 games and helped stabilize the Sabres at a time when every usable option in net mattered, which is part of why his situation has quickly become more than a depth-chart footnote.
Now Ellis is entering the final year of his contract, and Buffalo has to decide how aggressively it wants to manage his role while sorting through a crowded goalie picture. With a three-goalie rotation already in play and the possibility of adding Connor Hellebuyck hanging over the position, the Sabres have to keep Ellis on a path that protects their leverage for next summer without letting the season get away from them in the process. [Read more 🡒]