The Buffalo Sabres are in need of many things this summer — but more than anything else, they need some veterans to come in and establish a winning standard for a new era for the franchise. And while it won’t be a cakewalk to acquire the type of talent that can change things for the Sabres, that doesn’t mean Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams shouldn’t be swinging for the fences in trades and free agency.
And one intriguing possibility for the Sabres is a veteran center with a Stanley Cup championship on his resume — Calgary Flames star Nazem Kadri. The 34-year-old is coming off a career-best scoring season, with 35 goals and 67 points. And he’s locked up to a very reasonable salary that pays him $7-million per season for the next four years.
Now, Kadri has said he’s comfortable in Calgary, and he has a full no-trade clause this year, so this admittedly could be a pipe dream. However, what’s the harm in Adams making a pitch to the Flames for Kadri’s services? He’s an Ontario native who might want to play much closer to home than Alberta is. And although Calgary narrowly missed out on the playoffs this past season, you can make a solid argument that the Sabres have more overall depth and talent than the Flames. Maybe he wants to take a bigger swing with a new team.
And if it does work out, Kadri will make Buffalo a much tougher team to play against — something that most observers want to see from a newly-rejigged Sabres team. And even if Kadri’s play begins to slip, you’re still getting someone who knows what it is to be a winner, and who knows how to be a true professional.
Players like Kadri aren’t going to fall into Buffalo’s lap. Adams will have to make the move worth Calgary’s while, and that means giving up young players and draft picks that will be part of the Flames long-term rebuild. But the Sabres have plenty of those type of assets, and if they do want to take the next competitive step, they’re going to have to pay a steep price for it.
Sabres Won’t Land Maple Leafs’ Marquee Free Agents — But They Can Set Their Sights On This Young Leafs Player Via TradeThe Buffalo Sabres have $23.2 million in salary cap space to play with this summer. But for reasons we’ve covered in this THN.com article, Sabres fans can forget about acquiring Toronto Maple Leafs star and UFA right winger Mitch Marner. It’s just not happening, folks. Marner probably isn’t coming back to Toronto, but he’s damn sure not coming to a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in nearly a decade-and-a-half. And the same goes for Leafs UFA center John Tavares, who is going to happily accept a major pay cut from the $11-million he made this year if it means staying with his beloved hometown Leafs.
But that said, Kadri would be a terrific option for Buffalo. In a market where top-six forwards are hard to come by, acquiring Kadri from the Flames would be a gigantic win for Adams and Sabres brass. It’s not going to be easy by any means, but a gamble on Kadri could pay off in a very big way.
Kadri isn’t a game-changer per se, but he is someone who would put a burr into the Sabres’ saddle. And that’s precisely what this organization needs at the moment. Adams may well look to other options to change the culture around the team, but if he can pry Kadri out of Calgary’s hands, it could be one of the key moves that turns the Sabres from perennial disappointment to a playoff team at long last.
Sabres Moving On From Rising Free Agent Star Would Be A Disastrous DecisionAfter 14 years of missing the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Buffalo Sabres have to change up their lineup. However, this organization cannot afford to play fast-and-loose with most of their assets — and that includes up-and-coming left winger J.J. Peterka.
So yes, Kadri is definitely worth enquiring about for Buffalo, and stranger things have happened in the NHL than seeing Kadri in a Sabres uniform. You never know until you try, and the Sabres should be trying their utmost to bring in a player with the pedigree that Kadri has. He can help set a new standard for this organization, and he’d be well worth the price Buffalo would have to pay for him.
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