With two weeks left in the 2016-17 campaign, it will be another season in which the Buffalo Sabres will be hitting the golf links in mid-April.  A season that began with heightened expectations came crashing down on the ankle of Jack Eichel. The first 21 games were painful to watch, as the team mustered just six victories.  Once he returned, they played more consistent hockey with a top-notch power play and solid forward play.

The biggest liability for this team is the defensive corps and its inconsistent play.  Except for Rasmus Ristolainen and Jake McCabe, the rest of the defensive corps could be replaced. The poor play on the defensive side is the reason they miss the playoffs once again. General manager Tim Murray made it clear at the press conference following the trade deadline that he was looking to upgrade.  With the offseason approaching, it will be interesting how Murray will choose to improve the defense.  It will be a difficult task and the Sabre faithful’s disenchantment will grow (with Dan Byslma most likely the first victim) if there are only minimal improvements made and fall short of reaching the playoffs this time next spring.

Let’s examine how Murray could improve Buffalo’s defense.

Evander Kane and the Prospects

(Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports)

Before the trade deadline, rumors of Evander Kane leaving Buffalo swirled.   It did not happen and Kane is under contract for next year.  It’s quite possible if the rebuild delivers another fail, he could be shipped out at the 2018 deadline for prospects and picks.  Murray may opt to shop him in the off-season to find a suitable partner to get a top-notch defenseman.  It is unclear how that would transpire and with the summer a few months away and too difficult to speculate.

By drafting at the top for the past several years, the Sabres have several prospects  that could provide value in return. It’s possible Murray could package a couple of prospects along with a veteran for a defenseman.  This could be determined after the expansion draft is held for the Vegas Golden Knights.  Also, the potential for another top 10 selection in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft could be enticing for a team looking to trade up to select a player of their liking.  But with two weeks left in the season, the draft position Buffalo secures will play a big part how this option could work.

Free Agency and Sabre Property

After the expansion draft, free agency will begin with the top prize on the blue line will be Kevin Shattenkirk.  There is no information available indicating that Shattenkirk will continue to stay with the Washington Capitals after this season.  For now, he is a rental player while the Capitals drive to win their first Stanley Cup.   He will command top dollar for any team willing to sign him. Murray needs to look closely at how a large contract for Shattenkirk would fit into Buffalo’s financial plans.

It’s quite clear Eichel will command a large chunk of money.  With Murray planning to re-sign Sam Reinhart, the cap dollars will disappear quickly.  The NHL has a hard cap, so it’s difficult to make adjustments of cap dollars to make all of it work.  It’s a long shot to land Shattenkirk wearing the Sabre crest in 2017.  It might be better if Murray looks for less expensive options out in the open market that could provide the improvement necessary to improve the second and third defense pairs.  The possibilities will become more clear after the Stanley Cup playoffs are complete.

(Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Murray will have options next year to improve the defense from within the organization.  Taylor Fedun has played 27 games with Buffalo and is one defenseman that has a positive plus/minus rating.  At age 28, one is to wonder if he will get a full year with the club.  Murray is salivating at the prospects of Brendan Guhle, who is currently playing with Prince George in the Western Hockey League.  He looked poised and was not out of his element in three games he played with the Sabres in December.  Murray is also high on Rochester Americans defenseman Casey Nelson.  Slowed by injuries this year, there is still an expectation that Nelson will be with the team in the future providing size on the blue line.

The offseason will be critical for Murray as he determines how the club will look next year. In 2017-18, increased pressure will be on Murray to construct a team to get over the playoff hump.  The defense needs an upgrade and is the focus heading into the offseason.

For the Sabre faithful, let’s hope this gets done.