The dust has finally settled and the dog days of summer are in full swing. With free agent frenzy wrapped up and the market being thinned out, the pieces for each team has fallen into place.
There have been teams deemed offseason winners. Some that come to mind are the New Jersey Devils and Nashville Predators. Another team that made waves is the Boston Bruins. They managed to sign Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov, which bolstered the depth at center and on defense. Also, the team traded goalie Linus Ullmark and receiver Joonas Korpisalo and a first-round draft pick. The Bruins did not have to do a ton, as the core group is already assembled. However, they are a better team heading into 2024-25 than in 2023-24.
The Bruins play in the Atlantic Division, which saw each team shuffle the deck with adding and subtracting. Given the moves made, it’s time to see how the Bruins stack up in the Atlantic Division.
Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Sam Lafferty, Beck Malenstyn, Ryan McLeod, Jason Zucker, James Reimer
Subtractions: Zemgus Girgensons, Tyson Jost, Victor Olafsson, Eric Robinson, Matthew Savoie, Jeff Skinner, Eric Comrie
What an offseason for the Buffalo Sabres. First order of business was welcoming back former head coach Lindy Ruff. General Manager Kevyn Adams went on to shuffle the deck and bolster the roster.
Depth players moved on, but the more puzzling move was parting ways with Jeff Skinner. The Sabres bought out the remaining three years of his contract, which should make room for younger players such as Zach Benson to step up.
When it came to adding, the team signed experienced forward Jason Zucker, who will be a huge veteran presence to what is a young Sabres hockey team. The biggest set of fireworks came when the team acquired Ryan McLeod from the Edmonton Oilers and sent prospect Matthew Savoie the other way.
The Sabres are heavy at the top of the lineup, led by Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, and Dylan Cozens. By adding McLeod, it gives them balance on the roster. McLeod is a solid two way center and brings much-needed depth; with increased minutes, his production should rise. McLeod did finish with a 50.8% faceoff win percentage too, which is good to have. Adding depth players such as Sam Lafferty and Beck Malenstyn should round out the roster but the heavy load will need to be carried by the top players.
The Sabres are a team on the rise everyone is waiting for to emerge onto the scene. They are a step behind the Bruins, but not as far away from contention as it may seem. It is all about putting things together and taking the next steps as a hockey team.
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