theathleticuk
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.
The Buffalo Sabres arent done yet.
In the days and hours leading up to the 2026 NHL Draft, the Sabres were among the most active teams in the NHL.
They traded Bowen Byram and the negotiating rights to Alex Tuch.
Then they added Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger via trade on Friday morning.
The big move for a difference-making NHL player didnt materialize, so the Sabres made all five of their scheduled picks throughout the weekend.
Heres the draft class: Round 1, pick No.
4: Daxon Rudolph, RHD, Prince Albert (WHL) Round 1, pick No.
20: Ilia Morozov, C, Miami University (NCAA) Round 4, Pick 124: Olivers Murnieks, C, Saint John (QMJHL) Round 5, Pick 156: Doman Szongath, C, KooKoo Jr.
(FINLAND-JR.) Round 6, Pick 188: Dylan Dumont, W, Drummondville (QMJHL) Advertisement Those names wont impact the 2026-27 Sabres, though.
And after the most exciting Sabres season in more than a decade, fans are finally done clinging to the future and are focused on the present.
The prospect pool got a lot stronger this weekend.
In the big picture, that matters.
But the Sabres also have a competitive window they need to capitalize on.
If you ask the entire amateur scouting staff, we would have been fine if we traded all those picks away if we were making our NHL team better, Sabres assistant general manager Jerry Forton said.
(General manager) Jarmo (Kekalainen) and I talked about this an awful lot.
If there were trades that were available to either make our team better or even move down or trade the pick outright, we would have had zero hesitation and been really excited about that.
I didnt hear anything that really helped our team in terms of making an impact and making our team better right now.
There are still some big names lingering on the trade market, so its still possible a move is coming.
And despite an underwhelming free-agent class, there are useful players available to sign on July 1.
The Sabres have $13.8 million in cap space, per Puckpedia.
Heres a look at where things stand: Forwards under contract: 13 | Left wing | Center | Right wing | |---|---|---| Zach Benson | Josh Norris | Tage Thompson | Noah Ostlund | Konsta Helenius | Josh Doan | Jason Zucker | Ryan McLeod | Jack Quinn | Tyson Kozak/Jiri Kulich | Sam Carrick | Justin Danforth | Forwards without a contract: Beck Malenstyn (UFA), Peyton Krebs (RFA), Josh Dunne (UFA), Tanner Pearson (UFA), David Kampf (UFA) Defensemen under contract: 6 | Left defenseman | Right defenseman | |---|---| Rasmus Dahlin | Mattias Samuelsson | Owen Power | Louis Crevier | Olen Zellweger (RFA) | Conor Timmins | Extra: Zach Metsa UFAs: Logan Stanley, Luke Schenn Goalie under contract: 4 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, Colten Ellis, Devon Levi So whats left to handle? Here are some lingering questions coming out of the draft: Is there another forward coming? The idea of replacing Tuch one for one isnt necessarily feasible.
Kekalainen has expressed faith in the internal options the team has at forward from Jack Quinn down to players like Ostlund, Helenius and Kulich.
Its also a crowded group at the moment with 13 forwards still under contract without accounting for either Krebs or Malenstyn (more on them in a bit).
It feels like one more player is needed.
We outlined some free-agent forwards who could fit the Sabres last week.
If the Sabres want a bit more ruggedness along with some leadership, Mason Marchment and Anders Lee could be interesting options.
If its scoring theyre worried about, Patrick Kane and Mats Zuccarello could add some playmaking.
But prices can get funky on the free-agent market.
Advertisement What will happen with Malenstyn and Krebs? Malenstyn and Krebs were part of the hard-working identity the Sabres built late last season.
Malenstyn set a franchise record for hits, is one of the fastest skaters in the NHL and contributed to Buffalos penalty kill.
Krebs was one of Lindy Ruffs most trusted players, playing on a few different lines and filling a variety of roles.
Malenstyn has leverage as an unrestricted free agent.
He wants to return to Buffalo and would likely do so if he can get some term on his next deal.
The average annual value shouldnt be north of $3 million, but the security of a multi-year deal would be there on the open market.
Krebs situation is different.
Hes a restricted free agent, so the Sabres just need to tender him a qualifying offer to continue negotiating.
Dont rule out arbitration for Krebs, given that what he brings to the table is hard to put a value on.
If the Sabres really want to keep both Krebs and Malenstyn, it would likely take about $6 million total.
Thats worth thinking about with just $13.8 million in space.
What does Zellwegers contract look like? Zellweger is an exciting addition for the Sabres, and Kekalainen said hell have a chance to compete for a spot playing with Owen Power.
But hes also a restricted free agent, and his contract situation is interesting.
AFP Analytics projects that he would make $6.5 million per year on a seven-year deal or just over $3.2 million on a two-year deal.
Considering the Sabres have a ton of defensemen in the pipeline, it probably makes sense to bridge Zellweger and figure out the long-term situation in a couple of years.
If Zellweger breaks out and commands a bigger deal in two years, thats a good problem to have.
But with Rudolph, Radim Mrtka, Maxim Strbaka and Adam Kleber all in the pipeline, among others, the Sabres will have options.
Will the Sabres make a move at goalie? Levi will require waivers this season, so its decision time for Buffalo on its young goalie.
With Luukkonen, Lyon and Ellis all still under contract, its tough to find room for Levi unless another move is made.
Whats even more interesting is that the Sabres seriously inquired about Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck.
Hellebuyck would have represented a rare opportunity to acquire a difference-maker in net.
So taking a run at him doesnt necessarily mean the Sabres will pivot to another goalie.
But its further proof that Kekalainen is exploring a lot of different options to upgrade this roster.
The state of the roster suggests there are more moves to come.