The Buffalo Sabres are one of the teams reportedly looking for scoring help.
According to insider David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period, Buffalo is looking to boost its lack of scoring by adding a high-end winger.
However, there’s one major hurdle standing in the way of that happening: As it stands, the Sabres have just under $2 million in cap space. And with the going rate for some of the scoring wingers potentially available, it’s going to be tough to find something in that price range.
As Pagnotta noted, it won’t be easy for Buffalo to find what they need with so little cap space available.
“With just under $2 million in current salary cap space, the Sabres may not necessarily be poised to make a big splash unless they are moving a body or two off their current roster.”
So, if the Sabres are serious about making a major move, they’ll need to send someone packing. The big question in that case would be who.
The most notable trade candidate is Josh Norris. His current $7.95 million cap hit could open up enough cap space to bring in a credible top-six winger. But the problem with Norris is his injury history. Even as talented as he is, few teams are willing to take on the three-plus years on his current deal.
That situation means that the Sabres will have to get creative in making a deal happen.
Sabres May Need to Get Creative in Their Search for Scoring Help
Given the current situation, the Sabres will need to get creative in making something happen. A name that comes to mind is the hottest trade commodity on the market right now.
The Washington Capitals are rumored to be looking to move 22-year-old Ivan Miroshnichenko. The prevailing chatter says that the Russian winger does not have a clear path to the NHL amid the Capitals’ current forward depth. That’s why the organization is looking to trade him instead of losing him for nothing on waivers.
The former first-round pick is hardly a proven scorer, but could be a cost-effective way for the Sabres to find some depth scoring.
That said, the cost won’t come cheap. But a guy like Miroshnichenko comes with a $1.85 million cap hit, and could be had with a package consisting mostly of futures.
Buffalo Essentially Has 50/50 Chance of Making Trade in the Next 3 Weeks
As for the likelihood of making a potential trade, a predictive analytics model employed by Heavy places the probability of a deal at 47% by November 18. As the model highlighted, the Sabres have scored 33 goals in 12 games, with the club coming off a 2-0 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night. That total is good for 24th in the league.
The model also noted that the loss of Alex Tuch has weighed heavily on the Sabres’ scoring.
The probability at the moment is roughly a coin flip. Unless GM Jarmo Kekalainen can find a team ready to make a move, he’ll just have to wait until someone blinks first.
In the meantime, the Sabres will have to find a way to fill the back of the net.
Sabres Have Major Hurdle to Clear Before Major Trade