3. Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres could be a great fit for Stamkos. The Sabres front office is really beginning to build something in Buffalo.
They brought in talented forward Evander Kane and talented defenseman Zach Boogosian last season. The Sabres also brought in the seasoned David Legwand and a young solid center in Ryan O’Reilly. They then drafted the second best player in the draft in Jack Eichel and quite possibly solved their goaltender issue by acquiring Robin Lehrner from the Ottawa Senators.
The Sabres also have a history of diving into the free agent market. Do not expect Buffalo to pursue Stamkos in season. It would make little sense for Buffalo to touch the core, but expect the Sabres to be in the mix this off-season. The Sabres have also been known to go on shopping sprees in the past.
Sadly, the last few big dips into the free agent market have been failures, see Brian Campbell and Ville Leino. But that will not deter the Sabres GM from making a push for Stamkos. Stamkos will not bust.
