The Canadiens would have the opportunity to add a very talented player who was on the team's radar in 2022
The 2023-2024 season hasn't even started, and there are already high expectations for intense competitiveness in the Eastern Conference.
Among the teams that could make a surprising leap in the overall standings next year, the Sabres' lineup appears to be the most dangerous in my eyes. With an extremely talented roster and an additional season of experience for this young core, Buffalo could certainly follow in the footsteps of last year's New Jersey Devils and make a big splash.
Led by players like Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, Jeff Skinner, Dylan Cozens, and Alex Tuch, the team boasts a lot of promising young players who are already with the squad, such as Jack Quinn, Owen Power, Peyton Krebs, JJ Peterka, and Devon Levi.
Even their pool of prospects is brimming with talent, including Jiri Kulich, Matthew Savoie, Zach Benson, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Noah Ostlund, Isak Rosen, and Prokhor Poltapov, to name just a few. With such a wealth of talent at hand, the team's GM, Kevyn Adams, could make a significant impact during the season.
If they take a major step in their progress towards the top of their division, the Sabres could become serious buyers in the effort to improve their roster, starting now.
In fact, Matthew Morris from The Hockey Writers has just compiled a list of candidates that could be used as bait for a big trade, and one name stands out for the Montreal Canadiens.
According to Morris, the young Swede Noah Ostlund could be traded during the season.
For those who are not familiar with him, he is a highly promising 19-year-old center who was the 16th overall pick in the 2022 draft. He finished last season with a record of 8 goals and 26 points in 37 games in the second-best league in Sweden. He will also make the jump to the SHL this year.
La Presse journalist Mathias Brunet asserted in recent months that the Canadiens were VERY interested in acquiring Ostlund in the 2022 draft. The organization tried numerous times to move up in the top 15 to secure this player.
Could there be a potential link to a transaction between the two teams?
If the Sabres want to gear up for the playoffs, players like Josh Anderson, David Savard, and even Christian Dvorak and Joel Armia could become complementary pieces to their highly offensive lineup.
While Anderson and Savard would be significant assets to support the Sabres' young core, the defensive play of Dvorak and Armia are other elements that could play a role with this team.
Additionally, there's the point that Jake Allen could address an important need among the club's goalies, given that the organization lacks an experienced goalkeeper to support young recruit Devon Levi.
| POLL | ||
Do you believe that the Buffalo Sabres will make the playoffs in 2023-2024? | ||
| Yes | 64 | 73.6 % |
| No | 23 | 26.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
