It's time to make the move.
The Buffalo Sabres have had a pretty eventful off-season. Yet, when looking at their current group, it is fair to argue that they would benefit by adding another forward. This is especially so when noting that they moved on from Alex Tuch this off-season and failed to sign Patrick Kane.
When looking at the remaining free agents, Vladimir Tarasenko stands out as the player whom the Sabres should strongly consider targeting.
If the Sabres signed Tarasenko, he would provide them with another skilled forward for their middle six. The Sabres could use another scorer after not bringing back Tuch, and Tarasenko could help them a bit on that front.
Despite no longer being a first-line talent, Tarasenko can still produce solid offense at this stage in his career. His 2025-26 season with the Minnesota Wild shows this, as he posted 23 goals and 47 points in 75 games. With numbers like these, he would have the potential to give Buffalo some much-needed secondary scoring.
Furthermore, with it now being the middle of August, it is possible that Tarasenko could be had at a cheaper price than before the season. If he is open to a one-year, prove-it deal at this point in the summer, the Sabres should strongly consider targeting him.
Overall, there would be no real harm in the Sabres bringing in a two-time Stanley Cup champion like Tarasenko. It will be intriguing to see if they can do just that from here.
