Sabres Summer Free Agent Target - Chandler Stephenson
30-year-old center was a key cog in the Golden Knights Cup victory in 2023
Sabres Summer Free Agent Target - Chandler StephensonThe Buffalo Sabres face a season where accountability will be stressed under head coach Lindy Ruff and areas of need will have to be addressed by GM Kevyn Adams for the club to snap their 13-year playoff drought. We have been taking a look at players who could be potential trade targets this summer over the last few weeks in advance of a year that has to be considered playoffs or bust, but now we will take a look at who the Sabres could potentially be pursuing when the free agent market opens up on July 1.
Buffalo is not likely to pursue big-ticket players like Jake Guentzel or Elias Lindholm, as they will be pursuing long-term big-money contracts, but they will be looking for role players with size and two-way ability that can be signed for a lesser term and cap hit.
Chandler Stephenson – Center (Vegas Golden Knights)
Stats: 51 points (16 G, 35 A) in 75 games, 1 point (0 G, 1 A) in 7 playoff games
2023-24 Salary - $2.75 Million
One of the most pressing needs for the Sabres in the short term is to find a replacement up the middle for Casey Mittelstadt, who they dealt one year out from free agency for defenseman Bowen Byram in March. Peyton Krebs did not grab ahold of the third-line center role after the deal and it is unknown whether youngsters Matthew Savoie, Jiri Kulich, or Noah Ostlund are ready to play in the top nine in the NHL.
Stephenson, a key cog of the Golden Knights Stanley Cup victory in 2023, might be out of the price range of what the Sabres are willing to pay but would be an intriguing add.
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A 2012 draft pick of the Washington Capitals, Stephenson was a bit player on their 2018 Cup-winning squad and was acquired by former Caps GM George McPhee in Vegas in 2019. In four full seasons with the Golden Knights, the 30-year-old has scored in double figures each year (with a career-high 22 in 2021-22) and saw his role grow to centering their top line at times, but mostly in a second-or-third line role behind former Sabre Jack Eichel and William Karlsson.
His shining moment came in 2023 when he followed up a career-high 65 points in the regular season with 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in the Golden Knights run to the Stanley Cup.
Stephenson’s championship pedigree would be invaluable to the Sabres in their quest to make the postseason for the first time since 2011, but it would likely take at least a four-year contract well in excess of his $2.75 million salary. Vegas would love to retain Stephenson, but after acquiring Tomas Hertl from San Jose and with their cap constraints, it is unlikely they will be in the bidding.
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