Strain On Top-Four Could Push Sabres To Add Defense

A three-week break for the 2026 Winter Olympics will be exactly what the Buffalo Sabres need to try and spark a reset on the blue-line. The rest will be most helpful for defenseman Michael Kesselring, who has been playing through a high-ankle sprain for much of the year per Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic. That is the same injury that has already sidelined Kesselring for 21 games, across two stints, this season.

Kesselring isn’t the only Sabres defender on the shelf. Conor Timmins remains on crutches while recoverying from a broken leg, and is targeting a return to skating when the Sabres return, per Fairburn.

The pair of injuries have pushed Jacob Bryson and Zach Metsa into competition for bottom-pair minutes, usually next to a hobbled Kesselring. But neither depth defender has stood up to big plays through their limited appearances. Bryson has scored only five points in 35 games this season – and has struggled with untimely turnovers as of late. Metsa only has two points in 26 appearances. Those quiet impacts have left the two grasping for 10 minutes of ice time a game, and put a heavy load on Buffalo’s top-four defenders.

That could make defense a priority add as the Sabres approach the Trade Deadline in an unfamiliar buyer’s position. Buffalo has pulled together a core-four on defense, led by superstar Rasmus Dahlin and hot-hand Mattias Samuelsson, and backed by Bowen Byram and Owen Power. The quartet has given the Sabres a long-awaited comfort on defense – and proved strong enough to stand up to heavy minutes. They respectively lead Sabres’ skaters in ice time per game, with Dahlin averaging 24:33 on top and Power averagng 21:40.

Adding a fifth defender to that mix would do more than give Buffalo three complete pairings. It would give them reliability on special teams. Adding another defensive stalwart could free Byram up to focus more on the power-play, taking some weight off of Dahlin who has played nearly 100 more power-play minutes than any other Sabres defender. Or, Buffalo could seek out a puck-mover, and free Power up from the role of third-string power-play defender.

Hard-hitting lefty Logan Stanley has been rumored to be a loose pick for the Winnipeg Jets. He could be a shrewd, and cost-effective, addition – capable of stepping up when the stars need a rest without getting in the way on the depth chart. A more reliable, two-way option could be San Jose Sharks defender Mario Ferraro, who has been on-and-off the trade block for many seasons. Both players would be strong partners for a fully-healthy Kesselring, offering a safety-net to prop up his play-driving.

Both Stanley and Ferraro – or, other market options like Pittsburgh’s Brett Kulak – would fit well into the Sabres’ salary books. Buffalo is expected to carry $21.24MM in cap space into the Trade Deadline. That flexibility, a fairly full cupboard of draft picks, and a strong prospect pool should be more than enough to land Buffalo an impactful bottom-pair defenseman on a seller’s market when the Deadline rolls around. A new face would slot Timmins nicely into the extra defender roll, when healthy, and bump Bryson and Metsa once rung down the depth chart.