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After narrowly missing the playoffs in 2022-23, the Buffalo Sabres entered this season hoping to end their lengthy playoff drought. Instead, their offensive production declined and they missed the postseason for the 13th straight season.
The Sabres are loaded with good young talent but need experienced two-way depth at center. That’s where Elias Lindholm could come in. While he could end up signing with a more established playoff team, there’s also the possibility of landing with one on the verge like the Sabres.
The 29-year-old was traded by the Calgary Flames to the Vancouver Canucks in January. His production suffered in part because of a nagging wrist injury, finishing with 12 points in 26 regular-season games as a Canuck. However, he’s stepped up in the postseason, sitting third among their scorers with five goals and nine points in 12 games.
When healthy, Lindholm is a highly skilled two-way center. He’s also proved capable of putting up big offensive numbers, netting a career-best 42 goals and 82 points in 2021-22 skating alongside Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk with the Flames.
The Sabres possess scoring wingers like Alex Tuch, Jeff Skinner, and JJ Peterka. They also have promising youngsters such as Jack Quinn and Zach Benson, with Jiri Kulich, Noah Ostlund and Matthew Savoie in their pipeline.
Lindholm could be an excellent addition to any combination of those wingers. He’d provide the invaluable depth and experience at center they would need to end their playoff drought.
With $23.2 million of cap space and 12 active roster players under contract for 2024-25, the Sabres have room to sign Lindholm to a long-term deal worth between $7 million and $8 million annually. They might have to shed a bit of salary, such as Jordan Greenway and his $3 million cap hit, to give themselves a little more wiggle room.
